Heart-warming and stomach-filling family recipes: Melissa’s Story

Posted on 29 June, 2023

Last year we did a call out, asking Canberra families to share with us the recipes that have been passed down through the generations.

The goal? To film a heart-warming (and stomach-filling) series all about how food brings us (and our families) together, in partnership with Canberra’s premiere omni-food suppliers, Alpha Fresh—themselves third-generation fruit and vegetable merchants.

Today, we’re sharing Melissa Leung’s Combination Chow Mein recipe—a food she loves making for her grandchildren—with a side serving of family history.

You could say Melissa has cooking in her bloodstream. From growing up as the daughter of a chef in Hong Kong to opening her own restaurant here in Canberra, her heritage is interwoven with a love of cooking and sharing food, a legacy she has passed on to her own children and grandchildren.

How did you come to migrate to Australia and take us through your journey to Canberra

I grew up in Hong Kong with my parents, sister and three brothers. My father was a chef, so food has been the most important thing for forever. My father’s culinary skills brought us to Australia in 1976 when we relocated to Maitland, NSW.

When my siblings and I graduated from school we all set off on our own paths, but all paths found their way back to food. My siblings and I have owned restaurants all down the East Coast of Australia in Brisbane, Nelsons Bay and Canberra.

In 1996, I moved to Canberra and in 2004 my husband and I opened Iron Chef in Mawson where our two kids worked for us.

What are your earliest memories of food?

Growing up in Hong Kong, I was introduced to every type of food—pig’s ears, duck tongues, bird’s saliva—the variety was endless. Trying so many different flavours and foods and being surrounded food through my chef dad, I developed a love of cooking at an early age.

My earliest memory was sitting around a big pot of Chinese soup, three main courses, telling stories of our day together, at the top our lungs, like most Chinese families.

Why do you love cooking with and for your family?

Food has always brought those I love together. The joy I get from those I love enjoying my cooking is so satisfying. My cooking comes from the heart so when I see that it is being appreciated, this is what motivates me to find new and creative dishes.

What does this recipe mean to you and your family?

My grandchildren love noodles! Combination Chow Mein is our absolute go-to as it is fast and simple where I can use all the left over vegetables in the fridge. Because of the crunchy Chow Mein, my grandchildren don’t even realize that it’s loaded with vegetables.

Your recipe is full of fresh vegetables and produce, how important is it to have fresh ingredients when cooking?

Fresh ingredients are key to making a home cooked meal taste desirable. Before I cook any meal, I always check to see what produce I have in the fridge and cook accordingly—that way, no food goes to waste!

A family heritage of food

A family heritage of food is something Alpha Fresh knows a thing or two about.

“Our family has been in the fresh produce industry for over 70 years,” says Frank Iannelli, a third-generation fruit and vegetable merchant and co-owner of Alpha Fresh.

“Our grandfather grew oranges in the Riverina and transported them to Canberra, our Dad owned multiple markets before establishing his wholesale operation, growing it to what is known today as Alpha.”

“Our longstanding relationships and our strong ties to the industry are what enable us to have the freshest produce at the best prices. Prices which we happily pass on to our customers because, if we’re honest, we want to show the big supermarkets how it should be done.”

For Frank and Giuseppe, it’s always family first, everything else second.

“This is why we do what we do!” says Frank. “From our own family experiences, we place a high value on the impact good food can have on families. The best experiences are centred around family meals—it’s the best way we spend time together within our own family.”

“A wholesome meal cooked by Mum or Nonna always brings the family together, be it a special occasion or not. We banter, we argue, we tell stories, we make fun of each other (and you better hope no one has burnt the lasagna or altered the arancini recipe because we won’t be happy). We bond over good food and we know so many other families do to so we want to make that as easy, as accessible, as tasty and as special as possible.”

Melissa Leung’s Combination Chow Mein

Ingredients

• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp Chinese cooking wine
• 4 garlic cloves
• 300g broccoli
• 300g Chinese cabbage
• 400g button mushrooms
• 300g oyster mushrooms
• 250g beef
• 250g chicken
• 4 eggs
• 750g fresh egg noodles

Sauce ingredients

• 2 tbsp cornflour
• 6 tbsp water
• 3 tbsp oyster sauce
• 1 tbsp soya sauce
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp pepper
• 1 tsp brown sugar

Method

Find the method here.