THE DISH: STRANDED IN PARADISE
永利皇宮的麵條種類選擇豐富得令人難以取捨，所謂豐富，除了在美食上的意義，還有用麵粉、水的考究以及嫻熟技藝和非凡賣相，創作出一部精彩紛呈的亞洲遊記。
The vast selection of noodles at Wynn Palace in Cotai describes not only their culinary variety, but is in many ways an epic travelogue around Asia, expressed in flour, water, skill and incredible showmanship.
The vast selection of noodles at Wynn Palace in Cotai describes not only their culinary variety, but is in many ways an epic travelogue around Asia, expressed in flour, water, skill and incredible showmanship.
要想足不出戶就可以早餐來一碗山西刀削面，午餐品嚐日本拉麵，晚餐則以廣東餛飩面結束，這樣的美妙滋味不是隨時都能遇到。隨著永利皇宮出品的麵食品種不斷增加，客人可以隨心逛著吃遍南北，從中國西北部的山西省（據說是麵條的發源地）直到廣東南部，再跳到日本。最近99麵餐廳新推出的菜單就是很好的例子，食客們會發現菜單上增加了大量的麵條種類。北方麵食有山西風味刀削麵、蕎麥麵、北京拉麵和柳葉面等等。99麵的第一家店開在永利澳門，主廚劉傑解釋說：「餐廳名字叫99麵，是因為我們以手工製作9種麵條， 9種高湯和9種配菜。中國的麵食當然遠遠不止這 IT’S NOT EVERY DAY THAT YOU GET TO SLURP SHANXI KNIFE-CUT NOODLES FOR BREAKFAST, Japanese ramen for lunch and Cantonese wonton noodle soup for dinner without stepping outside. But with an ever- expanding assortment of noodles on offer at Wynn Palace in Macau, guests can travel the region as they please, skipping from China’s northwestern Shanxi province (said to be the birthplace of noodles) down to southern Guangdong, and over to Japan. On the recently revamped menu at 99 Noodles, for example, diners will find a staggering noodle selection. The northern Chinese offerings cover everything from Shaanxi-style knife-shaved noodles to buckwheat tip-ended noodles, Beijing la mian and leaf noodles, among others. “It’s called 99 Noodles because we craft nine types of noodles, nine broths and nine garnishes,” explains Chef de Cuisine Liu Jie at 99 Noodles at the original location inside Wynn Macau. “In China, of course, there are many more than just these nine types. They are a common staple in most diets, and an important part of our food culture.”
些種類。它們是大多數菜系中常見的主食，也是我們飲食文化的重要組成部分。」為了幫助客人在品種繁多的高湯和配菜裡做出選擇，菜單上推薦了幾個招牌菜式。其中最受歡迎的是一款山西麵條，依照傳統在麵條上堆滿大量的辣豬肉碎或羊肉碎。「我們用特製的刀（形狀像魚鰭）削麵條。」主廚解釋說，示範一手拿著麵團一手向下削的動作：「面片落入沸水中，變成稍粗的麵條，長度不一，口感非常有彈性。」為了滿足大家對山西麵條的偏愛，永利皇宮99麵的廚師長陳明以自己的童年回憶為靈感，為菜單註入懷舊氣息。「北方人喜歡吃炸醬麵（豆醬、炒豬肉配粗麵）。我覺得小時候媽媽做的炸醬麵是最美味的。」大廚回憶說：「每次看見媽媽或者大廚們在烹飪時臉上那種專註的神色，我都會覺得很好奇。那時我就決定，長大後要成為廚師。」酒店裡正在轉變的美食，不止99麵的菜單。受食客熱捧的南方風味中餐廳紅8粥麵將在今年三月遷往面積更大的地方，距離99麵僅幾步之遙。餐廳的紅黑主色調保持不變，空間擴大近兩倍。餐廳中央設有開放式 To help diners navigate the lengthy list of broths and garnishes, the menu denotes a few signatures. The most popular is a bowl of Shaanxi noodles—traditionally topped with a mountain of spicy minced pork or lamb. “To make these noodles, we use a special knife shaped like a fin,” explains the chef, as he pretends to hold a ball of dough while slicing downwards. “The pieces fall into a pot of boiling water. This produces thicker noodles of varying lengths, which share a wonderful chewy texture.” To accompany crowd favorites like Shaanxi noodles, Chef de Cuisine Chen Ming, who helms the Wynn Palace location, has injected a few nostalgic additions inspired by his childhood. “People in northern China love their zhajiang noodles [thick noodles with soybean paste and stir-fried pork]. When I was young, the zhajiang noodles that my mom made were the best,” says Chen. “Each time that I caught the attentiveness on my mother’s or the chefs’ faces while they were cooking, I would become so curious. It was then that I decided to become a chef when I grew up.” An expanding menu at 99 Noodles isn’t the only thing that’s changing at the resort. Popular southern-style Chinese restaurant Red 8 moved to a larger location this March, just steps from 99 Noodles. The red-and-black color palette remains unchanged, but the space is nearly twice as large. At the heart
廚房，賓客可以看見廚師們如何從烤箱取出北京烤鴨，手工製作點心蝦餃或是現場手拉廣式麵條。「比較南方和北方的麵條時，要先了解它們的原材料和製作過程各不相同。南方麵條通常使用米粉，北方麵條則使用小麥麵粉製作。這兩種方式都相當花時間。」主廚劉傑說：「不同的製作過程（比如用冷水浸泡或是不同的發酵方法）都會改變麵條的質地和口感。這正是每種麵食各有不同特色的原因。」以南方麵條為例，紅8粥麵的廚師長梁偉民每天大概要製作155磅的麵條，麵條用澳洲麵粉製作，加入新鮮湖北鴨蛋以增加味道中的蛋香。下鍋之前，麵團要先在冷水中浸過，讓麵條的質地更有彈性，而且在蒜香四溢熱騰騰的高湯（用4小時熬製）裡長時間浸泡也不會軟爛，配上飽滿的手工鮮蝦雲吞，風味一流。當然了，這家瑰麗豐盛的酒店裡怎會只有中式麵食可選。美食家們一定會迷上花悅餐廳的日式手工拉麵，在僅設19個座位的大理石餐檯旁坐下來，盡情品嚐美味豐盛的拉麵。「麵條在中國人和亞洲許多地方的人們心中都代表著溫暖安心的味道，」主廚劉傑說，「這是你一生中離不開的食物，是一種必需品。 如果連續幾個星期都沒有吃麵條，你就會不停地想起它的味道，恨不得立刻吃一碗。」幸運的是，在永利皇宮裡，什麼時候想吃麵條都輕而易舉，近在咫尺。 of the restaurant, there’s an open kitchen where diners can watch the chefs at work as they pull a Peking duck out of the oven, craft dim sum dumplings or hand-pull Cantonese-style noodles. “When comparing southern and northern noodles, you have to understand that the ingredients and processes vary. Southern noodles often use rice flour, while northern noodles use wheat flour. Both are time-consuming in their own way,” says Liu. “The different preparation process [such as soaking them in cold water or fermentation methods] will change the noodles’ structure and texture. That’s why each noodle has its own character.” In the case of southern-style noodles, Chef Leung Wai Mun Leung at Red 8 makes about 155 pounds of noodles a day, using Australian flour and fresh Hubei duck eggs to enhance the eggy flavor. Before cooking, the dough undergoes a bath in cold water. This step results in a springy texture that remains firm while they swim in a bowl of warming, garlicky broth (which takes four hours to prepare) alongside bobbing shrimp wontons that appear to be hand-wrapped like little gifts. Of course, Chinese noodles aren’t the only types available under this palatial roof. Gourmands will gravitate to the handmade noodles at Hanami Ramen, where they can devour hearty bowls of ramen around an intimate marble-clad counter with just 19 seats. “Noodles are a comfort food for people in China, and many places in Asia,” says Liu. “It’s something you have to have in your life. It’s a must. If you don’t eat noodles for a few weeks, you think about it constantly and crave them.” Luckily, at Wynn Palace, anyone craving noodles won’t have to venture too far.