Having a healthy diet is extremely important for anyone who wants to live well. Diet and wellness are perennial topics in our modern society. During the summer, it is only natural that individuals are enjoying less meat and more vegetarian choices. This season, JW Marriott Hotel Macau is putting the spotlight on two key ingredients – tofu and fruit, encouraging weight watchers and meat-eaters alike to embrace these ingredients as part of a balanced diet.
Loaded with soy protein, calcium, vitamin E, anti-aging properties, and soy lecithin, which aids in blood vessel and brain development and amino acid, tofu also helps to prevent cardiovascular diseases and Alzheimer’s disease. It is also low in calorie content, an ideal weight loss solution for those who seek a trim form.
An ingredient growing in popularity, the humble tofu lends itself well to a variety of flavors and cooking techniques. It is amazingly versatile and adaptable as it absorbs the flavors of the ingredients it is paired with. Crafted by Chef Ben Wong, over ten exquisite, honed-to-perfection tofu dishes are offered at the Man Ho Chinese Restaurant, each with a unique tale, polished to perfection and executed skillfully with visual flair. While tofu may be seen as a common ingredient in Chinese dishes, it is less commonly featured throughout a whole menu – as appetizers, entrées and desserts.
The first highlight is undoubtedly the Braised Four Kinds Tofu and Lobster Shrimp ball with Wild Rice. This dish is set to whet the appetite with four different flavors of tofu – ganoderma spore, coconut, spinach and egg. The creation requires years of experience in the kitchen and a very thorough understanding of the flavor profiles as the balance of flavor and tofu has to be exact. The ganoderma spore piece is topped with a shrimp ball rolled with Boston lobster meat in the center and finished with hashima. The delectable sauce that accompanies this dish is composed from a mixture of red rice, wild rice, premium broth and conpoys.
Next comes the Deep-F
ried Tofu Shrimp Ball Topped with Sautéed Water-chestnut, Celery, Truffle, and Seafood, which alternates the texture of the ingredients, layering it to lend a surprising twist with every bite. With the delicate nature of the tofu, it makes working with the key ingredient something for only the most deft of hands. The tofu is mixed with a specially concocted shrimp paste mixture that is made of spices, dried shrimp, truffle, water chestnut and scallops to fashion a whole new tofu. It is steamed before being deep-fried, and subsequently topped with dried tofu skins and a generous amount of diced dried shrimp and truffle.
Other than tofu, the JW Marriott Hotel summer experience also features fruits. While eaten raw, fruit can intensify the flavor profile of a dish. When it is cooked, it will create appealing textures. Whether as a side dish, dessert, sauce, compote or a component of an entrée, it lends itself to countless possibilities, limited only by one’s imagination.
Chef Ben Wong introduces over ten dishes during this time of year, incorporating seasonal fruit such as coconuts, pears, oranges, pineapples, mangoes, lychees, strawberries and apples. Paired with meat or seafood, fruit helps to enhance the natural taste and reduces grease.
Honed to perfection by the chef, the Deep-fried Duck Served with Pomelo is first boiled with over 40 types of spices and herbs for at least three hours in a variety of rich sauces, including Kam Heong sauce, seafood sauce, plum sauce, peach sauce, fermented tofu and red fermented tofu. The duck is entirely deboned and chopped into small, bite-sized pieces before deep-frying. Sprinkles of red grapefruit and pomelo finish the dish with a flourish, lending a sweet and sour touch to balance the heavier taste of the duck. Another dish that tantalizes the taste buds is the Sweet and Sour Pork with Black Vinegar Pear, made using pear that is cooked in red rice, maltose, lemon, white vinegar, chrysanthemum and other ingredients for three hours. The pork is marinated with Chef’s special black vinegar sauce, which is also combined with fruity brown sauce, black vinegar, tomato sauce and black glutinous rice wine. Finally the mixture is stir-fried to marry the flavors harmoniously. Last but not least, the Suckling Pig Pancake with Pear comprises four layers stacked together. It begins with a waffle biscuit at the base, followed by fresh cucumber, a transparent jelly made from pear and strawberry and finally ends at the top with a delicious thinly sliced layer of suckling pigskin and meat.
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