Si Chuan Dou Hua’s executive Cantonese chef Hoo Chee Keong leads the way in bringing a modern slant to wellloved Sichuan and Cantonese cuisines.
Chinese New Year is about new beginnings, looking ahead and having a fresh start. For Si Chuan Dou Hua (Top of UOB Plaza)’s executive Cantonese chef Hoo Chee Keong, it’s all that and more, especially when it comes to food. From thoughtful details to the careful plating and presentation of each dish, these are the little joys in life worth celebrating.
Take the exclusive Fugu Yusheng on its festive menu for example. More than just your typical festive salad, Hoo has incorporated fresh edible flowers such as ulam raja for a tarte mango flavour, and Szechuan leaves for a spicy kick. Meanwhile, the fugu (pufferfish) sashimi is artfully arranged as a tiger in an obvious nod to the Year of the Tiger.
“Last year was rather pessimistic with people living under the shadow of uncertainty,” Hoo explains. “With a new start, I hope that the edible flowers in the dish would brighten up everyone’s mood.”
A HEALTHIER ROAD AHEAD
The 40-year-old chef has also introduced plenty of firsts since joining last April. As one of the youngest executive chefs to helm the restaurant, he began curating a new dining experience – a more refined and modern take on Sichuan and Cantonese cuisines but still rooted in traditional techniques.
The two dishes he is particularly proud of are Deep Fried Cod with Cordyceps Flower in Homemade Soybean Stock, and Smoked Spare Rib with Lychee Wood Crumb. The former is a refreshing interpretation of fish head steamboat where, instead of regular milk, he combines homemade soybean milk with flavourful stock made from fish bones and cabbage. “It’s an homage to the restaurant’s signature beancurd dishes,” says Hoo.
The latter dish is unveiled in a dramatic smoky flourish – much to the delight of diners, Hoo notes. It features fork-tender pork ribs that have been fried, steamed, marinated, then blanched in oil again. Applewood and lychee wood smoke give an added dimension to the dish. Even then, Hoo is not one to rest on his laurels. He is already thinking of making improvements such as using Spanish spare ribs for a more robust and sweeter flavour.
As we dive headlong into 2022, Hoo gives us a tantalising peek into his upcoming new dishes. Inspired by an increased focus on health and wellness in response to the pandemic, he says he will be sourcing for and using more organic ingredients and healthier foods such as noodles infused with spinach and beetroot. While the last two years have proven to be unpredictable, one thing’s for sure: we can look forward to more exciting dishes at Si Chuan Dou Hua in the coming months.
