Jump to content

  • Welcome to the eG Forums, a service of the eGullet Society for Culinary Arts & Letters. The Society is a 501(c)3 not-for-profit organization dedicated to the advancement of the culinary arts. These advertising-free forums are provided free of charge through donations from Society members. Anyone may read the forums, but to post you must create a free account.

[Austin] Report: Chinese New Year dinner

Kent Wang

By Kent Wang
in Texas: Dining

 Share

Recommended Posts

Kent Wang

Kent Wang

Posted
Posted (edited)

This was our most successful Chinese New Year banquet yet, with eight people in attendance.

Photos by yimay.

gallery_36558_3077_143321.jpg

Jellyfish. Everyone liked it!

gallery_36558_3077_2882.jpg

Kao fu. Wheat gluten, mushrooms, bamboo, etc. Traditionally, a Shanghai breakfast dish.

gallery_36558_3077_121954.jpg

Pork and soy sprout soup.

gallery_36558_3077_45998.jpg

Dumplings with pork, shrimp and scallops. Very interesting, I've never had a dumpling with scallops before. They might have been dried scallops as there was a more pronounced briney taste.

gallery_36558_3077_94343.jpg

Quail.

gallery_36558_3077_120566.jpg

"Lion's head", giant meatballs, extremely tender and fluffy.

gallery_36558_3077_123667.jpg

gallery_36558_3077_88097.jpg

gallery_36558_3077_225718.jpg

gallery_36558_3077_18741.jpg

Peking duck.

gallery_36558_3077_88220.jpg

Ti pang, braised ham hock. Thick layer of skin and fat. Probably my favorite dish.

gallery_36558_3077_89510.jpg

gallery_36558_3077_38402.jpg

Me, my friend Pete.

gallery_36558_3077_5919.jpg

Whole flounder with roe. A fish with roe is considered an auspicious sign.

gallery_36558_3077_121810.jpg

Mustard greens covered in "black hair" seaweed sauce. Black moss or black hair seaweed is actually an algae and is eaten on Chinese New Year because its chinese name "fa cai" (hair vegetable) is a play on words that means prosperity, as in "gong xi fa cai", which is a greeting exchanged during Chinese New Year meaning good luck and prosperity. The seaweed is mild in flavor but added a thick texture to the sauce.

gallery_36558_3077_198115.jpg

Eight treasure rice. The most important Chinese New Year dish, composed of eight different "treasures" in sweet, glutinous rice, similar to a rice pudding. I can't remember all eight of the treasures but they included dates, raisins, gingko nuts, peanuts and prunes.

gallery_36558_3077_249187.jpg

We all have iPhones!

Pao's is a really terrific restaurant. If it was more conveniently located I would come out all the time.

We raised $32 for the Society at this event.

Thank you everyone for coming out. The Year of the Rat is shaping up to be a delicious one.

Edited by Kent Wang (log)
Link to comment
Share on other sites
prasantrin

prasantrin

Posted
Posted (edited)

I love that picture of you and Pete holding your...paoping? (that's what I've always called them, but I don't know if that's really what they're called) up in anticipation. "Hurry up and take the d*** picture! I want my food!"

eta: nevermind...I see the paoping was for the duck...but your expressions are still priceless!

Edited by prasantrin (log)
Link to comment
Share on other sites
Richard Kilgore

Richard Kilgore

Posted
Posted

Absolutely gorgeous food! I definitely want to eat there on an Austin trip.

At our Dallas LNY Dinner the Peking Duck was served with small buns, but yours were served with something that looks more like a tortilla. Is this a Chinese regional difference?

Richard Kilgore

eG Ethics Signatory

Brew, sip, discuss.

Ten ways you can help the eGullet Society...

Link to comment
Share on other sites
yimay

yimay

Posted
Posted
At our Dallas LNY Dinner the Peking Duck was served with small buns, but yours were served with something that looks more like a tortilla. Is this a Chinese regional difference?

i'm not sure if it's a regional thing. i've tried to find this out myself but have never been successful. i grew up (in houston) having peking duck with the flat wrappers. it wasn't until later in life i experienced peking duck with steamed buns. these "tortillas" were unusually thick. they should be very thin, like mu shu wrappers. i like the steamed buns better, but you can get more goodies in the thin wrappers. i'm torn!

Link to comment
Share on other sites
jsmeeker

jsmeeker

Posted
Posted

Looks great! Your pics are so much nicer than mine.

As far as what is served with the duck. I don't know the why's of what are served, but I have been served peking duck with the thin "pancakes" before. Both were good. Can't really say which I prefer. The thin pancakes like I had before (in Las Vegas) or the puffy, steamed buns I had on Saturday night in Richardson.

Jeff Meeker, aka "jsmeeker"

Link to comment
Share on other sites
jayejo

jayejo

Posted
Posted
Looks great! Your pics are so much nicer than mine.

As far as what is served with the duck.  I don't know the why's of what are served, but I have been served peking duck with the thin "pancakes" before.    Both were good. Can't really say which I prefer. The thin pancakes like I had before (in Las Vegas) or the puffy, steamed buns I had on Saturday night in Richardson.

My BlackBerry and I are sad that we couldn't make it.

There's nothing so bad in this life that pork fat can't make better.

My Blog

Link to comment
Share on other sites
 Share
Go to topic listing
×
×
  • Create New...