Hong Kong Festival 2012 – Tasting Menu created by Chef Willin Low
October 16, 2012
Hong Kong is one of my favorite holiday destinations, and I visit it almost every year. Can you imagine, I have been to HK Disneyland and Lantau Island 3 times with 3 different groups of friends! When we talk about Hong Kong, we will never forget the tagline which says “买东西、吃东西”. Indeed, good food and fantastic shopping are just some of the reasons that draw us to the beautiful country.
To celebrate the 15th anniversary of the establishment of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office (HKETO (ASEAN)) has organised a Hong Kong Festival 2012. And the event kicked off with the Wine and Dine launch event held at Wild Rocket last Thursday!
Singaporean celebrity chef, Willin Low, who has visited Hong Kong this September, has created a Hong Kong-inspired menu for food lovers in Singapore. It is a prelude to the Hong Kong Wine and Dine Month in November. Above is a photo of Chef Willin sharing his favourite dining spots in Hong Kong and his inspiration behind the Hong Kong inspired menu
The tasting menu begins with Chinese foie gras sausage and iced kale. You can dip it with soya and wasabi sauce which gives a refreshing taste.
If you want to buy century egg in Hong Kong, you will probably think of Yung Kee Restaurant. Using the century egg, Chef Willin created Home-made egg tofu with century egg sauce.
When we visit Mak’s Noodles in Hong Kong, most of us will only order its wanton noodles. But for Chef Willin, he will order their harji noodles. Inspired by their harji noodles, he created the dry version of Harji Roasted Shrimp Roe Spaghettini with Udang Geragau. Udang Geragau is actually the small shrimps used in chinchalok, when tossed with the noodles, it gives a strong yet delicious taste.
Chilean seabass has white speckled skin, and a beautiful soft white flesh which is perfect roasted. With minimalist presentation, this dish delivers with its subtly chinese flavors from the ginger soy sauce. The fillet is unmistakably delicious and the soft texture me wanting more.
Served on the table, is a plate covered with rice paper and lime. It looks like a pleasant surprise waiting for us.
I open it up slowly to find Iberico char siew with shanghai kao cai & quinoa. Presented in a dark brown shiny glaze, the iberico char siew is juicy and fatty, beautifully marbled with layers of fat around it. The shanghai kao cai and mushrooms are well braised and quinoa from south america balances the dish.
Home-made egg tart was crushed and served with salted egg ice cream. The pastry remains its structure and is perfectly flakey, while the egg mixture turns out deliciously soft and silky. I really enjoyed this!
Last but not least, Chef Willin’s Puree of roasted black sesame with milk ice cream is a dish which many Hong Kong guests will request for it. It is very thick, with lots of sweet, nutty, toasted black sesame flavor.
From L-R: Mr Fong Ngai, Director of Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office (ASEAN), Chef Willin Low of Wild Rocket and Mr Simon Wong, Regional Director of Hong Kong Tourism Board, Southeast Asia
As you can see, all the popular Hong Kong dishes are now magically transformed into delightful fusion delicacies under Chef Willin’s hands. He has certainly showcased Hong Kong’s diverse wine and culinary treats and is an exemplar of food culture exchange between the two places where food is so dear to both people’s hearts. For more activities on Hong Kong Wine & Dine Festival 2012, click here.
If you are keen to try the Hong Kong-inspired menu created by Chef Willin Low, it is available at Wild Rocket from now till 31 October 2012. Reservations are recommended.
Hong Kong-inspired menu by Chef Willin Low
Date: 12 – 31 October 2012
Venue: Wild Rocket Restaurant, 10A Upper Wilkie Road
Tel: +65 6339 9448
Price: $95++ per pax
