Chinese lauriat to celebrate love
“PANCITERIA” and “Comida China” are very much a part of my recollection about good food. I grew up frequenting Ongpin and Carvajal streets in Binondo Chinatown where the best Chinese restaurants are found. Even as a little girl, I favored Chinese cuisine, almost holding it in awe. My favorite, Comida China, then included simple dishes like Morisqueta Toastada (Fried Rice), Ho To Tay Soup, Camaron Rebosado (Fried Battered Shrimp), Pinsec Frito (Fried Wanton), Pancit Canton, Lumpia Shanghai, and many more.
Chinese lauriats, on the other hand, are for special celebrations. The word “lauriat” in Fookien dialect is “lao diat”, which means “special occasion.” A lauriat consists of at least 10 special dishes and dining lasts for hours.
The Chinese Banquets in Radisson Blu Hotel Cebu, which is owned by the richest Chinese Filipino tycoon Henry Sy, are taking luxury with a lauriat for any celebration. I was privileged to be part of an intimate Chinese Lauriat to celebrate love at the hotel’s Red Room as a prelude to showcase the “Weddings at the Blu: a Bridal Fair.” And I was lucky to be seated between Radisson Blu Hotel Cebu’s Marketing Director Ann Olalo and prominent businessman Jason Uy and his wife, Alice.
The Chinese Lauriat team is led by Chinese Chef Peter (Yeung Siu Man) from Hong Kong and Dim Sum Chef Eric (Zeng Zi Liang) from Guangdong, China. Chef Peter has been in the kitchen for 24 years and left Hong Kong to work in Manila in 1995. This explains why Chef Peter speaks English and fluent Tagalog. A younger Chef Eric is a Dim Sum Master. He started as a Dim Sum Cook preparing ingredients, moved up as Dim Sum Pastry Chef and gained the expertise needed to be a Dim Sum Chef. Their teamwork ensures the authenticity and high quality of the lauriat menu for all its banqueting packages.
The appetizers were a sight to behold, Crispy Unagi Roll, with Plum Sauce, Five Spice Lo Su Soya Duck Breast, Spicy Sichuan Beef, Pork Knuckle with Garlic Vinegar and Asparagus in Abalone Sauce. The Deep Fried Stuffed Crab with Mushroom Sauce was delicately crisp outside with a creamy stuffing of crab meat, garlic and white onions.
To warm our palates and tummies, Abalone with Chicken Dumpling Soup was served. The Yin-Yang Prawns Combination with deep fried Prawn balls with mango salad dressing and stewed baby shrimps in XO sauce, were artistically laid out to resemble the Yin-Yang symbol. Steamed Garoupa “Kiri” Style was presented with the fish spread like a butterfly. Braised Bamboo Fungus and Assorted Mushrooms were wrapped in tofu or bean curd skin (the film that forms on liquid surface when soy milk is boiled, collected and dried into yellowish sheets). As in any lauriat, Fried Rice with Beef in Shrimp Paste was served last. The lauriat dinner was exquisite; leaving everyone satisfied and with our senses filled up. It was, indeed, a feast to celebrate love.
