Happy Chinese New Year

wolf · 01-29-2005, 04:05 PM

The time for Chinese New Year is again upon us. Joy and happiness to all in the Year of the Rooster! Chinese New Year Day is actually February 9, 2005, but the restaurant I go to likes to beat the rush.

They make you wear the hats. You don't get a choice.

The waiters hats are more elaborate. They move pretty quickly, and it was hard to get a good picture of their Roosters.

Once again I ventured forth with my dear friends to celebrate the prosperity of the coming year by experiencing a variety of Special Gourmet Chinese Dishes, this year again at the Yantzee Restaurant in Lansdale.

Yantzee is the younger sister restaurant of The Abacus, also in Lansdale, PA.

I recommend both highly, although I have a preference for Abacus, since I've been going there longer.

The experience of the New Year Banquet is somewhat like being a taster on Iron Chef, but without having to worry if the theme ingredient will be squid ink.

The table setting was pretty standard, but included a peanut butter cup with the symbol of the Rooster on it.

After giving everyone a little time to get settled, they start bringing out the grub.

Lots of grub.

With just enough spacing between the courses to allow for conversation and to keep you from getting too full too fast!

The Duck Breast with Millet Soup was a little hard to eat with chopsticks, but we still managed to struggle on. I wouldn't have expected anything made with a grain that is more commonly used in birdseed mixes to be this tasty.

It was served along with a steamed bun. Our waiter explained that Americans usually expect bread with soup, and the Chinese don't really make any, but that this is often served as part of a breakfast.

Cod Roll and Mango Salsa next danced across our palates. The Cod Roll was mostly unremarkable actually. A fishy egg roll that that involved a layer of seaweed under the outer wrapper, and wasn't as crispy as I personally like, but was still tasty. The Mango Salsa was served in a sort of a creamy sauce with a couple of whisps of lemon grass providing an interesting texture contrast.

wolf · 01-29-2005, 04:05 PM

The Year of the Rooster Mandarin Sampler was three tastes of chicken. Walnut Chicken was presented in the artichoke leaf, and within the bamboo wrapping we found marinated steamed boneless chicken. It was sweet and robust, without being spicy. The clear favorite was the chicken lollipop, to which a plum sauce was added before munching down on it. We want the Colonel to start selling buckets of these. In the center is "Chinese Saurkraut" -- no cabbage, just shredded carrots and turnips. It had a nice bite which complimented the sweetness of the sauces of the other dishes.

Butterfly Shrimp with Asian Greens Brocade were topped with a piece of bacon, adding a savory touch to the sweetness of the shrimp and sauce. They help you out by hiding the asparagus under other food for you. They had to use shrimp because I don't think they have instant mashed potatoes in Chinese Gourmet Cuisine.

Braised Short Rib with Hearts of Bok Choy. A platform of Taro Root supported the whole construction. Taro is a starchy root, best known for it's role as an ingredient of Poi, as well as now being used in upscale "healthier" snack chips.

Steamed Chilean Sea Bass with Sweet Miso Sauce. The waiter joked that they had run out of sea bass and were forced to serve steamed cabbage. Bass is a firmer fish, and had a very delicate taste. the Miso "Sauce" was more of a soup, and complimented the bass nicely.

Beggars Quail Li Po was such a production, that I failed to take a picture of the actual food ... a tiny quail rests within the golden foil wrapper. The nest is formed of Japanese Soba Noodles, and the eggs are boiled quail eggs. The consistency of the yolk was more liquid than is customary for hard boiled chicken eggs, and the texture of the whites also a bit different. The green mini eggs are soybeans.

Dessert came just as we were realizing that we didn't have room for anything else, but it looked so good you had to eat it anyway! Chocolate Treasure Rising Sun Tart featured a sugar cookie empasizing the theme for the evening, with the rising sun being a dollop of passion fruit sorbet, which was a bit tart, and helped enhance the rich chocolatey goodness of the individually sized pie.

As usual, I already can't wait for next year.

I would be interested to hear what Billy has to say about actual Chinese New Year Traditions. What will you do to welcome the Year of the Rooster, Billy?

staceyv · 01-29-2005, 04:33 PM

wow, you should work for a magazine and do restaurant reviews!!
Is that you at the head of the table with the red feather?

melidasaur · 01-29-2005, 04:42 PM

Thanks for sharing, wolf! Those are some great pics - that restaurant has the best presentation.

wolf · 01-29-2005, 06:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by staceyv

wow, you should work for a magazine and do restaurant reviews!!
Is that you at the head of the table with the red feather?

Yeah, dat's me.

Thank you!

jinx · 01-29-2005, 07:00 PM

Wow, everything looks so good! I gotta try that...

Dagney · 01-29-2005, 07:57 PM

Hrm...sounds like a GTG idear for next February!

wolf · 01-29-2005, 09:19 PM

I believe that the restaurant will do a special banquet for a sufficiently large group.

xoxoxoBruce · 01-29-2005, 09:46 PM

How about a small group that eats a sufficiently large amount.

Beestie · 01-29-2005, 10:54 PM

Wolf continues to demonstrate why she rocks.

breakingnews · 01-30-2005, 10:09 AM

Devour a moon cake (pastry with sweet red bean paste), give money to the youngsters and eat an enormous dinner. Usually how it goes in my neck of the woods.

Been in Taiwan only twice for the new year. They're less traditional about the holiday than mainlanders (a term, by the way, that is being slowly phased out by the Taiwanese - they don't want the island to be considered "just an extension" of the "mainland"). Actually, my second time was almost identical to the calendar new year (gregorian), which I had also celebrated there. But old school observances mostly include a full day with your family - burn food as an offering to the ancestors, children pray with elders, and then rounds - as an entire group - to visit other fams. The types of food eaten at what usually becomes a frontrunner in the world's biggest dinner competition also bear much significance.

This year the friends and I are making dumplings. We're planning on about 250; at last winter's dumpling fest we made about 150. Steamed, fried, boiled - it will be a darlin' of a time.

wolf · 01-30-2005, 10:49 AM

Do the ancestors also end up with food burned as a consequence of poor cooking technique, or do they only get what ends up in the ceremonial fire?

01-29-2005, 04:05 PM	#1
wolf lobber of scimitars Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: Phila Burbs Posts: 20,774	Happy Chinese New Year The time for Chinese New Year is again upon us. Joy and happiness to all in the Year of the Rooster! Chinese New Year Day is actually February 9, 2005, but the restaurant I go to likes to beat the rush. They make you wear the hats. You don't get a choice. The waiters hats are more elaborate. They move pretty quickly, and it was hard to get a good picture of their Roosters. Once again I ventured forth with my dear friends to celebrate the prosperity of the coming year by experiencing a variety of Special Gourmet Chinese Dishes, this year again at the Yantzee Restaurant in Lansdale. Yantzee is the younger sister restaurant of The Abacus, also in Lansdale, PA. I recommend both highly, although I have a preference for Abacus, since I've been going there longer. The experience of the New Year Banquet is somewhat like being a taster on Iron Chef, but without having to worry if the theme ingredient will be squid ink. The table setting was pretty standard, but included a peanut butter cup with the symbol of the Rooster on it. After giving everyone a little time to get settled, they start bringing out the grub. Lots of grub. With just enough spacing between the courses to allow for conversation and to keep you from getting too full too fast! The Duck Breast with Millet Soup was a little hard to eat with chopsticks, but we still managed to struggle on. I wouldn't have expected anything made with a grain that is more commonly used in birdseed mixes to be this tasty. It was served along with a steamed bun. Our waiter explained that Americans usually expect bread with soup, and the Chinese don't really make any, but that this is often served as part of a breakfast. Cod Roll and Mango Salsa next danced across our palates. The Cod Roll was mostly unremarkable actually. A fishy egg roll that that involved a layer of seaweed under the outer wrapper, and wasn't as crispy as I personally like, but was still tasty. The Mango Salsa was served in a sort of a creamy sauce with a couple of whisps of lemon grass providing an interesting texture contrast. __________________ wolf eht htiw og "Conspiracies are the norm, not the exception." --G. Edward Griffin The Creature from Jekyll Island High Priestess of the Church of the Whale Penis

01-29-2005, 04:05 PM	#2
wolf lobber of scimitars Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: Phila Burbs Posts: 20,774	I had "too many images" and had to break this into two posts ... The Year of the Rooster Mandarin Sampler was three tastes of chicken. Walnut Chicken was presented in the artichoke leaf, and within the bamboo wrapping we found marinated steamed boneless chicken. It was sweet and robust, without being spicy. The clear favorite was the chicken lollipop, to which a plum sauce was added before munching down on it. We want the Colonel to start selling buckets of these. In the center is "Chinese Saurkraut" -- no cabbage, just shredded carrots and turnips. It had a nice bite which complimented the sweetness of the sauces of the other dishes. Butterfly Shrimp with Asian Greens Brocade were topped with a piece of bacon, adding a savory touch to the sweetness of the shrimp and sauce. They help you out by hiding the asparagus under other food for you. They had to use shrimp because I don't think they have instant mashed potatoes in Chinese Gourmet Cuisine. Braised Short Rib with Hearts of Bok Choy. A platform of Taro Root supported the whole construction. Taro is a starchy root, best known for it's role as an ingredient of Poi, as well as now being used in upscale "healthier" snack chips. Steamed Chilean Sea Bass with Sweet Miso Sauce. The waiter joked that they had run out of sea bass and were forced to serve steamed cabbage. Bass is a firmer fish, and had a very delicate taste. the Miso "Sauce" was more of a soup, and complimented the bass nicely. Beggars Quail Li Po was such a production, that I failed to take a picture of the actual food ... a tiny quail rests within the golden foil wrapper. The nest is formed of Japanese Soba Noodles, and the eggs are boiled quail eggs. The consistency of the yolk was more liquid than is customary for hard boiled chicken eggs, and the texture of the whites also a bit different. The green mini eggs are soybeans. Dessert came just as we were realizing that we didn't have room for anything else, but it looked so good you had to eat it anyway! Chocolate Treasure Rising Sun Tart featured a sugar cookie empasizing the theme for the evening, with the rising sun being a dollop of passion fruit sorbet, which was a bit tart, and helped enhance the rich chocolatey goodness of the individually sized pie. As usual, I already can't wait for next year. I would be interested to hear what Billy has to say about actual Chinese New Year Traditions. What will you do to welcome the Year of the Rooster, Billy? __________________ wolf eht htiw og "Conspiracies are the norm, not the exception." --G. Edward Griffin The Creature from Jekyll Island High Priestess of the Church of the Whale Penis Last edited by wolf; 01-29-2005 at 04:08 PM.

01-29-2005, 04:42 PM	#4
melidasaur Traded your soul for pogs. Join Date: May 2004 Location: Champaign, IL Posts: 646	Thanks for sharing, wolf! Those are some great pics - that restaurant has the best presentation. __________________ I love England, what can I say?

01-29-2005, 07:00 PM	#6
jinx Come on, cat. Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: general vicinity of Philadelphia area Posts: 7,013	Wow, everything looks so good! I gotta try that... __________________ Crying won't help you, praying won't do you no good.

01-29-2005, 07:57 PM	#7
Dagney The Prodigal Brat Returneth Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: North Cackalacky Posts: 1,107	Hrm...sounds like a GTG idear for next February! __________________ The Constitution gives every American the right to make a total fool out of himself. But that doesn't mean you need to.

01-29-2005, 04:33 PM	#3
staceyv Lecturer Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Ohio Posts: 927	wow, you should work for a magazine and do restaurant reviews!! Is that you at the head of the table with the red feather?

01-29-2005, 09:19 PM	#8
wolf lobber of scimitars Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: Phila Burbs Posts: 20,774	I believe that the restaurant will do a special banquet for a sufficiently large group. __________________ wolf eht htiw og "Conspiracies are the norm, not the exception." --G. Edward Griffin The Creature from Jekyll Island High Priestess of the Church of the Whale Penis

01-29-2005, 09:46 PM	#9
xoxoxoBruce The future is unwritten Join Date: Oct 2002 Posts: 71,105	How about a small group that eats a sufficiently large amount. __________________ The descent of man ~ Nixon, Friedman, Reagan, Trump.

01-29-2005, 10:54 PM	#10
Beestie -◊\|≡·∙■·∙≡\|◊- Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: Parts unknown. Posts: 4,081	Wolf continues to demonstrate why she rocks. __________________ ♠ ♥ ♣ ♦

01-30-2005, 10:09 AM	#11
breakingnews Q_Q Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: somewhere in between Posts: 995	Devour a moon cake (pastry with sweet red bean paste), give money to the youngsters and eat an enormous dinner. Usually how it goes in my neck of the woods. Been in Taiwan only twice for the new year. They're less traditional about the holiday than mainlanders (a term, by the way, that is being slowly phased out by the Taiwanese - they don't want the island to be considered "just an extension" of the "mainland"). Actually, my second time was almost identical to the calendar new year (gregorian), which I had also celebrated there. But old school observances mostly include a full day with your family - burn food as an offering to the ancestors, children pray with elders, and then rounds - as an entire group - to visit other fams. The types of food eaten at what usually becomes a frontrunner in the world's biggest dinner competition also bear much significance. This year the friends and I are making dumplings. We're planning on about 250; at last winter's dumpling fest we made about 150. Steamed, fried, boiled - it will be a darlin' of a time.

01-30-2005, 10:49 AM	#12
wolf lobber of scimitars Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: Phila Burbs Posts: 20,774	Do the ancestors also end up with food burned as a consequence of poor cooking technique, or do they only get what ends up in the ceremonial fire? __________________ wolf eht htiw og "Conspiracies are the norm, not the exception." --G. Edward Griffin The Creature from Jekyll Island High Priestess of the Church of the Whale Penis

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