Peony Jade’s culinary team celebrates the annual return of the season’s much-awaited quality crustaceans from Yangcheng Lake, in China’s Jiangsu province, with a contemporary Cantonese menu that displays both a great respect for tradition and an enthusiastic nod to the future.
A Modern Take on the Golden Roe
Traditionally, most gourmets would prefer to savour the limited sweet meat and timely steamed crabs’ roes in all its golden glory or with a dash of vinegar and ginger. At Peony Jade, modern seafood enthusiasts would welcome “The Gold Rush” menu as it offers not only the classics but also a fresh take that marries the intensely buttery roe.
This looked like more like a toy than something to be consumed. Props to the aesthetics.
The “Mister Crab” Crystal dumpling ($18.80+ for 4 pieces) looked too good to be eaten. Cute-as-a-button, this true-to-form savoury delight and Instagram-ready morsel is filled with fresh prawns and hairy crab meat that will rival any dim sum classic. The dumpling looked good in terms of aesthetics, tasted pretty decent, but it might be a tad too pricey.
Food Fit for Royalty
Your dishes are gold-dusted – which part of this doesn’t make it feel like a meal fit for royalty?
Another fun creation is the symbolically prosperous “The Golden Charm” Pomegranate-shaped hairy crab meat topped with creamy golden roe ($58+). The beautifully wrapped pomegranate-shaped pouch of freshly steamed prawn is dressed generously with tobiko or salmon fish eggs that delightfully “pop” with flavours.
Sprinkled with edible gold rush, the savoury bundle sits atop a tasty serving of gravy filled with the golden crab roe. To perfect the new age theme, a choice Italian vinegar is served as the Golden Charm’s worthy condiment. It almost seems like every dish here is fit for royalty.
The Yin Yang Balance
Our main star of the meal.
The main star of the meal was the Steamed hairy crab with homemade Chinese rice wine ($48+), a sweet and spicy brew that offers the perfect “Yin and Yang” harmony with the pairing of the fresh and sweet hairy crab meat and savoury roe. The crab was served in a stone bowl, which reminded me of the Korean bibimbap.
The soup’s nutritious essence is layered with the grated ginger, Chinese rice wine (infused with fresh ginger juice), and crunchy wood ear black fungus that is famous for its natural therapeutic effects in cleansing and boosting one’s blood circulation.
Then, up the ante to a whole new level by savouring the brand’s signature bittersweet Mao Shan Wang durian mochi. The chewy yet perfectly soft mochi skin encases the unadulterated Mao Shan Wang durian pulp inside. The durian mocha was soft and chewy outside, and the durian filling was fresh and sweet on the inside – and it served as a fantastic way to end the meal.
This seasonal hairy crab promotion at Peony Jade @ Keppel Club is available from now to 30 November 2014. Prices start from S$12++ for ala carte items, S$88++ per person for set menu and S$138++ per person for premium set menu.
By Eu Shuqi
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