My new fave Chinese New Year treat
MOVE over Yee Sang Salad and fancy tikoy variations. I have a new favorite Chinese New Year dish that is just so hearty and delicious, I’m happy Maxims Hotel at the Newport Resorts Happy Eight restaurant serves it any time upon request.
On Chinese New Year’s Eve a week ago, my family and I enjoyed the Chef’s Recommendation for an auspicious dinner to welcome the Year of the Wood Dragon and were served Crab & Corn Soup, Egg Custard Bun, Sweet & Sour Lapu Fillet, H8 Fried Chicken, Stir Fried Mixed Vegetables and, of course, the star of the show, a hot pot filled with Poon Choi.
“Filled” is actually an understatement in describing this wonderful dish. Served piping hot, it’s basically loads of ingredients beautifully layered, among them abalone, fish, the tenderest of pork, a variety of mushrooms, broccoli and other vegetables stewing in this delicious translucent kind of sauce. Think of it as the Chinese version of ratatouille but on a much sophisticated level.
According to Newport World Resorts’ Executive Chef Loh Fook Lim [who so thoughtfully checked how my little family was faring on the scrumptious chow midway through dinner], Poon Choi traces its origins to Hong Kong and served every Chinese New Year, It has at least nine main ingredients, which range from the simple to the quite extravagant. As such, it is a dish that invites prosperity, and being a hearty meal also brings families together.
And, unlike the tikoy, there isn’t much preparation to do to enjoy Poon Choi, because, if I were you, I’d simply head over to Happy Eight, order a serving and enjoy auspicious flavors instantly, any day it may be. Compliments to the chef, indeed!