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Published on July 18, 2007

It was warm and loud beginning marked with a dragon dance at the Peninsula Hotel - Jackie Ho, the new executive chef at the hotel's Mei Jiang restaurant, was presenting a special 10-course dinner called "Flavours of the East".

The Hong-Kong born chef, who honed his skills working in various countries and giving his recipes local flavour, offered some typically Chinese dishes bursting with some uniquely interesting flavours at the dinner. The chef has worked in Hong Kong, Guangzhou, Beijing, Shenyang, Surabaya in Indonesia and Bangkok - tastes encompassed at the meal.

The culinary journey that evening began with appetisers, which included savoury Cantonese lobster dumpling fritters, cold Shanghai drunken chicken and jellyfish as well as marinated Beijing-smoked pomfret. The pomfret, which is usually steamed was served Beijing style - deep-fried and smoked. Beijing residents usually preserve the fish with special smoking techniques so it can last through the long winters of northern China.

We then moved on to clear shark fin soup, which was double-boiled to max out the flavour and had yellow fungus and ginseng to add to the texture. Double boiling is a signature Cantonese technique that is believed to be good for health.

Then came a favourite Hong Kong delicacy - braised abalone with shiitake mushrooms in oyster sauce. Mei Jiang serves fresh Australian abalone.

Also on the menu were Beijing-style sautéed prawns in a sweet and sour sauce, a crispy basket of potatoes, Indonesian-style crispy scallop rolls, Guangzhou-style steamed sea garoupa, stir-fried Shen Yang pork loin sticks and Bangkok-style baked crab claws with glass noodles, nam pla and chilli sauce.

For desert, Ho served up Mei Jiang's famous almond cream with bird's nest and lily bulbs as well as Chinese pastries.

Ho is also known for his skills at making dim sum and imaginative seafood dishes. Call the Peninsula Hotel at (02) 861 2888 for information and reservations.

Sirin P Wongpanit

The Nation