Welcoming the Year of the Dragon in Hong Kong

The Chinese Year of the Dragon is especially auspicious this year because it is a leap year. The Dragon is the major symbol of good fortune in Chinese astrology so it is hoped that the dragon will bring good luck to people and business. The decorations are out, anticipation is in the air, and like homes and restaurants all over Hong Kong, SkyCity Marriott’s Man Ho Restaurant has prepared special culinary treats to add to their already extensive and excellent menu. Located on Lantau Island next to the Hong Kong International Airport, the SkyCity Marriott is more than your average airport hotel. It is a destination with great culinary experiences awaiting the traveler looking for something out of the ordinary.

Located on the mezzanine level with a view of the South China Sea, the Man Ho offers authentic dishes from the Pearl River Delta with a weekday special all-you-can-eat Dim Sum Luncheon. From their wide selection of dim sum try their Pork and Shrimp Dumpling, Vegetarian Dumpling with Mushrooms and their Taro Root Dumpling.

New to the menu is their unique Seahorse Soup made with seahorse and the larger sea dragon which seems appropriate considering it is the Year of the Dragon. The soup has a very light broth but the cute little seahorse floating in the soup can be a bit unnerving. It is a Chinese delicacy that is believed to be good for one’s health.

Chinese food should appeal to all the senses. The Man Ho’s Kurabuta BBQ pork loin, marinated and glazed with honey does just that. The sliced pork is presented on either side of small hot black stones over which an au jus is poured creating a sizzling sound and a wonderful misty aroma. Needless to say, it tastes as good as it looks and smells.

One of the specialties created by the Marriott’s talented Executive Chinese Chef Ricky Wu and his staff, is the Man Ho’s King of Dumplings. The dumpling is as big as your fist and five times the size of the normal prawn dumpling with ten times the flavor. The giant dumpling contains the succulent, aromatic, tender and juicy meat of one entire lobster bathed in the chef’s secret recipe. The Lobster King Dumpling is presented on an exquisite plate with lacey silver filigree upon a matching charger. The King Dumpling is garnished with touch of gold leaf. An absolutely beautiful presentation and a delectable taste treat.

However, the pièces de résistance created by the Marriott’s chefs in celebration of the Year of the Dragon are the Chinese New Year Coconut Pudding and Taro and Turnip Cake. The Coconut Pudding is a modern interpretation of the traditional Chinese New Year Pudding by forming the coconut pudding in the shape of a dragon and placing it atop a rice pudding base so that the dragon appears to be riding on a raging sea. The Coconut Pudding is made of glutinous rice flour, sugar, wheat flour, coconut milk, vegetable oil, dark soy sauce, watermelon seed, and edible gold decorative coloring.

Chef Wu made a similar creative adaptation to a local favorite, Turnip Cake, by modeling a Taro Chinese Dragon that appears to be emerging from the turnip sea. According to Chef Wu the taro and turnip compliment each other nicely with the light sweetness of the creamy taro adding just the right touch to the savory turnip to which dried pieces of sausage and prawns have been added. In both cases the tricky part according to Chef Wu was creating the dragons so that they were firm and stable enough to ride on the “sea” of pudding.

The Marriott Man Ho Restaurant has an amazing menu well prepared to tantalize the palate of the most discriminating diner with New Year specials designed to welcome the Year of the Dragon in the most auspicious manner. For more information check www.skycitymarriott.com.

Hong Kong Tourist Board's Cake Making Class

Even though Hong Kong is one of the world’s most modern and expensive cities there are ways to learn about the traditional Chinese culture for free or nearly free. The Hong Kong Tourist Board offers a variety of free or nearly free programs for visitors. When John and I get deplane in Hong Kong we stop at the Hong Kong Tourist Visitor Center to sign up for their programs. The Visitor Centers are located in Buffer Halls A and B, Arrivals Level, Terminal 1. Visitors can also sign up at HKTB’s in-town Visitor Centers located in Tsim Sha Tsui and on Victoria Peak. The programs are only available to foreigners who must sign up in person and show their passport. In January 2010 John and I signed up for a Chinese Cake-making class which was free but now has a fee of about $4 USD. For more information on the Chinese Cake-making Class in Hong Kong and other offerings by the Hong Kong Tourist Board check under Kaleidoscope at http://www.discoverhongkong.com/.

John and I joined eight others at Wing Wah Cake Shop at Shop 4, Union Mansion, 25 Chatham Road South, Tsim Sha Tsui in Kowloon for the class. During the lesson Master chefs Chiu and Fung demonstrated and then helped us make Wife Cakes. Men traditionally made Wife Cakes for their wives. It seems that long ago a wife sold herself as a servant to get money to pay for medical treatment for her father-in-law. The husband was so impressed by her dedication and wanting his wife back that he created Wife Cakes, which he sold in the market. They became very popular so he was able to earn enough money to buy his wife back. Our class also included the making of egg roll pastry in which any filling could be added if desired.

Wing Wah Wife Cakes
Pastry: 3/ 4 cup flour 1/ 4 vegetable oil
Crust: 3/ 4 cups flour 1/ 4 cup vegetable oil 1 egg1/ 4 waterFilling: 1/ 4 cup Gourd/Red Bean Paste – roll into a 1/ 2 inch balls
Coating: 1 egg, beaten
Make the pastry mix ahead of time by mixing flour and vegetable oil until smooth. Refrigerate for several hours. To make the crust, spread flour in a circle on a clean workspace. In the center, add the vegetable oil and egg. Mix the shortening and egg together, and begin to mix with the flour to form the dough. When the ingredients are well combined, add the water a little at a time, mixing until the dough is soft to the touch. Divide chilled pastry and crust mix into eight 1/ 2 inch balls. Roll a ball of pastry into a five-inch circle. Form a circle with forefinger and thumb. Place the pastry on top of fingers, make an indentation about 1/ 2 inch deep. Place a red bean paste ball in the depression. Pinch the edges to enclose the filling. Roll out crust into five-inch circle. Place crust circle on forefinger and thumb. Make an indentation and insert the ball of pastry that has the filling. Wrap the crust around the ball to enclose it. Place on worktable and press flat with your palm until about 1/ 2 thick. Place on baking sheet sprayed with Pam. Brush on beaten egg. Bake at 350 for 20 minutes or until golden brown.

Hong Kong, China: Dim Sum

Dim sum is a uniquely Chinese. It consists of a variety of dumplings, steamed dishes, and other items often served in individual bamboo streamers. When several are ordered they make a wonderful meal. The words literally mean, "touch your heart."

I was introduced to dim sum during a visit to Hong Kong several years ago. A friend took us to a dim sum restaurant where a wheeled cart, like an English teacart, went from table to table and, after viewing the picture menu, we chose what we wanted to try. On the back of the menu was the history of dim sum. It seems that a demanding empress ordered her royal chef to prepare a special meal for her. Afraid to make a mistake, he made many individual items sure to "touch her heart." Dim sum was a success and became linked to drinking tea especially with travelers journeying along the famous Silk Road. They needed a place to rest, so teahouses opened up along the roadside, and after a while teahouse proprietors began adding a variety of snacks in the form of dim sum. My favorite is char siu bao, barbecued pork in a steamed dumpling; and har kau, shrimp wrapped in thin dough fashioned to look like a purse and steamed. Dim sum is a great way to sample new foods without ordering an entire plate of one item.

The Hong Kong Peninsula, one of the world’s most exquisite hotels, has a variety of programs whereby guests can learn about a variety of things from feng shui to how to make dim sum.
At the Peninsula Hotel, Chef Wah taught John and me how to make Shrimp Dim Sum and Chive Dim Sum. Basically the pastry is the same but chive water is used for the Chive Dim Sum. Interestingly, Chef Wah explained, "No matter where you go in the world, the Shrimp Dim Sum has a pure style. It always has the same ingredients and shape. You can be creative when shaping the Chive Dumpling." We found shaping the little purse-like dumplings more difficult than it looks but as Chef Wah explained, "It takes practice. I make 400 to 500 every day."

Chive Dumplings
1 pound finely minced shrimp meat
1 cup diced chives
1/2 cup diced Chinese mushrooms
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1/ 4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon chicken powder
1 tablespoon sugar
Mix ingredients and chill for four hours.
　
Shrimp Dumplings
6 ounces finely minced shrimp
3 tablespoons finely chopped bamboo shoots
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon chicken powder
1/4 teaspoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon sesame oil
Mix all ingredients for the stuffing and refrigerate for 4 hours.
　
Dim Sum Wrappers
(It is possible to buy wrappers.)
2 cups wheat flour
3 tablespoon cornstarch
1 3/ 4 cups boiling water for shrimp dumplings
or
1 3/ 4 cups boiling chive water for chive dumplings. To make chive water boil three ounces of diced chives in two cups of water until green and strain and use instead of plain water. Food color can be added if needed.

Mix ingredients adjusting as necessary for dough to be of the proper consistency. Form a small ball, roll out until thin, place stuffing on top, press closed to make a purse shape for Shrimp Dim Sum, or any desired shape for Chive Dim Sum, and steam for 4 minutes.

For more information check http://www.peninsula.com/