2 Easy Asian-Inspired Recipes to Warm You Up: Korean Chicken Wings and Pho

We all know Tommy Bahama as the casual-wear company that embodies an always-on-vacation coastal-living aesthetic—but did you know that the brand's 15 restaurants serve up some pretty delicious island-inspired grub as well?

Tommy Bahama recently released Flavors of Aloha, the first cookbook in its Cooking With Tommy Bahama series—and I'm officially obsessed with nearly every Asian-inspired recipe in the collection. From Hawaiian classics such as saimin with Asian chicken broth and Spam musubi to twists on American classics like wasabi-roasted garlic mashed potatoes and pina colada cake, there's something for every palate.

Here are two of my favorite recipes from Flavors of Aloha—yummy, warming dishes that are perfect for chilly weather...so you can feel like you're on vacation, even in the dead of winter.

Roasted Korean Chicken Wings

For the marinade:

1/4 cup/60 ml. soy sauce

2 tbsp. honey

2 tbsp. Chinese rice wine or dry sherry

2 green onions, white and green parts, minced

1 tbsp. peeled and minced fresh ginger

2 garlic cloves, minced

4 lb./1.8 kg. chicken wings, cut between the joints, wing tips trimmed (see Note)

For the sauce:

1/3 cup/100 grams gochujang (Korean chili paste)

3 tbsp. soy sauce

2 tbsp. unseasoned rice vinegar

2 tbsp. honey

1 tbsp. Asian sesame oil

1 tbsp. peeled and minced fresh ginger

4 garlic cloves, minced

Sesame seeds, for garnish

To make the marinade: Whisk the ingredients together with 2 tbsp. water in a large bowl. Add the chicken wings and stir to coat them. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 2 to 4 hours.

Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 425 degrees F/220 degrees C. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil and lightly oil the foil.

Remove the chicken wings from the marinade, discarding the marinade. Arrange the wings on the prepared baking sheet. Roast for 20 minutes. Flip the wings over, and continue roasting until the wings are well browned and tender, about 25 minutes more.

Meanwhile, whisk the ingredients for the sauce together in a large bowl. Set aside while the chicken is roasting to blend the flavors.

Using tongs, transfer the chicken wings to the sauce in the bowl. Mix the wings well to coat them. Transfer to a platter. Sprinkle with the sesame seeds and serve with plenty of napkins.

Makes 4 to 6 servings

Note: Cut-up chicken wings (labeled drumettes or wingettes) tend to be frozen and give off a lot of liquid during roasting that discourages browning. For the best results, buy whole wings and cut them up at home, discarding the wing tips or saving them for another use (such as making a small batch of chicken stock).

Vietnamese Noodle Soup With Beef

For the stock:

1 1/2 lb./680 grams beef marrow bones

1 1/2 lb./680 grams meaty beef bones, such as neck or chuck

1 yellow onion, coarsely chopped

One 1-inch/2.5-cm. piece fresh ginger, peeled and thinly sliced

1 tsp. whole coriander seeds

3 star anise pods

1/4 tsp. whole cloves

3 tbsp. Thai or Vietnamese fish sauce

2 tbsp. light brown sugar

1 1/2 lb./680 grams boneless rib roast

14 oz./400 grams dried thin rice noodles

2 cups/140 grams fresh bean sprouts

Leaves from 4 large sprigs fresh Thai basil

Leaves from 4 large sprigs fresh cilantro

2 green onions, white and green parts, thinly sliced

2 small fresh red or green chiles, such as Thai, thinly sliced with seeds

1 lime, cut into wedges

Fish sauce, for serving

Hoisin sauce, for serving

Put both kinds of bones in a large stockpot and add cold water to just cover the bones. Bring to a boil over high heat. Drain and rinse the bones under cold running water. (This step removes many of the impurities that would cloud the stock, and a clear stock is one sign of a good pho.) Clean the pot.

Return the bones to the pot and add cold water to cover the bones by 2 inches/5 cm. Bring to a boil over high heat, skimming off any foam that rises to the surface. Add the onion, ginger, coriander, star anise, and cloves. Reduce the heat to low and simmer, skimming as needed until the stock is full flavored, at least 2 or up to 4 hours. During the last few minutes, stir in the fish sauce and brown sugar. Strain through a colander into a large bowl and discard the solids. Return 6 cups/1.4 liters stock to the pot. (Do not remove any fat from the surface, as this adds flavor to the stock.) Reserve the remaining stock for another use. (The stock can be cooled, covered, and refrigerated for up to 2 days or frozen for up to 3 months.)

Freeze the beef until partially frozen, about 2 hours. Using a sharp, thin knife, cut the beef crosswise into very thin slices. Let stand at room temperature to defrost, up to 30 minutes.

Put the rice noodles in a large bowl and add hot water to cover. Let stand until the noodles are softened but not mushy, about 15 minutes.

Arrange the bean sprouts, basil and cilantro leaves, green onions, chiles, and lime wedges on a large platter (or in 4 individual bowls) for garnishing and flavoring the pho.

Drain the noodles. Immediately divide the noodles among 4 large, deep Asian-style soup bowls. Divide the beef slices among the bowls. Ladle in equal amounts of the hot stock. Serve immediately with the platter (or bowls) of flavorings, as well as the fish sauce and hoisin sauce for seasoning.

Makes 4 servings

Pho (pronounced "fuh"), a classic Vietnamese beef and noodle soup, features a deeply flavored and gently spiced stock that is always made from scratch. Cooks can choose from a variety of beef cuts, including using beef tendon or ground meatballs in this dish; here we use thinly sliced rib roast, accompanied with traditional garnishes. All of these components can and should be prepared well ahead of serving so the final cooking takes only a few minutes.

Tommy Bahama's Flavors of Aloha is available now