Traditional Chinese dishes with a twist
By Nicole-Marie Ng
Call me old-fashioned, but Chinese home cooking is still one of my favourite meals to have. It’s often seen as comfort food but should also be appreciated for its culinary finesse; combining bold flavours to create dishes that stand out even after eight courses.
Peony Jade is one of those restaurants that come up with innovative dishes that still fit into its largely traditional Chinese menu. These are five new dishes that will keep you coming back for more.
1. Suckling Pig served with Otah in Vietnamese Rice Roll Wrap ($268 serves 10)
There are so many things going on in this dish but somehow it manages to work. Instead of the usual Peking duck rolls, try this interesting combination of crispy, spicy and chewy all in one.
2. Braised Oxtail with Red Wine, served in Claypot ($38)
My favourite dish of the night, a luxurious oxtail stew with sweet carrots and potatoes. After stewing for hours, the meat of the oxtail simply falls off the bone and melts in your mouth as you take scoop after scoop of the intensely rich stew.
3. Roasted Crispy Chicken stuffed with Glutinous Rice and Preserved Meats ($58)
The roasted chicken is the dish most of us look forward to during wedding dinners and Peony Jade manages to make it better with their inside-out version of a lo mai gai (steamed sticky rice with chicken). Cut into the boneless crispy chicken to reveal sweet and sticky rice that has absorbed all the flavours of the chicken and various dried Chinese sausages during the steaming process.
4. Steamed Molten Choc-on-bao ($7.50 for three pieces)
These cute little baos were a hit at our table but it was too bad that the custard was not as flowy enough for picture taking purposes. At least it still tasted good!
Peony Jade Restaurant. The Keppel Club, Bukit Chermin Road, 179020.
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