Usher in the Year of the Dog at Man Fu Yuan(满福苑) at InterContinental Singapore, with a collection of culinary creations set to tantalise your taste buds.
Located within InterContinental Singapore, Man Fu Yuan serves Cantonese cuisine in an elegant setting. Contemporary meets traditional in this decades-old restaurant, where you can enjoy fresh seafood and hand-crafted dim sum from their menu.
Running from 1 February – 2 March 2018, you’ll get to choose from five handcrafted menus: Prosperity Menu 一帆风顺 ($128++ per pax, min. 2 pax), Success Menu 二龙腾飞 ($188++ per pax, min. 2 pax), Abundance Menu 三阳开泰 ($1,188++ for 10 pax, add-on $120++ for additional pax), Harmony Menu 四季平安 ($1,388++ for 10 pax, add-on $140++ for additional pax), Fortune Menu 五福临门 ($2,888++ for 10 pax, add-on $290++ for additional pax).
Kicking off the meal to an auspicious start, we tossed and mixed the yu sheng for good fortune in the new year. The Treasures Yu Sheng (available in the Fortune Menu) comes packed with premium ingredients.
Aside from the usual ingredients, generous portions of Hokkaido Scallop, Baby Abalone and Salmon were placed on the platter. The Sake Goma Sesame Sauce was also drizzled over the yu sheng, adding a unique flavour to this traditional Chinese New Year dish.
The individual yu sheng portion actually ended up being quite filling, with a good blend of sour, sweet and savoury flavours.
The scallops and abalone were soft and juicy, with a delightfully sweet finish. The salmon slices were just as delectable, although I felt that the slices were on the thin side. The sesame seeds sprinkled on the salmon also added a subtle crunch and fragrance.
The next dish was the Double-boiled Chicken Soup, a flavourful broth that was full of delicacies, including Spiky Sea Cucumber and fresh Matsutake Mushrooms.
The soup was infused with the chicken, mushrooms and fish maw, and the result was a complex broth with layers of flavours. I found the chicken slightly dry, with most of the flavour concentrated in the broth instead.
If you’re a meat lover like me, you’ll love the Roasted Suckling Pig that came with Foie Gras and Daikon. We had the option of wrapping the meaty morsel in a paper-thin crepe layer, although it proved quite challenging because of the generous amount of meat. I have to say, the portion of foie gras was one of the largest I’ve seen.
Eating both the pork and foie gras in the same bite was an interesting experience. The foie gras melted quickly on my tongue, leaving a lingering flavour that blended with the sweet and savoury taste of the pork.
I really loved the roasted pork, so much that I had a second serving. It had very distinct layers of crackly skin, sinfully indulgent fats and juicy meat. I had to stop at two servings, but how I wish I could’ve just stuffed myself with the Roasted Suckling Pig!
For a truly sumptuous pen cai experience, the Man Fu Yuan Abundance Treasure Pot ($398 a la carte, available in the Fortune Menu) hit all the right spots. With high-quality ingredients like 10-Head Whole Abalone, Live Prawns and Goose Web, digging into this pen cai was like unearthing treasure with every bite!
The rich flavours in the pot made this a very filling dish and the servings were quite substantial. I particularly liked the 10-Head Whole Abalone, which was fresh and juicy. It was also firm enough for a chewy mouth-feel. I’ve never tried Goose Web before, so I certainly had an eye-opening experience. The web was soft and fell off the bone easily, and I didn’t have to chew much.
At this point, I was starting to feel quite full, but when I saw the next dish, I knew I had to finish it. The Steamed Lobster was served with steamed egg white and Chinese wine, but the most enticing part of it was the pork lard sprinkled on top of the dish.
I was really pleased that the lobster was already taken out of the shell for diners. The lobster meat was juicy with a hint of the Chinese wine, and went well with the smooth texture of the steamed egg white. The crunchy pork lard pieces also added a savoury flavour to the dish.
Another seafood dish was the Steamed Tiger Garoupa with Mushrooms and Chinese Ham, which was aptly named for the crisscrossing patterns that looked like the scales of the Chinese mythical creature qilin.
The fish was firm and it paired well with Chinese Ham from Yunnan, which was quite salty and had a slightly smoky flavour. The dish also came with some leafy greens, so load up on those vegetables. It definitely helped to undercut the meaty flavour of the ham!
We also tried the Glutinous Rice with Whole Boneless Chicken in Lotus Leaf ($68 a la carte, serves 6 pax). Served on a flaming plate with burning spices, the pleasant scents of cinnamon and clove filled the air.
This dish is a labour of love; the glutinous rice is stuffed into the deboned chicken, then deep-fried, steamed, wrapped in lotus leaves, then steamed again. Phew, just thinking about the process makes me tired!
The chicken was soft and tender, and fell apart easily in my mouth. I liked the glutinous rice because it wasn’t overly sticky, and the dried shrimps and mushroom bits also gave the rice even more flavour.
Simple and traditional, this glutinous rice dish will definitely fill you up.
Finally, for dessert, we had Double-Boiled Hashima. It was served in a fresh coconut with lianzi (lotus seeds). The gelatinous Hashima went well with the slightly crunchy lotus seeds. I could even scrape the coconut flesh from the sides of the coconut and eat it together with the Hashima.
If you’re still thinking of places for Chinese New Year reunion dinner, keep Man Fu Yuan at the top of your list. Gather your family and friends for a celebratory culinary experience this Lunar New Year!
Expected Damage: $128++ – $288++ per pax
