Gok Wan’s brother puts twist on Chinese classic in Bolton

The chef, author and TV personality – who is the older brother of presenter Gok Wan – took to the Regional Chef Area today (Sunday, August 30) for a live cooking demonstration.

Kwoklyn, who is from Leicester, joked that he had brought the sunshine with him as festival-goers gathered to watch him cook.

Returning to Bolton Food and Drink Festival for what he said was his third or fourth year, he demonstrated Dan Dan noodles, putting his own twist on the popular Sichuan dish.

He explained that Dan Dan noodles would traditionally consist of separate elements, including meat, noodles and sauce, which are brought together to create the finished dish.

During the demonstration, Kwoklyn also shared some of the tricks he has picked up from decades around Chinese kitchens, including explaining the difference between light and dark soy sauce.

Light soy sauce is generally used to season dishes and provide saltiness and umami, while dark soy sauce is thicker and sweeter and is often used to add colour.

It is a distinction Kwoklyn has previously highlighted when helping home cooks get to grips with Chinese food, describing light and dark soy as two of the handful of basic ingredients needed for Chinese cooking.

He was also joined at the demonstration by a young helper, Grace, who lent a hand as the dish came together.

Kwoklyn’s connection with Chinese food stretches back to his childhood in Leicester, where he and younger brother Gok grew up around their family’s restaurant business.

His grandfather established a Chinese restaurant in Leicester in 1962, while his father later opened the city’s first Cantonese restaurant, The Bamboo House.

Kwoklyn went on to become a full-time chef at the age of 16, having already spent years helping out with jobs including washing up, peeling prawns and preparing vegetables.

He has since built a career taking the Chinese food he grew up with to a wider audience through television, cookbooks and live demonstrations.

Bolton Food and Drink Festival continues until Monday, August 31, with hundreds of food and drink traders, live entertainment and cooking demonstrations taking place across the town centre.