#fish maw

[buffetlicious]

The Reunion Dinner (团圆饭) at Lai Huat Signatures (来發) was actually eaten a week and a half before Chinese New Year Eve. This dinner I am showing you now is on the actual eve day. As you can see, it is just some simple home-cooked dishes as mum is getting on in age and we ask her not to tire herself out over the cooking. So no braised bamboo shoots this year since this takes about three weeks to prep and cook.

Let’s start with some appetizers. A bowl of diced Pickled Daikon & Japanese Cucumber and some Ngo Hiang (五香). It is essentially a composition of various meats and vegetables and other ingredients, such as a sausage-like roll consisting of minced pork and prawn (or fish) seasoned with five-spice powder (五香粉) after which it is named, rolled inside a tofu skin and deep-fried.

The Roasted Chicken (烧鸡) is part of the offerings from this morning prayer. The chicken had just been cooked when sis brought it home from Chong Pang. Mum added this plate of Stir-Fried Pea Shoots (豆苗) with prawns, minced pork and tomato wedges.

The second last dish is this Fish Maw & Pork Ribs Soup with fish balls added. Fish maw is the air/swim bladder of the fish and we Chinese called it 魚鰾 or 花膠. The soup is sweetened with dried scallops and corns so minimum seasonings is required.

Lastly, mum’s Braised Five Spice Pork (五香卤肉) with shiitake mushrooms and braised eggs. For the meat, mum used pork belly, lean pork and pig’s trotters which is braised with five spice powder, dark soya sauce and garlic cloves.

For My Plate of dinner, I got a little of everything except for the roasted chicken. The white rice is drizzled with a little of the braising gravy of the pork. Nothing beats the wholesomeness of home-cooked food.

[mayadawn]

~Súp măng cua (Vietnamese Crab and Asparagus Soup)~

Recipe by: 'Takes Two Eggs'

[lagycart]

ruyi and lyn, bangsar shopping center.

came to this halal chinese restaurant for a dear colleague’s farewell dinner. we took their set menu since we have just enough people to share, which has a bit of everything. we also got the private room which has karaoke system as well. it was a comfortable environment where we can just chit chat.

the food was served course by course, the portion is just nice as well. the appetizers - fried squid and fish skin, are quite good, very crispy batter and very flavorful. chicken soup is also quite lovely. the steamed fish is fresh, and the sauce is appetizing too. there’s also abalone and fish maw with broccoli (my favorite). overall food was pretty nice, standard chinese dishes which we all enjoyed.

we also ordered wine, which is quite pricey but pretty nice as well. the server is quite attentive with refilling our glasses and also chinese tea. overall service is actually pretty okay. it’s definitely a good choice for small gathering because of the private space.

[levynite]

Going xi fa Cai, xin nian kwai le!

Just gonna have midnight noods with the leftover soup from CNY Eve dinner and frozen wontons I made while the entire housing estate explodes, setting off the dogs and car alarms.

(Everyone trying chase away influenza A and coronavirus I suppose)

[dessert-foodi-li-cious]

Fish Maw Soup 鱼鳔蟹肉羹 // Fish Maw Soup 鱼鳔羹

[buffetlicious]

The Reunion Dinner (年夜饭, 团年饭 or 团圆饭) is an annual feast where family members reaffirm the love and respect that bind them together as a unit. It is also known as tuanyuan (团圆) or weilu (围炉) meaning “gathering around the family hearth”. This event is of sociological significance as it is a means to ensure the solidarity of the family and its cohesiveness. Family members are expected return to the family home for reunion dinner. The more traditional Chinese families also “invite” their deceased ancestors to join them by placing offerings on the family altar. As convention dictates, all sons return to their parental homes for the occasion. Married daughters, on the other hand, join their husbands’ families for reunion dinner on Chinese New Year Eve.

This year we managed to gather all members of my brothers and their families to join us for the Reunion Dinner (团圆饭). We decided to head back to Lai Huat Signatures (来發) at Gambas as the place is conveniently located nearby and accessible for all three of the families. We made reservation for 6pm and the place is already crowded. A brief discussion on what to choose from the abbreviated menu (compared to last year), we are ready to order.

First to be served is this Fish Maw with Crab Meat Soup (蟹肉鱼鳔羹). Although we ordered the large portion (S$45), there is barely enough to fill up ten small bowls and we have eleven people. As in the pictures, there are plenty of sliced fish maw, crab meat and mushroom in a thicken soup. I drizzled some black vinegar and a dash of pepper to give it acidity and spiciness. Texture wise, the fried fish maw is on the rough side and just needs a little more time on the stove.

If you are a coffee person, you will love this Coffee Pork Ribs (咖啡排骨). The boneless pork is dredged in flour and deep-fried before coated with a layer of savoury and sweet coffee-based sauce which is bound to give you that caffeine high. I love the succulent pork slices with the bittersweet coffee sauce clinging to meat and it goes well with rice.

Sis recommended the Braised Bean Curd Skin with Kai Lan (豆根芥兰). Most of us had never tried this combination of fried knotted bean curd skin with kai lan (Chinese broccoli or Chinese kale). But my younger brother and I think that the savoury oyster sauce (I think) works with the chewy bean curd skin and the still crisp bite of the vegetable along with whole shiitake mushrooms.

[buffetlicious]

Was invited to my colleague’s Wedding Lunch at Conrad Centennial Singapore last Sunday. At the entrance a large stuffed teddy bear caught my attention as I proceeded up to the second floor to register my attendance. Checked which table number I am assigned to and dropped in the Ang Bao (红包) or red envelope into the collection box. A total of four tables (of 10s) were set aside for current and ex colleagues with many dressed to the nines for the occasion. After the cocktail reception outside the ballroom, we proceeded to our allocated table. As I was the first to be seated, I got to choose one facing the stage where all the activities will be happening.

In front of me is a Wedding Favour enclosed in a red and gold cardboard box. Inside are two squares of chocolate with one being orange flavour. Got a cup of Chinese tea, a glass of red wine and passionfruit drink from the wait staff.

When the time comes for the Luncheon to be served, I was wondering why they did not remove the bowl of flowers on the lazy susan which is the norm so the dishes can be placed there. Turned out the staffs just bypassed the wedding guests and brought the dishes straight to the serving station to be portioned into individual serving plates. Contradictory to the fact that the chefs spent much time on the presentation of the food; ended up the diners never even got a glimpse of it. I would love to see the medley of different appetizers arranged on the Happiness Platter but all we got was this miserable small plate of crispy shrimp ball, tea glazed smoked duck, chicken moneybag dumpling and marinated baby octopus all lumped together. Don’t they know, nowadays the camera eats first. Presentation aside, the items were actually pretty tasty.

The highlight of the lunch must be this Lobster Broth in Mini Pumpkin served in a small pumpkin bowl. The slightly starchy broth is choked full of chunky lobster meat, braised with fish maw, conpoy, bamboo pith and you get to dig out the soft and sweet pumpkin flesh.

[buffetlicious]

Mum only prepared this Pork Ribs Soup to go with the steamed rice for dinner. In the bowl are two cuts of pork, fish balls, fish maw (鱼鳔/花胶), carrots and lettuces with the soup flavoured by dried scallops. Fish maw is dried swim bladders of large fishes like croaker or sturgeon. In Asian cuisine, it is considered to be one of the top four delicacies of the sea (abalone, sea cucumber, shark fin and fish maw).