Blooming Fish from Cinderella Chef | Anime with Alvin

[@nelinno04]

Quick note if anyone wants to try this: Don't only wear nitrile gloves when dipping the fish. If oil splatters, the plastic can melt on your skin. It looks like Alvin used the butcher/pitmaster technique of having sturdier gloves under the nitrile, which would protect much better.

[@Its_Me_Romano]

This looks disgusting

[@Jared-nu2tz]

@@Its_Me_Romano what?

[@thornangel16]

I’ve used a similar technique when removing pool tarps on cold days (when you don’t own waterproof gloves and the alternative isn’t warm enough). The trick is to wear nitrile gloves a few sizes bigger than normal to compensate for the size of your already gloved hands.

[@Reversinator]

tips are appreciated, buuut i think very few people will wanna make this 😅

[@sarahwatts7152]

@@Reversinator I dunno, I bet there are some people doing adventurous frying. Not me, though!!

[@katekramer7679]

I like that the sauce is basically "ketchup plus ketchup's main ingredients"

[@puellanivis]

For when Ketchup just isn’t ketchupy enough.

[@rened.7076]

Ket(ketchup)chup

[@katekramer7679]

@@rened.7076 🤣

[@delo2283]

ketchup²

[@shanearmstrong9861]

Don't forget cooking it down, thinning it out again with water, then re-thickening it with slurry. Man really took the long way around to just make more ketchup

[@leecarter2356]

Props for attempting this. Sweet and Sour Coral Fish is no joke. The flavor and cooking process is almost the same as making Squirrel Fish, but the skill required is way higher. I've made Squirrel Fish a few times, but don't even want to try making coral fish. 😂

[@powerlifting1012]

Oh you thought coral fish was bad don't even get me started on blueberry muffin fish😳

[@ratty81]

what in God's name are you people talking about

[@ratty81]

ARE THESE ALL REAL DISHES?

[@BlokeOzzie]

@@paulwaltersheherfeministvl521 Stay in school until you learn how to spell.

[@leecarter2356]

@@ratty81 coral fish and squirrel fish are real dishes. thankfully, no actual coral or squirrel is used.

[@maromania7]

They was a great attempt at an advanced dish, especially for someone who hasn't fileted a fish before. One thing that made a big difference in Chef Wang's video is that the fresher the fish, the less likely it is to tear. His first step was to stun the fish and cut its neck, you can't get more fresh than that. Part of his not tearing was just him being very experienced, but part is always going to be the ingredients used. Not that I'd ever recommend you killing and gutting the fish yourself, especially on screen XD

[@angelaziegler6713]

I’ve always gutted and cleaned the fish I’ve caught during fishing trips, nothing beats the flavor of fresh caught fish. It’s true for any food, but I feel like it affects seafood more than produce or meat.

[@darkness74185]

@@angelaziegler6713 seafood noticeably decomposes extremely quickly after death (leave the shrimp shells hanging around for half a day and the smell is just unbearable), might have something to do with that

[@Dell-ol6hb]

@@darkness74185 well fish doesn’t usually decompose as fast as crustaceans do but yea generally

[@Ginronmaster1994]

His knife also looked pretty dull, a properly sharp knife is a must for a dish like this.

[@ahenchman8656]

The best fish had dinner plans before it became yours

[@-Raylight]

5:09 Alvin always finds a way, always 😂 *"It also served as a test to who at the table is badass enough to go for them"* As an Asian, I could totally agree with that statement. Eating fish's head and tail is badass xD

[@steve.b8872]

Based

[@michyyauwly3463]

What do you mean badass? Fish head is yummy!

[@bodyno3158]

The first thing I hunt when a fish is on the table is the head, that cheek meat is mine.

[@DonPatrono]

As a southern Italian I want to ask: is it that odd to eat the fish head? me and my mom always argue over who gets to eat the heads of the fishes, especially the eyes and the cheeks/gills

[@angelaziegler6713]

My parents always fought over the head, I just 🤢 it’s the eyeballs for me

[@FaerieDust]

I had this when I was in Beijing, it looked so impressive at the table - and it was delicious. Definitely not something I'm going to attempt anytime soon though. Could definitely do something with the same sauce and just fry up some white fish and serve over rice - it would make a great quick dinner, I think.

[@TheSlavChef]

Never have thought that this could exist and be recreated in the real world, wow

[@TheSlavChef]

@@xuedalong never knew that! Ty.

[@TheSlavChef]

@Don't Read My Profile Photo I won't

[@Fartucus]

No

[@Default78334]

@@TheSlavChef But also, it's a dish that almost no one would ever attempt to make at home.

[@daniellin1726]

This is one of those fish dish that’s very popular with children. At least child me can testify +1.

[@WolfGoddess77]

I've had a Blooming Onion once before, but I'll freely admit that I would have never thought of trying to do something similar with a fish. That's some creative thinking.

[@JovanKo314]

that's crazy. I only just recently came across Chef Wang's Coral Fish and it been on my mind for weeks. Now I'm even more excited to make it for myself

[@thehatcaseonyoutube]

Here's hoping next anime is something from Yu-Gi-Oh. Rest in peace Kazuki Takahashi. Edit: also I'm truly impressed you managed this! Great job!

[@solitare4602]

"My grandfather's restaurant has no pathetic dishes!"

[@thehatcaseonyoutube]

@@solitare4602 but it does contain the unstoppable Cup-Ramen Man!!!

[@zarcothecheese]

Hungry Burger?

[@Kiwimaseyi]

Nice video, as a butcher, i can give you one simple tip, use the whole length of your knife blade, it helps alot when cutting stuff thinly!

[@gwennorthcutt421]

oh, ive read a story that featured squirrel-shaped fish, and it said it was a showcase for the chef's knife skills. Clearly i can see why! honestly even if your fish fell apart, the end result is still really nice, especially for a first attempt. i really liked the side by side shots of the donghua with your own cooking.

[@talaeladar]

What could be interesting would be some of the food from Chowder.

[@michaelnelson1127]

Ooh, I second that. It’d be really interesting to see what they choose as real-world equivalents. I just hope they won’t need to draw any fire to illustrate mistakes.

[@sakurashy8492]

Please consider making pastries from Tuca and Bertie next? Just one signature one at least like those sweet beak sweet breads or those bunt cake/croissant/cruller hybrids or even those Corpse Week cakes. In honor of season 3 premiering this month!

[@DizzyBusy]

I was so bummed when it got cancelled!

[@AndreiKucharavy]

Ok, so that's what I had when I was traveling in China over a decade ago. Thanks for showing and providing instructions on how to make it!

[@sapphicashley5124]

Speaking of bloom, a suggestion i have for Anime with Alvin is the cheesecake from Bloom into You, it even has an official recipe on the special edition of the blu-ray!

[@BBest1996]

Yes yes yeees

[@AkaiNeko4]

username checks out

[@bennybombo]

Alvin is officially my new favorite. It’s now the Alvin culinary universe

[@schadenfreude8541]

@Don't Read My Profile Photo ok

[@realperson9951]

calvin' with alvin but theres no calving, only cooking

[@taeahwalker8958]

then he should go back to his own channel

[@furiousalleycat]

I love this channel, especially the food from movies, TV , and games. I have to say my favorite video is the Red Dead Redemption 2 bear stew video. Keep doing what your doing, you're awesome and inspiring to others

[@bup489]

@Don't Read My Profile Photo k

[@Snake-filledChimp]

First time trying to fillet a fish... then immediately tries an extremely difficult fish preparation. Props, sir. 🤜🤛

[@ichigopockychan]

Well, despite this being the first time you've made this dish, you did pretty well al things considered. I guess it does take a lot of practice to get it right. And since you've made your first dish from a donghua, how about for your next dish (if you're willing to tackle donghua again), you try making Jiang Yanli's Lotus Root and Pork Rib soup from Mo Dao Zu Shi?

[@Timmycoo]

Cinderella Chef is one of my fav Chinese donghua! I never thought you would have showcased it. My wife is Chinese and when we eat out with her family, we barter for the fish cheeks. One of the most succulent parts!

[@spoilerspree6027]

Season 3 just out few days ago

[@Timmycoo]

@@spoilerspree6027 I could hug you right now lol. Watching it now.

[@masaritooo4762]

This is probably one of my favourite Chinese dishes!!!! I've been craving to go back in China just to eat this. It's life-changing and tastes so amazing when it's done by the local chefs.

[@CulinaryFrank]

keep your knife clean also help with the cutting, the meat that stuck on the blade will prevent a smooth cut, wipe it clean with each cut will help tremendously. A sharp knife will make this easier too :)

[@TofuBoi_]

One of my favorite childhood fish dish. In fact, my only favorite fish dish.

[@mrIsakify]

It's simple. Alvin makes a food and I watch him make that food. That is my life.

[@DenLim123]

Wow, I never would've thought that Alvin would mention chef 王刚 😂

[@SethCarignan]

I came back to comment after watching the recommended video, and wow his skills are no joke. I still think Alvin did an excellent job!!

[@kuriositykilledthekat]

cinderella chef became one of my favorite donghuas lol im so glad you guys made a video with one of the dishes

[@BLaCkKsHeEp]

its basically just a sweet and sour fried fish with extra steps

[@lerneanlion]

The last time I checked that series, it was still a manhua. Now, it's a donghua?! Now, I need to find some time to watch it!

[@spoilerspree6027]

Season 3 just out few days ago

[@neonnwave1]

Alvin made the giant onigiri from Cooking With Valkyries, which is also a Chinese animation. The Japanese dub came later. After all, Cooking With Valkyries is set in the same universe as Honkai Impact 3rd, the same company that made Genshin Impact, which is Chinese.

[@mahiru20ten]

And the squirrel fish also happens to be in Genshin Impact...

[@junkyyard2273]

yeah but moronic weebs don't want that. They want to keep "anime" like it's purely ONLY for Japanese because they believe "Japan is the Holy Grail of the Entertainment Industry" and they don't want that projection to change.

[@imightbebiased9311]

That's some exceptional knifemanship.

[@zobdnel]

Big fan of Chef Wang’s channel, his knife skills are indeed magnificent!

[@bryngeranek2480]

I really appreciate how careful the babbish team is about crediting other artists they take inspiration from - it's also a great way to find new cooking channels :D

[@jezzaboi2168]

I never expected 美食作家王剛 to be referenced on this channel

[@thebiggrab8558]

I’ve been fileting fish my entire life, (as a recreational fisherman, not professionally) and I’m not sure I could do much better when it comes to making this dish. My initial filet would likely be better, but the thin strips seem like a nightmare.

[@bradcolley2391]

I'm sure you would've also cringed at the way he doesn't wipe his knife in between slices then?

[@superp2222]

This dish was one of my favorites whenever we went to China. Reminds me of home

[@eviltricster8090]

It helps to fillet and work with a cold fish. An ice bath will firm the meat and stiffen the fish. Or fillet the fish after draining the blood, fresh is best

[@mgraye8246]

Honestly, seeing this be done made me feel more confident in challenging myself with cooking! (Plus, I found a new series to watch, since I love any animated series about cooking and food )

[@Raphie009]

The sheer technique required for this dish made me nervous with every knife move. Alvin did great here.

[@yolomolo2736]

Literally the definition of high risk, high reward

[@Getpojke]

if that was your first time prepping a fish then i'm most impressed. Excellent work & a cool looking dish.

[@jacobsmith-hi6ey]

a quick tip for the addition of the oil at the end it has to be heated up to the same temperature as the sauce to emulsify

[@drewruiz1129]

Considering that this was his very first time making a dish like this, he did an amazing job.

[@lobsterlarry6481]

I have never seen something that requires so much intricacy.

[@Varrbariouss]

Ive always wondered how they made this and my guess was so off😂 i didn’t thought the actual wish was cut and deep fried, i thought it was like a mix of the ingredients and grinded fish than was then deep fried.

[@bigbird2451]

Best yet! Well done team! And Alvin... Your knife skills are strong yet gentle. Now search for delicate, then surgical. It's a lifetime of learning.

[@Bloodjen]

for a first attempt, you hsould be proud! I should imagine most of us wouldn't make it past step one xD

[@jonathanorlando1294]

The breading on the fish would have to be thicker and/or more well done to be more resistant against the sauce. A thinner sauce would have done the same thing.

[@Luckdragon12]

Alvin, this was outstanding! I'll agree it's risky though. Do you think it might be possible, and safer, to hold the fish over the oil with two pairs of tongs before releasing it?

[@MatthiaGryffine]

Am I as surprised as anyone that there have been no foods from Sailor Moon featured? With everything she eats, there would be no lack of food for Alvin to make.

[@elmono6299]

I would seriously order this fish dish at a restaurant. 🐟🐠🐡

[@junchan_3200]

Btw though calling it coral fish it is not used with tropical saltwater fish but freshwater fish like common carp or the highly prized Chinese perch, a cousin of sunfish and black bass but taste far firm and bouncy but have delicate fibers.

[@BeatCommission]

Watched the reference video and wow... I was afraid an oil fire would break out at any moment... and he just kept putting water in the oil and not dying instantly... impressive!!! Personally whenever I add anything to oil I run 🤷🏽‍♂

[@ERJones-fd6oh]

that looks nightmarishly difficult ,magnificent first try.

[@waheedabdullah6371]

Maybe you could do Torchic Spongecake from Pokemon episode, "Crowning the Chow Cruncher"

[@isaiahp.4609]

@Don't Read My Profile Photo shut up

[@notamobilesprout4175]

@Don't Read My Profile Photo I’ll read your obituary

[@Fartucus]

No

[@__dane__]

Alvin should make literally anything from Flavors of Youth

[@monty_wolfkitty]

That does it.. I'm bloomin a whole turkey for Thanksgiving.

[@lowenergyvideos4658]

This looks super nice but a real hassle to make. Still, never heard of it until now so thanks for opening my eyes!

[@notahotshot]

Not going to lie, this looks like what I would imagine an alien parasite infested fish to look like in a post apocalyptic world.

[@petsch6787]

Love Alvin vids, appointment viewing every time. Love Kendall, too!

[@naterivers6107]

One time on cutting fish super thin in general, but especially when keeping it as close to perfect is outright mission critical, KEEP YOUR KNIFE CLEAN! This is why sushi chefs keep a towel by their board. It's not just so the blade stays all purdy for the guests, it keeps the fish from gripping the blade and they can get those cuts so thin you can see through stuff.

[@feuilletoniste]

The cooking was great and the recipe details were informative, but bonus points for the delightful narration and editorial choices. An Alvinian spin on the classic BCU style!

[@juanwerner1490]

A tip I learned in a sushi restaurant o worked at, you can make a small incision near the tail enough to make a hole to put your finger thru and hold the body down while sliding the knife up the side

[@GetShwiftyInHere]

Just gotta say it, he made ketchup but bigger… it went from McDonald’s to Wendy’s real quick 😂

[@lotusolympus9738]

So cool!!!! Great awesome first attempt on this interesting dish!! That Chinese anime was always interesting and fascinating to see new cultural and traditional dishes I had never seen. I was in awe at your attempt in filleting the fish into those small and complex strips. So Cool!!!!!

[@paulreza5354]

It would be easier if you a bamboo stick to hold the fish up when dipping in hot oil.

[@JimsKitschKitchen]

Alvin has done it again. Love it!!!!!

[@mierardi88]

What a crazy looking fish dish! You're a far braver man than I for trying this, but at the end of the day I'm not big on fish and I've never worked with the meat before.

[@joeschmoe2843]

someone should make a tool like a caulender but in a rectangle. with a space to hold the fish and handles that can collapse upwards so you can fry the strings and then dunk the rest.

[@StratosFair]

Respect for taking on the challenge of making such a technical dish Alvin, you did great 🙌🏾

[@tnm1697]

I grew up filleting panfish so I felt your pain on how easy it can look versus how difficult it is, and even someone like me who’s done it his whole life can still have trouble if I’m out of practice

[@lienhua5558]

Ah, I remember when my friend introduced me to Cinderella Chef. I loved it

[@tgyk80642]

Day 2 of petitioning Babish to make the Triple Fried Egg Sandwich with Chilli Sauce and Chutney from Red Dwarf

[@coljar100]

that is an insane dish... you did amazing Alvin

[@kanedaku]

Its finally clocked that this is part of the BCU 🤣🤣🤣

[@cooking.4465]

the sauce being ketchup and the ingredients of ketchup is very fitting

[@clairechcohen]

If anyone wants to try this, they have a pretty similar dish at Chili (NYC). Incredible

[@FSMassy]

I wish Babish made these

[@064pointbreak]

Just to remember, Cinderella Chef is from China, not Japan. Man; you people can't tell the differences between the two!

[@DarkThunderism]

I just noticed this, but that sauce. You just doubled the quantity of ketchup without using any additional tomato paste. You take ketchup, which is basically 3 ingredients (tomato, sugar and vinegar), add more sugar and vinegar, reduce, add water (which seems to counteract your reduction?), then thickening with corn starch.

[@tiffanychan9627]

Another anime to try is a dish (like omurice using a different set of toppings, or stewed pork belly using carbonated soda pop to speed up the cooking process, etc.) from Kakuriyo no Yadomeshi (Bed and Breakfast for Spirits). It has a similar vibe with Cinderella Chef, except with a lot more supernatural elements associated with Japanese mythology and folklore. The protagonists uses her cooking skills which she learned from her recently passed grandfather to feed the ayakashi (yokai and other supernatural Japanese creatures) not only to pay off a debt her grandfather left behind (by running a restaurant as part of an Inn), but also fend for herself sometimes befriending, helping or connecting with various ayakashi in the process.

[@darren3978]

Nicee try on his dish! When you slice the fish meat thinly, make sure to wipe the knife every few slices as the small broken fish meat sticking on the knife can make slicg harder xD

[@chaido]

"When your sixth sense tells you that the fish is ready to drop..." I think you mean when your grandmother's ghost tells you it's enough

[@MarkiusFox]

Having an exceedingly sharp knife should help a lot with that sort of flesh. You don't want to saw through it, which means the edge is going to be going through a lot of strain throughout the task.

[@334outdoors8]

In the south we do something similar with suckers which are very bony and and it allows the bones to fry out so that they are not a problem in the final product

[@liaploumbis7882]

I’m still holding out hope for Alvin one day making the fruit ramen from “Keep Your Hands Off Eizouken”

[@die.3695]

I was surprised he said it was a real recipe. I looked at the thumbnail and thought it was an ironic type of blooming onion.

[@joshthehuman9449]

This looks like something you'd find in the plains of Caelid

[@FujiCahn]

Next time when you hold the fish over the oil, try using skewers under the skin to keep the fish from bending and/or breaking. Otherwise, looks awesome!

[@asuddenredfox3626]

That dish looks alien…I wanna try it. Request: Sanji’s Cuisine A La Carte from One Piece.

[@kayleigh0711]

Im coming back to this video. This is indeed hard to prep and make but it looks so fun to eat tho. So props to alvin for this video

[@michellaneous3364]

I think a lot of it depends on the fish you use, because my mom refuses to make squirrel fish for me cause she says the fish we get here isn't ideal for cutting, especially with normal knife skills

[@reginaldsafety6090]

Appreciate seeing this dish come from somebody who isn't a knife master. My brain: "That looks pretty easy..." Alvin: "This is almost impossible."

[@ZaDussault]

Hey, the head and the tail of the fish are the BEST parts

[@kimberlyhallett7691]

Found the badass!

[@rusdanibudiwicaksono1879]

The head is such... Boney, though. No question on tail. Crispy.

[@MeatSim9]

For the cutting into this. Strips, rather than face each flap on the cutting board, I would have made a tiny cutting board to insert between fish flaps. Kinda like that thin plastic flap between checks in a checkbook to keep the writing on the top check.

[@PaulVRo]

Id really love a variant without the sauce over it, just as a dip maybe the actual coral looks amazing

[@silentbahamabeauty]

So for this you must borrow your grandmother or auntie's hands or chicken out and use a skewer to hold each side. Broken fillet or not, it look very much like coral and the effort should be appreciated with the dish's addition to the clean plate club.

[@paladinnine859]

Alvin, this was amazing. You should be very proud.

[@lambeany]

I'm more surprised by the taste in donghua. I love this show!