A change in seasons brings with it a breath of fresh air and a new tasting menu.
The new executive chef of Michelin-starred Yu Ting Yuan, Cheung Kwok Pong aka Tommy Cheung has introduced himself and his signature dishes to Bangkok in a seven-course Cantonese menu. Chef Cheung’s dedication to his craft is rooted in his early experiences in Hong Kong’s culinary scene, inspired by his family’s background in the industry. From humble beginnings as a trainee at a local restaurant, he honed his skills and rose through the ranks, working at renowned establishments, including two Michelin-starred Yan Toh Heen, which was renamed Lai Ching Heen in 2022 and is in the Regent, Hong Kong, before becoming executive chef at Ya Ge, a Michelin-starred restaurant in Taipei, Taiwan.
“With our new signature tasting menu, we aim to elevate Cantonese cuisine, highlighting the authentic flavours of the region,” says the chef. “I use seasonal ingredients, cooked using the right techniques to bring out their best flavours. Though it sounds simple, it is this harmonious combination of ingredients and traditional Cantonese cooking techniques that makes Yu Ting Yuan one of the best there is.
Begin with an amuse bouche of something as simple as a cherry tomato with plum powder and an umeshu jelly. The Prawn toast with barbecued suckling pig skin combines the richness of the pig skin with the succulence of prawns, while the pan-fried Hokkaido scallop with Osietra imperial caviar offers a luxurious burst of briny indulgence. “Crispy pork in Cantonese cuisine is usually served as an appetiser and so is the prawn toast, but here I have decided to combine the two to give diners, twice the flavour in one bite,” says chef Cheung.
“Cantonese cuisines is all about the seafood, hence there is the soup with the fish maw, which is a premium ingredient, and the lobster that follows,” explains chef Cheung.
It is the Double-boiled fish maw soup with matsutake and conpoy that will evoke a feeling of contemplation, especially on a rainy day as one sips the soup and stares out into the reflection pond. Sigh! The umami notes, highlighting the richness of the fish maw and the earthiness of the matsutake is like a warm hug that one needs from time-to-time. However, I would have preferred if the dish was not so flat, so I could scoop up every last drop of soup.
This may sound shocking but in the next course, the Boston lobster did not excite me as much as the abalone sauce. The crustacean is wok-fried with the sauce, with a generous shaving of Tasmanian black truffle, tableside. The sweet lobster meat complemented by the aromatic truffle and savoury abalone sauce served in a nest of fried vermicelli is divine!
Delight in the steamed Grouper with housemade bell pepper sauce, served on a bed of celtuce salad adding a bit of freshness and coolness to the dish. The Wok-fried Australian Mayura Station makes excellent use of the platinum wagyu strip loin, which is served with black bean and dried tangerine peel sauce, and fresh onions. The exceptional quality of the beef, which is only available at the Four Seasons Bangkok, showcases a delicate balance of traditional Cantonese flavours. Unusually, the dish comes with a wedge of lime, “should you prefer to enhance the tangerine peel flavour,” says the chef. A delicious dish that really doesn’t require a squeeze of lime, I would have preferred a bolder punch of the dried tangerine peel, that Cantonese cuisine is so known for.
One of the better fried rices I’ve had, the Cantonese fried rice with crab meat in XO sauce, where the delicate sweetness of crab meat is elevated by the flavours of the sauce. But liking all things spicy, I did ask for chilli sauce for the rice.
A miniature trio of signature desserts — Chilled mango sago creme with pomelo; Lychee, rose imperial and raspberry; and Chocolate, Schezwan pepper and hazelnuts caramel round off the meal.
“Through careful selection and meticulous preparation, I aim to create dishes that are true to authentic Cantonese flavours, but at the same time are elevated for a fine-dining experience,” adds chef Cheung.
Chef Cheung’s signature menu is priced at B6,500++. Call 02-032-0885.
