Chef Sammy, Ho Pui Yung arrived at Zi Yat Heen in April 2011 and in almost a year has helped lift the reputation of this upmarket Cantonese restaurant even further. Now, it proudly boasts two Michelin stars and a reputation of being one of the best restaurants in Macau. Noodlies, Sydney food blog had to try this jewel in the Four Season Hotel’s crown.
It was lunch time, so I sampled a range of dishes from both the yum cha and à la carte menus. Of course there would be dozens of dishes on an extensive yum cha menu, but only few that most would order. Sieu mai: steamed pork dumplings with shrimp and conpoy, is one of those. These were large, substantial and especially juicy, they were cooked all the way through, a sign of proper steaming.
Steamed prawn dumplings with green asparagus were delicate and tasty. The prawn contained great flavour without going being over the top, the soft white shell melts in your mouth.
The crab claw was an unusual and luxurious take on yum cha. The outside remained crispy while the inside meaty, juicy and tender, working beautifully with the light shrimp mousse. Delicious and terribly more-ish!
The next dish was a medley of bbq pork and eel, a combination of three delightful morsels:
- The bbq sucking pig cubes were superb, crispy skin, tender flesh.
- The bbq pork was glistening with honey, at first I thought that may have made these pieces too sweet. I was wrong, the saltiness and sweetness were delicately balanced.
- Finally the crispy eel with honey and osmanthus (top centre) looked stunning, gleaming from honey with interesting shape and texture. Strong on the outside while inside, soft and strongly flavoured from the eel. Hard to pick, but this may have been my favourite of the trio, simply for it’s stunning ambitiousness.
The double-boiled Chinese mushrooms, brassica and bamboo piths soup was classic Cantonese fare; simple but deceptively flavoursome. At first, it may taste bland, but seconds later the complex flavour extracted from mushrooms and vegetables emerge. Perfect with a mouthful of steamed rice.
Dessert is a yum cha classic, chilled sago cream with mango, here with addition of pomelo. Here, the execution is far superior to what you’re likely find at your local yum cha. It’s neither thick or too runny and definitely not too sweet (my pet hate). It’s neither too cold or too warm. One mouthful and you appreciate the delightful delicateness of this dessert accentuated by the slight tartness from the sweet and sour pomelo.
Zi Yat Heen
Four Seasons Hotel
Cotai Strip, Macau
This noodlies, Sydney food blog experience was courtesy of the Four Seasons Hotel, Macau.
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