Yu Sheng or Raw Fish Salad is a delicacy during Lunar New Year. the Higher you Toss Up the Dish, the Better is your Luck! this belief started in the 60s by the famous 4 Heavenly Chefs & Restaurant Owners in S'pore. nowadays Salmon has replaced Wolf Herring (Ikan Parang).
this Snake Year 2013, i've to agree with good friend Stanley that this dish from all the outlets we tried seemed Plain! somehow it lacked the Wow! recall we ate this at Wo Peng restaurant on lunar 4th day, he remarked that he already lost count how many times he'd eaten Yu Sheng just for this year!
here you see is from a Neighbourhood Coffee Shop. Takeaway, for less than $20, there're more than 10 types of ingredients exclude the Salmon. in addition there're 2 Good Luck Oranges, an empty Ang Pow with 4D nos written on it, 10 sets of bamboo chopsticks & plastic spoons. not all takeaway provides such.
taste is acceptable. it's not bad. well through restaurants you'll expect to pay at least double!
today is lunar 1st 15th day also known as Chap Goh Meh. officially it's the last day to eat Yu Sheng. but some outlets in Chinatown sell a simpler version usually with Wolf Herring throughout the year.
Happy Chap Goh Meh 2013.
my hokkien friends told me usually they eat Fa Cai fish on the 2nd day of lunar new year for Prosperity reason. this period such Rabbit Fish or White Stomach fish come in very large shoal. in other time, cantonese call it Lai-Monk.
during such festival, the fresh ones in 2013, sell at about $2.50 a kg. frozen type is around $3 to 4 for a packet of 6 or 7 fish.
for cny it's usually done in the steam way. often eggs are found in its stomach. it's a delicacy.
Kong Hei Fatt Choy
last drank sake was 20 years ago with a mr goh in a japanese restaurant. long forgotten its taste but not the friendship!
this bottle by the name Nan, meaning South in Chinese, was a gift by dennis 2 years ago for a special occasion. i waited for 2 years for the Right Occasion to open it.
according to internet data, Nan this particular bottle is Premium Grade. on its label, 720ml, alcohol content: 16%, made in oct 2010 etc. several friends who are good at their own drinks mentioned that chilled it, heat it or drink straight; best to consume at one go. who to follow?
about 10am, feb 9, 2013, i put it in the fridge. around 1.30 we started Reunion Lunch. the fine china cup paired the rice wine perfectly. we'd raw fish salad (yusheng), roast meat/duck/chicken, & claypot treasure (poon choy). Smooth but Tasteless. i drink wine & hard liquor. drank 4 cups but still tasteless & no kick.
about 7pm, i took it out again from the fridge. Ah! can smell the aroma. it tasted better. drank 3 cups.
today, chinese new year 2nd day, dinner with it. Wow! better aroma & taste. felt the kick! drank 3 cups.
my suggestion: it should be chilled for about 24 hours for its aroma & real taste & kick to appear. it has no bubble or sparkling effect, no strong aroma as in wine, no strong bite as in hard liquor. it's a totally different type of drink.
a relative made good rice wine in the old days for cooking. she said many traditional customs need to be observed for good rice wine eg the lady who's having her normal health issue must not make rice wine, auspicious date/time needed etc. the making of Sake in Japan also have many traditional rules to follow.
Enjoy Your Drink. Toast!
