Glasgow restaurant marks Moon Festival
THIS month people from around the world will celebrate China’s Mid-Autumn Festival, or Moon Festival
Glasgow’s Lychee Oriental will celebrate one of the important dates in Chinese culture with a new dedicated five-course menu.
As the last days of late summer fade and the leaves on the chestnut trees begin to turn a golden brown, families come together in the cool, crisp air to enjoy a feast under the glow of the full moon.
Red lanterns strung with riddles dance in tree branches, while the sweet fragrance of osmanthus flowers wafts through the evening air.
To celebrate, Lychee Oriental Head Chef, Jimmy Lee has created an impressive five-dish ‘Chinese Moon Festival’ menu which will be available from September 25 to October 25.
The menu will make use of the bounty of the Autumn harvest – pumpkin, chestnuts, taro, persimmons, sweet potato, walnuts, and mushrooms figure centrally in most meals, along with traditional celebratory foods like crab, pork, and duck.
Chef Jimmy Lee’s feast also heavily feature round foods like mooncakes, a nod to the full moon’s representation of unity and togetherness for families.
The gastronomic five course menu priced at £30 per person includes, Ginger Broth Congee, Crispy Wontons with Soy Butter Dip, Five Spice Beef Flank Stew with Pak Choi and Steamed Rice, Hong Kong Peanut Butter French Toast with Banana Fritter and finally, Chinese Tea served with traditional Mooncake.
He said: “Mid-Autumn Festival is one of the most important dates in Chinese culture, falling on the
15th day of the eighth month of the lunar calendar during a full moon, Tuesday 25th this year and an important time for families to be reunited.
“Our special celebration menu at Lychee Oriental is unique and available for a limited time only and includes moon-cake, traditionally given at Mid-Autumn Festival to honour the moon.”
Jimmy has appeared on the BBC’s Great British Menu, Channel 4’s My Kitchen Rules and presenting cookery segments on popular ITV programmes.
He started work in his dad’s takeaway when he was 16 years old and has seldom been far from a kitchen since.