tiger radler, and a beef stew

my preferences for alcoholic drinks run toward sweet dessert wines, smooth whites, warming sake, and champagne. four years in England and I never picked up a beer habit, much less an affinity for the drink.

but that’s because most beers seem bitter and not quite flavorful enough (I’d rather have water, thank you) either for food-pairing or plain-drinking; and if you think the same – can I please introduce the tiger radler to you?

just in time for your lunar new year preparations, the can is decorated all festive-like – and the drink itself is redolent with the fragrance of mandarin oranges (which will go plenty well with thousands of the actual fruit actually being passed around over the 12-day celebration period).

and if you still don’t feel like you’d want to drink it (and I don’t see why, since it’s rather like a less-sweet, adult version of Fanta orange), it sure makes for a great base to a beef-and-carrot stew.

happy chinese new year 2015

happy chinese new year to you and yours! may it be prosperous, delicious, and full of people you love and enjoy.

may your yusheng be tossed up with family and friends (and may it be full of delicious abalone or whatever fish catches your fancy).

and after you’ve got the most competent-in-mandarin person round your table to grace each ingredient with an auspicious phrase,

HUAT AH!

it’s a massive feast on my side, as it goes – the traditional steamboat replete with good marbled beef, succulent prawns, bouncy fishballs and lots of abalone; hainanese boiled chicken and the requisite auspicious dish of dried oysters cooked with mushrooms and fattchoy.

it’s a jolly good way to start the year (especially since the same good eating repeats at least six times in my celebrations).

when you’re ready to fill that tiny space always left for dessert – there are pineapple tarts and mochi and jelly and cake, and there are also marshmallow treats made by young cousins dipped in chocolate and crushed cornflakes, cheerio atop. and if that’s too much eating for you, perhaps a round of road crossing would help?

恭喜发财, and may you have a great year ahead!
x

wah lok cantonese restaurant, city hall

now, it’s a thursday – and we’re nearly at the weekend – so don’t be harsh. I know this post is a tad late, seeing as how it starts with a photo of yusheng and chinese new year is nearly two months past.

it’s still a worthwhile post though, as the food we had was fantastic, and really rather top of its class. wah lok has always been a steady bulwark of the fine dining cantonese scene, and it well deserves its reputation – food is outstanding, service is utter old-school goodness, and the place is modern (none of that outdated furnishing you see so often in these restaurants) but amenable to cosy family dinners.

a high thumbs up from me, and definitely gratifying.

happy new year of the horse, 2014

happy chinese new year!

gong xi fa cai and all prosperous greetings to you! this was my first chinese new year meal of the year, my first lo-hei (tossing of the prosperous salad), and a fantastic meal with friends.

p.s. recipes for those last cookies – a sesame-dark-chocolate-confection – coming soon!