General Tso’s Cauliflower — The Kitchen Is Real, and So Is the Fire

The health inspection passed. On the first try. The inspector — a woman named Karen who's seen a thousand restaurant kitchens and has the weary expression to prove it — walked through the space with a clipboard and a flashlight and checked everything: temps, surfaces, storage, handwashing stations, ventilation, pest control, the works. She passed us with a 96. Two points lost for a gasket on the walk-in door (Tyler fixed it that afternoon) and two points for a labeling issue on the dry storage (Emma re-labeled everything within the hour). A 96 on the first try is, Karen said, "unusual for a new restaurant." I said, "My daughter designed the kitchen." Karen said, "Hire her for other restaurants." The permit is issued. We are officially a licensed food establishment in the city of Houston. The paper hangs in the kitchen, next to the first-place Bayou City trophy and a photo of Mr. Clarence that I framed and mounted above the prep station. Mr. Clarence in the kitchen. Watching over the prep station. The man who taught a Vietnamese woman to smoke meat in a backyard in Alief, whose recipe is in my son's wallet, whose name is invoked every time we light the fire. He belongs in this kitchen. He built this kitchen, one lesson at a time, thirty years before it existed. The opening date is set: May 1, 2021. Six weeks. Invitations have been sent to family, friends, the pop-up regulars, the Houston food press, and the 100,000 people who follow Bobby Tran BBQ on Instagram. Lily designed the invitation. It says: "After five years of smoke, we have a home. Come eat." After five years of smoke, we have a home. I stood in the dining room after the inspection. The red wall. The sign. The tables. The chairs. The kitchen behind the window, gleaming under the lights. The smoker visible through the pass-through, the new offset, Tyler's pride, big enough to hold four briskets and all of my dreams. This is real. This is not a pop-up in a parking lot. This is not a backyard cookout. This is a restaurant. My restaurant. Our restaurant. Smoke and Fish Sauce. Bobby Tran BBQ. 1847 Washington Avenue. Houston, Texas. The fire keeps burning. Six weeks.

A 96 on the first inspection. The permit on the wall. Mr. Clarence watching over the prep station. Six weeks until the doors open on Washington Avenue — there is a lot to feel right now, and most of it doesn’t have words. What I can do, what I’ve always done when words fall short, is cook. General Tso’s Cauliflower is the dish I made the night we got the permit, because it says what this whole restaurant says: take two worlds, put them in the same pan, and turn the heat up. That’s the whole idea.

General Tso’s Cauliflower

Prep Time: 15 min | Cook Time: 25 min | Total Time: 40 min | Servings: 4

Ingredients

• 1 large head cauliflower, cut into florets
• 3 tablespoons cornstarch, divided
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon fresh ginger, grated
• 3 tablespoons soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
• 2 tablespoons hoisin sauce
• 1 tablespoon sesame oil
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes (or to taste)
• 1/4 cup water
• 3 green onions, sliced thin
• 1 tablespoon sesame seeds
• Steamed white rice, for serving

Instructions

1. Preheat and prep. Preheat oven to 425°F. Toss cauliflower florets with 2 tablespoons cornstarch and 1 tablespoon vegetable oil until evenly coated. Spread in a single layer on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
2. Roast the cauliflower. Roast for 20–25 minutes, flipping once halfway through, until the edges are golden and crisp. Remove from oven and set aside.
3. Build the sauce. While the cauliflower roasts, whisk together soy sauce, rice vinegar, hoisin sauce, sesame oil, brown sugar, red pepper flakes, water, and the remaining 1 tablespoon cornstarch in a small bowl until smooth.
4. Cook the aromatics. Heat the remaining tablespoon of vegetable oil in a large skillet or wok over medium-high heat. Add garlic and ginger and cook, stirring constantly, for about 60 seconds until fragrant.
5. Finish the sauce. Pour the sauce mixture into the skillet. Stir and cook for 2–3 minutes until the sauce thickens and begins to bubble and coat the back of a spoon.
6. Toss and serve. Add the roasted cauliflower to the skillet and toss to coat completely in the sauce. Serve immediately over steamed rice, topped with sliced green onions and sesame seeds.

Nutrition (per serving)

Calories: 210 | Protein: 6g | Fat: 9g | Carbs: 29g | Fiber: 4g | Sodium: 780mg