Wanchai Ferry Boxed Kits

[ElaineHN]

I bought a couple of these when they were BOGO and I had coupons on them ... so they were reasonably priced ... not super cheap, but definitely less than the $40 or so my family would spend at a Chinese restaurant ... even when you add in all the 'extras' that I added.

We've tried the Spicy Garlic Chicken last week and the Kung Pao Chicken last night ... but I made the Kung Pao with thinly sliced round steak (beef) instead of chicken. I added extra veggies to make the meals go further and have more nutritional value.

I thought the taste was good ... but the serving size is ridiculously small. The boxes say 5 or 6 servings. Even with adding the meat, 1/2 lb of baby carrots, a bag of broccoli and an onion ... they whole kit was only a 'decent' serving for the 4 of us. Not overly generous, no seconds.

I partially steamed the carrots and broccoli ahead of time ... but left them under cooked so they wouldn't become mushy while simemring in the sauce. I prepared the rice and meat as directed on the package. Added the pre-steamed veggies along with a raw onion cut into big chunks and then added the sauce thinned down with extra water (otherwise the sauce is a bit thick and gloopy imho.) I allowed everything to simmer for about 15 minutes.

For those with really young kids or others who just don't like really spicy foods ... the sauces aren't SUPER hot to me, but they are a little spicy. For my daughter, I reserved some of the steamed veggies (instead of simmering them in the sauce) ... I put those on her plate and then added some of the meat and just a little sauce. This way she got the flavor, but the un-simmered veggies helped to 'dillute' the hotness of the sauce.

If you have really big eaters in your family, and don't mind the extra carbs/starch ... I'd suggest cooking EXTRA rice ... the kit is 'enough' for the 4 of us ... but more rice could definitely help fill up hungry hubby's and teens.

Those who cook Chinese food on a regular basis might do better just starting from scratch with their own ingredients and recipes ... but for me, this was an easy way to make a reasonably good Chinese meal. If i find these BOGO and have coupons again, i'll probably buy more.

[jedda]

Thanks for the info - I just got a bunch of coupons for these and I was scoping them out at Publix... We're Chinese food fanatics, so I was thinking that it might kick a craving without causing a $50 restaurant tab.