Restaurants offer half-finished sets to make ‘home cooked’ meals easier
Print Edition
MORE local families are choosing half-finished dishes from famous restaurants to celebrate Chinese New Year’s Eve.
Alice Wang, a middle-aged housewife, chooses such dishes to save time and so the family can relax at home. “I need to prepare a big meal, more than 10 dishes, on Chinese New Year’s Eve for our family of 10. Those dishes, half-done, mean I don’t have to worry about cleaning fish, cutting vegetables, deep-frying and sauce making,” Wang said.
Most restaurants sell the half-finished dishes in a set that includes appetizers, main courses and desserts. Appetizers are generally finished and can be served immediately. Some of the main courses feature raw ingredients and sauces and need to be cooked according to the recipe given by the restaurant. Other dishes are half-cooked and just need to be heated for a short time.
Desserts are highlighted by babaofan (八宝饭, eight treasure rice or steamed sweetened glutinous rice with eight different ingredients) and niangao (年糕, rice cake). Both are generally considered traditional necessities for the Spring Festival.
Most of the restaurants selling half-finished sets are time-honored and state-owned brands, as well as a few chains that serve authentic local food. The restaurants include their signature dishes in the sets.
Although dishes vary according to the restaurant, some are commonly served due to their auspicious meaning. For example, the appetizer sixikaofu (四喜烤麸) literally means four things bringing happiness and consists of black fungus, chestnut and dried lily flower braised with gingko. Each set also contains a fish since in Chinese it sounds like the word abundance and symbolizes prosperity in the coming year.
Here’s a quick rundown on some restaurants selling half-finished sets for Chinese New Year.
Sunya Cantonese is known for adding a Shanghai touch to its otherwise authentic Cantonese cuisine. Its semi-finished New Year’s set is highlighted by its signature stir-fried shrimp meat, knuckle braised in secret sauce and sweet and sour pork braised with pine apple. Its C set (988 yuan/US$159, serves 8-10 people) contains eight appetizers, nine hot dishes and two desserts.
Xinghualou features its locally adapted Cantonese cuisine. Its set (698 yuan, serves eight people) includes eight appetizers (recipes depend on seasonal ingredients), nine hot dishes and songgao (松糕, a soft and fluffy rice cake with red bean paste filling). The zhaxiannai (炸鲜奶, deep-fried congealed milk wrapped with corn flour) features a crispy outside with a silky smooth inside.
Meilongzhen is known for combining Sichuan and Huaiyang cuisines. Dishes are generally moderately spicy with a hint of sweetness. One of its sets this year (1,088 yuan, serves 10-12 people) has eight appetizers, nine hot dishes and two desserts. It includes the restaurant’s signature shredded pork fried in fish-flavored sauce and spicy chicken wings.
Jinjiang Hotel is known for its luxury set based on premium ingredients. Its set (1,180 yuan, serves 10-13 people) contains 10 hot dishes and one dessert, highlighted by fried lamb chops, pigeon soup and stewed matsutake.
Jade Garden features a blend of Jiangsu and Zhejiang cuisines and has three sets this year. The set for 988 yuan has four appetizers, eight hot dishes, one soup and one dessert. The sweet and sour pork chops and vegan duck (an appetizer that tastes like duck is but made from tofu) are especially popular.
Sunya Cantonese restaurant
新雅粤菜馆
Tel: 6351-7788
Address: 719 Nanjing Rd E.
Xinghualou
杏花楼
Tel: 6355-3777
Address: 343 Fuzhou Rd
Meilongzhen
梅陇镇酒家
Tel: 6253-5353
Address: No. 22, Lane 1081, Nanjing Rd W.
Jinjiang Hotel
锦江饭店
Tel: 400-6094-116 (reservation)
Address: 889 Yanggao Rd S.
Jade Garden
苏浙汇
Tel: 400-1081-717
Address: 127 Maoming Rd S.
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