CNY Reunion Dinner

[Tepee]

We already had 2! One impromptu one at my in-laws on Saturday coz one of the sis was going to be away during CNY. Another one, we had last nite at my parent's...a potluck. The menu was relatively un-banquety and it catered mainly for the grandchildren - 9 of them.

We started off with Yee Sang brought/bought by my tai go. This is the pic before "lo hei".

This is "during"...

and this is "after"

We were late so I had to make a quick job of the photo-taking...excuse the quality.

Mushroom/veggie dish made by mom

Seafood soup with every exotic sea-creature in it made by mom

Sweet sour fish fillet made by yee so

Deep-fried wantan made by mom and some grandkids

Pak cham kai (white chop chicken) made by mom

to be taken with

Yee Cheong always makes Teochew duck but this time he made braised trotters

Since it was my sis's hubby's bday the next day, she made a carrot cake

DH and I had a jelly challenge. He made cendol agar-agar

while I made lychee agar-agar with big sago balls and kwei feh lychee liqueur.

Guess who won?

My yee ko made this tong sui, called "mat du yao", it really has 'everything' in it from gingko nuts, red beans, sea coconut, tiny cubed sweet potatoes, longan, lotus seeds....

This year, they seem to be introducing a tiny kam/mandarin orange (next to tong sui). They are quite sweet and cute, and supposedly doesn't give the sup yit effect.

After the heavy meal, we went for a walk to the night market (pasar malam in Malay) and bought these neen go in banana leaves. The one on the left is trimmed.

2 down, one to go. The actual in-law do will be on the eve itself. I'll be making braised abalone with mushroom and fatt choy.

Soooooo...what are you having?

Edited: wrong image was inserted.

Edited February 7, 2005 by Tepee (log)

[spaghetttti]

What a wonderful feast, Tepee! Wishing you prosperity, success and good fortune in the New Year and always. Happy New Year 4703!

Gong Xi Fa Cai

lots of angpao?

[Ben Hong]

I am impressed.

[Dejah]

I am impressed.

←

You are VERY hungry and envious

as am I!

Teepee, would you please describe what was in the Yee Sang?

In the mushroom/veg dish, was that creamed seafood, scallop, on top?

Everything looks wonderful! Thank you.

Gung Hai Fat Choy!

[Tepee]

Thanks, Yetty, Ben and Sue-On. Gung Hei Fatt Choy to you and all at eGullet too!

Yetty, as for ang pows, we who are married are on the giving side, not the receiving side. However, it is fun to give, although inflation has hiked up the amount of $$ expected somewhat.

Sue-On, you can see how yee sang is made here. It's a great appetizer, but I don't mind swapping this for your loh bak goh. And, that wasn't creamed seafood in the veggie dish. It was crab meat. But, if I'm not mistakened, there was dried scallops in that dish too.

Can't wait to see what you guys had. After posting this thread, I realized that there is another similar thread going on in General Food Topics. I hope I didn't cause too much confusion.

[Ben Hong]

Tepee, Is it a dialect change for those little red packages of cash. We call them "hung pao" hung=red, pao=package. This is the first time I've heard the term "angpow".

I gotta get out more.

[Tepee]

Gosh, I didn't realize I said 'ang-pow'. Yes, it's Hokkien/Fook Kin. Malaysian chinese are quite at home with several of the main dialects, ie. Mandarin, Cantonese, Hokkien. I'm Hakka and hubby is Teochew, but we speak Cantonese to each other besides English. Go figure.

[Tepee]

The first of the fireworks are going off now...at 11 pm. Firecrackers are banned in M'sia but that doesn't stop some people of creative means to get some.

[Shiewie]

Hi TP

Very yummy 'tuen neen fan' pictures. We've been taking the easy way out in my family for the past few years for the reunion dinner and 'hoi neen' - we eat out I'm afraid! Here's what we had:

Yue Sang - before the 'lo-hei' (mixing) and during

Sharksfin soup

Hoi Sum Mun Tung Gu (Sea Cucumber Braised with Mushrooms)

Steamed Pomfret with Suet Choy

Yuk Lan Fei Kai (Poached chicken with Kai Lan and Yunnan Ham)

Jeen Har Lok (Fried Prawns)

Lap Mei Fan

Hoong Tau Sar with Tong Yuen

Mar Tai Go and Wor Paeng

[Pan]

I wish I had been there!

Shiewie, what are the ingredients in Yue Sang? (Apologies if this was already addressed.)

[spaghetttti]

Oh, how wonderful that all looks! What is the significance of the "lo hei"?

[Shiewie]

Hi Michael / Yetty

Come visit KL / Singapore (as Yue Sang is a Malaysian / Singaporean Chinese dish) during Chinese New Year the next time!

The ingredients for Yue Sang vary slightly from place to place but it's basically a mixture of julienned vegtables, pomelo, finely shredded candied and preserved fruit and fruit peels, crushed peanuts, sesame seeds, fried dough pieces, jellyfish, slices of raw fish topped with a dressing of mainly plum sauce and oil with a dash of salt and pepper. Tepee posted a link to Renee's Shiokadelicious blog which features her family's version of Yue Sang.

Here's a picture of the various bits and pieces before it was topped with the fried dough pieces and dressing. .

The signifance of the communal mixing / tossing of Yue Sang (loh hei) is for good luck in the coming year. The loh hei is usually accompanied by sayings for good luck, wealth and prosperity - it's also believed that the higher you toss the Yue Sang, the better it is, as it symbolizes greater heights of good luck, wealth and prosperity in the coming year.

Yue Sang used to be eaten on the seventh day of Chinese Year (Yan Yaat - everybody's birthday) only but it now shows up on restuarant menus well before Chinese New Year (like a month before) and is available right till the last (15th) day of Chinese New Year.

[Ben Hong]

Shiewie, absolutely stunning...food and pictures

[Tepee]

Shiewie, which restaurant was that scrumptious feast taken? I love Mar Tai Gou .

[Shiewie]

Thanks Ben !

Hi TP - the dinner was at Magic Wok in Damansara Jaya. It's open throughout Chinese New Year ... unfortunately it can be quite a wait, as is the case in all Chinese restaurants during this period. Our dinner 'session' was at 9pm ... and there were still others waiting for their tables!

The mar tai gou was sort of a mixture of mar tai (water chestnuts) and suk mai (corn) - the texture wasn't quite the usual, it was more like the nyonya hoen keuh texture.

[Tepee]

Hi TP - the dinner was at Magic Wok in Damansara Jaya. It's open throughout Chinese New Year ... unfortunately it can be quite a wait, as is the case in all Chinese restaurants during this period. Our dinner 'session' was at 9pm ... and there were still others waiting for their tables!

←

Do they allow reservations?

BTW, I love the latest Haven issue. Good job!

[Pan]

Did Shiewie write a piece in a magazine? Please fill us in on the Haven issue, if it's on-topic.

[Shiewie]

TP -

Magic Wok does take reservations. I think most people there for Chinese New Year's Eve would have made reservations (most restaurants will advise you to book when you call up to check whether they're open for the eve) however there were tables that still ended up waiting that night as the previous sitting finished dinner late. If you'd like their number for future references, it's 03-7729 2288.

Michael - I haven't written any published articles I'm afraid .