Henry Tham is a bar and restaurant where they like to update their menus with the latest in gastronomy, whether it’s fusion or foam. Ling’s Pavilion still continues to serve Cantonese food without the frills. In fact, their menu has gone through a revamp only twice in 17 years. The chefs of these restaurants dish out two easy-to-cook recipes that stick to the basics — exactly what makes them popular.

Ling’s Mongolian Chicken

Serves 4

Ingredients

200 gm chicken, deboned and cubed

Brown crusted: Use pepper and soya sauce for seasoning. Photograph: Ashesh Shah / Mint.

4-6 dried Kashmir chillies, boiled in salted water, drained and cut into big pieces

4 pods of garlic, minced

½ cup of dark soya sauce

3-4 tbsp chilli oil

1 cup of vegetarian or chicken stock

3 tbsp corn starch, diluted in a little water

Salt, pepper, sugar, light soya sauce and vegetable oil for seasoning

Method

Season the chicken with salt, pepper, light soya sauce and add some corn starch solution. Marinate for 10-15 minutes. In a heavy-bottom frying pan, heat chilli and vegetable oil. Add garlic and drained red chillies and stir till lightly brown. Add marinated chicken pieces and stir till the chicken is brown and crusted. Add dark soya sauce, stirring some more. Add stock. Season to taste. Thicken with corn starch solution. Cook till the sauce is done and serve.

Henry Tham’s Kon Chin Prawns

Serves 2

Ingredients

200gm prawns

15gm each of chopped onions, garlic, ginger and chilli

Wok fried: Potato starch helps thicken the gravy. Photograph: Ashesh Shah / Mint.

5gm spring onions

1 tsp soya sauce

1 tbsp oil for cooking

Potato starch

Salt to taste

Method

Clean the prawns thoroughly and fry them. Mix the chopped garlic, ginger, chilli, onions, soya sauce and salt in a wok and cook till the mixture is light brown. Place the prawns in water and add the potato starch. Add just enough potato starch to thicken the gravy. Now mix the prawns with the mixture in the wok and serve.