Wok This Way

Puerto Rican Chinese Fusion Night

THE CLASS

Wok This Way is the class with the highest word-of-mouth potential in the entire series — because the concept alone makes people stop scrolling. Chinese immigrants arrived in Ponce, Puerto Rico, in the 19th and 20th centuries and transformed their cuisine to meet Puerto Rican palates and ingredients. The result is Chino Latino Boricua: fried rice with sofrito and jamonilla, pepper steak with soy sauce and sazon, and tostones where most restaurants would serve white rice. This class teaches food history while producing an incredible meal. It is unlike anything else offered at the Culinary Annex — or anywhere in Des Moines.

THE DISHES

Arroz Chino Boricua — Puerto Rican-Style Fried Rice

This is not a fusion experiment — this is a documented, beloved Puerto Rican culinary tradition. The dish looks like fried rice until you taste it: the sofrito adds an herbal, savory depth that announces its Caribbean origin immediately. Students learn the technique of wok cooking, the importance of day-old rice, and why one teaspoon of sofrito changes an entire dish.

Pepper Steak Boricua Style — Soy & Sofrito Braised Steak

Thinly sliced steak, bell peppers, and onions in a glossy sauce that bridges Chinese restaurant technique and Puerto Rican seasoning. The sofrito and sazon in the braising sauce is the cultural intersection made edible. Students learn stir-fry technique, cornstarch slurry, and how to build a pan sauce quickly — skills that transfer far beyond this dish.

Tostones en Mojo de Ajo — Double-Fried Plantains with Garlic Sauce

In Puerto Rico's Chinese restaurants, the tostones come out alongside the fried rice. This is the double- starch plate — and it is not an accident. Students learn the two-fry technique for tostones and make a garlic citrus mojo sauce that transforms them from a side dish into a destination. The mojo recipe is one students will use for years.

Info:

-Kiddos are welcome as long as they are with an adult guardian.

-Please bring containers to take home your leftovers :)

-There is free parking on 5th St. 

-The Annex can be found to the left of the building, along the charming alleyway adorned with black benches.

-If you have any food allergies, Chef is very accommodating. Please reach out!

-All ingredients and cooking tools provided

-Fun Aprons welcome! 

-BYOB