I had the pleasure of being invited to a special dinner hosted by Jasmine Restaurant at the New World Hotel, to showcase the talents of Chef Wong Kam Chung from New World Shanghai's renowned YUE 1521. Chef Wong will be manning the kitchens until October 1 only, but not to worry as he has trained all the local chefs on how to cook his specialties. Chef Wong's specialties range form classic claypot dishes and double boiled soups.
A duo of appetizers started the luxurious feast of fusion Cantonese dishes. Lotus Root Stuffed with Glutinous Rice was a delightful appetizer, equal parts crisp and chewy. The usual whitish color of the lotus root absorbing the golden brown color of the sauce, giving it a nice inviting sheen. The glutinous rice stuffed inside was a nice chewy surprise.
The other appetizer was Radish and Carrot in Sour Sauce.This one reminded me of atchara (local pickled vegetables) but much more delicate. I've had this in other chinese restaurants but this is the most delicately presented I've ever seen. Julienned carrots are encased in a thin layer of radish, the whole piece had a nice soft crunch. The sauce was not really sour as the name suggests, its more light sweet with sour undertones.
A quartet of dimsum came next starting with Wagyu Beef and Mango Roll. A filament thin textured covering hid the sweet treasures inside, a piece of succulent mango and soft wagyu meat. Biting into the crispy covering will release the almost melting mango and beef.
Steamed Scallops and Beancurd was next. This was not really a stand out dish for me, the scallops tasted very fresh and the beancurd really smooth.
Steamed Shanghainese Pork Dumpling with Goose Liver. Essentially a big Xiao Long Bao, which I'm not really too fond off. I was quite excited to see how this one would taste with the addition of foie gras, but I honestly could not taste the foie gras. The meat and soup inside were very very good though, probably the best XLB I've had.
Steamed Lobster and Vegetable Dumpling. This was similar to Hakao (shrimp dumpling) but the translucent wrapper was a little to sticky for me. The lobster and vegetable filling was very flavorful though.
Pan Fried Razor Clams. The dish does not look that photogenic but tasted great. Lightly coated in batter and drizzled with a sauce reminiscent of teriyaki. The imported clams from France were light and sweet interspersed with fried pieces of enoki (golden) mushroom.
Steamed Sea Garoupa with Soy Bean in Lotus Leaf. The meat was a tad overcooked and salty, with the abundant black beans but still had the wonderful aroma from the lotus leaf. This reminded me of something old timers like to eat with their plain congee.
Steamed Mantis with Egg White. Mantis (alupihang dagat), often seen inside a mineral water bottle in the show aquariums of many a Chinese restaurant, usually cooked fried with salt and pepper, this time is treated delicately. The pieces of mantis are laid on top of steamed egg white with shrimp roe, while the sides had pieces of the head and tail. The meat of the matis is closer to that of lobster, than to a shrimp. Some of us tried an experiment, eating the egg white with the salty sea garoupa, a success as the saltiness is cut down by the smooth egg white flavor.
Wok Fried Fillet of Beef in Wasabi Sauce. The beef slices were very tender but I was not able to taste the wasabi flavor at all, which suited me perfectly since I'm not too fond of it.
Shanghainese Chicken Curry in Clay Pot. An unassuming dish in the midst of fresh seafood and luxurious ingredients. Who would have though this simple dish would be my favorite for the night. Each piece of chicken is overflowing with flavor. This is the best chicken curry I've tasted so far.
Assorted Seafood, Rice and Soup. This dish felt like something I used to do as a kid, putting rice into a bowl of soup and just spooning away. This time there's seafood and veggies and the occasional toasted rice (kinda like rice krispies) mixed in.
Coconut Pudding, Osmanthus and Bird's Nest and Oolong Tea Crème Brulee was our dessert duo. The coconut pudding was daintily layered with pieces of Osmanthus visible in the clear jelly, topped with a smidgen of real birds nest. I loved the crème brulee, creamy yet not too sweet. The woody and roasted flavor is really evident throughout the whole bowl.
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| Jasmine's Head Chef Choi Wing Ki and guest Chefs Wong Kam Chung |
Jasmine Restaurant
New World Makati
Esperanza corner Makati Ave,
Ayala Center, Makati City
811.6888
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