The Waterfront Manila Pavilion (formerly Manila Hilton) ushers in the Year of the Dog with a series of treats by chef Maurice Toh, who will recreate the well-loved dishes of chef Lee Yan Feng, the kitchen whiz of the hotel’s former Peony Garden Chinese restaurant. In 2005, Peony Garden was the go-to place in the metro for authentic Cantonese cuisine with touches of Malaysian flavor.
The New Year buffet includes Egg and Rice Noodle Soup, a heady dish filled with chunks of lapu-lapu, fishballs, fish cake, prawns and tofu; creamy Double-Boiled Pumpkin Seafood Soup; and spicy Hot and Sour Szechuan Soup.
Also presented at a recent luncheon were tasting portions of Deep-Fried Boneless Chicken with Sweet and Spicy Chili, Deep-Fried Pork Rib with Honey Sauce, and Steamed Barramundi with Jiang Zheng Sauce.
The steamed barramundi (also known as sea bass) was soft and chewy, with a flaky texture complemented by the spicy-sweet sauce.
“We make the sauce here daily, so it’s always fresh,” said Toh. “I’m from Singapore, so I infused the sauce with a spiciness that pairs well with the barramundi.”
“It takes hours to make the Jiang Zheng sauce,” he added. “The flavor is classically Chinese, with hints of Southeast Asian seasoning added to the mix.”
For dim sum lovers, the buffet will feature well-loved fare like siomai, hakaw, chicken feet and asado siopao.
For the health-conscious, salads offered are Fried Garlic and Dry Seafood Cucumber Salad, Hot Bean Chicken Salad, Fried Tofu Salad, Century Eggs with Ginger, and Mixed Green Salad.
Mini appetizers include exotic creations like Black Fungus Salad in Asian Dressing, Crispy Prawns Spring Rolls with Mango Sauce, and Deep-Fried Prawns with Mixed Fruit Salad and Corn Flakes.
The carving station will carry Cantonese Char Siu Pork Belly, Lechon Pork Belly Roll, Soy Chicken, and Roast Duck.
Desserts include Chinese Pineapple Cookies, tikoy (nian gao), Lychee Almond Jelly, Longan with Grass Jelly, Mango Pudding with Pomelo Sago and Coconut Milk, Green Tea Crème Brûlée with Gula Melaka, Rock Melon Sago, assorted fruits jelly, Chinese cookies, Filipino delicacies and egg tarts.
The Waterfront Manila Pavilion’s Chinese New Year Buffet is available from Feb. 16 at P1,200 per person, and P600 for children age 6-11. In addition, groups of six or more persons can enjoy the 6+1 Promo for the Chinese New Year Buffet. —CONTRIBUTED
Waterfront Manila Pavilion, UN Avenue, Manila; tel. 5261212 loc. 2318
