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Savor Cantonese treats
By Elise Fu |
May 24, 2009, Sunday
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Print Edition
Print Edition
SHANGHAI boasts many historical buildings that are now homes for renowned hotels and their restaurants such as the famous Peace Hotel, The Richard's Restaurant & Bar, Pacific Hotel Shanghai and Okura Garden Hotel.
You can not only appreciate the beauty of their multi-national architecture and design and enjoy how things have been preserved in the blend with modern amenities, but also have a wonderful dining experience.
One of these enchanting, newly opened Shanghai landmarks is the host location for a new Cantonese restaurant. The distinctively designed Langham Hotel in the heart of the city has wonderful architectural character and years of history.
Designed by prominent local architect, Li Pan, and completed in 1934, the building is a visual masterpiece standing alongside other art deco gems in the city and serving as the Yangtze Hotel for many years.
The symmetric patterns of the building characterize the art deco mode - elegance and glamour - a design fashion that took the world by storm from the mid 1920s to the late 1930s. It was very popular with celebrities - many famous stars such as Hu Die were regular customers - and a hot spot location in Shanghai's golden age in the 1930s.
The building's interior has been renovated by award-winning company Duncan & Miller, which has used its art deco heritage, with focus on symmetric patterns and rich colors, and "Shanghai Chic" style as inspiration to restore the hotel back to its former splendor.
It reopened earlier this month as The Langham, Yangtze Boutique, Shanghai hotel. The Cantonese diner, Langham's T'ang Court, brings to the hotel a reputation built on more than 20 years of trade in Hong Kong where its classic Cantonese cooking has attracted kung fu star Jackie Chan and other big names.
Culinary masterpieces
This new Shanghai branch serves a selection of authentic Cantonese culinary masterpieces and delicacies. Nine private rooms are available for social or business gatherings.
Seafood dominates the menu but there is a wide range of Cantonese dishes and soups, such as Crispy Salty Chicken, Crispy Fried Eel Balls with Plum Honey Sauce, and Baked Oyster with Port Wine, which are considered the restaurant's signature specialty dishes.
As a first comer, you might opt for the Pan-fried Salmon Fillet with Salmon Taro Puffs (240 yuan/US$35), in which salmon, not commonly used in Chinese cuisine, is cut into small cubes and cooked with furu sauce and rose syrup.
This dish, with a light smell of rose, is attractively presented after being lit up with alcohol, the blue flames dancing on the fish and the rose syrup absorbed by the flesh. When you put the small cube into your mouth, it tastes like pickled goose liver thanks to its furu sauce, a little sweet and winey. The fish meat is not as smooth as a goose liver can be, but has been cooked into a moderate tenderness to be subtle and refreshing.
Salmon Taro Puffs on the side is a combination of mashed potato, taro and salmon with a crispy flour coat. The fried puffs are light enough to pair with the salmon.
Another recommendation is the Crispy Salty Chicken (90 yuan/half) which, when presented, looks just like any other roasted or plain boiled chicken. But it is less oily than the roasted one and more tasteful than the plain boiled version.
The flaky meat peels away from the bones very easily and the salt and other spices have been well blended to bring out the original flavor of the bird. Its taste is simple, low on oil and imbues a "feel good" sensation.
Steamer baskets
T'ang Court Three Layer Treasure (200 yuan) is presented in three small steamer baskets like a dim sum.
First try the one filled with scallops, shrimps and crab spawn and find the light steaming has preserved their freshness.
Then move on to the abalone in oyster cocktail sauce and, in the third basket, scalding mustard greens in soy sauce.
Dim sum is an inevitable choice in any Cantonese restaurant, be it a Tea House or a ritzy high-end one. The Steamed Honey BBQ Pork Bun (25 yuan) has a soft shell and its sweet freshness certainly appeals to the palate; the Shrimp Dumplings(38 yuan) were succulent and fresh, although the fillings needed to be juicier.
These dishes are evidence of what the chef considers the soul of Cantonese cooking: fresh, low-salt, low-fat and food variety.
"As a cook, do not limit yourself in selecting ingredients, like this one is for Western cuisine, this one is for traditional Chinese," said Chef Kwong Wai Keung who the owners consider to be "The father of T'ang Court."
Using seasonal products to make seasonal dishes can help sustain people's health, Kwong said. "In winter, we provide dishes like mutton soup to our customers and when summer comes, we always recommend food that can help get rid of the hot weather frustrations and enhance inner energy."
Named after China's Tang Dynasty (AD 618-907), often characterized as the golden age in Chinese history, this hotel restaurant is richly decorated in burgundy and gold and has all the trappings of a luxury dining environment from its quality table settings and excellent service.
But there is a price to pay for quality and it is reflected in the food items which range from 300 yuan to 500 yuan for four main dishes per person. This also demonstrates the level of attention devoted in the kitchen to the food preparation. For instance, if you order a soup be aware that it has taken 10 hours to make.
You can not only appreciate the beauty of their multi-national architecture and design and enjoy how things have been preserved in the blend with modern amenities, but also have a wonderful dining experience.
One of these enchanting, newly opened Shanghai landmarks is the host location for a new Cantonese restaurant. The distinctively designed Langham Hotel in the heart of the city has wonderful architectural character and years of history.
Designed by prominent local architect, Li Pan, and completed in 1934, the building is a visual masterpiece standing alongside other art deco gems in the city and serving as the Yangtze Hotel for many years.
The symmetric patterns of the building characterize the art deco mode - elegance and glamour - a design fashion that took the world by storm from the mid 1920s to the late 1930s. It was very popular with celebrities - many famous stars such as Hu Die were regular customers - and a hot spot location in Shanghai's golden age in the 1930s.
The building's interior has been renovated by award-winning company Duncan & Miller, which has used its art deco heritage, with focus on symmetric patterns and rich colors, and "Shanghai Chic" style as inspiration to restore the hotel back to its former splendor.
It reopened earlier this month as The Langham, Yangtze Boutique, Shanghai hotel. The Cantonese diner, Langham's T'ang Court, brings to the hotel a reputation built on more than 20 years of trade in Hong Kong where its classic Cantonese cooking has attracted kung fu star Jackie Chan and other big names.
Culinary masterpieces
This new Shanghai branch serves a selection of authentic Cantonese culinary masterpieces and delicacies. Nine private rooms are available for social or business gatherings.
Seafood dominates the menu but there is a wide range of Cantonese dishes and soups, such as Crispy Salty Chicken, Crispy Fried Eel Balls with Plum Honey Sauce, and Baked Oyster with Port Wine, which are considered the restaurant's signature specialty dishes.
As a first comer, you might opt for the Pan-fried Salmon Fillet with Salmon Taro Puffs (240 yuan/US$35), in which salmon, not commonly used in Chinese cuisine, is cut into small cubes and cooked with furu sauce and rose syrup.
This dish, with a light smell of rose, is attractively presented after being lit up with alcohol, the blue flames dancing on the fish and the rose syrup absorbed by the flesh. When you put the small cube into your mouth, it tastes like pickled goose liver thanks to its furu sauce, a little sweet and winey. The fish meat is not as smooth as a goose liver can be, but has been cooked into a moderate tenderness to be subtle and refreshing.
Salmon Taro Puffs on the side is a combination of mashed potato, taro and salmon with a crispy flour coat. The fried puffs are light enough to pair with the salmon.
Another recommendation is the Crispy Salty Chicken (90 yuan/half) which, when presented, looks just like any other roasted or plain boiled chicken. But it is less oily than the roasted one and more tasteful than the plain boiled version.
The flaky meat peels away from the bones very easily and the salt and other spices have been well blended to bring out the original flavor of the bird. Its taste is simple, low on oil and imbues a "feel good" sensation.
Steamer baskets
T'ang Court Three Layer Treasure (200 yuan) is presented in three small steamer baskets like a dim sum.
First try the one filled with scallops, shrimps and crab spawn and find the light steaming has preserved their freshness.
Then move on to the abalone in oyster cocktail sauce and, in the third basket, scalding mustard greens in soy sauce.
Dim sum is an inevitable choice in any Cantonese restaurant, be it a Tea House or a ritzy high-end one. The Steamed Honey BBQ Pork Bun (25 yuan) has a soft shell and its sweet freshness certainly appeals to the palate; the Shrimp Dumplings(38 yuan) were succulent and fresh, although the fillings needed to be juicier.
These dishes are evidence of what the chef considers the soul of Cantonese cooking: fresh, low-salt, low-fat and food variety.
"As a cook, do not limit yourself in selecting ingredients, like this one is for Western cuisine, this one is for traditional Chinese," said Chef Kwong Wai Keung who the owners consider to be "The father of T'ang Court."
Using seasonal products to make seasonal dishes can help sustain people's health, Kwong said. "In winter, we provide dishes like mutton soup to our customers and when summer comes, we always recommend food that can help get rid of the hot weather frustrations and enhance inner energy."
Named after China's Tang Dynasty (AD 618-907), often characterized as the golden age in Chinese history, this hotel restaurant is richly decorated in burgundy and gold and has all the trappings of a luxury dining environment from its quality table settings and excellent service.
But there is a price to pay for quality and it is reflected in the food items which range from 300 yuan to 500 yuan for four main dishes per person. This also demonstrates the level of attention devoted in the kitchen to the food preparation. For instance, if you order a soup be aware that it has taken 10 hours to make.
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