The Mall tempts with 10 auspicious dishes
“The Mall Happy Chinese New Year” has 10 auspicious dishes being served at restaurants at its shopping centres, along with Gangsai jewellery, Chinese keepsakes and more.
Just head to the Grand and Event halls at any branch of The Mall anytime before Friday (February 16).
Muang Thai Life Assurance, Citi M Visa Credit Card, Siam Commercial Bank and Thai Namthip Commercial are helping The Mall welcome the Year of the Dog.
Feng shui master Khatha Chinbunchon, who goes by the name Sinsae Heng Tek Hiang, will be there to explain what makes the 10 dishes auspicious.
Hong Kong Stir-fried Noodles, from the restaurant Hong Min, features soft yet chewy noodles fried with curry powder and combined with a colourful array of vegetables.
The dish is said to promote long life – as seen in the length of the noodles and, more pragmatically, in the nutritious nature of the vegetables.
Ngow Gui Taro Nest, also from Hong Min, mixes five auspicious ingredients – Chinese jujube, ginkgo nuts, water chestnuts, cashews and shiitake mushrooms – with chicken and shrimp in a wonderful sauce.
The dish promises good luck, while ginkgo nuts also signify long life. And again, there’s plenty of nutritious value in the vitamins and antioxidants, making it perfect brain food.
Hong Min also supplies Steamed Pompano Fish in Plum Soup, succulent meat in a savoury sauce. Count on the dish bringing “abundance”. It’s a great source of protein, easily digested and full of “good fats” and amino acid.
Tam Tam Mee from the restaurant Wang Jie Cha, which specialises in traditional Shanghai cuisine, is egg noodles in zesty soup. It signifies long life and a strong, lasting relationship, while the components boost the energy and warm both body and soul.
Also from Wang Jie Cha comes Drunk Chicken. It’s drunk because it’s been marinated in three-year-old Chinese liquor. The booze keeps the meat juicy and adds flavour and aroma. This one promises career advancement and high rank, as well as elegance. You also get lots of protein and tryptophan, which fends off depression.
The Royal Dragon is serving Yiang-a, also known as Roasted Duck, that’s marinated in spices and cooked until the skin is crispy. It’s one of the “Sa Sae” dishes, each containing a different kind of meat to be offered to a deity. The duck also signifies abundance and brings many talents, purity in love and honesty.
It’s full of potassium, which will dispel excess sodium from the body and is thus good for people with high blood pressure.
Wang Jie Cha returns with Shrimp Dim Sum. Commonly known as Ha Kao or har gao, a delicate wrap of soft flour filled with big bites of shrimp and topped with golden powder. It vows prosperity and is a good source of carbohydrates, protein and vitamins.
From the hugely popular restaurant Jok Tow Diew in Bangkok’s Chinatown (Yaowarat) come Steamed Shrimp Wontons. Shrimp and pork are folded into a flour wrapper, steamed and topped with fried garlic.
Wontons are said to bring luck, prosperity and long life. The dish is high in carbohydrates and protein, and the garlic lowers fat in the bloodstream.
For dessert, Wang Jie Cha has Custard Salapao, a lovely sweet and savoury treat with the “siu bao” shaped like an “auspicious peach” to bring happiness year-round and a pure heart.
Chin Jung Salapao comes from Chef Man, which introduced the dish to Thailand. The flour is soft and the filling aromatic and delicious, the salt-egg custard lava oozing out with each bite. The lava can be taro or jujube if you prefer, which both signify prosperity and abundant happiness. In the mix are carbohydrates, calcium and vitamins.
Other participating restaurants are Iron Chef, Guan-A, Jae Ngaw Kitchen, Lim Lao Ngow, Versailles and Foo Doo Shark Fin.
