Pages

Sunday, July 4, 2010

A Taste of Cantonese Cuisine (with a bottle of wine)

Lohman wrote …

Sy Pinn and his wife Emily met some ACS61-63 for the second time at dinner on Wed 2 Jan 08 at the Village Wok Restaurant. They were pleasantly surprised at the large turnout of nine ACSians since the last gathering on Fri 19 Jan 07 at dinner at Zi Yean Restaurant with Hee Kuan, Yew Kwok and Lohman.

Sy Pinn and Emily had been away from Singapore and working in Fiji for more than 10 years. They first met up with ACS61-63 at the Weekly Tuesday Lunch on 16 Jan 07.

The seven of the nine ACSians meeting Sy Pinn for the first time after many years of absence are Ethel, Janet, May Lin, John Lee, SP Toh, Hwa Luck and Victor Chia TN. The quiet environment in the restaurant was shattered when Sy Pinn and Emily stepped inside the restaurant with greetings and the OHs and WOWs.

When everybody settled down at the dining table and fed with red wine to lubricate the tongue, the noise level continued unabated with the outpour of questions and enquiries for the reasons to work in Fiji, travel and business opportunities, Sy Pinn’s businesses in golf shop, remittance and IT services, as well as sports and recreational activities. The conversations were fuelled by red wine – 2nd bottle of red wine was purchased by Hwa Luck after the first bottle of Merlot was empty.

Sy Pinn informed the vast seas and oceans and the many islands and islets, many of which were purchased and inhabited including one by Mel Gibson. This prompted Hwa Luck to remark his interest to visit Fiji and to go fishing with Sy Pinn.

When the first dish arrived, it was a plate of 3 Cold Crabs. Hee Kuan said they were “yesterday cooked crabs.” The man diners, like well behaved gentlemen, allowed the woman diners to proceed first to pick their selection. I watched the ladies acted without hesitation – to pick the hard shell with the soft shell meat sticking and dangling from the hard shell. To allow more to enjoy this delicacy, Lohman gently said the whole soft shell meat be split so that more can enjoy the soft shell meat. This was complied. The restaurant’s black vinegar sauce that comes with the cold crabs provides the excellent accouplement for a diner to lace some sauce on the crab meat.

Another restaurant signature dish of Smoke Kampong Chicken was flavourful and succulent. It drew favourable comments from many diners. Other dishes followed including Pating Fish in Mango Sauce. Many like it. However, Janet complained it was too sweet. Aah ya, how to please everybody!

Having met the ACSians, Sy Pinn, who counted his return to Singapore as not more than five times during the more than 10 years in Fiji, has now found another excuse and is now reconsidering to return to Singapore more often.

Yes, Sy Pinn, go ahead to do that. I am sure many of us will be keen to meet up with you each time you return home.

No comments: