October 24, 2024 | 12:00am
Dim sum is not just food; it’s a cultural experience.
This is according to chef Andy Liew of Edsa Shangri-La, Manila’s Summer Palace. He explains how making dim sum is a craft that requires patience, attention to detail, and a love for tradition. The hotel’s resident dim sum expert says, “I developed my skills through the years of training under master chefs, learning the traditional techniques and constantly refining my craft by experimenting with new ingredients and methods to create innovative yet authentic dim sum dishes.”
Summer Palace’s latest special involves creative dim sum daily pairings and a bold lobster menu. So, what is it about lobsters that make them apt companions for those baked, fried, boiled delightful bites?
Chef BoonHoe Bun (who began his Summer Palace journey in 2023) explains, “The lobster’s sweet, delicate flavor and tender texture complement the refined nature of dim sum. It adds a touch of luxury and balances the flavors, making it a perfect match.”
Steamed pork siomai with shrimp
Chef Andy, who started working at Summer Palace in 2009, agrees and points out how dim sum pairs well with lobster mainly because of the textural contrast and nature of the luxe seafood.
“The tenderness of lobster meat pairs well with the soft chewy textures found in dim sum, while its subtle sweetness enhances the flavors of the traditional fillings.” He adds that lobster confers a level of sophistication to the meal, “making it a perfect match for the elegant presentation and sophisticated taste of the dim sum.”
Summer Palace’s lobster menu, curated by chef BoonHoe, features dishes that play with texture and taste in novel ways. Among the highlights: wok-fried lobster, Bi Feng Tang style, where succulent lobster is encased in a crunchy, aromatic garlic-breadcrumb mixture, spiced up with chilies and bell peppers. Another must-try is the Braised Lobster Noodles in Superior Sauce, a luxurious combination of delicate rice noodles and tender lobster meat. (Prices start at P4,100+.)
Those bite-sized dim sum delights are presented innovatively as well.
“I maintain a strong foundation in traditional methods, which ensures the authenticity of the dim sum we serve,” chef Andy explains. “However, to keep the offerings fresh and unique, I experiment with new ingredients, such as incorporating season produce or even international flavors as well as modern cooking techniques.” This approach allows the kitchen creatives at Summer Palace to present dishes that are both familiar and exciting, thus “offering a new twist on the classic dim sum while respecting its roots.”
Each day of the week, diners can enjoy two new dim sum creations, carefully paired for a balanced yet adventurous tasting experience. The menu is crafted in a way that each encounter offers something different, making each visit an opportunity for discovery.” (Prices start at P280 net per dish.)
The dishes we sampled at Summer Palace were quite surprising, not the usual: a seafood soup rich in collagen (which is said to be beneficial for the skin), plump and packed pork siomai, as well as a creative use of the lobster ingredient (such as fried lobster rolls, deep-fried lobster with mango salad).
Photo by Avee Navarro Tan
“It’s really putting nature on a plate,” explains Debraliz Galang, the hotel’s director of marketing communications. She says that, since Summer Palace is known for authentic Cantonese cuisine, what the menu offers are honest dishes in generous servings.
Top quality ingredients are a must in Cantonese cuisine, concludes chef BoonHoe. What they do at Summer Palace is to bring out layers of flavor with “precise cooking techniques, such as controlling the heat of the wok, locking in the moisture and taste, and steaming to preserve and marry all the flavors of the ingredients.”
As the people in the kitchen practice their art, craft and delicious sorcery, we diners wait with bated breath and expectant forks for each dish made with skills, steam and singing woks.
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The lobster and dim sum menus are served daily for lunch and dinner. For reservations and inquiries, email [email protected].
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