Paul Kwok, president of Modern Shanghai restaurant, said they intentionally leave a piece of fish on the plate during Chinese New Year to boost the chances of having more savings in the coming months.
“It means you’ll have savings for the year,” explained Kwok, who recently flew in from Hong Kong to meet members of the media and bloggers at Modern Shanghai. “You shouldn’t finish the fish.”
Dimsum baskets and appetizer trays are also a hit during the Chinese New Year, Kwok noted, saying that these are comparable to treasure boxes.
Modern Shanghai has its own version of the “lucky” offering, serving a plate with the soupy xiao long bao dumplings, sio mai, hakaw and pork buns.
They also have an appetizer platter with Chinese staples such as jellyfish and drunken chicken.
“When it’s Chinese New Year, you’ll see that Chinese houses have a treasure box with all these things. You eat them and you pass the box around,” he said.
Another way to attract good fortune on Chinese New Year is serving pork knuckles, which symbolize longevity and positive energy.
A Filipino version of the traditional Chinese dish is the pata tim, which is usually cooked in a blend of soy sauce, oyster sauce, sugar and cornstarch.
For vegetables, one cannot go wrong with the use of iceberg lettuce, Kwok said. This can be served as is, or can be used to wrap different meat fillings.
While he personally believes in feng shui principles and applies them on Chinese New Year and on his own home, Kwok does not incorporate superstition into his businesses, saying that his main priority is his customers.
“If it’s for my home, I’ll get a feng shui consultant, but not for business. I believe what’s more important is to create a good environment for the customers, creating a comfortable space for them,” he said.
“Because in the end, lucky or not, good food is about using the right ingredients. It’s about the quality of the product,” he added.
Most Filipinos already know that fish is considered “lucky” in Chinese culture, as well as uncut noodles and sticky rice.
Click here for more “lucky” dishes for Chinese New Year.
Click here for more “lucky” practices during the Chinese New Year.
source: www.abs-cbnnews.com
