A 'Pen Cai' lunch

The Chinese New Year season is coming to a close and to cap it off, we had a family 'Pen Cai' lunch at the Crystal Jade Palace Restaurant yesterday, Sunday 17th February. Except for Jay, who had some visitors in town, everyone was there including Ben. It was also to celebrate the belated birthdays of Karen and Tim.

Several years ago, I saw a documentary on Hong Kong, which featured this dish. The Cantonese call this 'Poon Choy', which literally means tray or basin of vegetables. In Mandarin, it is known as 'pen cai'. Chinese cuisine, among the best in the world, refers to vegetable - 'choy' or 'cai', as a collective noun embodying both meat and vegetables set for the table. So when you go to a Chinese restaurant, the waiter or waitress will ask you what 'choy' or 'cai' you want to select from the menu. It does not necessarily mean only vegetables.

It has been reported that pen cai existed since the Song dynasty (AD 960 - 1279). When the Song emperor fled from the Mongol invaders and arrived at a village in Guangdong, the local folks collected all the best food from each household, and served them in large basins, because bowls were not big enough to hold all the food. Until recently only, has this dish now, been introduced in Singapore.

The Hong Kong documentary showed, how the dish was prepared, in layers of food being cooked and laid inside the basin. The selection of food is left to the imagination and skill of the chef, and is considered to be a one dish meal.

The Crystal Jade version was said to contain 18 varieties of delicacies relating to the auspices of the Chinese New Year. I was not able to itemised them (see picture above). However, I identified the baby abalone, sea cucumber, fish maw, roast duck, moss fungus (fatt choy), yam, Yunnan ham, soya bean sheets (fu pei), white radish, wood ear (moke yee), scallop, octopus body, cabbage, pig trotters, and large black Chinese mushrooms, which I do not eat. They are significant in Chinese food philosophy, for example moss fungus signifies prosperity. The restaurant should have printed a write-up on the dish, itemising the selections and the significance of each item.

The taste was excellent. The Chinese black mushroom did not permeat into the other ingredients, which was a relief to me. I would compliment the chef because each ingredient requires delicate cooking skill. The baby abalone was soft and tender retaining its flavour. Cooking abalone is a specialist skill. Over cook, and it becomes tough and leathery. Sea cucumber disintegrate when over cooked. So it takes skill to combine all the ingredients into one.

The bill was expensive no doubt but I am not complaining. I made some money selling my DVD slide show and I am always happy to share a meal with the family. We spent a pleasant day browsing through the shops and having a drink together. The kids had a great time especially Emma, who was, as always, the centre of attraction. Samantha had her genuine 'har gow', and Tim received a brand new badminton racket with a case as his birthday present from the uncle. When it was time to disperse and go home, Emma was greatly distressed. She turned her face and was about to cry, but held on bravely. Poor Emma.

With all the Chinese New Year goodies and eating, I gained 1 kg. So I now have to get rid of this kilo. I actually have restrained myself, but unfortunately the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak.

Till then....