More than the Wok: Profitable Kitchens Expand Equipment Options (1/2)

Time and labor savings plus expanded menu options result from griddle cooking systems designed to complement the traditional wok. The wok has long been regarded as a necessity in Asian cooking. And though the traditional Asian kitchen isn’t likely to hang the wok on the wall, the right mix of cooking equipment, particularly advanced griddle technology, can help extend menu offerings and restaurant profitability. The Wok Originally created by the Chinese during the Han Dynasty (206 B.C.-220 A.D.) as a way to conserve fuel, the steel, bowl-shaped cookware can withstand flames reaching up to 700 degrees – temperatures that would quickly melt conventional skillets. The wok’s shape focuses heat in a small, defined area to quickly cook food. With its own special stove producing heat four times as intense as a conventional stove, juices and flavors of vegetables and meats are locked into food during the cooking process. Although its original purpose was to conserve fuel, wok cooking eventually evolved into an art form with chefs in Hong Kong still spending two to five years learning the technique. Although the wok is still commonly used and regarded by some as the only choice when cooking Asian food, some negatives do exist. Because the wok utilizes such large flames and intense heat, it can be dangerous to use even for experienced chefs. It’s difficult for Asian restaurants to franchise because wok cooking requires special training, which can limit the number of menu items that a restaurant can offer. The special wok stove is also expensive and takes up a lot of space. Extensive cleanup is required on a weekly basis to keep burners from clogging and losing heat, and woks tend to warp resulting in the need for a replacement as often as once a month. The Griddle An alternative to the wok becoming more common in the kitchens of Asian restaurants is the griddle. The flat metal plate is known for cooking up hamburgers or pancakes in American restaurants, but it can also provide a surface for preparing fresh vegetables and meat dishes. Sarku Japan at Westfield Shoppingtown Southpark in Strongsville, Ohio, prepares chicken for chicken teriyaki, seafood, such as shrimp, and vegetables on a griddle. It only takes five or six minutes to prepare chicken on the griddle at the food court establishment. Since the temperature can be adjusted, the griddle is typically set at 350 degrees, but can be bumped up to 550 degrees when a long line of hungry shoppers stop by. Although convenient in the preparation of food quickly, gas and electric griddles haven’t seen any major technology improvements in the past 50 years. Like the wok, some negatives do exist. Hot and cold spots across the surface, extreme spikes in temperature and a slow recovery time aren’t out of the ordinary when using a gas or electric griddle. Steam Griddle Technology A new innovation in griddle technology replaces gas and electric cooking using steam. With steam, the temperature can be kept the same across the griddle surface and cooking time can be dramatically reduced. Taste can be improved and clean-up time decreased too. With conventional griddles, hot and cold spots can appear across the surface because of the heat underneath. When a frozen or cooled product is placed on a conventional griddle, such as the chicken at Sarku Japan, it drops the temperature of the source below resulting in a cold spot. As the process is repeated over several hours, it’s hard to guess what the temperature on any specific spot may be. Extreme spikes in temperature, which can fluctuate up to 100 degrees, appear on the surface causing burning and inconsistent cook times. There is also the problem of a slow recovery time because food placed on the griddle’s surface actually takes the heat out, meaning that the griddle will need time to reheat before cooking again.