Food | Literature and Cuisine

During the month of October, MGM Macau is collaborating with Yechun Teahouse, a century-old restaurant in Yangzhou, to prepare a menu of Huaiyang delicacies, titled the Red Mansion Feast. The menu is created by a team of nine nationally renowned chefs from the region together with MGM’s top chefs, inspired by favorite dishes of characters from the great Chinese literary work Dream of the Red Chamber.
Huaiyang dishes are often served in banquets for big events such as the first grand banquet for the ceremony of the founding of the People’s Republic of China in 1949 and Huaiyang cuisine is one of the Four Great Traditions that dominate the culinary heritage of China, along with Shandong, Cantonese and Sichuan cuisines. Considered a prestigious style of cuisine, it originated in the Spring and Autumn Period, gaining popularity in the Sui and Tang dynasties, and finally flourishing in the Ming and Qing dynasties.
The cuisine is known of its use of fresh seafood and seasonal ingredients, while also putting emphasis on carving skills. Most dishes are paired with clear broths, consommé and dumplings, light in taste with a lingering aroma.
Following years of research and analysis of historical documents and ancient recipes by top Huaiyang chefs and a number of historians, the Red Mansion Feast menu reflects the Red Mansion culture, as it combines costumes, stories, music and dishes described in the novel to bring guests back in time while enjoying the atmosphere and the delights of bygone Qing dynasty. Personally, I find it to be a feast for the eyes with beautiful, colorful presentations. It is indeed not only a celebration of food, but also a complete cultural experience.