THE CHINESE New Year, celebrated this year on Jan. 31, ushered in the Year of the Green/Wooden Horse.
Braised Pork Belly with Sea Moss Sauce
At Shangri-La’s Mactan Resort & Spa, Communications Director Mildred Amon and her team were on top of the Chinese New Year ceremonial. The President and CEO of Shangri-La International Hotel Management Ltd. Greg Dogan decided to spend the occasion in its Mactan Island property.
He, along with General manager Marco Vazzoler, Chinese Consul General Lun Shan and Lapu-lapu City Mayor Paz Radaza, dotted the lion’s eyes to symbolically awaken its spirits. This was followed by a dragon dance and firecrackers that were set off with the belief that the noise will drive the evil spirits away.
At the plush resort’s Tea of Spring, Executive Chinese Chef Boon Hun Hoe created an exquisite menu, an auspicious feast to welcome the Lunar New Year. The dishes were carefully created to attract long life and good fortune, which started with the Yee Sang or Prosperity Toss. The Yee Sang is a colorful and delicious raw fish salad with shredded vegetables like radish, carrot, red pickled ginger, bell pepper and turnips.
Tea of Spring Pears Salmon Yee Sang
The raw salmon fish symbolizes abundance and prosperity. The different condiments that are mixed with Yee Sang have symbolic significance: the five-spice powder for the five elements of the earth; plum sauce for unity; vegetable oil for easiness in life; peanuts for long life; sesame seeds for unity; and prawn crackers for happiness. Using chopsticks, the tossing gets every one excited.
The higher one tosses, the greater the blessings. But more than the tossing, I really find the Yee Sang decious.
To warm our tummies after the prosperity toss, we had a bowl of Scallop Broth with Abalone and Crab Meat. Deep Fried Coral Trout with Sweet and Sour Plum Sauce was a work of art. The fish was filleted and cut into squares and deep-fried into a golden delight while the deep-fried fish skeleton was gracefully placed on the platter. Crispy Duck served with vegetables and cashew nuts was a treat.
Crispy Duck served with Vegetables and Cashew Nuts
The duck meat had thick fat underneath the skin. I closed my eyes while chewing on the cholesterol-laden meat. Stir-Fried Prawns, Szechuan Style were arranged in two layers artfully separated by a golden sheet of thin, round dough. The Braised Pork Belly with Sea Moss Sauce was tempting. The pork belly slices with thick layers of fat were braised to delicate tenderness. A thin slice just melted in my mouth even before I could chew it. Braised bean Curd Skin Stuffed with Mixed Mushrooms and vegetables was another beautiful dish. The bean curd skin was stuffed and delicately tied looking like tiny moneybags.
The dessert is a signature creation of Chef Boon—Chilled Glutinous Rice with Creamy Mango Filling served with Sweetened Lou Han Guo with Coconut Strips. The glutinous ball is similar to Japanese Mochi. Lou Han Guo is also called longevity fruit indigenous to Southern China.