Help! How do I cook a family-style Chinese meal—with multiple dishes—in just one wok and get everything on the table piping hot at the same time? This is one of the questions that we see at The Woks of Life most often—especially around this time, with Chinese New Year and more family gatherings on the horizon.Cooking one dish in a wok might seem daunting, let alone 2, 3, or 5 dishes.Not only can weeknight cooking be stressful, the pressure ratchets up even more when preparing dinner for a special occasion.

A couple months ago, we published an article on How to Plan a Chinese Meal, which included guidance on creating a balanced and varied menu, determining the number of dishes for your group size, setting the table, and drink pairings.If you read it and thought, “but how do I actually get the meal on the table?” then this part 2 article is for you!  In this guide, you’ll find our expert tips on how to cook a Chinese meal with just one wok and stove.With these tips in hand, you’ll become a pro at sequencing and pacing your dishes in the wok, preparing ingredients, maximizing your stove, and making your next Chinese meal a success!  Maximize Your Stove: Start by Identifying Dishes that Don’t Require a Wok Generally, there’s only one wok in a home kitchen, rather than a small army of wok chefs.

Even at our house, we take turns at the big wok when we all pitch in to make dinner.  If you were to try cooking every single dish in that wo

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