Shenzhen & Dongguang 2010 - Dinner at Goodview Hotel Chinese Restaurant
During our visit, we were treated to a lavish dinner by a local official at the Chinese Restaurant in Goodview Hotel. Chinese officials used to be well-known for throwing lavish dinners with an opulent spread of dishes - often much more then the guests are able to consume. To the host, if the food is finished off then he loses face for not being generous enough to more then satisfy the guests - hence they will always over-order to make sure there is plenty of leftovers. I am glad to see that this wasteful tradition has been replaced by an emphasis on quality rather then quantity.
The private room where we had our dinner.
Our dinner did not have an endless flow of dishes, but everything served was of very high quality. The most opulent dish was probably the Chicken Soup which was cooked with “Winter Worm Summer Grass” or “Caterpillar Fungus” (Cordyceps Sinensis). This herb from Nepal is thought to have very high medicinal values and is becoming very rare. It has in fact become the Chinese version of “white truffle”, and can costs thousands of dollars for a few grams. Of course the proof of the pudding is in the taste, and I must say this is one of the best soups I have ever tasted so far. It is very rich and complex in flavour, with the fungus giving the soup a very appealing herby taste that is very difficult to describe. I can only describe it as “The Taste of Fulfilment” - the feeling if having your wishes come true.
The level of execution and service in the restaurant is one of the best I have come across in China. Everything has the right balance of tastes and the lightness of touch which comes from complete confidence in the handling of the ingredients. Overall an excellent dining experience.
This is what we had:
A trio of appetizers - Smoked Duck, Green Beans with Preserved Vegetables, Chicken Gizzards with Chinese Mustard Green.
The main star of the dinner - Herbal Chicken Soup with Cordyceps - individual servings. Really one of the best soups I've had the privilege of tasting.
Grilled Beef Ribs - very tender and flavourful.
Braised Fish Maw with Tofu. The fish maw was not deepfried as is normally done in Chinese cuisine, but tenderized through the braising process to retain the original flavour and texture. Really nice.
Claypot Free Range Chicken with Ginger, Peppers and Garlic.
Oven-baked Baby Abalones.
Steamed Fish. I can't identify the fish, but the meat was really sweet and delicate.
Steamed Prawns with Garlic.
Braised Greens with Superior Stock and Ham.
Steamed Sweet Date Layer Cakes.
Finished off with some nicely presented fruits.
The private room where we had our dinner.
Our dinner did not have an endless flow of dishes, but everything served was of very high quality. The most opulent dish was probably the Chicken Soup which was cooked with “Winter Worm Summer Grass” or “Caterpillar Fungus” (Cordyceps Sinensis). This herb from Nepal is thought to have very high medicinal values and is becoming very rare. It has in fact become the Chinese version of “white truffle”, and can costs thousands of dollars for a few grams. Of course the proof of the pudding is in the taste, and I must say this is one of the best soups I have ever tasted so far. It is very rich and complex in flavour, with the fungus giving the soup a very appealing herby taste that is very difficult to describe. I can only describe it as “The Taste of Fulfilment” - the feeling if having your wishes come true.
The level of execution and service in the restaurant is one of the best I have come across in China. Everything has the right balance of tastes and the lightness of touch which comes from complete confidence in the handling of the ingredients. Overall an excellent dining experience.
This is what we had:
A trio of appetizers - Smoked Duck, Green Beans with Preserved Vegetables, Chicken Gizzards with Chinese Mustard Green.
The main star of the dinner - Herbal Chicken Soup with Cordyceps - individual servings. Really one of the best soups I've had the privilege of tasting.
Grilled Beef Ribs - very tender and flavourful.
Braised Fish Maw with Tofu. The fish maw was not deepfried as is normally done in Chinese cuisine, but tenderized through the braising process to retain the original flavour and texture. Really nice.
Claypot Free Range Chicken with Ginger, Peppers and Garlic.
Oven-baked Baby Abalones.
Steamed Fish. I can't identify the fish, but the meat was really sweet and delicate.
Steamed Prawns with Garlic.
Braised Greens with Superior Stock and Ham.
Steamed Sweet Date Layer Cakes.
Finished off with some nicely presented fruits.
Comments