People, places and things change with time. Our lifestyles evolve, so too our taste buds.
Food, particularly heritage dishes, are always at the mercy of time and memory. What was once popular decades ago may be a rare find today.
Some Cantonese classic dishes, for example, require hours of elaborate preparation and masterful execution, and were acclaimed back in the day for its intricate flavours and unique presentations.
But try to find them in restaurants now, and you’ll be lucky to get a chef who actually remembers how to prepare them.
That makes Min Jiang’s 10 Hands Culinary Showcase: A Rediscovery of Cantonese Classics a rare opportunity for diners to enjoy iconic dishes. Happening from Jul 13 to 20, the gastronomical affair will bring the spotlight back onto rarely seen traditional Cantonese dishes, some dating back at least three decades.
The Cantonese and Sichuan restaurant at Goodwood Park Hotel has brought together respected veteran guest chefs Chan Kwok, Yim Yiu Wing, Cheng Hon Chau, and Min Jiang’s chefs Chan Hwan Kee and Ho Chee Hee for a meticulously crafted repertoire of dishes in two exclusive set menus.
Each chef possesses an impressive wealth of experience of up to 50 years under his belt. “Many of the dishes evoke special memories for us and we are happy to be a part of this showcase to share our experience as well as reintroduce these once-familiar flavours for diners to relish,” says chef Chan Kwok.
The showcase, which follows the success of last year’s 8 Hands Culinary Showcase, also features a collaboration with gourmet ambassador Moses Lim who offers a wealth of cuisine knowledge to the menu.
Choose from a six- or eight-course menu (from $138 per person). Highlights include Baked Stuffed Crab Shell & Roasted Silver Hill Irish Duck with Sliced Mango in Sweet Plum Sauce, a popular dish served at wedding banquets in the 1960s and 70s; and Pan-fried Dace Fish Meat, Liver Sausage and Orange Peel stuffed in whole Dace Fish, a time-honoured recipe from Shunde district in Guangdong.
The fish requires hours of elaborate preparation where the flesh is first skilfully removed and meticulously deboned. It is then blended into a fish paste, after which orange peel and finely diced liver sausage are added. The fish paste is carefully stuffed back into the dace fish and pan-fried till crisp.
Crispy Wontons with Pork and Seafood in Sweet and Sour Sauce is another dish that is steeped in nostalgia. For Moses Lim, it holds many memories for him, having savoured them at a cha chaan teng or teahouse in Hong Kong.
He recreates this snack with Ibérico char siew wrapped in wonton skin. It is accompanied by a sweet and sour sauce chock-full of ingredients such as pork slice, pork liver, prawn and Australian scallop.
The eight-course menu includes Steamed Diced Chicken in Pomegranate Egg White Parcel with Seasonal Greens, Crab Roe and Superior Stock; Boneless Chicken Thigh stuffed with Bird’s Nest and Yunnan Ham in Double-boiled Superior Soup (a dish that takes 12 hours to prepare); Wok-fried Crispy Silver Hill Irish Duck with Yam Paste accompanied by Mushroom Brown Sauce, and Whole Hokkaido Conpoy stuffed in 3-Head Abalone.
For reservations, call 6730 1704, email [email protected] or visit here.
