Abundant Beginnings at Makan Kitchen

Did you know that Rat is the first in the series of 12 animals in the Chinese zodiac?

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.

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. 

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.

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.

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. 

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.

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.  

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.

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