An evening at Chinois

CEBU, Philippines -   For our last Singapore dinner, we had gourmet Chinese at CHINOIS by Susur Lee at Hotel Michael of Resorts World Sentosa.

The restaurant’s name is a play of the French word for “Chinese,” but it could also be the Anglicized translation of its Chinese name, Sin Hua or “New China.” True to its name, traditional Chinese dishes are given a modern touch…or shall I say, a French twist? For instance, our starter dish in the degustation dinner: Smoked Duck & Foie Gras Salad in Homemade Pancake. You actually wrap the meat and liver with the pancake, like you do with Peking Duck. Only this version has salad greens at the side. But the chunk of sinful duck liver lifts it to a higher realm of gustatory delight.

What followed was a steaming cup of Double-boiled Ginseng Chicken Soup. Ahh, I was buoyed higher (I am a chicken person) by this healthy concoction with a generous slice of ginseng root that did not overpower the flavor of the soup. (Please don’t eat the boiled ginseng – no more nutrients!)

Then a delightful first seafood entrée: Steamed Marble Goby Fillet with Shredded Ginger and Orange Peel. The ginger is typically Chinese, but the orange peel makes this a “mestiso” – a poisson chinois al orange! The presentation was visually enticing, while the lovely taste had me yearning to finish up to the last drop the jus comme le miel! Etiquette kept me from doing just that!

By the way, in Chinese dinners, seafood dishes are always preferred since they are the expensive items on the menu. Chinese hosts would serve mostly seafood to esteemed guests. Hence, classy Chinese restaurants offer a variety of seafood specialties.

Second seafood entrée: Braised Tiger Prawn with Chilli Sauce served with Cigar Bun. This time, the presentation was interesting, to say the least! We had a discussion as to the way the “cigar” was propped by the huge prawn – but that’s another matter! The chilli prawn was typically Chinese but the sesame soft breadstick “cigar” gave it a European twist.

In multi-course Chinese dinners (lauriat), rice is always served last. There is a reason behind this; I think, it is for those who may not have partaken satisfactorily in the previous courses. The host saves face when every guest goes home with a full stomach.

Ours was Fried Rice with Freshly-peeled Crabmeat in XO Sauce. One thing I have acquired in the years I got exposed to excellent meals among Chinese family friends is the craving for XO sauce. Funny since I don’t take to anything spicy and XO is spicy! Yet the piquant taste of fermented dried scallops is addicting. The XO rice was excellent and it had a surprising crunch – puffed rice accenting the igloo-like presentation. Scrumptious!

For dessert: Coconut Pudding with Forbidden Rice. This was fragrant pudding, made more so by the sprinkling of fragrant black highland rice – the variety reserved only for the emperor. A fitting ending to a magnificent meal…paired off so well with the subtle tartness of a good Pinot Noir. (FREEMAN)