The Rat Starts the next 60 years cycle
By Laurence Civil
The Chinese year 4706, the year of the brown rat begins on February 7, 2008. Chinese astrological sequence begins with the year of the Rat, a commencement of a new twelve-year cycle on the Chinese calendar. The order of the cycle was decided by a competition of all the animals racing across a river to the Jade Emperor. Seeking a faster route, the Rat and the Cat jumped onto the back of the Ox. Wanting to eliminate competition the Rat pushed the Cat into the river and have been sworn enemies ever since. When approaching the bank, the Rat jumped from the back of the Ox, winning the race and its place as first sign of the zodiac cycle.
To make things just a little more complicated to comprehend the Chinese calendar uses the Stem-Branch system in counting the days, months and years. There are 10 Stems and 12 Branches in this arrangement. Stems are named by the Yin-Yang and Five Elements (Metal, Water, Wood, Fire and Earth). The Stem sequence order is Yang Wood, Yin Wood, Yang Fire, Yin Fire, Yang Earth, Yin Earth, Yang Metal, Yin Metal, Yang Water and Yin Water.
The Branch sequence order follows the astrological cycle of Rat, Cow, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Sheep, Monkey, Chicken, Dog and Pig. Stem and Branch are used mutually to form a cycle of 60 counting systems initiated with Wooden Rat and concludes with Water Pig. Year 2008 is Female Earth Rat; as Earth is equivalent to the color Brown in the Five-Element system, Year 2008 is also known as the Brown Rat year.
Bai Yun
Located on the 60th floor of Banyan Tree Bangkok, the tall cloud stenciled ceiling gives the feel of calm relaxed imperial grandeur with arched, ceiling-high windows giving sweeping views of Bangkok below. Using Chinese coiours in muted pastel shades, the décor is of a contemporary style. The traditional buffalo horned dark wood chairs give added elegance with their stretching high backs.
The service was flawlessly professional, the waiter explained each dish and which sauce best matches. Having taken our order he recommended pairing in with a German Schneider Reising.
To start, three appetizers on one serving plate; in the centre Poached sea conch with a kapi shrimp paste dip plus bean sprouts dividing from the other two Spiced salted crisp silver bait and Crisp spring rolls with shredded chicken and taro.
A home barbequed Peking Duck was wheeled to our table and the waiter removed the crisp skin whilst taking great care to shave off any fat, served with rice flour pancakes in bamboo dim sum baskets. The double boiled clear golden Bird's nest soup with crab meat had a deliciously rich taste.
The Steamed sand goby with lime sauce was presented to the table whole, then individually plated; a perfectly light texture to the fish. The flesh of Peking Duck, having been stir fried with a hot Hoi Sin sauce in the kitchen was brought back to the table with meat that was lean, extremely tender, and tasty.
A modern Chinese dining experience; traditional tastes with western style presentation.
Garden Court
The Garden Court is located on the 1st floor of Chaophya Park Hotel and is famed for its authentic Cantonese cuisine prepared by Chinese Executive Chef Mo Kam Kwong. Our table was in one of their newly re-furbished contemporary Chinese private dining rooms.
To start, Steamed New Zealand mussels with black bean sauce as well as pink and green seaweed, nice and plump; well cooked. Next Scottish brown crab soup has consistency very similar to shark fin.
Then a whole roasted Peking Duck is brought on a trolley to the side of the table. The waiter trims all the fat from the golden brown semi-translucent skin and puts it to tea plate sized rice flour wrappers, rolling it together for us with spring onions, and thick soy sauce.
The skinned duck is taken back to the kitchen and a quantity of the meat is pan-fried with a tangy black pepper sauce. This was followed by Braised monkfish steaks with a capsicum sauce amid Egg fried rice with prawns to conclude the meal.
As part of the celebrations to welcome the Year of The Rat they will be serving a special menu. This is inclusive of four kinds of Hors D'oeuvres (Deep-fried potato roll with seaweed, Fried lotus root stuffed with shrimp mousse, Fried silver fish, Jelly fish with sesame oil), Braised dried oyster with sea moss and vegetable, Braised shark's fin with crab roe, Barbecued suckling pig, Fried prawn with green asparagus and water chestnuts, Braised garoupa with bean curd and garlic, Pork dumpling in hot and sour soup, Sweet flour balls with sesame in red bean cream.
Hai Tien Lo
Being located on the 22nd floor of Pan Pacific Hotel Bangkok, it is appropriate that the name in English means “High Above The Cloud”. Well not exactly that high, but the north facing view over The Royal Bangkok Sports Club is spectacular.
The restaurant is classically elegant with black lacquered columns and marble pillars. The table was covered with starched white linen clothes laid with plain white china and elegant silverware.
Chef Lam from Singapore prepared a selection of Dim Sum to start the meal. Steamed scallop dumplings, Steamed shrimp and pork dumplings and Fish maw with shrimp. Homemade bean curd with sliced abalone and broccoli is another of his delicious specialties.
Baked Char Siu with pork was very tasty having been seasoned with a mixture of honey, five-spice powder, fermented tofu, soy sauce and Hoi Sin sauce. "Char siu" literally means "roasted on a fork”.
Steamed rice flour tubes with roast pork is a Chinese version of Italian Cannelloni.
One of Chef Lam's signature dishes is Deep fried prawns with a wasabi salad dressing, an interestingly introduced Japanese flavour element. He created this dish when he was at Hai Tien Lo at Pan Pacific Singapore and brought the dish with him to Bangkok. He has mixed wasabi with mayonnaise to create a subtle flavour that works well with the prawns.
By contrast his Sauteed beef tenderloin with black pepper sauce had a nice strong flavour.
The Roast Peking duck with roti was a good example of how this dish should be cooked; the skin was perfectly crisp, dry and free of fat.
To finish the meal we enjoyed Chilled lemon grass jelly with tropical fruit.
Lin Fa
Lin Fa situated in Siam City Hotel is displayed with exquisite Chinese antiques and art, the setting equal to the quality of Cantonese cuisine by Chinese chef Kotchapak.
Whilst remaining loyal to its Cantonese origins, Lin Fa offers innovative modern Chinese dishes to increase its culinary experience such as Fried chicken with mixed Chinese nuts, the combination of chestnuts, cashew and gingko producing a unique-tasting dish. Seafood is also in abundance, with Sauteed abalone, sea cucumber and fish maw with oyster sauce served in a casserole being a stand-out, while the freshness and simplicity of Steamed sand goby in soy sauce makes this a dish not to be missed. For something more filling, Fried egg noodles with pork and needle mushrooms or Fried rice in XO sauce will hit the spot. What better way to finish the meal other than Gingko in hot chestnut cream or Sesame dumplings in ginger syrup.
Throughout February, as part of their Chinese New Year celebration, they will be serving a special menu featuring all time favourites, such as Braised shark's fin, Roasted Peking duck, Barbecued “Hong Kong” style suckling pig, Steamed sand goby and beef with black pepper and Foie Gras.
Shang Palace
Entering through a golden archway guests are greeted by a giant "Laughing Buddha". It's as if we have been transported to an elegant Chinese teahouse with stunning red and gold furnishings that enhance the classic Chinese rosewood fixtures. Rich artwork, fine wood carvings and calligraphy contribute to the ambiance.
The main restaurant is a large open central space surrounded by a network of private function rooms. The cuisine is authentic Cantonese prepared by master chefs from Hong Kong. The kitchen has been particularly equipped with special Chinese ovens to cook barbecued meats and smoked dishes.
An ideal manner to enjoy Chinese cuisine is banquet-style with a steady flow of dishes being served one after another. Ours started with a flow of Dim Sum together with Quailing spring rolls filled with minced prawn and coated with sesame seeds on the outside.
A popular dish served on Chinese New Year is Prosperity Salmon Yu-Sheng, a Chinese-style raw fish salad that symbolizes abundance, prosperity and vigor. The practice of "Lo Hei" – a gathering of family and friends around the table to toss the shredded ingredients into the air with chopsticks whilst saying Jíxiáng Huà out loud. This is an auspicious wish in marking the start of a prosperous new year, the higher they are thrown the better luck you should receive.
This was followed by Mantis prawns baked with spicy salt and then Crunchy braised melon filled with minced shrimp and topped with crab meal plus crab roe.
This is Chinese gastronomy fit for an Emperor.
Xing Fu
Located on the 8th floor of Novotel Lotus Hotel on Sukhumvit Soi 33, for the past decade this restaurant has been winning many food awards from the Hong Kong Culinary Exchange. The décor of this unassuming restaurant is classic Chinese, simply laid out in a pleasant, comfortable room.
Never be afraid to be innovative, Xing Fu has created a new way to serve Dim Sum – tapas style. It is unique and different but up to the minute with today's food trend. We eat foremost with our eyes so the right presentation excites the appetite. The food is arranged in simple white china bowls each holding between one to three items, then placed with exquisite care of an artist on the table, creating a vivid mosaic of rich colours and tempting tastes in patterns that are effortless on the eye.
Freshly steamed minced prawns stuffed with scallops; Deep fried minced prawns stuffed with a hard boiled egg in crispy tortilla; Steamed finely minced prawns stuffed with quail egg and Steamed minced prawn stuffed with crab claw were some of the items we were served. Then for dessert, a deliciously light mango pudding was served with a similar texture to a crème caramel.
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