Did you know that Rat is the first in the series of 12
animals in the Chinese zodiac?
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| A Fortune Hot Pot treat comes complimentary with the the Group Reunion Table menu |
The lunar year of the Rat coincides with Year 2020 which
augurs well for an auspicious start to a new decade of new beginnings and fresh
opportunities.
The lunar new year or Spring festival is a time for family
reunions and gatherings and the most important meal traditionally, is the
Reunion Dinner.
Food plays an important role in most celebrations, but
the Chinese have taken it to a higher level of significance with symbolic
meanings for good fortune and auspiciousness in colour, shape, fancy names and
high value food ingredients.
Over the years, Chinese chefs and restaurant owners have come up
with witty words and phrases for dishes and food ingredients with good meanings
to enhance and stimulate positive energy flow to ensure a prosperous New Year.
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| Season treats and sweets to enjoy |
For instance, dumplings (soi kau) represent
wealth as it is shaped like a Chinese gold ingots, the round shape of glutinous
rice calls symbolizes completeness and reunion, while noodles are all about
longevity and the hope of smooth paths ahead.
Among the auspicious dishes in the buffet spread, look
out for Cantonese Wanton Noodles topped with a choice of soi kau
dumplings, barbecued chicken, beef brisket, HongKong kai lan (kale) and
HongKong choy sum (sawi).
Besides fresh Seafood-on-Ice, the chefs in Makan Kitchen
will serve an interesting menu in the buffet that include Chili Flower Crabs,
Steamed Garoupa Fish, Lobster Termidor, Salmon Coulibiac, Crab Meat and Roe Soup
with a live-station for hand-rolled servings of Peking Duck.
In this annual celebration, the seasonal ingredients are chosen
for their symbolism, luxury status, its role in historical events or simply
because they taste great.
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| A serving of Ho See Fatt Choy at Makan Kitchen |
Besides seasonal fresh ingredients like fish, poultry, prawns,
meat, leeks and arrow roots, popular ingredients for dishes include dried
seafood.
One of the Chinese phrases used to describe a
must-have auspicious vegetable dish for this festive season is Ho See Fatt
Choy (Cantonese dialect).
It is made with high-value ingredients that have auspicious
meanings like braised dried oysters (ho see) with black moss (fatt
choy) that resembles wispy strands of hair.
This dish is usually prettily plated with braised
Chinese mushrooms and vegetables like bunches of Broccoli florets.
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| A serving of Lobster Termidor with a side of sauce |
For the Reunion Table, the Chinese culinary team at Makan
Kitchen decided to arrange the dried oysters topped with black moss in a neat
row while the florets of Broccoli, sprinkled with goji-berries, are arranged in
a parallel row and drizzled in its rich braised gravy.
Twin desserts are served at the Reunion Table menu.
One is slices of traditional glutinous rice cakes or nin
gou (Cantonese) deep-fried in batter, sandwiched between slices of sweet potato, and the other is glutinous rice balls stuffed with black sesame
puree, swimming in warm ginger flavoured syrup.
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| A live-station that serves Peking Duck rolls |
In any Chinese dialect, its name nin gou literally
means “year cake” while most Malaysians are familiar with kueh bakul, the way the
Peranakan call it.
The sound of the word, nin gou, is also
synonymous with the Chinese words that translates into “year higher”, an
auspicious phrase for sending good wishes for higher achievements and success
as well as increasing abundance and prosperity in the coming year.
Only three ingredients – glutinous rice flour, sugar and water –
are used to make this steamed new year cake.
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| A platter of Nin Gou for dessert in the Reunion Table menu |
In some traditional recipes, the steaming time can
be up to 10 to 12 hours over a charcoal or kerosene stove and the bubbling
sugar as it caramelises, is a unique fragrance that connoisseurs of nin
gou simply love.
The special sweetness of the glutinous rice cake is
why the Hokkien and Peranakan call it ti kuay which literally
means, “sweet cake.” When it is cooked, the cake is usually left to
cool and settle for 2 to 3 days before they are lifted out of the tins.
But when it is freshly steamed, the consistency of
the glutinous rice content in this sweet cake can be seriously stretchy and sticky.
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| A slice of deep-fried Nin Gou sandwiched between slices of sweet potato |
While eat this nin gou dessert, I am
reminded of the days before the dawn of the lunar new year when traditional
Chinese families go about cleaning their home thoroughly to sweep out all the
ill luck and make room to welcome in good fortune.
Families that practice Taoism or Buddhism will
clean their homes and kitchen altars and replace with new items and
decorations.
A week before the first day of the lunar
month, nin gou and sweets like sugar-coated peanuts are
offered to the Kitchen God before he leaves for heaven.
As the recorder of the family’s conduct, the
Kitchen God would make his annual trip to heaven to report on that family’s
good or bad deeds in the past 12 months.
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| Glutinous Rice Ball stuffed with black sesame puree |
As a tradition, the nin gou and
sweets are offered as a bribe so that he will make a favourable report to the
God of Heaven.
It is believed that when the Kitchen God eats
the nin gou, his mouth will be clamped shut by its stickiness and
he will not be able to make a bad report about the family!
Priced at RM118 nett per person and RM59 nett per child,
the Fortune Feast Buffet Dinner is served from 6.30pm to 10.30pm from
Sunday to Thursday from now till Jan 16 and from Jan 26 to 30 only.
Priced at RM148 nett per person and RM74 nett per child,
the Prosperity Buffet Dinner is served from 6.30pm to 10.30pm from
Sunday to Thursday, Jan 19 to 23 only. A table for four persons will receive a
complimentary Fortune Hot Pot.
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| Colourful ingredients for the traditional Lo Hei |
Chinese New Year Eve and Day Buffet Dinner is priced at RM188 nett per person and RM94 nett per
child, served from Jan 24 to 26, 6.30pm to 10.30pm.
This International Seafood Buffet spread includes half
a lobster per adult with a complimentary Fortune Hot Pot for a table of
four persons, fortune cookies, gold coins and meeting with the God of Fortune.
Chinese New Year Day High-Tea Buffet served on Jan 25 & 26 from 12.30pm to 3.30pm is
priced at RM98 nett per adult and RM49 nett per child and comes with special
door gifts, fortune cookies and meeting with the God of Fortune.
Group Dining Reunion Table is priced at RM1288 nett per table of 10 persons for
an 8-course Fortune Set Dinner and RM1688 nett per table of 10 persons for an
8-course Prosperity Set Dinner with a complimentary bottle of wine.
Available from Jan 6 to 30 for dinner served from
6.30pm to 10.30pm.
DoubleTree by Hilton Johor Baru is within Menara
Landmark at No. 12 Jalan Ngee Heng, 80000 Johor Baru, Johor. Reservations are
recommended.
Please call Tel: +607 268 6868 or email: JohorBahru.FB@hilton.com
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