The chilled marinated Japanese cucumber came with fresh, sweet pomelos while the steamed seafood dumpling was topped with caviar.
The deep-fried garoupa was served with garlic and lemongrass sauce, and the spare ribs was drizzled with olive and honey sauce.
Traditional Hong Kong salt-baked chicken and Fookien misua completed the menu prepared by Lung Hin executive Chinese chef Leung Chi Kwan, reflecting a deep respect for the authentic “haute cuisine” from Guangdong province as well as a fearless and forward-looking take on innovation.
Chef Ken, as he is more popularly known, brings his over 20 years of training and experience in some of the world’s renowned hotels as he returns to Marco Polo Ortigas Manila’s dining jewel.
His specialty dishes, including chilled marinated fresh abalone with sake and soy sauce and baked live lobster with supreme stock, will form part of Lung Hin’s Chef Recommendations menu.
The hallmark of Cantonese cuisine is preserving the fresh and natural flavor of its dishes—neither drowned in seasoning nor overcooked, and preferring instead techniques such as steaming and braising. It puts a premium on subtlety and letting the ingredients speak for themselves.
And because Cantonese cuisine has made such an international impact, it has likewise evolved depending on where it is cooked, especially when it comes to the locally sourced ingredients that are added to the equation, such as our very own pomelos that lent a sweet taste to the mildly sour marinade of the Japanese cucumber.
According to New York City restaurateur Ed Schoenfeld, who brought iconic Chinese restaurants in America, there is a focus, bordering on obsession, on freshness for Cantonese chefs.
“Food is meant to taste like what it is. There might be a lot of manipulation, but the end product is meant to be something that tastes like itself,” Schoenfeld said.
And indeed, Chef Ken showcases his mastery of manipulation and innovation while remaining true to the key features of Cantonese cuisine.
I’m at joyce.panares@gmail.com.