Ling and Louie both agree that limes are one of the most versatile fruits available, but Ling has more medicinal reasons for loving the little green gems while Louie appreciates them for their refreshment value.

Passed down through the generations of her family, Ling suggests always keeping citrus, and especially limes, well-stocked because:

1. One secret of Asian women is to drink a glass of warm water with lime juice as a weight reducer in addition to using it for its anti-oxidant qualities.
2. Lime juice and its oil are beneficial for skin when either are applied directly or consumed. Chinese women like to use lime juice to rejuvenate the skin and protect from infections.
3. Ling was taught that if she scratches the peel of a lime and inhales the scent, it will give immediate relief from congestion.
4. In olden days, Chinese soldiers and sailors were given lime to keep safe from scurvy, since the high concentration of Vitamin C could actually cure the disease.
5. When Ling was a little girl, her mother applied lime juice directly to her skin to help heal her playground bruises.

But, often, when Ling wants some of her limes, she finds that Louie has already used them to make fresh-squeezed limeade, which can be found in the following liquid deliciousness:

1. Strawberry Limeade – Upping the deliciousness, Louie adds fresh strawberries for a sweeter, smoother drink.
2. Limeade Arnold Palmer – Louie puts a little spin on it, just like one of Arnie’s great shots. Taking the traditional ½ iced tea and ½ lemonade recipe, Louie substitutes the lemonade with his fresh limeade for a drink that’s never a Mulligan!
3. Rickshaw Margarita – With his usual flair, Louie takes juicy lime and muddles it with orange, Milagro Silver Tequila, Dekuyper Triple Sec and freshly squeezed limeade for a better-than-authentic margarita.
4. Eastern Sour – Imagine the perfect blend of Bourbon, Mehkong Liqueur, Orange Juice and fresh limeade topped with a splash of Domaine Ste. Michelle Brut!

Stop by Ling & Louie’s today, and let us make you one of these Fantastically Fresh Refreshments!

For a while now, Louie has been eyeing Reno, “The Biggest Little City in the World”, as a place he’d love to open one of their restaurants. Why does he think Reno is the perfect location for a Ling & Louie’s Asian Bar and Grill, now open at 4965 S. Virginia St. Reno, Nevada 89502?

How many candles will Louie’s cake have on it this year? That’s a question whose answer only Ling, Louie and his parents know. In fact, rumor has it that this year, Louie has been lobbying Ling to avoid this ritual completely because he finds altogether absurd. 

With his ancestors coming from Europe, Louie understands that the silly candle tradition is traced to Kinderfest (“Kinder” is the German for “children”), a birthday celebration for children. As far back as the 18th century, records show that when it was time for dessert, the prince’s entourage carried a large torte topped with burning candles. But, for Louie these days, the quantity of candles may actually threaten to melt his cake, a risk he’s just not willing to take!

As usual, this year Louie has requested his favorite cake, Heavenly Cloud Cake, for his birthday. This is no ordinary sheet cake. This cake, living up to its name, boasts a complex array of heavenly flavors:

• The moist yellow cake itself
• Coconut sauce
• Fruit mixture
• Rum-mascarpone cream
• Raspberry puree
• Banana syrup
• Macadamia nuts
• Mint sprig

As you can imagine, Ling will be spending many hours preparing this cake for Louie. First, she must bake the cake and cool it completely.  Next she will prepare the Rum-mascarpone cream and chill that. Once these are prepared, she will brush the cake with banana syrup, spread the Mascarpone cream, stack another layer of cake on top of this and repeat.  On that layer, she will swirl the raspberry puree and stack another layer of cake, syrup and cream.

After she very gingerly serves the cake to Louie and he reluctantly blows out his candles, she’ll ladle coconut cream sauce on a plate, cut a generous size slice of cake and arrange it on the plate with the cream sauce.  She’ll top the cake with fruit mixture, sprinkle chopped macadamia nuts over it all and, for the final touch, place a mint sprig on the top.

Only now will Ling serve Louie his birthday cake. And not with the traditional glass of milk… No.  Louie being Louie, he’s got to wash down this delicacy with a mug of his favorite beer, Louie’s Copper Ale.

Happy Birthday, Louie!

Meals at Ling & Louie’s often conclude with a “Happy Ending Dessert” in the form of a Banana Carmel Spring Roll or Chocolate Volcano Cake.  But long before you get to enjoy the Happy Ending is the Foreplay – or “Starters”, as we call them.

Your very first taste of Ling & Louie’s, the first impression we give you, is with a Starter, so we put our best foot forward to make a lasting first impression on you. We want our tantalizing appetizers to put you in the mood and get you excited for what is yet to come during your meal. We believe this is an important first step in your dining enjoyment because we know that bad appetizers can get things off to a lousy start, leaving you concerned that the rest your experience might be more of the same.
Bread and butter is a standard pre-entrée feature at most restaurants, whether low-end or high-end, but let’s face it; that is mainly just a quick fix to satisfy your hunger pangs.

Our starters, on the other hand, kick off your meal with a splash. Why? Because they are that spectacular!

And what makes our Starters “that spectacular”? Often it’s our house-made sauces. Our chefs have concocted some of the most memorable, tasty sauces to enhance the flavors, textures and colors of each dish’s ingredients.
Of course, when you come in to dine, our chefs will prepare your Starter per the recipe, to perfection. But what about you? Could you add the correct sauce to the right Starter?

Here’s a little test. Place the letter of the Starter next to its Sauce:
A.    Mongolian Flatbread
B.    Black Orchid Ahi
C.    Chicken Lettuce Wraps
D.    Coconut Shrimp
E.    Pan Seared Potstickers
F.    Crispy Calamari
G.    Shrimp & Avocado Tempura Roll

Sauces
___Sieu Mai Sauce
___Sweet Asian Dipping Sauce
___Spicy Soy Mustard
___Spicy Aioli
___Aioli & Chili Sauce
___Sweet Soy Sauce
___Sweet Citrus-Chili Sauce

Answer key:
E. Pan Seared Potstickers – Sieu Mai Sauce
C. Chicken Lettuce Wraps – Sweet Asian Dipping Sauce
B. Black Orchid Ahi – Spicy Soy Mustard
A. Mongolian Flatbread – Spicy Aioli
F. Crispy Calamari – Aioli & Chili Sauce
G. Shrimp & Avocado Tempura Roll – Sweet Soy Sauce
D. Coconut Shrimp – Sweet Citrus-Chili Sauce

Wine is to cheese
As
Sake is to…?

Sure, the French are famous for pairing their delicious wines with their stinky cheeses, but don’t underestimate the Japanese! Pairing sake with Asian food will having you saying, “Ooh La La!”

With the origin of sake being traced all the way back to the Nara period of 710-794, the Japanese were pairing their alcoholic beverages with the perfect foods long before the French stomped on their first grapes.

Although sake is often referred to as “rice wine”, it’s not a true wine because the alcohol is not produced by fermenting the sugar naturally present in fruit. Instead, sake is made through a brewing process more like that of beer. So, it is actually more like a rice beer than a rice wine. (No wonder we often catch Louie sneaking a glass!)

In Japan, sake is used to support the food. “Ryori ni jama shinai,” they say. “Sake that does not interfere with the food.” Here are a few suggestions when eating at Ling & Louie’s.

Gekkeikan Traditional (14% alcohol) This is a versatile sake that can be served chilled, room temperature or warmed. (We serve it warm.) To achieve its mellow flavor, it’s aged for about 6 months. While wine and salads don’t always go well together, you’ll find that this sake goes perfectly with our Emerald Spinach Salad or Sesame-Seared Ahi Salad.

Ty Ku ‘Silver’ Junmai (15% alcohol) has a rich flavor that’s soft and silky. It tastes slightly sweet and fresh with subtle pear notes. Although it complements all sushi & Asian cuisine, its well-rounded body pairs well with a variety of lighter dishes especially our Black Orchid Ahi.

Ty Ku ‘Black’ Junmai Ginjo (15% alcohol) boasts a refined flavor with a subtle hint of spice underneath and peach on the nose. Because of its body and depth, it pairs well with fish and grilled white meats. We suggest you drink this sake with our Orange Peel Chicken or Teriyaki Salmon.

Momokowa ‘Organic’ Nigori Junmai Ginjo (16% alcohol) is the only sake to carry the USDA seal. Through every step of its processing, it is certified. This sake has silky layers of flavors including anise, coconut custard, ginger, honey and pear. We suggest you enjoy it chilled and paired with spicy foods such as our Firecracker Chicken or Kung POW! Beef.

Moonstone Asian Pear (13.5% alcohol) is a clear sake with a very faint green straw cast. It has aromas of pear and honeysuckle. Its fruity-yet-dry medium-to-full body integrates jicama and pear skin flavors. This sake goes well with pork, poultry, shrimp and salads. We suggest you enjoy a glass with our Drunken Shrimp or Chopstick Chicken Salad.

Gekkeikan Zipang Sparkling (7% alcohol) is naturally carbonated sake. It’s served chilled and has a refreshingly light, sweet flavor. It is excellent with light appetizers or raw fish, so we recommend you order a glass with our Shrimp & Avocado Tempura Roll or Spicy Ahi Tempura Roll.

We invite you to come in soon to try these suggested pairings, or heck, live dangerously and try whatever pairings sound good to you. Discover just how food-friendly sake truly is!

With Valentine’s Day quickly approaching, we thought it only fitting to retell Ling & Louie’s beautiful love story to remind you all of how it all happened. And be sure to read all the way through to see the aphrodisiac offerings on our Valentine’s Menu (just $39.99 per couple!) that worked for Ling & Louie and may just have the affects you’re looking for too this Valentine’s Day!

How Ling & Louie Fell in Love
Louie was a promising young baseball pitcher from Toledo, Ohio. He enjoyed the comforts of Mom’s meatloaf and Kung Fu movies. Louie was 11 when he and his family hosted Hao – a fierce short-stop from China. Louie and Hao became fast friends. However, little attention was afforded to Hao’s whiny cousin, a rising table tennis phenom from Shanghai. Her name was Ling.

Louie and Hao kept in touch which led to a college graduation trip to China.

Louie arrived in Shanghai for a summer of exotic food adventures and baseball games. One night, Hao invited Louie to his family home for dinner. Behind the wok was a lovely sight that took his breath away. Ling was now a stunning beauty and an accomplished chef. Ling’s cuisine sealed Louie’s heart that night.

Louie decided to extend his trip, and found work as a busboy and bartender at Ling’s family restaurant. The path to Ling’s heart was a little less direct. Louie’s one-liners and big smiles were no match for this stubborn firecracker. It took three months, but Ling eventually found Louie to be pure of heart, and his intentions true. Like their hearts, Ling’s cooking and Louie’s bartending stirred in the same direction, counter-clockwise to love.

Ling & Louie’s Secrets To Love
Both were wise and used the powers of food to their advantage. In honor of Valentine’s Day, they wanted to share a few of their secrets and offer them to you and your Valentine this year.

Crab. Like oysters, crab contains very high levels of zinc, a known stimulant for the prostate and therefore an aphrodisiac for men. Try feeding your sweetie our Crab Cake Salad with two handmade crab cakes drizzled with spicy aioli and chili sauces and served over a bitter greens salad dressed in sweet chili vinaigrette.

Asparagus. This vegetable has been considered a successful aphrodisiac since ancient times. It is rich in folate, a B vitamin that helps increase production of histamine a promoter of a good sex life. Ling uses asparagus in her Sizzling Surf & Turf made with marinated sliced fillet, asparagus, onions, mushrooms and Thai basil, served sizzling table-side in a seasoned soy sauce.

Chocolate. This irresistible treat contains compounds including anandamide, the feel-good chemical, and PEA, the “love chemical” which releases dopamine in the pleasure centers of the brain. This Valentine’s Day, Ling & Louie’s prix fix menu includes Chocolate Volcano Cake, a flourless chocolate cake served warm and topped with fresh strawberries, vanilla bean ice cream and raspberry sauce.

Pomegranate. Since ancient days, pomegranate has made an impression as a sensual symbol, appearing in poetic works of authors including Homer and Shakespeare. The pomegranate is a symbol of fertility with its abundant seeds. For the Chinese, the pomegranate symbolizes prosperity in an abundant household. So, this year, Louie has mixed up a delicious Pomegranate Kiss cocktail with Stoli White Pomagranik Vodka and Parma Pomegranate Liqueur topped with Alma Negra Sparking Malbec, a drink that is sure to arouse the senses!

Chinese New Year is Ling’s favorite time of the year when it comes to her Chinese Restaurant in Scottsdale, AZ. Over the years, Louie has learned to love this special holiday as much as his feisty wife. He enjoys it so much so that each year he creates special “Lucky Libations” for the Chinese New Year celebration. This year, Louie has taken symbolically significant fruit in Chinese culture and combined them with traditional cocktails to create truly unique imbibing experiences.

MANDARIN COLLINS
Louie learned during his first Chinese New Year celebration that oranges are often displayed and eaten as a way to increase wealth. This tradition came about as a pun, as the Chinese word for “orange” sounds very similar to that of the word “wealth.”

Knowing that Ling would find it important to have something orange for the Chinese New Year celebration in her Chinese restaurant, Louie concocted a twist on a basic vodka collins. The base of this cocktail is Hangar One Mandarin Blossom Vodka, an artisanal vodka infused with mandarin orange blossoms. This delicate vodka is enhanced with Patron Citronage, house-made ginger-lime syrup, a dash of fresh orange juice, and then topped with sparkling water.

GINGER-PEACH BOURBON TEA
Louie is always looking for unique ways to introduce people to his favorite spirit, Bourbon. Through his many trips to China, he learned the significance of the peach in Chinese culture, which is often known as the “fruit of the Gods.” Peaches are believed to bring long life and even immortality.

With this cocktail, Louie truly blends East and West. The first step in this mixological masterpiece is steeping organic ginger-peach tea in Maker’s Mark Bourbon for 48 hours. This steeping process infuses the unique flavors of the tea with the famous Bourbon. Louie then takes the ginger-peach tea-infused Bourbon and mixes it with Fee Brothers Peach Bitters and a touch of ginger-lime syrup. This delectable mixture is then topped off with ginger beer, balancing the sweet peach flavors with a crisp, gingery spice.

LYCHEE DROP
One of the most important parts of the Chinese New Year is celebrating with your family either at home or at your favorite Chinese Restaurant. Lychees are symbolic of bringing families together, especially over special events such as the New Year. Lychees are a tropical fruit, indigenous to Southern China. This delicious fruit has a delicate flesh and a very perfume-like aroma.

The sweetness of lychee makes it the perfect counterpart to the tartness of lemons. Therefore, with this cocktail, Louie has created somewhat of a hybrid of a lemon drop. He once again blends East and West by starting with Momokowa Organic Nigori Sake (a sweet, unfiltered sake) and then adds lychee syrup. Freshly squeezed lemon is added for tartness, balancing the sweetness of the sake and lychee. A dash of Stolichnaya Vodka is splashed in to add a touch of body and depth. These ingredients are all shaken vigorously and strained into a martini glass. The cocktail is then topped off with sparkling wine to tie everything together and add a touch of effervescence.

PINEAPPLE-RUM COOLER
Pineapple is said to bring excellent fortune and luck. There aren’t many flavors that Louie enjoys more than pineapple, so he was thrilled to know that this fruit is so highly regarded in Chinese culture. Through many long hours of studying obscure cocktails, Louie came across an old tiki cocktail called the Missionary’s Downfall. This cocktail, a mix of light rum, fresh pineapple, mint, and peach liqueur, was known to be light and refreshing.

Louie takes this rather simple mix to the next level for the Chinese New Year celebration. Instead of just fresh pineapple, Louie has created a delicious caramelized pineapple puree to mix with Cruzan Dark Rum, fresh mint, lime juice, and peach schnapps. This rich mixture is topped with sparkling water to lighten it up and tie all the ingredients together.

Ling & Louie’s would never let a Chinese New Year slip by without a festive New Year bash and this year is no exception. We will be celebrating the Year of the Dragon January 20 – 23, 2012 with a unique menu designed to satisfy the hungriest of dragons!

The origin of Chinese New Year is centuries old and gains significance because of several myths and traditions. Chinese New Year is celebrated in countries and territories with large Chinese populations including Mainland China, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Tibet, Macau, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand, and also in various China towns.

True to the 2012 Year of the Dragon horoscope predicting that it will be a flamboyant year, Ling & Louie’s Asian Bar and Grill has concocted a dazzling Chinese New Year Feast of Fortune and Lucky Libations menus with limited-time items.

Some of the highlights include:

• Hand-Wrapped Dumplings We offer dumplings for Chinese New year because, traditionally shaped like ancient Chinese ingots, they are considered good luck. Our dumplings are filled with pork and shrimp and served with Ling’s signature peanut-red curry sauce.
• Crispy Asian Sea Bass Fish is a must for Chinese New year because it is a symbol of prosperity. Therefore, we recommend eating plenty of fish to help your wishes come true in the year to come! Here’s a great place to start with our fresh Asian sea bass marinated with yellow curry and served crispy with Szechwan vegetables and two dipping sauces.
• Lucky Noodles Noodles are a symbol of longevity in Chinese culture, so this is a perfect time to slurp up some of these for lunch or dinner! Our Lucky Noodles are tossed with filet, shrimp and chicken. Next, they’re wok’d with fresh vegetables and a sesame garlic-ginger sauce.
• General Ling’s Chicken Chicken represents the uniting of families and good marriages for the upcoming year. So, this New Year, why not come by and try Ling’s take on a traditional Chinese dish? Loads of crispy chicken are wok’d with red bell peppers, green onions and carrots in a sweet-and-spicy soy sauce. It’s a dish the whole family will enjoy!
• Char Siu Pork Tenderloin This is one of Louie’s favorite traditional Chinese meals, which Ling loves to serve for Chinese New Year. She makes it with juicy pork tenderloin marinated and pan-roasted and serves it with wok’d asparagus spears and wasabi mashed potatoes.

For those of you who like to ring in the New Year with spirits, we’ve got you covered with our Lucky Libations menu featuring the dragon’s favorites:

• Mandarin Collins
• Ginger-Peach Bourbon Tea
• Lychee Drop
• Pineapple-Rum Cooler

In addition to treating guests to special menu items, Ling likes to take the New Year as a way to thank all guests for their patronage. She is therefore thrilled to offer good fortune to guests who order off the Feast of Fortune menu by inviting them to pick a red envelope filled with a fortune!

Happy New Year!

This year, Louie has decided to fill Ling’s stocking with some of her favorite tools she likes to use for Chinese cooking. Let’s dump out that stocking and see what’s she’s going to get! Maybe it’ll give you some ideas for great stocking stuffers for those on your list who love Chinese food!

Asian Mandoline
Ling will love her new Asian mandoline because it will reduce the work of cutting vegetables julienne-style. This will make the preparation of the Evil Jungle Princess dishes much quicker as she prepares the  green beans and fresh vegetables for cooking with Thai basil and mint in peanut-red curry sauce.

Deep Fry Thermometer
Since Ling does some of her deep-frying in a wok, she’ll love a new deep-fry thermometer to determining oil temperature. Louie found a stainless steel thermometer for Ling’s stocking that registers temperatures up to 550 degrees Fahrenheit. It even has a clamp which will allow her to fasten the thermometer to the side of the wok so she doesn’t have to hold onto it. This new thermometer will come in handy when Ling prepares Sweet & Sour Chicken with crispy chicken wok’d in Ling & Louie’s own special sweet & sour sauce and served with crispy spinach, tropical salsa, and green onions.

Dumpling Press
Louie thought he’d get Ling a dumpling press because he knows how handy it comes in when Ling is preparing her Pan-Fried Potstickers. People love these pot stickers so with her new press, Ling can more quickly make these yummy treats filled with minced pork and vegetables and served with a siew mai dipping sauce.

Mortar and Pestle
The mortar and pestle is often used in Thai and Chinese cooking. Louie selected a traditional Thai-style mortar and pestle made from granite. It has a smooth, polished interior which will be great for pounding herbs and spices to prepare spice pastes. Louie thinks this will be perfect for preparing the Seafood Hot Pot made with fresh fish, tender shrimp, black mussels, fresh vegetables and Asian spices which Ling can prepare with her new mortar and pestle.

Pepper Mill
Chinese cooks love to use freshly ground pepper because it adds so much more flavor to Chinese dishes than pre-ground pepper. This year, Louie is giving Ling an 8-inch pepper mill made of metal. It has a padded base and a ceramic grinder for grinding peppercorns. Ling is especially going to love her new pepper mill when she’s preparing the Pepper Beef with sliced filet mignon crusted with cracked black pepper!

Wok Turner (Spatula)
Louie found one that’s specifically designed for wok cooking. It’s made of stainless steel and has a wide turner with a long handle. Ling will definitely be using this when preparing Mango Shrimp made with sweet and tangy shrimp stir-fried with diced mango and fresh spinach.