When the Middle Kingdom celebrates the two thousand year old Duanwu (Dragon Boat) Festival I can close my eyes and picture the gorgeous colorful Dragon Boat Races watched by the local folk who would be celebrating with lots of Zongzi (sticky rice dumplings) and  rice wine. I was excited when I received an invitation from Yauatcha to attend a preview of the special menu launched for the The Dragon Boat Festival as it is one of my favorite places to dine and I love their dimsums and desserts. Their celebrations include a limited edition menu created by Head Chef Wang Yixuan featuring a variety of zongzi, alongside a dessert and an exclusive cocktail.

The meticulously created menu includes authentic but contemporary delicacies devoured during this festival. The newly introduced zongzi dishes include different fillings of edamame and vegetarian duck, pork belly and shiitake mushroom, lamb and pine nuts and chicken among others. I really enjoyed the Zongzi dishes and especially loved the one with pork belly and shitake mushroom.  We were also served a stunning Chicken with Schezwan Peppercorn and a Spicy Wild Prawn Curry that was delicious, as well as a lovely Wok Tossed Vegetarian Chicken we all enjoyed.

To complete the festive meal, we enjoyed a dessert and a cocktail both created with wine as is the tradition. The Wine-soaked water chestnut with mango cake is served alongside a Sauvignon sorbet which was wonderful ….. When it comes to dessert Yauatcha is spot on both in terms of the outstanding plating as well as delightful flavors. The Yauatcha Signature Dessert Raspberry Delice and their stunning Macaroons which are my personal favorites were also served for dessert bring up a perfect sweet ending to our delicious dinner. The  Citrus Spritz cocktail, made with vodka, dry vermouth, lime and wine was brilliant and I loved it … it’s not only a perfect summer cocktail but pairs beautifully with the Zongzi Dishes… highly recommended.

It was a delightful evening filled with wonderful food and outstanding conversations with my co-diners. This fantastic dinner was a part of Yauatcha’s – Evenings of Eminence which have become a fixture that is looked forward to in the City of Joy’s social calendar. Chef Kushal Lama and his team outdid themselves to put up a truly delightful meal for all the guests.

The Dragon Boat Festival menu is available to order from an a la carte menu from 1st June until 30th June, 2016, for all day dining.

 

DISCLAIMER: The author was invited to dine at the invitation of The Management