Pavilion of Plenty
Sofitel’s Wan Chun Ting is a culinary journey into the heart of Cantonese cuisine. No poetry necessary as Rachel Ng waxes lyrical about the Pavilion of Ten Thousand Springs
June, wan chun ting’s outlet manager offers me a dainty plate of egg tarts and Pu Er tea as light refreshments while awaiting the chefs who were preparing the other dishes. Surrounded by wooden oriental screens and stunning interpretations of Chinese lanterns hung from the lofty ceiling, I feel like a princess as I sip the tea and nibble on the bitesized egg custard tarts. A light, flaky, buttery crust cradles sunshine yellow custard that’s the opposite of the dreary weather outside. It was a precursor for the feast that was to come, and I was in for a culinary journey— the flavours just right and made exactly the way I remember my favourite Chinese food. A bevy of dim sum arrives not long after, the steam still wafting from the steamer baskets. The har gow’s (shrimp dumplings) translucent wrapper is traded for a thin charcoal one, imparting a hint of smokiness to the fresh succulent prawns within that spill their sweet briny juices the moment I bite into them. My favourite dim sum house dish is next, prawns wrapped in beancurd skin and fried to golden twists of perfection. For someone who doesn’t like the entire allium family, a tri-coloured trio of dumplings proved me wrong. Wan Chun Ting’s dim sum chef, Chong Chin Kee showcased his creativity with the steamed trio styled chives dumpling, transforming an often side-lined garnish into a tasty morsel and a star in its own right, a particularly eye-catching one too with the natural colours of the chives on display. However, my favourite has got to be the steamed yam custard bun. Not only did it have the cute factor—it looks exactly like a giant Chinese mushroom from afar—the yam