Woots! Today is the 3rd day of Chinese New Year.

Have you guys had your umpteenth CNY reunion dinner yet?

If your family is anything like mine, I can bet you've probably have sat to a few (if not many) dinner get-togethers thus far.

There are altogether 15 days of Chinese New Year according to the Lunar calendar so get your chopsticks and ricebowls ready, for it's dinner lou-sang sessions with the family, friends, workmates, ex-schoolmates, blogmates, campusmates and so many different groups of people!

i was at Tong Yuen in Hilton Hotel last week to taste their auspicious set menus and CNY delicacies

Right after work, I thought it would be wise to head straight to Hilton to skip the impending traffic gridlock. Typical evenings in PJ *rolls eyes*

But strangely I was wrong. The roads were traffic-free and I arrived Hilton almost 2 hours before dinner time! 🙁

I know I was too early. But hellooo hellooo anybody home!?

*sniff*

Thankfully, someone was inside and the gates were opened for me! 😀

First thing I saw as I stepped in:

Mandarin ducks, money frogs and china teapots

The hostess was kind enough to offer me some warm Chinese tea to accompany my wait.

It's gonna be a long wait, that's for sure

But I hope it's worth it 😀

I soon got bored and I had about 1 hour left to kill.

So I got up and started taking pictures of this very impressive, spacious and lavish Chinese restaurant.

I know right. It had so many sections and areas to dine!

Oh and I also learned that Toh Yuen is adjoined to the al-fresco and swimming pool area

Pretty good idea for weddings to be held! Nice place to entertain guests and throw the after-party too!

Separated only by a huge glass door 🙂

I then took my time to walk back to my table. But still, not a single soul to be seen yet.

So I made use of the glass mirrors they had all over the walls for some self-absorbed entertainment

ohai. Gong Xi Fa Chai!

Alright, time to go back to that private section 🙂

It was almost 7.30pm by then. Perfect! Looks like time flies when you're actually occupied.
 

See those 2 circular entrances?

That's where our tables are

This is how it looks at our table… before everybody fills it in 🙂

Yay! Finally I have some company. Elaine from Marketing & Communications took the seat beside mine and gradually, the other guests began to arrive one by one 🙂 Ivy from FOOD and her colleague came pretty soon too.

Eelaine and I

Kelly (my plus one for the evening) and I sipping on some Chinese Tea

After catching up and chit chatting, it was time to bring out the food

Toh Yuen's Yee Sang specials was the highlight of their Fatt Choy (fortune and prosperity) menu selections

Crackers represents happiness, peanut and sesame symbolizes harvest, oil represents wealth,

pomelo means good luck, raw seafood symbolizes life and longevity.

Yee Sang comprises of assorted condiments, which differ in their auspicious meanings as illustrated above

After the warzone of tossing and mixing the ingredients and

dressing with chopsticks, it was time for the feast to begin.

I especially loved their Sliced Abalone yee sang. It was fresh, tasty and had that tinge of sweet-sourness in it. The abalone came in abundance and it was very delicious and chewy too (I initially thought it looked like chicken slices before I had a bite of it! LOL)

The 2nd course that arrived was Braised Shark Fin Soup with Crab Meat and Roe.

Trust me, I've eaten this since my childhood days and there isn't really a complete Chinese dinner without it.

Served hot right outta the pot, it was just as good as what my tastebuds imagined it to be. You can never go wrong!

3rd Course : Deep Fried Chicken in 2 Flavours

Now this one was rather outta the ordinary 🙂

This poultry dish came with chicken – cooked in 2 different styles – encircled around each other. Yup, it was plated in a very pleasant way! The chicken with the darker sauce stayed in the middle while the whiter chicken surrounded it.

I loved the darker chicken while some of the others preferred the whiter one. Ohwell, looks like both of it were popular among us anyway; seeing that this dish was finished in such a jiffy!

After chicken, came the fish

4th course : Steamed Fish Pomfret with Soy Sauce

This fish fanatic is at it again. White pomfrets are one of my favorite types of fish, apart from Salmon and Snowfish. It was so fresh that I reckon it was just caught right off the sea yesterday! 😛 None of that stinky stale stench that some fishes tend to have.

The flesh was tender and was made right for our palate.

5th course : Stir Fried King Prawns in Pineapple Sauce

Now if the fish dish didn't exist, this one would most definitely fall in line being my favorite of the lot!

The prawns were really soft and succulent to the last bite! Kinda the type that melts in your mouth 😀 The tangy natural flavour of the pineapple complemented this dish very well too.

More tea anyone? 😀

The next course was something less meaty. Think veggies!

Just for the record, my favorite green vegetable of all is broccoli. And wa-hey! Look what's on our plates:

It IS broccoli! 😀 😀 😀 Do you spot lotsa mushrooms too?

A very happy me + Kelly

I like how most Chinese chefs cut up lotsa random things that their instincts tell them *might* just make the perfect dish and voila! It DID end up perfect after all.

The broccoli came cooked with so many other ingredients and condiments that it was bursting with flavour 🙂

6th Course: Stewed Sea Cucumber, Mushroom and Broccoli

7th Course: Sauteed Seafood Fried Rice with X.O Sauce

When I had a spoonful of the fried rice, I reckon it tasted kinda different though.

How come it didn't taste as usual or bland as the common Chinese Fried Rice?

Struggling to eat rice with chopsticks from a bowl

(I eventually requested for a spoon instead)

Since my younger days, I was never good at 'em two sticks. I don't know how you people do it. Hat's off to you!

Anyway, so why did my fried rice taste so unique? When I looked up the menu, I found my answer "... with X.O Sauce"! 😀 😀 Woots! Now, how's that for a twist? No wonder it was delish

While waiting for dessert!

Was told that the dessert was gonna be unexpected.

But then again, I thought how UNEXPECTED could a course of dessert be?

So I excused myself to the ladies' for a short while and when I returned, I saw a huge bowl of thick, white substance – of which I assumed to be some creamy delicacy 🙂 Looks yummy to me!

Since I was away when the discussion was made, I had no clue what this dish was

Tasted it and loved it! The honeydew was responsible for the sweet, fruity flavour. It also had this very mild, ice-cream taste and the texture was very gentle to the tastebuds... except for a very, very slight bitter aftertaste once you've swallowed it.

I honestly wondered what it was!

Must be some form of ice-cream or some form of creamy extracts, I pondered to myself.

The Head Chef came out of the kitchen to have a chat with us

That's Shian seated, also from Marcomm

And it was then I found out that the dessert, our final course for the evening, was none other than Hasma!! *gasp* Alright I bet you don't know what Hasma is. Neither did I, initially… before I had it down my throat, of course.

Hasma is a Chinese dessert ingredient  made from the dried fallopian tubes of frogs,
typically the Asiatic Grass Frog. The Western pharmaceutical term is Oviductus Ranae.

How's that for an exotic meal?

Hey don't freak out just because it's made of an odd anatomy of an amphibian. Admittedly, I did too at first but it tasted exquisite. Really! It was once served as royal food to the Chinese Emperors okay! 😀
 

This Chinese New Year, I am proud to say that I have ate animal organs! (something that I've avoided like the plague all these years for no explicable reason)

So, thank you Hilton for giving us this new and rather surprising experience at the end of our meal!

But if you want out on eating this exotic dish, you can always opt for the 'Happiness Set' where Chilled Sea Coconut with Ginseng and the 'Fortune Set' that satisfies your sweet tooth with Braised Red Bean and Glutinous Dumpling.

Our set for the day was 'Longevity Set' FYI 😀

So go have your next CNY meal here or even your company's 'sau kung' dinners or lunches! Their CNY set menus and festive a la carte Chinese delights promo will run until 28th Febuary 2011. 🙂

GONG XI FA CHAI!

This just in!

So glad I found a total gem in Damansara 😀
 

Being a Japanese food freak with perennial love for all things sushi, yakimono, soba, maki, teppanyaki, unagi and the like, I was overjoyed when all I wanted and loved could be found in Hokano.
 

Before I entered. This is the storefront! 🙂
 

Menu placed outside so you can ogle over their epicurean Japanese dishes even before you enter

I sure did
 

Are we ready?
 

Tucked along the row of shophouses, this cosy restaurant might be small in size but packed with people.

It's time to put these Japanese bites to test

It's Hokano crunchtime!

I brought along my posse of foodies too. First things first, we were all served with warm ocha (Japanese for Green Tea) just before Restaurant Co-Owner Mrs. Ho came to our table to give her recommendations of their house specialties!

The place was patronized by young and old alike
 

We gathered at 7.30pm but I spotted lotsa people still streaming in by the waves even way past dinnertime.

Although it was almost full-house, our meals came pretty damn quickly. Thumbs up for efficiency!

First dish of the night served. Our appetizers!

Japanese potato salad

The plus point here is that this dish is home-made!

Once upon a time during a cookout back in my younger days (not that I'm old now) I was taught to make Japanese potato salad.

Obviously not as good as the one I just tasted here! 🙂
 

The 2nd appetizer which was served was the Spicy Ika

It's a stir-fried spicy squid chopped into thick and soft-chewy rings. Delicious Oh and for your kind information, this succulent baby isn't available on the menu (yet?) but it's certainly a must-order!
 

And you heard it first right here from me 😀

Next up, another appetizer we had was Smoked Salmon Salad
 

This fish lover approves! 🙂 Their salmon was fresh and tender with each bite complemented with chilled lettuce, avocados, onions and cherry tomatoes. A healthy option, that's for sure!

And that's not the best part of it yet….

For the special sauce that comes with it is also a homemade house specialty

I don't know what its made of (I suppose it's a best-kept trade secret hehe!) it had this sweet yet tangy citrus taste to it. We drizzled it all over our salad and into our mouths it disappeared! 😛
 

Another fabulous appetizer I do recommend is the Kaki Fry!
 

I did not know what it was initially by the looks of it. Figuring it was some kind of breadcrumbed potato, I took a bite and no.. I was so so wrong! 😀 It was warm and bursting with flavour from the inside.

Lo and behold, for it was actually huge, juicy oysters!
 

Do you guys want me to go past the appetizers and dive straight into the Mains already? 😀

Hold your horses! Here's the final appetizer – Soft Shell Crab Schimi Age!

Soft Shell Crab is granny's fave btw – and also mine!

She'll never fail to order that at any Japanese food joints thefockers and I go to. This one is one that I will certainly bring her to on her next visit downtown.
 

Alright alright. Appetizers are officially done with.

On to the Main Dishes!

Served with a bowl of rice and Miso soup, this is the Chicken Teriyaki set!
 

As I'm very fond of teriyaki, this one I just tasted right here does not disappoint at all 🙂

It sure lived up to its standards!

Another chicken dish worthy of highlight was Chicken Katsu, also served with rice and Miso soup
 

I don't usually order set meals when I patronize restaurants (always prefer the a-la-carte for some inexplicable reason) but this one, might just be an exception I loved this bowl of delightful goodness!

 

Whoops I didn't realize there was rice sticking at the sides.

Must be from passing the bowl around to everyone to try! 😛
 

Chicken Katsu? I'll definitely come back for you. It's awesome, you bet

Tempura Soba came next in line

Eat it with the tempura, it goes really well together!
 

Oooh looks like another fish dish arrived on our table. Jump for joy!

Aiyah, I don't need to repeat as most of you will know by now that I'm a fish adherent anytime anywhere!

My fellow foodies Ken and Tocky enjoyed the Salmon Teriyaki just as much as I did too 🙂

It was warm and tasty.. not to mention also healthy in some ways!
 

The next 2 dishes that plopped on our table were somewhat similar but it's the sauce, condiments and style of cooking that makes it a world of a difference 🙂 It's called the Rib Eye Steak and Moromiso Steak respectively.

Take a look –

Can't say which one tastes better because all 6 of us debated and it was an equal vote.

MeiYee, Lionel and Ken were pro-Rib Eye Steak while Tocky, Sidney and I were pro-Moromiso Steak! 🙂

Looks like its up to you to decide when you taste it for yourself!
 

Rib Eye Steak 3 – 3 Moromiso Steak

Both are tender and lean slices of beef interlaced with asparagus, all stacked up neatly in a pile

The Rib Eye above is made with Teriyaki sauce while the Moromiso below boasts a strong miso taste 🙂

Fabulous, I must say.
Next up – or should I say my favorite part? – is Sushi time! 😀
 

Oh yesss. Temaki, Sushi, Makizushi, Nori and Wasabi galore! We were served many different kinds of sushi but here are the ones that won my recommendation, hands down!

Here's the Alaska Roll!

Loved it. Crabstick, cucumbers and avocado topped off with roe, salmon sashimi and even more avocado.

Quite a common dish in most Sushi joints but you know you can never go wrong with this. It's yum!
 

Alaska Roll goodness in your face again

And in mine! Slurps.
 

Here's the Kano Roll all cute and pretty in red!

Can't help that I like it even before eating it already, it's while black and red! My kind of sushi color 😛

Cucumber, Tamago (Japanese for egg omelette), Unagi (Japanese for eel) and Avocado

Thumbs up!
 

Spider Roll! Very crunchy till the last bite

This one has a slight spicy aftertaste because apart from Soft Shell Crab and cucumber, lies Spicy Salmon!
 

Finally, the creme de la creme of the crop is here. Yes, I saved the best for last.

Let me introduce to you my favorite dish of all time in this restaurant, the Hokano Roll!

It's the signature of Hokano Japanese Restaurant itself, chef's specialty

and my recommendation all in 1 fine hand rolled sushi

Mouth-watering without a doubt 🙂 Try beating that.

Word of advice? Don't ever leave this restaurant without ordering this dish

It's just everything delicious all packed into one satisfying bite. A stellar combination indeed, if I do say so myself!

All in all, this place definitely gets good ratings from me.

My verdict? A hidden gem offering awesome food (pretty affordable too!) along Uptown Damansara facing the LDP highway.
 

With Mrs. Ho, the co-owner of Hokano. Husband and son (both chefs) were still busy inside the kitchen

Oh and yes if you're wondering, it's a family-owned business for 6 years to date 
 

Such a waste how I never noticed this Japanese food treasure trove before, as its not the typical commercial (and overrated) Sushi chains you would usually see in malls.

For the lack of a better expression, Hokano beats Sushi King and Sakae Sushi anytime in my books.
 

Till then, I'll be back
 

It was one fine day, my fellow foodies and I paid a visit to this relatively new Chinese restaurant in Mid Valley Megamall.
I was intrigued by the decor upon entering and by the looks of it, this place really brings back old childhood memories!
 

It’s dinner time! Noms 🙂

Talk about old skool chalkboards we had in school huh?

Aptly named Reminisce, this restaurant had the place all done up ala old skool Chinese style. The interior was rustic and filled with antiques as decorations in every nook and cranny of its vicinity. Even the walls were just bare bricks!
 

Some specialties they’ve blown up for all to see

I can’t wait to taste them all already

But first! Before the delicacies arrive our tables, I’d usually check out the place first. When it comes to an awesome restaurant, you’ve gotta look at all aspects, never just the food!
The ambience and setting plays a huge role in the atmosphere of a complete dining experience 🙂
 

So yes, pretty pretty pictures of my surroundings coming your way!

Framed up old skool Chinese comics from circa 1950s!

I bet popoh and my late kungkung recognizes this

I’m diggin’ the way they use old stereo players, cassettes and video tapes as decoration!

Thumbs up

Anyone up for some Tic Tac Toe and Marvel comics?

I used to have all of them when I was little!

Goodness gracious wow! Ya can’t get any old skool than this, can you? 😀

Nothing really beats an ol’ beat up pair of rusty roller skates and a typewriter

Here’s something right beside our table.
A rattan birdcage atop a cupboard full of ancient stuff as well.
 

Highly coincidental 🙂 There used to be a similar birdcage in popoh’s old house as well

I was then beckoned back to my seat by the fellow foodies 🙂
The drinks had arrived!

Among all the glasses of various drinks, mine was ice-cold Green Tea 🙂

The first meal then arrived, very light – serves as a good appetizer before the heavy stuff comes in!
Here’s the toasted soft bun with Bak Kwa, Meat Floss & Egg

A good start! 😀

Next up was the Traditional Yam Cake which was simply delish

It was tender and flavourful

Kinda the type that melts in your mouth! 😀

The next meal that came was somewhat a little heavier, but one of our personal favorites of the night.
Behold, the Dry Curry Chicken Noodles!

Loved loved loved the curry flavour and the potato chicken!

So much so that we asked for another one. Yup, irresistible!
Tastes just like the ones popoh used to make. Noms
 

Mei Yee and I having our 2nd plate of the said dish 😀

Ken twirling with the noodles just before he chomps it all down!

Before we finished devouring the curry noodles, more delights came our way 🙂
Here’s something not in the menu – a specialty! *winks*
 

Check out the Mongolian Spare Ribs

Wicked, juicy and bursting with flavour.

The following meal kept me hyper throughout dinner.
Here’s something I absolutely love since I was a child, it’s the Herbal Drumstick Noodle!
Don’t be fooled by the word ‘Herbal‘, trust me it ain’t bitter or yucky at all 🙂
 

Have a bite? 😀

Another plus point of this dish is that when you spoon up the chicken,

the flesh is soft enough to fall off into your spoon by itself!

I apologize to my Muslim readers for the next photo, as it is Non-Halal. Bear with me, okay? 🙂
To every other pork lover, here’s the Stuffed Pork Balls with Satay Sauce
 

Though I ain’t a pork lover, this one really got me going wow 🙂

Here’s a more common one for the not-so-adventurous! 😀 But yummy all the same
It’s the Crispy Chicken Chop with Steamed Rice combo

A pretty decent and quick meal for lunch! 😀

And who could ever miss out the -arguably- most popular dish in Malaysia?
If you wish to opt for a Malaysian cuisine, make way for the Nasi Lemak with Curry Chicken!

*drumroll*

So gooooooooood! 😀 In fact, I’m bias to all Nasi Lemak

How can anyone seriously go wrong with cooking this? Unless one is a horrid failure of a chef haha!

Before it was time for desserts, I had to take a walk around to continue where I left of – and to ease my full tummy :D
Looking around at pretty thingamajigs make me smile
 

This set-up is just behind their cashier counter!

I like that calender thing on the right. It’s quite an icon in Chinatown streets 😀

Recycable glass bottles as ornament pieces

My, what a genius 😀

I’m not too familiar with these but was told that those are some of the popular Chinese candy/snacks!

And is that beer I see in the carton below? *winks* hehe!

See that stand fan? Most Chinese coffee shops back in the days own those! 😀

And the portable keyboard with the stick-it notes on the background.

Really cool, if i do say so myself.
Props to the owners and the team who actually made the place look so close to a food outlet from the past! 

When the desserts came, I peeked and wondered what it is 🙂

Why is Ken laughing at me!? haha

Among some of the desserts they have, here’s my favorite pick!
It’s called the Black Sesame Tang Yuan in Coconut Milk & Sago Pearls

Really delish! But, I honestly wonder why it has a ‘black’ in its name when it’s pure white! 😀

hehehehe 😀 You should order this when you go to Reminisce. It’s joy in a bowl

Right, Ken? 😀 Sweet tooths will love it too.

I can’t bring myself not to finish it!

All in all, I had a great dinner with a group of fab friends. Of good food and company, what could be better?
Thanks Reminisce!

Feel free to check out this post of me in CHIN’S Stylish Chinese Cuisine if you’re interested!

How didja spend yer Valentines Day dearies? In my entire life, this is the 1st time Val's Day clashes with the Lunar New Year. As expected, I spent my Vals-cum-CNY with the fockerfamily back in my hometown 😀 😀

Ya know the whole Vals Day thing where all the florists in town will be sold out of their best flowers n swanky restaurants with romantic atmosphere gets crowded like sardines in a can? Huge life-sized teddies will be seen everywhere and suddenly your man gets all sappy like never before.

Have u actually tried something new this Valentines? Prince Hotel & Residences had their version of Vals Day and I must say, I found it to be a very ingenious idea indeed! Their Valentines menu this time round, originated from the New Orleans. Head Chef DJ Pezar carefully planned and crafted out the recipes, and with his team, they managed to execute a really interesting menu and a themed concept!

But the star attraction wasnt only the fabulous menu, it was their whole Mardi Gras themed Valentines too! It certainly spiced up the evening of love, instead of just a boring sit-down dinner. How ingenious 🙂 The couples could have fun fooling around with the masks like we did too!

The tables and chairs were all well decorated with colorful beads, masks ala masquerades, cocktail feathers and all things Mardi Gras. Love the music being played too! They certainly know how to set the mood very very well, no?

TOP : Happy masquerade face!

BOTTOM : Sad masquerade face!

Eccucino in Prince Hotel & Residence never fails to keep me intrigued with their ice sculptures 🙂

Just fer extra info, the New Orleans cuisine is a style of cooking originating in the State of Louisiana (centered on New Orleans), U.S.A. which is a melting pot cuisine that blends French, Spanish, Caribbean, Mediterranean, Southern American, American Indian, and African influences. New Orleans cuisine can be divided into two types: Creole and Cajun. What is the difference between Creole and Cajun cooking? The easiest way is to think of them as city and country cooking.

Some of the signature dishes of New Orleans were featured at Eccucino and they were Seafood Jambalaya, Shrimp Creole, Baked Oysters, Seafood Bar,Bread Pudding, Boiled Crawfish, Pumpkin Soup, Gumbo, a Carving Station with Blackened Roast Beef, Action stalls, Icebars, an amazing host of desserts… and so much more I wouldn't be able to finish telling you in one blogpost! :D

Hmm… now what is everyone looking at? 😀

CHECK OUT THE GUMBO! Fresh, tasty and bursting with flavour is this sinful bowl of hot stew. Gumbo gumbo gumbo! It's a really thick soup also originating from Louisana and very popular in the US South. When I took a sip, the meaty aftertaste really lingers and leaves you wanting your 2nd spoonful!

Picture credits to bigboysoven

I especially liked the Seafood Jambalaya. Nice name too, huh? 🙂

Take a look.

That huge bowl contains so much yum! Looks like normal rice but hell it's NOT .
below is a close up version of it

SEAFOOOOOOOD JAMBALAYA!

Picture credits to bigboysoven

Just look at the huge and shrimps below! Pictures never do things justice but take my word for it 🙂

Picture Credits to bigboysoven 🙂

The Poached Sole Paupletted on Spicy Lemon Sage was so good that it was one of the quickest to be finished!

But fear not, the staff of Eccucino restocked the dishes soon enough 🙂

And while you're at it, perhaps you could bring a bottle of your fave booze 😀

Eccucino wasn't the only restaurant having great Valentines Menu. Enju Japanese Restaurant located on their 1st floor was also in heat of their love celebrations. Their dinner set menu of Seared Scallops, Bonito Sakae Soup, Beef Teppanyaki and more will leave every couple walking out with well satisfied appetites!

Creative Japanese origami were placed on the tables for decor as well.

I found a pair of swans on my table!

The Ahi Tuna Duo was a big hit. I bet you're wondering what that is. It's a combination of nori-crusted ahi with spicy tobiko aioli and freshly prepared ahi poke. Still can't imagine what they are? Well… if it helps, Ahi in the Hawaiian language means 'fire' whereas aioli means a mixture of garlic and oils.

There was a live demonstration of the Chef himself preparing it too!

Just like all fine dining would offer you, the portion was really small. Bite sized yo! Seriously, it's an effective way to train you up, gearing your appetite for more awesome bites throughout then night! Like they all say, good things comes in small portions 🙂 🙂

NOM NOM NOM.

oh wait. In this case, it's just – NOM. 😀 and you're done!

I just love such novel celebrations. Especially themed ones! It's so fun to doll up and look the part, all the the spirit of the occasion! And I'm glad this Valentines extravaganza did a good job at hyping the spirit of Vals Day… even if it clashes with Chinese New Year, there's nothing stopping a good event 😀

One thing's fer sure, I definitely enjoyed the whole Mardi Gras Masquerade thing going on

and the food? Perfect as always. What dya expect? It's Prince Hotel & Residences after all 🙂

How was yer Valentines? 😀

It’s only a few days to Chinese New Year! That being said, our gang of foodies were lucky enough to be sponsored for a Chinese New Year Cover Shot session, which was our very 1st Cheongsam photoshoot! It is safe to say this is something novel which no other team of food bloggers have done, a very creative brainchild by Sidney of BigBoysOven 🙂

Saucer, MeiYee, ME, Bok, Coco, Sunny and Xin

as models of the day

First and foremost, I would like to thank our venue & meal sponsor, House of Tangs in Bangsar, Carven Ong Couture as our wardrobe sponsor and BigBoysOven as our dessert & cupcakes sponsor. Without them, today wouldn’t have been made possible anyway!

Master Chef Koh then joined us right after he whipped out his Yee Sang specialty served especially for us by House of Tangs. Yee Sangs are a total must have during this Chinese New Year festive season. It’s a trademark yo!

Remember I mentioned to yall previously that the method of eating a Yee Sang isn’t exactly very dainty nor adhering to any table etiquette? Well.. this is it. Look at all the hungry tiger plushies! I guess their appetites ain’t as ravenous as ours. After a long day of shooting, we were certainly famished

Ladies gossiping and table chatting ala Hong Kong-Shanghai drama series

And the insanity streak in us begins! The higher the better! Prosperity, success, wealth and health will be roaring ahead for the year of the Tiger! Hit ’em up to the ceiling if you may! 😛

I swear if we were any stronger, bits and pieces of Yee Sang

would be flying all over the room

Check out what pastry chef Sunny Yaw cooked up this time! I don’t read Chinese characters but my two cents tells me it should be Gong Xi Fatt Chai (Happy Chinese New Year). The mini tiger cub heads popping outta the pink icing were such a squeeze! Such meticulously decorated cupcakes, very detailed indeed 😀

A very adorable set of brightly colored cupcakes!

His lovely creations are of course to commemorate the year of the Tiger.

After a while, we took our seats for the food shots and nomnom shots. Yes nomnom shots (as deemed by me) are shots that are taken while someone else is eating. Here’s a fine example of nomnoms at its finest 😛 😛

OMMMM NOM NOM NOM NOM NOM

Remember my previous food review about the House of Tangs CNY menu? Yup, it IS that delicious. But ya know what the best part is? They allowed us to share with our readers some recipes of 3 out of their many signature dishes. Did you hear right? Of course, you did – because sharing is caring!

So as promised, here the recipes are. You could make mom or granny cook this at home for your reunion dinner! Pork Ribs – every non-muslim’s favorite! Tender and succulent, it’s impossible not to sink your teeth in it

Ingredients:
– Pork ribs 1kg
– Ginger in fine slices 20gm

Marinade:
– Garlic 1 spoon
– Oyster sauce 1 spoon
– Sugar 1/2 tea spoon
– Tapioca flour 1 tea spoon
– 1 egg

Sauce:
– Water 1 spoon
– Black vinegar 1 spoon
– Sugar 1 spoon
– Dark soy sauce a little bit
– Sesame oil a little bit

Steps:
1. Cut the pork ribs into square for about 2 inches, marinate with the ingredients above for 3 hours.
2. Place the pork ribs into pre-heated oven at 180c to bake for 15 mins till golden brown and cooked.
3. Deep dry the fine ginger slices in hot oil till crispy and place on top of the pork ribs, and pour the sauce over, and serve.

The next one imma share with yall is the prawn dish. Served in a small portion, it will leave you wanting for more! I certainly did, as it was only a mouthful 😀 can’t have enough? Nevermindddd… let’s get your folks at home to cook this too ey?

Ingredients A:
– 2 large prawns
– Huge cabbage 2 pcs
Note: Slice the prawns into half to butterfly shape, add a little salt and pepper to marinate for about 5 mins. Then fry the prawn till cooked.

Ingredients B:
– Carrot 20gm
– Enoki mushroom 20gm
– Mushroom 2 pcs
– Celery 20gm

Ingredients C:
– Chick peas 20gm
– Green peas 20gm
– Corn 20gm

Marinade:
– Garlic 1 tea spoon
– Oyster sauce 1 spoon
– Sugar 1/2 tea spoon

Steps:
1. Boil the cabbage till soft, sift and let dry.
2. Slice Ingredients B thinly, boil, and sift dry.
3. Sauteed the garlic and pour in the Ingredients B and stir fry.
4. Wrap the ingredients with cooked cabbage into roll, and cut half.
5. Sauteed Ingredients C with butter and add sugar 1/2 teaspoon and salt 1/2 teaspoon. Cook with medium fire for 3 mins and pour onto the plate.
6. Serve the prawn on top of the cabbage roll on the plate with Ingredients C.

It’s time for dessert! The famous Chinese traditional dessert comes in many varieties, among the notable ones are of course the Chrysanthemum Rice Cake.

Ingredients A:
– Boiled water 1.3kg
– Chrysanthemum 10gm
– Vietnamese Rice Net Wrappers 10 pcs

Ingredients B:
– Glutinous flour 1.2kg
– Tang flour 240gm
– Santan flour 1 pack
– Corn flour 240gm
– Cooking oil 120gm
– Sugar 600gm

Steps:
1. Boil the water, put in Chrysanthemum and let it soak for about 20 mins. Sift the Chrysanthemum and keep the water for use.
2. Mix Ingredients B then mix the Ingredients A evenly. Pour onto a plate and steam for 2 hours. Let it cool.
3. When it is cool, cut it into pieces and wrap with Vietnamese rice net wrappers. Deep fry till golden brown and serve.

Good luck cooking those at home!

Let’s hope your version is just as nice as the ones we had 🙂

By the end of the evening, we were more or less done. Thanks to the awesome team of photographers of the day. Ken, Andrew, Alex and Chai! Gracias to the 4 of you for being so patient with us and lugging your gear and lighting equipment, withstanding hours and hours of shooting us! Trust me, I know exactly how that feels 😉

AND ONCE AGAIN, THEJESSICAT.COM AND THE REST OF THE FOODIES

(my 1st time wearing a cheongsam wtf!)

WISHES ALL YOU DEARIES A SAFE TRIP BACK TO YER FAMILY THIS CHINESE NEW YEAR!

_{GONG XI FATT CHAI!}

_xoxo