Casual Friday

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It has been a LONG time since the Specialist and I last dined together, and since we would be at the Penfolds Re-corking Clinic tonight, we figured we should catch up over dinner. We would also crack open a pair of decent wines, naturally.

I could not have been more surprised when she suggested that we go to Yong Fu (甬府), since all of her friends know she doesn't spend money on high-end Chinese food. Fortunately the restaurant has been doing set lunches and set dinners since earlier this year, and this provided me with the perfect opportunity to try out the set dinner for the very first time.

Gemma remembered how much I loved their mahua (麻花) on my first visit earlier this year, so she made sure I got a plate of it before our food arrived. And just like last time, I had difficulty stopping myself from reaching for it again and again...

Pickled cauliflower (泡製菜梗) - this is always a good idea. I love how they jazz up cauliflower with a little vinegar and a mild level of chili.

Abalone in Huadiao wine and agarwood marinade (沉香花雕醬鮑魚) - the flavors from the marinade were pretty deep, and I liked the fragrant spices. Texture-wise this was nice and springy.

Smoked frogs (煙燻田雞) - I had this earlier this year, and while the smoky flavors were prominent, I didn't care for these tonight any more than the ones I had earlier.

Crispy broad beans (香酥豆瓣) - pretty classic flavors.

Fermented sour chili soup with yellow croakers (酸湯黃魚羹) - the Specialist chose this since this was her maiden visit, and one really should have yellow croaker when one is here since the fillets are always so tender.

The acidity of the soup perks up one's tastebuds, but tonight the loofah was a little muddy. Thankfully we still had thin ribbons of yanpi (燕皮) whose textures provided a little bite to contrast with the rest of the ingredients including bamboo pith (竹笙).

Yellow croaker spring roll (黃魚春卷) - two yellow croaker dishes in a row, and this would be my first taste of yellow croaker spring roll here.

This had none of the problems I found in the other spring rolls I've had here, as the filling wasn't too wet and didn't make the wrapper soggy. The latticed shell was very crunchy, which was how it should be.

Pan-fried flathead grey mullet from Hanzhou Bay with pickled mustard stems (榨菜燒杭州灣鯔魚) - looking at the fillet, this would have come from a pretty damn big mullet. On the first bite, though, I thought the taste was a little strong and also a little off. It was pungent like aromatic ginger (沙薑) and not in a pleasant way. Thankfully this involved only the first bite, and the rest of the fish was OK. The Specialist, though, also felt the fish tasted a little strong.

Braised mudflat wild duck with old ginger and cuttlefish roe (老薑墨魚雙燜灘塗野鴨) - this was pretty interesting, because I've never had cuttlefish or squid eggs in any Chinese cuisine before... only at Sushi Saito. Duck is always preferrable over chicken, and these wild ducks from the coastal mudflats [around Hangzhou Bay?] were definitely nice.

Baked swimming crabs with minced pork and Ningbo-style soybean paste (寧式豆瓣醬焗蟹) - at first glance this looked like just a big patty of minced pork topped with the carapace of a swimmer crab...

But actually the whole crab has been chopped up and mixed into the pork patty. Served with some steamed glutinous rice. Pretty tasty, but very filling at this point.

Stir-fried young bok choy (雞毛菜) - so tender.

Stir-fry rice cake with sea anemones (彥蒜炒年糕) - I love Shanghainese-style rice cakes, and I'm really happy the Specialist picked this. The flavors of this dish were lighter than the classic dish from the restaurant's neighboring cousin Xinrongji (新榮記).

Our simple fruit platter included watermelon that was incredibly sweet, as well as delicious little tomatoes.

Ningbo sesame glutinous rice dumplings (寧波湯圓) - these were the best tangyuan (湯圓) that the Specialist remember ever having, and I'm sure she's right! Love how delicate and thin the wrappers are and the intensity of the sesame filling.

Homemade yogurt (酸奶) - how interesting that Chef Liu Zhen (劉震) decided to make yogurt! Pretty nice with the powdered pistachio on top.

We each brought a bottle to dinner, and since this is a "casual" dinner, the Specialist brought along a "casual" bottle of Burgundy. I know she has Taiwanese clients but obviously none of them ever told her about 阿媽胡說...

1995 Bruno Paillard Nec Plus Ultra, dégorgée octobre 2006, bouteille 6,254/9,393 - nose was very savory with lots of salty minerals. Very nutty, with a good level of acidity on the palate that was not too lean or sharp. It actually started out more rounded on the attack but got leaner towards the finish. Nice and complex.

2004 Armand Rousseau Gevrey-Chambertin - very floral and fragrant on the nose, as expected, with lovely notes of black cherries along with fragrant woodsy and leather notes.

A very happy Friday night, with good food at reasonable prices washed down with casual bottles. it was great to catch up with an old friend, and looking forward to more casual bottles...