dan dan rice – Jellybeans in the City

Do you remember the part in the movie Forrest Gump where, after recovering from battle injuries, our hero became proficient in table tennis, joined the US Army Team, and even competed against Chinese teams during a goodwill tour.

That exchange of ping pong players between the US and China in the 1970s is a depiction of ping pong diplomacy. This paved the way for normalizing relations between the two countries then at opposite ends of ideological spectrum – the US and the People’s Republic of China – and aided in the stabilization of global politics.

This historical snippet just goes to show that it’s oftentimes better to work together to achieve mutual benefit than to always oppose each other.

In much the same way, Chinese and American cuisines found a way to work together with the return of Ping Pong Diplomacy as a cloud kitchen at The Grid Food Market.

It brought back crowd favorites from its previous store that are now served in aluminum trays good for sharing for two to three people (reheating instructions included!). These are great when enjoyed at home or wherever the adventurous foodie may be in the metro.

These best-selling dishes include:

Dan Dan Rice (Php515). Japanese fried rice is stir-fried with the house Dan Dan paste and oil, along with squash, green peas, shiitake and ground pork, then served with two fried eggs, crispy chicken skin and crushed peanuts.

To reheat:

Option 1: Transfer to a microwavable container and heat in the microwave in high heat for one minute.
Option 2: Remove the egg and stir-fry the rice in a hot pan until heated through.

Simple Fried Egg (Php290). Four crispy deep-fried eggs topped with pork floss, hoisin sauce, crispy chicken skin, sauteed shallot, chili and spring onions.

To reheat:

Heat for three to five minutes in an oven or toaster pre-heated to 270 deg F (132 deg C).

Not Mapo Tofu (Php475). A new twist on the classic Mapo Tofu dish wherein steamed soy custard is covered in house mapo tofu sauce then topped with fried leeks, ground pork, sesame seeds and ground Szechuan peppercorns.

To reheat:

Option 1: Remove plastic lid and cover the tray with aluminum foil, then steam for 10-15 minutes until the tofu is warm.
Option 2: Partially submerge the container in hot water for ten minutes until the tofu is warm. Leave at least one inch from the top to avoid getting water on the tofu.

With local culinary greats like Chefs Him Uy de Baron and Noel Mauricio helming Ping Ping Diplomacy’s kitchen, food lovers can expect more of the exciting blend of Chinese and American flavors that they love from Ping Pong Diplomacy.

Ping Pong Diplomacy is open for pickup and delivery at thegridfoodmarket.com or bit.ly/shop-ppd. It will also soon be available for dine-in at Stall 8 at The Grid Food Market, Powerplant Mall, Rockwell Drive, Rockwell Center, Makati.