A feast of good fortune
And you'll need luck to get through the incredible New Year banquet on offer at Man Fu Yuan
CHINESE NEW YEAR arrives at the end of this week and you ought to be filling your tummy with food that brings good health and prosperity. Filling the bill as well as tummies is the magnificent spread of sizeable authentic Cantonese delicacies and quaint dim sum at Man Fu Yuan.
The three-year-old, 150-seat restaurant at the Rajpruek Club on Vibhavadi-Rangsit Road is the first overseas branch of its namesake at the five-star InterContinental Singapore owned by Charoen Sirivadhanabhakdi’s TCC Group.
Two more outlets have recently opened at EmQuartier (where the atmosphere is more casual) and Siam Discovery (where quick meals are the speciality). International business consultant Patrick Ng sings the chain’s praises.
Steamed Kingsize Prawn Dumplings topped with Gold Powder
“In Singapore Man Fu Yuan has spent 15 years steadily building a reputation for great Cantonese cuisine. Charoen liked the style and the way we do things there, so he brought Man Fu Yuan to Bangkok.
“Authenticity is top priority here too and only the best ingredients are used, so the quality matches the standard found in Singapore. The food isn’t overpriced, either.”
The Year of the Golden Rooster is being welcomed tomorrow through the end of month, with diners given a choice of three new dim sum items ranging in price from Bt158 to Bt320.
Bamboo steamers stacked high contain delectable Steamed King-size Prawn Dumplings that bear an “auspicious” sprinkling of gold powder. The Steamed Siew Mai arrives with black moss, bird’s nest and wolfberries. The Baked Abalone and Bamboo Pith Tarts guarantee a better life in the coming year.
Baked Abalone and Bamboo Pith Tarts
The ingredients are all posh for a purpose, says Ng.
“The gold powder covering the steamed dumplings filled with big prawn and pork is meant to signify affluence, while black moss, fish maw and abalone are also very auspicious ingredients.”
Apart from that splendid offering, there are the tender Steamed Rice Rolls, Crispy Duck Spring Rolls, Deep-fried Som Tam Spring Rolls and full-flavoured Steamed Chicken with Herbs and Fish Maw. Each of these costs Bt158.
“You have a choice of three dipping sauces,” Ng points out, “the soy sauce imported from Singapore, Shanghai sauce and XO sauce, which in this case means ‘extraordinary’, since it’s made from dried scallops and aromatic with shallots.”
Steamed Rice Roll with Crispy Duck Spring Rolls
Easily paired with the picks from the roaming carts are the Lunar Festival a-la-carte items. Ng recommends the Salmon Yu Sheng Salad (Bt800) as a starter, an amazing concoction created by four Singaporean chefs many decades ago.
The platter holds a rainbow-hued array – sliced and pickled papaya, carrots, ginger, fried taro, shallots and crushed nuts. By custom, to bring good luck, you’re supposed to call out certain words as you toss together the vegetables, sesame oil and accompanying crispy chips. One of the words is “yu”.
“Yu can mean both ‘fish’ and ‘abundance’ in Mandarin,” Ng explains. “We eat fish on the first day of the New Year because it ensures an abundance of happiness and prosperity. The crispy chips symbolise gold and the oil implies a smooth life.”
To make sure you feel abundantly full by meal’s end, the Man Fu Yuan Deluxe Treasure Pot (Bt6,900) is an international feast in itself. The wonderfully designed clay pot contains 16 different auspicious foods, including South Pacific shark’s fin, abalone from Chile, Japanese scallops, Thai river prawns, sea cucumber from the Philippines and fish maw from South Africa. They’re all swimming in a full-flavoured red gravy.
Crispy Duck Stuffed with Glutinous Rice
“The original inspiration is poon choi, a favourite dish made for sharing in Chinese villages,” says Ng. “Traditionally it’s comprised of several kinds of vegetables and meat. Here we combine chicken, pork and roast duck with high-end ingredients – abalone, sea cucumber, scallop, fish maw and goose. The red gravy is made with Yunnan ham, which also adds a lot to the flavour.”
You’re not done yet. The Crispy Duck Stuffed with Glutinous Rice (Bt2,500) involves braising and frying the bird and then filling it with sticky rice, Chinese sausage and abalone.
Flambe Signature Tea Smoked Duck
If it’s a New Year show you want, order the Flambe Signature Tea Smoked Duck (Bt1,390). The waiter will pour liqueur over it and set it on fire, filling the air with the scent of cinnamon. It’s been previously roasted and smoked over tea leaves, rice, brown sugar and chilli to drain off much of the fat. The meat is still lovely and juicy but not oily at all.
And, if you’re dining with a group, keep in mind the three truly opulent set menus on offer, ranging in price from Bt4,500 to Bt15,500.
MAN OH MAN
>> Man Fu Yuan is on the first floor of the Sports Clubhouse at the Rajpruek Club, which is part |of the North Park Project on |Vibhavadi-Rangsit Road.
>> It’s open daily from 11.30am to 3pm and from 5.30 to 10.
>> Make reservations at (02) 955 0403 or the “ManfuyuanBkk” |page on Facebook.
