Uncut noodles, black moss seaweed, 'yu shang' - these and plenty of other dishes ensure a bright, prosperous Year of thePig, according to Chinese tradition

So what’s your wish this year? More wealth and prosperity? Longevity for loved ones? Or just general good luck?
The Chinese always celebrate their New Year in grand style and strictly to tradition. Each year, the number of ducks and chickens killed for the celebration in Bangkok’s Chinatown reflects the state of the country’s economy.
While there are many other cultural facets relating to the 15-day celebration (spring-cleaning of the house and the distribution of red ang bao envelopes to younger relatives and children), one usually thinks about food at Chinese New Year and the auspicious things that are wished for or promised for the next twelve months.
“The Chinese always celebrate each new year with good food, usually dishes with key auspicious ingredients that promise wealth, health and happiness,” says Kwok Fung Tam, executive chef at Bangkok’s Peninsula Hotel. Each year he prepares set menus for families to celebrate at the hotel’s Mei Jiang Chinese restaurant.
Most of the dishes served during the celebrations have a meaning, and Tam doesn’t fail to reiterate this fact. This year, importing key seasonal ingredients such as dried oysters and abalone from Hong Kong, Tam has prepared two set menus to start the Year of the Pig on a good note.
The “Wealth” menu begins with a plate of colourful salmon yu shang and crispy vegetable salad. Tam explains that yu shang means “best wishes”, and the delicious mixture of crispy, finely julienned vegetables shows that the Chinese always look for pleasure in their meals. The assorted vegetables include spring onion, pickled ginger, carrot and pomelo pulp, which symbolises big, close-knit families with lots of children, after the natural appearance of the fruit itself.
The seven-course menu continues with a shark’s fin and chicken wonton soup, a staple for the occasion thanks to its semblance to gold nuggets. Tam sources the shark’s fin from the northwest Pacific and makes the wrap thin, instead of the thicker version popular in northern China. This is what Thai people are more familiar with.
Then comes the delicious braised abalone and dried oyster with shiitake mushrooms. The dried oyster imported from Hong Kong is a seasonal wonder. Each year during winter, the Chinese look forward to cooking this precious shellfish, which symbolise prosperity. The oyster is special not only for what it symbolises, but also for its taste that goes very well with the thick and succulent South African abalone, meaty shiitake and black moss seaweed, which represents wealth.
When it comes to improving life overall, what could be better than a plate of steamed crab claws with garlic soy sauce? The big claws, from Thai waters, are selected to give consistency in size and are steamed to perfection.
“Usually, the Chinese eat fish during New Year,” says Tam. “But I incorporated crab claw into this ‘wealth’ menu because it also gives good meaning. Your life will definitely move forward with these big crab claws.”
And the chef doesn’t fail to serve another typical dish – thickly sliced roasted duck in pepper sauce.
The savoury courses end with a plate of fried glutinous rice, which is very special both for the added ingredients and the cooking method. The rice, though sticky, is not gooey and the key ingredients such as conpoy (a type of dried scallop revered in China as much as the truffle in Europe) and dried meats are all especially hand carried from Hong Kong. The dish represents the year’s cold season and is a perfect way to end the course.
Good luck is finally assured with a bowl of sweet almond cream and sesame dumplings. In this dessert, Tam includes ginkgo seeds (representing silver ingots) and lily bulbs (togetherness and abundance). The almonds, often used in traditional Chinese medicine, are good for healing throat symptoms.
The New Year Wealth Menu is available for both lunch and dinner from Saturday to February 25 for Bt1,980 per person. These dishes are also available a la carte. Call Mei Jiang at (02) 861 2888.