It was my first ever Chinese New Year dinner January
31, 2014 – the lunar year of the Horse.
The Vancouver Singapore Club was hosting at CAD$ 65.00
per person a 12 course meal with a chance to win a RT ticket to Singapore (I did
not win). Venue: Continental Seafood Restaurant in Vancouver
Guess what the recurring theme of a Chinese New Year is
- based on the pictures. Answer at the
end.
The menu for the evening was
B.B.Q. Combination Platter – really BBQ not grilled
____________________________________________
Deep Fried Crab Claws – more starchy as in potato than
crabs
____________________________________________
Braised Dry Oysters with vegetables – the oysters
flavor was undermined by the sauce of the vegetables. My tablemates Ken and
Helen, retirees from Singapore, said oysters (almost) round shape means good
fortune and the seaweed represents long hair – a possible ward against balding?
Shredded Chicken with Fish Maw soup - like chicken noodle soup without the noodle
but fish maw instead
Jumbo Prawns with supreme soy sauce – this was good
____________________________________________
Chinese Mushroom with Mustard Greens - slimy in a good way
Crispy Chicken – delish and the shrimp crackers was
good company
_____________________________________________
Sautéed and Deep Fried Fish Fillet with vegetables – a
bit salty for me. Traditionally one
should serve the fish whole with head intact for Chinese New Year - but not for a big banquet I guess
____________________________________________
Fried Rice with Assorted Seafood - pale and wan with only small shrimps as seafood
Braised E-Fu noodles with abalone sauce – the noodles
were supposed to be uncut to signify long-life.
Well tonight everyone was doomed.
As for the abalone sauce – it was a silky soy sauce like but not
quite. Nothing I would hanker for.
___________________________________________
Chinese Dainty– passable cookies. Surprisingly no Chinese moon cake or tikoy.
Dessert – glutinous sticky rice flour balls in mung
bean syrup – so so
Although it was 12 course – it really was not that
filling considering you have to split whatever was served on the platter with 9
other people.
And the drinks were Coke (mine was purposely diluted),
cold water (I had to request this), hot tea and hot water (which were already
lukewarm when we sat at the dinner table
around 6:30 pm). Dinner was not to
officially begin till 7 pm but commenced 40 minutes late.
And the theme?
Round, circle – to represent coinage, money ushering prosperity for the
Year of the Horse.
As to what 2014 holds, please see this video:
No comments:
Post a Comment