🔪 Chinese Knife Skills 101: How a chef cares for his knives
In today's video, my dad (a Chinese chef of 50+ years) teaches us how to use and care for a Chinese Chef Knife (cai dao)!
This is a follow up to last week's video on basic knife skills:
• 🔪 How to Use a Chinese...
Check out our blog post with more tips and info that we didn't cover in the video: madewithlau.com/posts/chinese...
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Referenced in this video:
@JKenjiLopezAlt has a great video on how to sharpen a knife:
• How to Sharpen a Knife...
@seriouseats has a great article on what not to put in a dishwasher:
www.seriouseats.com/2018/10/h...
@Burrfection has awesome videos all about knives:
• The Ultimate Knife Sha...
/ @burrfection
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🍳 COOKWARE WE USE/LOVE 🍳
- Electric Burner: geni.us/electricburner
- Non-Stick Wok: geni.us/nonstickwok
- Carbon Steel Wok: geni.us/carbonsteelwok
- Non-Stick Pan: shrsl.com/305jb
- Carbon Steel Pan: shrsl.com/305j9
- Stainless Steel Skillet: shrsl.com/305j8
- Cookware Set: shrsl.com/305j7
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- Cookware Collections: shrsl.com/305j5
- Pan Protector: shrsl.com/305j0
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🔪 KNIVES WE USE/LOVE 🔪
- Dad's 40 year old Chinese Chef Knife: geni.us/dadschefknife, geni.us/Vtjn
- Chef Knife: shrsl.com/305is
- Santoku Knife: shrsl.com/305iu
- Starter Knife Set: shrsl.com/305iw
- Sharpening Stone Set: shrsl.com/305iy
👨🍳 KITCHEN ACCESSORIES WE USE/LOVE 👨🍳
- Magnetic Knife Strip (storage): shrsl.com/305j3
- Cutting Board: shrsl.com/305j2
- Instant Read Thermometer #1: geni.us/bluetooththermometer
- Instant Read Thermometer #2: geni.us/wirelessthermometer
- Food Scale: geni.us/ourfoodscale
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- My Lens for Detail Shots: geni.us/9aDaf5
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Note: These links are affiliate links, which means that if you use our links to purchase these ingredients, our family earns a small amount for the sale - at no extra cost to you. If you use these links, we really appreciate the support!
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⏲ CHAPTERS ⏲
00:00 - Intro
00:45 - Origins of my dad’s Chinese chef knife
01:32 - Different knives, different purposes
02:52 - How do you know if you can’t use a knife anymore?
03:11 - How to use different tools to sharpen knives
04:53 - How to tell if your knife is sharp enough
05:34 - Angles and bevels when sharpening knives
08:20 - Sharpening a Western knife
09:35 - How to use a honing rod
10:14 - Using a plate to sharpen your knife
11:37 - Randy tries sharpening knives
15:20 - Why a one-sided bevel?
16:02 - How often does my dad sharpen his knives?
16:45 - About my dad’s meat cleaver (& how to sharpen it)
18:29 - Different parts of a Chinese knife
19:57 - How to (not) wash a knife
21:12 - What kind of sharpening stone do you need?
22:47 - Why my dad’s knife’s handle is worn down on one side
23:34 - More on the origin of my dad’s knives
24:22 - On getting expensive knives
25:12 - Versatility of a Chinese chef knife
25:50 - Experience, love, and the American dream
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💛 OUR FAMILY 💛
Learn more about the Lau family, and why we started this channel + blog:
madewithlau.com/family
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🎵 OTHER CREDITS 🎵
Intro Flute Music - Performed by Daddy Lau
Copyright Chillhop Music - chll.to/49e6fa9c
Copyright Chillhop Music - chll.to/4ca8cc15
Overhead Camera Rig built by P.Oak - / p.oak.co
Chinese Subtitles by Wynee Pan - / gotchacafenyc
Join the Canto Cooking Club! bit.ly/3x6fDM8
Watching this brought tears to my eyes. As a blade enthusiast, I have always enjoyed sharpening knives to a practical performance level, and was looking forward to your dad sharing secret techniques for sharpening the legendary Chinese cleaver. The real secret came near the end when your mom mentioned that he used his knife you raise both you and your sister, plus the many scars that he gained over the years that he simply bandaged so he could continue on working. Nothing sharpens a knife, or a man's character, more than their passion and reason for living. Thank you for making this inspiring video. May your Dad and family live long, joyful, and prosperous lives. God bless.
Luis, thank you so SO much for this comment. I've shared with my entire family, and everyone (dad, mom, sister, and wife) have all said to tell you thank you so much for writing it. We are really grateful to my dad for all of his years of service and sacrifice for us. I'm so honored to be able to highlight my dad as a chef and as an incredible father. Thanks for watching our video and thank you again for your comment. It means a lot to me and my entire family to read.
@@MadeWithLau I am also glad to see you and your sister value his sacrifice so much, especially now that so many people forget how to count their blessings. May you continue to make more videos and continue to inspire people all over the world. More than cooking, your channel is a outpouring of positivity and family love.
Thank you so much for saying this. We so appreciate that you feel the love and positively that we hope to share with each video 🙏🏼❤️
Well said Luis. You made me cry.
@@MCheng-jk7ol Thank You so much. May we all learn valuable lessons from Daddy Lau's love.
That Chinese Chef's Knife is the source for many medical, law, engineering, pharmacy, and accounting degrees than anyone can imagine. Chef Lau is right, his sacrifice, hard work and dedication to his craft was to make it easier for the next generation.
🙇🏻♂️🙇🏻♀️ 100%. Well said 🙏🏼❤️
Ditto here...one law, two engineering, etc. What a Chinese Chef's Knife can produce!
Growing up my parents always tell us that if we don’t study hard we will be working in a restaurant when older. Scared us straight.
So beautifully said.
How is accounting even comparable to those other occupations. 🤣
Your dad is an amazing teacher, so patient. I was impressed how he went over it verbally and modeled the process for you many many times before he let you try it. And even then he was so thoughtful with his teaching, never rushed or sarcastic; just straightforward and helpful. I've not had many men in my life present themselves this way. You are very lucky.
Oh wow, thank you for noticing this and taking the time to share it Jenny. I'm really grateful for his teachings, however this comment though is making me even more grateful 🙏🏼 Thank you again and looking forward to sharing more of his teaching with you in future videos!
Of course your dad is amazing and you are so lucky . Watching from North East India . Nagaland . Thank you. God bless your family
That's a great observation and you are correct, an extremely admirable trait, and nearly impossible to find in Western society.
Couldn't agree more, this is what I believe called an expert. Uncle gained all those skills by decades and passed all the knowledge and skills patiently and passionately. Respect.
Your dad brought tears to me eyes when he said "daddy had worked hard for u your sis so that both of u will not have to suffer." Touching sentence from such kind dad with generous heart. Your daddy really love his family to the core. Bless him! And bless your whole family too!
This made me cry! My family also owns a Chinese takeaway in the UK and my dad said the exact same thing to me - he said as long as I raise you to not to have a hard life, then it doesnt matter how hard I work! Hearing your dad say the same thing to you really touched me!
That is the way how older generation Chinese parents think, it is the same around the globe no matter where you are.
Hows the restaurant doing, considering covid hasn't helped?
Thats how most parents think. Not just Chinese.
Their love is definitely greater in my eyes.
My parents said the same thing.
Why did I get so emotional? Towards the end of the video, the things they said... About the fingers, the hard work they had to do and now their kids have an easier life... I teared up!
I like how your dad doesn't show love with words. He shows you love by patiently teaching you even though he's so much more skilled and experienced. He's not telling you how much he cares, he's showing you precisely how much
This video is a perfect example of how important it is to spend more time with our seniors, whether family or not. We can all learn so much from their wisdom and life experiences. Once they are gone, all that wisdom and knowledge go with them. I lost both my parents already and I sure do miss their teachings. You can tell Daddy Lau loves his family so much and takes every opportunity to continue to impart his wisdom with his children, even if they are now adults. Such love in this family. Very heartwarming and seeing their family makes me miss my parents all the more. Thank you, Lau family!
Well said! Totally agree with you on everything 🙏❤️
@@MadeWithLau I can totally relate. My parents had a restaurant too and my siblings and I had to help out. Typical immigrant family. We all grew up in the restaurant. School by day and working at the restaurant by night. It was a tough life but it kept our family together. My parents, too, had the scars on their hands from the many cuts they endured to make a living for our family so their kids can have a better life. This video brought back some lasting memories.....
This might be my favorite video of the series so far because your dad is talking to you instead of to us. What an amazing experience to watch.
Aw wow happy to hear that Roddie! Grateful to you for watching and hoping to do more like this in the future.
@@MadeWithLau Looking forward to it. I even bought that knife for a backup to my Shun.
Thank you for this timely topic. My mom’s kitchen has two Chinese knives and a whetstone but she’s unable to explain to me how to use them well because she has dementia. Now I know how to care for her and her knives better. A big hug to you all!
Aw that's wonderful to hear Maggie! We are so grateful you found this video and can use the tips dad shares to care for her knives 🙏🏼❤️
My dad was a Chef and passed away 15 years ago. My dad had the same fingers when you show your dad's hand before sharping the knife. That brings back a lot of memory. So lucky for you to have the conversation with your dad. Only thing I remember my dad told me was 文刀，武刀。 Thank you for your video.
This is the best video I've seen on knives. I love it how Daddy Lau keeps it simple - knives are made to be used. No need for hand forged special ergonomic 400 dollar knives when the $60 equivalent does the same thing. It's so easy to get sucked in the hifi world of things, but at the core you just need to get the tool and the rest is about learning how to use it.
Oh wow, Roosa, thank you so much for the kind comment! Totally agree there are so many fancy knives out there. If you are into it, it can be fun to try different kinds. At the end of the day though you need to get the right tool and learn how to use it and care for it 🙌 So glad you enjoyed this video. Hope you enjoy our other ones too 😊
True, I purchased an expensive Japanese knife,a Miyabi,I then purchased a victorinox and a dexter. I use the Dexter more than any knife I own,works fantastic.
Tools matter but technique matters a lot more and when it comes to establishing technique there is no replacement for experience. I bet if your dad had to cook with a crappy electric burner and a regular frying pan the food would still come out delcious.
People with overpriced knives are proud of having money, people with old knives are proud of what they've done with them
As I Chinese decent with ancestry hailed from Xiamen, I used to see my father use the back of a ceramic bowl for honing his knife. This video reminds me of him. Hello from the Philippines.
Hi Nelson! Thanks for watching our video from the Philippines 🙏🏼 So honored to hear this video reminds you of your father. Thanks for watching and taking the time to leave a comment ❤️
This was fascinating, touching and humbling in equal measure. Thank your Dad for sharing his expertise, your Mum for her anecdotes, and yourself and your camera person for preparing this for the world.
Videos like this I could watch all day long. I love knives, knife sharpening, and cooking techniques.
I came across your video because I’ve been collecting knives for years and it’s a very passionate hobby of mine. It’s incredibly heartwarming to see the stories that a Chinese cleaver can tell. Your dad is the exemplary of a selfless man working to provide the best he could give to his family. Ultimate respect, especially because I can tell he did it all with a smile on his face knowing he’s taking care of his loved ones.
Although his dad could not really explain what is happening when he sharpening his knife, but all is in his muscle memory. All technique he use is sound.
I feel like I'm watching something special.. this isn't just about knives. And with the whole family there, being part of the conversation, it brings out so much knowledge that one as skilled as your father might not otherwise think to mention, so I can tell he loves to teach you, and all of us sitting here watching are kinda privileged to be present for it. As a young cook who recently entered the trade I'd love to hear more about your dads early experiences of learning to work in the kitchen, perhaps even his motivations to work as hard as he did, even just hearing about what its like in a fast paced Chinese kitchen is fascinating. Add that in with some excellent translation and you have A-Grade wholesome content. Thanks for the great videos.
Lau Sifu ( aka "Daddy Lau") is an International Treasure. Thank you, father and son, for sharing a lifetime of experience with all of us through these invaluable videos. Gan Xie!
You are so lucky to have this time with my dad. My dad had a stroke years ago and I never had these conversations with my father about cooking. When I got older, his mind was gone and he couldn't remember details about his cooking. My dad was an amazing cook and his recipes were always consistent and I can't remember how to cook his dishes...
My mother (from Sweden) didn't have any stone or honing rod, so she sharpened her knifes against the edge on the lid to the oven. One of those old ovens, with white enamel on the outside. Back in the 1950's, about once every 2 years a knife and scissors sharpener came on a bicycle. He put up his bicycle on a central stand, then sat backwards on the saddle and sharpened knifes and scissors on a rotating stone driven by a belt from the spinning back wheel.
Having declared my dissatisfaction with this sharpener last night kzhead.infoUgkxDcr-y2Pf6xdnrFHrSP7dl9kpKaCozcSQ I thought about the problem some more. It occurred to me that I might be undoing each attempt at achieving a sharp edge by the repeated attempts. So, I tried to clean up the unsatisfactory result by honing with only positions 3 and 4.Miracle!! A really nicely sharpened chef's knife, more than enough to handle my needs. Admittedly, it did not reach professionally sharpened razor-fineness, but it is now significantly sharper than it was. A bout of breaking down carrots convinced me. So, major apologies to the manufacturer, Amazon, and all happy and potential owners! Follow the directions: don't buy it if you have ceramic blades; and don't overwork your knife blade.
You have such a great relationship with your dad and he is so knowledgeable! Please tell him that we thank him for sharing his knowledge with us 🥰🤗
Will do! I'm so grateful to be able to do this with him and we really appreciate you for watching and leaving this kind comment!
That was great. Your mom and dad are awesome, and you can see they really love you, and worked hard as heck for you.
What I love about your dad is his practicality. This is a quality i associate with Cantonese people. He knows that it's not reasonable for a home cook to use a sharpening stone. You can tell that, obviously, he knows there are better ways to maintain his knives but he's recommending what makes sense.
Your father is an absolute treasure! Thank you so much for sharing his wisdom and kind spirit with all of us.
So grateful to be able to share him and his wisdom with you 🥰
I just wanted to reach out and thank you and your family for having such an awesome channel and would also like to thank your dad for sharing his wisdom with us. I’m a 1 generation Cantonese American born. My father was a chef as well but I wasn’t close with him like you are with yours and he also died when I was young so I wasn’t able to learn from him. Your channel helps me get in touch with our culture and deep hearted routes. Once again thank you for making this channel!!
That was so special, not only for us, the viewers, but I saw the smile & the twinkle in your father's eye, to be able to contribute his knowledge.
I love the idea of how you're preserving and honouring all the knowledge and skills your Dad has acquired over decades! My dad is a retired chef too and I use to see him sharpen his knife on an upside down plate too 😂 These videos are amazing; totally fills the gap for high quality cantonese cooking vids 🙌🏻 This channel will def blow up in 2021!
Haha that's awesome. We both need to learn how to do it and make our dads proud 😆 So happy to hear that you are enjoying these videos. Hope that you enjoy some of our recipes and maybe even make some for your family in the future! Happy New Year to you, hope it's off to a great start!
Fellow Lau! My dad as well is a chef. And he's shown me a few of these as well. I'm glad you recorded this to be shared with the rest of the world.
Let's go LAU! 😆 Thanks so much for the support Florence.
This was a great way to pass down your dad’s (considerable) knowledge and share it with us. Thanks!
Thanks so much David 🙏🏼 I'm so grateful for this opportunity to learn and share my dad's knowledge. Thank you for tuning in 😄
You re lucky to have dad like this. God blesa him and your family
Respect to your dad. We are also a first generation in our country. So be proud of your dad:-) Running a restaurant is a suicidal business. Stress, no sleep, no holidays.
this dude clearly, clearly knows what he is doing. it is absolutely apparent this old man is a complete professional. it's funny watching him sharpen, then his son, you see how easy a pro does it, but so difficult for a newbie. There is a great deal of small detailed moves he is doing that are important, that are second nature to him (the pro) that he may not even realize because he's done it for so long its just natural to him. Impressive
Before I even reach the end of the video I must comment. I too have 50 years of experience using Chinese cleavers. I own more than 20 different ones but still, I am a guǐlǎo! This is the single most honest and informative presentation on the reality of using these blades. As your dad explains, one blade for slicing soft foods and a different (steeper angle bevel) for chopping bones, chickens, etc. I really enjoyed watching you two interact and your viewers were better served than they will ever realize. Xie-xie and subbed!
Wow 谢谢!! Thank you so much for this comment. It means a lot to hear that you appreciated hearing dad's presentation of how he uses and sharpens his knives. So glad you enjoyed seeing him and I sit down and hope you enjoy our other videos just as much ❤️
Papa Lau is a very good teacher. This is a different gift than just being a chef. Being an excellent chef is difficult enough. Yet being a good teacher is an entirely different occupation. However, Papa Lau has both gifts, and is excellent in both occupations. This is a treasure because then his great wisdom can be transferred to a younger generation or as in my case, less knowledgeable old people..lol. Please God, give Papa Lau a long, and happy life!
The ending brought a tear to my eye. What a special relationship you have with your family! Thanks for sharing this 💕
This story about Chinese knives made my tears rolling over my face. Great Daddy Lau and Mom Lau, we love you. (From a Hongkonger now @CA)
😭😭❤️ So grateful to hear this video hit your heart in the same way it hit ours 🙏🏼
Just started watching you two weeks ago, I am just amazed! Your father, mother, wife and family are awesome! I love the questions your wife asks and the history your mom gives as a backstory. Very nicely done. And who doesn't love a baby in the mix?
I just love your dad! As second generation Asian American, I totally understand every word he says. He's a great teacher! Please let him know!
Nothing but respect for both of these gentlemen. Both have so much to share, not the least of which is their respect for each other. ❤
This video is in a class of it own, its all about love, love of Daddy Lau's knife skills, love of his chef's knives, love of his vocation, & last but by no means the least, love of his family. Much Respect for his Wisdom & his willingness to share it so freely with us all. Watching ya'll bonding over these skills is more than just learning, its Life Experienced Wisdom being forwarded. The tough formative restaurant years & the accomplishment of the American dream & now the next generation of the lil one who will see this video in yrs to come.
🙇🏻♂️🙇🏻♂️🙇🏻♂️🙇🏻♂️ Thank you so much Annie! Really appreciate hearing how much of his love you can see through this video. My dad is a man of few words on a normal basis. These videos are really special to me as I can learn from him, hear his stories, more deeply appreciate everything he does for me and my family. Can't wait for our son and future kids to be able to watch this and know their grandfather.
I really appreciate the well executed editing to show pronunciation and meanings. I've been studying Chinese regional cooking lately and videos like this are priceless. Also very entertaining! Thank you both and cheers from New Orleans!
Thanks so much Shandy! Really glad to hear that you are enjoying seeing both the pronunciations and meanings! Also grateful to hear you find the videos entertaining 🙏🏼 So cool you've been studying Chinese regional cooking. Let us know if there's any dish in particular you are curious to see how my dad makes!
I’m in awe of your parents. Their work ethic is an inspiration to us all. Thank you for helping to share their wisdom and knowledge with us. All blessings to them!
Reminds me of my father. He worked very hard to give us a good education and a better life. Your dad is a treasure to behold.
Y'all should consider an affiliate link! I purchased the chef's knife recommended by Chef Lau and it has been a joy to work with in my kitchen. Quite the conversation starter, too, ha!
Hi Love yr Dad he has such a lovely personality such patience to explain such detail in passing his knowledge to share with us. Tell him he is treasure👍👍👍👍💪💪💪
Aw thank you Alice for saying that about dad. We will be sure to let him know. We are so grateful that you found our channel, and we can’t wait to continue sharing many more videos with you! ❤️
Your dad is a skilled master of his trade ! That is so obvious .. you should be proud to be his son ! ... and if you are smart you will learn as much as you can from him
The selfless, hard working nature that your dad has is something we all need to continue on with our generation. It is just as important to appreciate the work and sacrifices our parents did to raise us. I hope your father understands that he did an amazing job raising and caring for his family.
Watching your Dad cook brings back a lot of childhood memories of my grandma who was a fantastic cook, so cool
So happy that dad can remind you of your grandma Larry! We are grateful you found our channel and hope that with each video you watch it brings back so many happy memories 🥰
I found my new favorite channel. Cooking but also learning Cantonese.
Awesome that means so much to our family to hear! So glad you are enjoying the videos and can't wait to create many more in the future ❤️
Really amazing, the comfort and confidence your dad has for handling knives. I really enjoyed the section where he talks about the tip, belly and root of the knife. My brother-in-law taught me how to cook, and he shared that same concept.
Made me cry towards the end of the video. Found myself taking out all my cleaver and knives to sharpen while watching lol. Hands up to Daddy chef Lau. Did a great job raising a family!
As an immigrant myself I feel the same way, we hope the next generation does even better than us. Education is very important for Asian parents.
dang im here for a sharpening lesson, and i got a whole season's worth of backstory that i thoroughly enjoyed. i hope i had a father of the same mindset. i wanna hug your dad when he talked about all the work he did just so you could get by.
i wish i has a DAD like yours . your family amazes me !! plus i also like his tutorial regarding his cooking skill.
I'm Seventy-four and my father's only daughter with several sons....We had a small farm and I was a tomboy... Dad always carried a very sharp knife in his pocket that he used for cutting everything from a length of rope to a freshly picked fruit or vegetable for a snack.... I was not yet in first grade when he taught me how to use the whetstone to sharpen a knife.... Watching him draw the blade across the length of stone... and the water creating a fine grey slurry was like watching poetry in motion... That mechanics of knife sharpening is still one of the most delightful of activities for me and my knives are always kept sharp. Sharp knives make the job easy and efficiently completed... It is so true that each knife cuts differently.... as though it has its own distinct personality and interaction with what it is cutting.... It is one if the curiosities of life.... Thanks for sharing this video.
I love this video. Thanks to your dad, your mom and you for sharing his vast cooking knowledge as well as your family’s experience. Both expertise and love in abundance here.
Thanks so much Duncan. Will let my dad and mom know your kind words! Really grateful to you for watching and looking forward to sharing more videos.
To see him not get angry after you massacre one of his knife on the whetstone, truly a great father😂. jokes asides, you are willing to learn a bit about the trede of your father, great subject for a video!
Look at the way Mr Lau sharping the knife. It is a piece of art.
Great video. A Dad sharing his secrets of sharpening which was his trade with his son is a great moment in life. I was grinning during the whole video. Thanks for sharing.
So Awesome! the father & son relationship. I enjoyed watching the love. My dad now gone but also had Chinese restaurants in NY. These traditions and skills need to be handed down to the next generation, it's part of our Asian heritage. Keep Posting ...
Thanks so much George! I'm grateful for your support and can't wait to keep sharing more of these videos with you 🙏🏼
My knives are in desperate need of a sharpen and this looks like just the guide to get them. Thanks for the in depth info!
Yay we are so glad to hear that it! I learned a ton in making this and looking at my knives realized how badly I needed to sharpen them! Thanks for watching and hope you've been well!
I laughed and also loved that he mentioned the use of the plate or bowl bottoms to sharpen your knives. This is so old-fashioned and traditional, haha. You can see this in old Hong Kong period movies. Love your channel and your father's knowledge. He's such a professional and it's a treasure that you're documenting and sharing it with us. Many thanks!
Haha so glad you loved that Cheung Geng Lok! I love the old school techniques that he has. No need for anything fancy, just grab a plate or bowl 😆🙌 Thanks so much for the love on the channel. We can't wait to keep sharing more with you!
My Dad is also a Chef, he is also retired but still cook at home to sell porridge with pork and tofu and accepts food order, without his skills they won't survive this pandemic because many lost their jobs and cooking is a great way to survive. Me and my brother became his helper in a catering business and there I can see how fast and efficient he works, the scars and burns he endured just like your dad is a scar to be proud of. I became a knife enthusiast because of him. This is a great video, a lesson from dad and wise words from mom. Made me sub instantly.
Your dad reminds me of my dad. We had a restaurant when I was younger and to keep me occupied I was given small kitchen tasks of cutting veggies. I was given my own knife and had to keep it sharp on my own. Taught to do it the same way.
That's awesome you were taught the same way! Where was his restaurant at? He still running it?
@@MadeWithLau it was in Minnesota. Our family sold the restaurant by the time I was in middle school.
I just stumbled across this channel, and I'm hooked!! I love how you teach the understanding of what's being said as well as the tips your father has picked up in the many years of practice. Thank you for this type of content and I hope to see many more videos like this, and hopefully after a few playthroughs I might actually be able to convey certain phrases when shopping for ingredients or ordering take out just the same. Much Love!!
It took me hours to view this video, but in the end it was well worth it. Not knowing Chinese I had to stop and replay most of the video. I have to say though that this the most informative and BEST one on using Chef's Knives. I learned more watching this one than I have watching many others all toll. Thank you and thanks to your Dad for sharing his knowledge and experience.
Hi guys, great vid. I was taught many yrs ago to measure the angle of knife by a old Chinese chef called Fan, he said to me, put your thum pad side down on the block an then rest the knife on the. Top of your thumb an that’s the rite angle for you, or me. I’ve done this ever since an taught several people to sharpen this way an it’s never been wrong. Testing edges with nails is the norm beacuse you try to find paper in a busy situation??? An you can’t start cutting fire arm hair or any other whilst dealing with any foods!!! So in short you end up with a bevelled side, mine typically is around 13 degrees, an a flat side. This is part of the secret to fast accurate cutting with knives. Your Dads awesome!!! Cherish bothe of them. Thanks for sharing guys Paul
I love this! The plate is exactly how my grandpa would sharpen his cleaver!
Thats awesome to hear! So glad you enjoyed this video ❤️
Great respect to your father! Thank you so much for preparing such a great training and explanation!
Lovely Father Son dynamic. Nicely explained. came for a quick tip, stayed for the story!
Grateful to hear that @ANIRBANDAS 🥰 Thank you for watching + taking the time to leave a kind comment too!
Just years and years and years worth of useful information delivered to use conveniently by a master and his son.
I really love your programme because it's so wonderfully natural, the way your dad goes bout his own expertise and only speaking Cantonese for you to translate beautifully with your good English. Such a joy to see you guys work together and ending up with eating at the table, and mum very naturally too adding her thing - she's a person in het own right, all righty! Lovely family and delicious cooking style and techniques, so Chinese, so Cantonese, simply superb....Keep it coming and thank you so much both!
Ahhh thank you for the love Nana Weil! That really makes my day to read and makes it all worthwhile! Excited to share more with you 😊
@@MadeWithLau Hi Randy do you know why I have to pay VAT (from the Netherlands) if I want to make a contribution to your programme? I find it ridiculous and would like to know if there's another way I can do it instead of thru Pantheon
Whoa, I learned so much from this video! My favorite part is when you looked scared when it was your turn to sharpen the knife! Haha, so relatable! I would have been scared too! I am going to clean my chinese knife (the 50 year old one with the wooden handle like Daddy Lau's) and sharpen it! I just need to get my hands on a stone. My mom said my cantonese grandma used to sharpen hers on the back of a plate all the time in the kitchen when she was cooking. I love your videos and it makes me miss my Dad and my grandparents so much, and makes me sad I didn't learn more when they were alive. My Dad was also named Randy, which isn't the most common name, which makes me like you and your family even more! I would love to see Daddy Lau chop through some spareribs and chickens and exhbit even more knife skills. Please tell him he is a really good teacher and I appreciate the detail and simplicity of his explanations! I can't believe how much I learned in just one video, including to face the cleaver away from me on the cutting board. How many of us all went, "ohhhhhhh" at that moment? Thanks for another great video!
Oh wow! Yes I really don't know many Randys. I'm so glad that you enjoyed this video and learned a lot 🙌 I totally had that same "ohhhhhh" moment when he explained to turn it away :) I will definitely let him know that you appreciate the detail and simplicity of his explanations. Appreciate you always showing us love and support. Can't wait for you to clean your Chinese knife and give it a good sharpen! Not sure if you saw the blog post we created to go with this video but in case you wanted to stone we linked to here it is: amzn.to/38jYPFU Let us know how your first cooking session with your knife goes! Hope using your Chinese knife makes it more enjoyable!
@@MadeWithLau thanks for the link!
@@CourtneyinSF definitely!
daddy Lau worked hard so you and sis wouldn't have to work as hard... gdi. tears immediately started to fall from my eyes. seriously love all of your videos. Mr. Lau reminds me of my dad so so much. thank you for every one of these heartwarming moments along with the very informative teachings as always!!
randy, i love how informative and entertaining these videos with daddy lau are! thank you for sharing!
Thanks Lawrence! Glad you enjoyed, we really love your videos too!
Now this is totally an informative video, it's definitely a complete guide! Great details and explanations! Truly enjoyed checking this out, thanks!
Thanks so much Anadi! Really appreciate you saying that. Hope your New Year is off to a great start :) Can't wait to share even more videos in the year to come!
Aww man. Your Dad is such a gem. I hope I can become that kind of man. Thank you for capturing his knowledge and personality, and for all your hard work shooting and editing.
多謝劉師傅, 非常感謝劉師傅教我哋點樣完美地操作把刀! ♥♥♥ Thank you so much Master Lau for teaching us how use and how to take care of a knife perfectly! ♥♥♥
唔好客氣，好多謝您嘅支持！老劉㊗️您同家人健康快樂！
Your dad really loves you, letting you learn how to sharpen using his well taken care of knife.
So grateful to him and his love 🥰
Thank you so much for making this video! This was seriously the best video I’ve ever seen on how to sharpen a knife! I feel confident enough to do it myself now!! ❤️
Wow that means a lot Kelley! Thank you so much for your kind words. You'll have to let me know after you sharpen it went 🙌
When your dad said , seeing other people smilie because you made a good Meal for them i had this same warm feeling in my heart. I gives me joy when my Family enjoys the stuff i cook. But i breaks my heart too why they ignore the work and love i put in and eat junk food instead and wont even say thank you anymore. Since i own a tradional Asian Cooking Knife from Vietnam im in such love with this, is simple itas way more lighter than expacted and ultra sharp with a typical wooden handle i love this organic feel of it, but have keep a bit more care of it like adding some knife friedly oil from time to time. But its such a Joy to use it for meat and veggies. The Tips are helpful how i should my Stone for it. We own the sharpening stick but never been sure how to use it right way, the ceramic bowl or dish shapen is a old trick is have known.
Using a ceramic plate to sharpen your knife is a great trick, one which I learned not long ago, maybe a few years. In addition, it is extremely effective! This is exactly the same as using a modern ceramic rod or stone to sharpen your knife and will produce an extremely sharp edge. You may also use the bottom of a coffee cup as well as a plate. It will not damage your cup or plate in any way. It made me happy that Papa Lau shared this trick.
What a great video! I love the breakdown on the different tools for sharpening. I also love the Chinese characters and jyuping annunciation! Great job again with these videos! It really hits home watching you do this with your father and it makes me want to learn more from my own parents!
Thanks so much Dan! That really makes my day to read and makes it all the more worthwhile! Hope you are able to do something like this with your parents. It's been awesome to get to sit down and take the time to learn so much from mom and dad 🙇🏻♂️
damn, that awkward hug at the end, i know that feel... my parents don't do hugs
Yea the semi-awkward side hug 😅 Grateful to get them still and know that my dad shows his love in other ways 🙏🏼
daddy lau got emotional there
I hope you still get enough hugs :(
I really enjoyed this video, I was looking for data about chinese clevers and ended up with this funny/educational/compelling video. I loved the way he explains his elderly wisdom.
I love you Dad's passion! Thanks for sharing.
I appreciate your attempts at giving us approximations for things when your Dad mostly goes by intuition/feeling. I'm also so curious on how you did the camera angles inside the dish washer
Thanks so much! I'm glad to know you appreciate me digging to approximate these sort of things! For the dish washer shot I actually got that as stock footage from Envato! They have a lot of great B-roll.
Daddy Lau needs to stop freaking us out by trying to cut his fingernail off LOL
Haha that man can't be stopped 😆
It’s safe way to test the sharpness, you don’t use any force , just let the knife glide by it self, if it’s dull, it will slip, if it’s sharp then it will dig right into the nail, if you cut the nail off that means you’re doing it wrong, Do not apply any pressure. If you see Murray Carter’s three finger sharpness test, that’s more dangerous
It's kinda funny when you're familiar with knives, to see people freak out at things you do with them that are perfectly safe, but might not look so. Like testing the sharpness on your fingernail. Or even licking them (the correct and safe way of course!). The honing rod was another example. Great advice from siifuu!
Absolutely HUGE respect and admiration to this family and their parents. So much here of which I just have the highest esteem for. Heroes are Mom and Dad. And you can see and feel the intense respect and bond between them that allowed them to achieve so much. I wish more of those in our world had the same outlook and effort. I have to admit too that the insight on the Chinese knives was fascinating. Just WOW. And thank you.
The words on the knife should be 'raise the knife, raise my children'. So very heartwarming. Bless you all!
Love your dad, he's always cute and funny... and l always love his explanation! But I don't think I have the guts to test the sharpness of the cleaver on my nails.... I'm too much of a coward!.... hehehehe
Haha I'm right there with you 😅 Grateful to hear how much you are enjoying learning from and watching dad!
Wish I can turn the clock 🕰 back in time so I can hear his Voice (my father) again
🙏🏼🙏🏼❤️ we wish that for you too. Hope that you can hear it in your head and have many fond memories to remember him with.
Dude, your comment struck me to the core. I say that every single day.
It's always a joy to see the elders show their craft.
LOOOOVE this video. It is like my ultra-dexterous dad (RIP) teaching ultra bookworm me how to use tools. My dad was was hard working as this man. Working since he was a child. No help, no vacation (by his own choice), fixated in our success and his love for work and for us.
this channel is gonna be big, now at 20k
🙇🏻♂️🙇🏻♀️ Thank you so much Yusen. We are so grateful to share these recipes with you. We hope many others enjoy too!
Wow that guy really, really knows his stuff. There was a lot talent who emigrated from China and Hong Kong. They ended up in blue collar jobs but some of their children really excel.
Appreciate you watching and listening to my dad share his knowledge 🙇🏻♂️
your dad is such a good and patient teacher
Respect. From an Asian household, I am proud of my knives as my mom does. I find myself reaching for my cheaper knives from the Asian stores than my more expensive ones every time I cook. Thank you for sharing your father’s story. Brings me back to my roots and proud of where I’m from.
I love Asian knives, Chinese, Japanese, etc. It has a charm to it and feels more practical