After the hot and spicy Hunan cuisine, the upcoming feature for May and June is Huaiyang delicacies, a prestigious cuisine with a profound historical and cultural background.
HONG KONG and MACAU- Renowned for its attentive “Asian Heart” service, StarWorld Macau is dedicated to promoting Asian culture and a premium dining experience at affordable prices for its guests. Its round-the-clock Asian restaurant, Sensations , launched a ” Four Major Chinese Cuisines” series in March, featuring an array of Chinese regional cuisines. After the hot and spicy Hunan cuisine, the upcoming feature for May and June is Huaiyang delicacies, a prestigious cuisine with a profound historical and cultural background.
Huaiyang cuisine originated from the Jiangsu and Zhejiang provinces of South-Eastern China. It combines the characteristics of southern and northern cuisines and emphasizes fresh ingredients. The prestige of Huaiyang cuisine is attributed to its exquisite workmanship, elegant shape, delicate taste, and rich cultural traits. It was served as banquet dishes in many significant historical events and is mentioned in literature, including being served at the “Manchu Han Imperial Feast”, a legendary banquet in the Qing Dynasty and introduced in “Dream of the Red Chamber”, one of China’s Four Great Classical Novels. It was also served at the first state banquet of the People’s Republic of China in 1949 and the state banquet hosted by Jiang Zemin, the former General Secretary of China, during former US President George Bush’s visit in 2002. From 1 May to 30 June 2013, guests at StarWorld Macau will have the chance to savour the rich flavor of traditional Southern China.
Jellied Diced Pork – MOP 42
Jellied Diced Pork is a traditional Huaiyang dish that requires complex cooking processes. The chefs need to adjust the cooking method according to weather and season in order to maintain consistency in quality and taste. Let’s take the trotter diced pork marinating process as an example. This only takes about one day in spring and autumn, but in summer and winter, the process needs three days and seven days respectively. Thanks to the experience and patience of the chefs, the finished diced pork is delicately presented in small square pieces with fresh, crystal-like yet tender texture. Poems were even written to describe the exquisite nature of the dish. With the addition of vinegar and ginger slices, the dish becomes an irresistible appetizer to a prefect meal.
Stir-fried Diced Beef, Pork and Fungus with Assorted Peppers in Chili Sauce – MOP 78
Speed is the secret of the dish. Firstly, all the ingredients including premium beef, pork and fungus are diced. Then the chef puts the ingredients with chili and other seasoning ingredients into a pan for a quick frying in order to preserve the freshness and tender texture. As the whole frying process only takes about one minute to finish, this is a dish for the chef to showcase his sophisticated culinary skills.
Deep-fried Spare-ribs with Plum Paste in Casserole – MOP 78
Deep-fried Spare-ribs with Plum Paste in Casserole is one of the signature Huaiyang dishes. The chef marinades the spare-ribs in plum sauce made with salt, ginger, onions and rice wine. After allowing the flavor to fully penetrate, the chef deep-fries the ribs and then braises them with red yeast rice and crystal sugar in order to coat the ribs with a shining red color and a hint of sweetness. Besides the ingredients, temperature control is the key to delivering excellent taste. The chef needs to skillfully control the heat between a high and low temperature during the hour-long cooking process.
Braised Minced Pork Balls in Oyster Sauce – MOP 78
Huaiyang Cuisine was the favorite cuisine of the former Premier of China, Zhou Enlai. Braised Minced Pork Balls in Oyster Sauce was one of his special favorites. Zhou liked to cook this dish for his friends and colleagues during the Chinese New Year gatherings. The chef at Sensations separates the fat from the lean meat during preparation. The fatty part will be cut into small pieces by hand before being blended into minced lean meat in order to enhance the texture of the meat balls. Served together with intense flavored oyster sauce and fresh vegetables, it provides guests with an unforgettable taste experience.
Fried Sea Bass Fillet with Pine Nuts in Sweet and Sour Sauce – MOP 88
Fried Sea Bass Fillet with Pine Nuts in Sweet and Sour Sauce is another dish to show the chef’s impeccable culinary skills. The chef skillfully carves sea bass fillets into the shape of a chrysanthemum before deep frying. The chef needs to watch the oil temperature carefully when deep frying until the fillets turn into nice golden yellow. The fried flower-liked fillets are crispy on the outside while retaining a moist and juicy texture inside. The sweet and sour sauce with a hint of pine nuts flavor makes the dish indispensable on banquet tables.
This summer, StarWorld Macau welcomes its guests at Sensations to enjoy an array of Huaiyang delicacies, allowing their taste buds to roam in the poetic Southern Chinese flavor.
Theodore is the Co-Founder and Managing Editor of TravelDailyNews Media Network; his responsibilities include business development and planning for TravelDailyNews long-term opportunities.
