Chinese New Year is not only for the Chinese. There are many nationalities which celebrate the holiday and with it comes their own brand of dishes for the new year.
Bringing a new perspective the throng of Chinese New Year menus is TAO Seafood Asia, a Thai-Teochew seafood joint which aptly themed their menu Yaowarat. That is no doubt a nod to the vibrant Chinatown in Bangkok.
The chef at TAO pays tribute this Thai mentor by putting a TAO spin on five of Yaowarat’s lunar classics.
If you’re one of those people that dislike raw fish, you’ll love this rendition of the yu-sheng at TAO. The TAO Supreme Prosperity Yu Sheng (S$128++). This refreshing salad comes with fresh mango strips, abalones, fried fish skin, Thai basil leaves and even a smattering of strawberries and blueberries. You can feed eight people easily with this generous yu-sheng.
Not to be missed is also the House of Golden Riches Yaowarat Pen Cai (S$318++ – $488++). Now, I have to say pen cai is normally the dish I dislike the most during Chinese New Year, but I loved this version from TAO.
What used to be a simple peasant dish has come a long way, indeed. The huge pot came filled goodies such as whole abalones, dried oysters, fish maw, prawns, conpoy and sea cucumber. Dried scallops and roasted pork are also included in this dish. The fish maw was my favourite part of the dish as it reminded me of Thai fish-maw soup, which I love.
The pen cai comes with a spicy and strangely addictive green chilli blend. This is definitely a unique method of eating the quintessential dish.
I would also highly recommend the Continuous Successes TAO Thai-Teochew Curry Crab (S$6 for 100g). Traditional yellow Thai curry thickened with coconut milk and spiced with Thai basil leaves, coriander, chillies and kaffir lime leaves resulting in that distinct flavour profile found in most Thai curries.
The Sri Lankan crabs are cooked over a slow-fire before being wok-fried with the fragrant gravy. Get a side of fried mantous to soak up all that delicious and sinful gravy. It’s the festive season, you can indulge a little.
These items on the Chinese New Year menu have to be ordered one to two days in advance and they are available from 3 February to 5 March, 2015.
Usher in the year of the Goat with a Thai-inspired twist. Visit www.taoseafoodasia.com
About the Writer
Cleo Patra is a massive foodie with an appetite for life to match. She travels around the world for the sole purpose of eating and then, showing off on social media.
