According to Chinese mythology, there are 12 zodiac animals, among which the snake symbolizes intelligence, wisdom and charm. For the upcoming Year of the Snake, geomancers predict it will be one of growth, renewal and self-improvement.
To ring out the old and ring in the new, Café Malacca has again curated a special festive menu (from 18 January to 16 February 2025) to help families celebrate this flagship festival of the year – the Spring Festival.
In recent years, an auspicious dish that has captured the heart and palate of Hongkongers is the multi-coloured Lo Hei, or Prosperity Toss. It is a Cantonese-style raw fish salad that is believed to have originated in southern China. After gaining popularity in Malaysia and Singapore in the 1960s, it has turned full circle and spread to Hong Kong where it has become a quintessential dish for the Spring Festival.
Comprising over 20 meticulously sliced ingredients, the dish (which comes in three standard sizes) invites collective participation as diners bring it to life by mixing up the colourful ingredients and tossing them sky-high in celebration of a year of renewed vitality, and a new year to “prosper”, as they exchange blessings with one another at the same time. It is a joyful and convivial ritual that has been taken up with gusto amongst gourmands.
To start the new year on the right foot, go for the perennial favourite of crab prepared in a choice of exotic styles: Chilli Crab, Black Pepper Crab, White Pepper Crab, or Curry Crab. They pack a punch in terms of taste, aroma and presentation, and all finger-lickingly yummy! To capture the natural goodness and sweetness of the freshest crab, go for Crab Bee Hoon with its noodles soaking up the umami-laden broth.
To cleanse the palate, go for Bakwan Kepiting. Served piping hot in individual stew pots, it is an authentic Penang specialty soup which features exquisite pork meatballs embedded with delightful crab meat and bamboo shoots that add a wondrous complexity to the texture. For a richer variety, go for Kiam Chye Ark – a nourishing duck and pork leg soup featuring salted vegetable, ginkgo nuts and mushrooms – both downright wholesome and nourishing.
Like a Chinese New Year candy box, Loh Bak is an iconic Penang dish showcasing a mixed platter of deep-fried, five-spice pork rolls, prawn fritters, fish balls, bean curd, cucumber, and century-old eggs with pickled ginger. Don’t forget the dipping sauce, and you have a perfect culinary treat that sends your tastebuds into orbit.
Seafood lovers will revel in Assam Prawns, a Penang Nyonya dish. Don’t worry if the prawns appear to be covered by a layer of dark molasses because that is the exquisite tamarind paste that gives you the wonderful balance in sourness and briskness, elevating your prawns to the next level. Meanwhile, fish connoisseurs are guaranteed to have a ball with the renowned Fish Head Curry. Pre-order is advised.
If you like your chicken with a Malaysian twist, go for Curry Kapitan, and you’ll be able to appreciate the tangy, aromatic and spicy characteristics of Nyonya dishes. But a vegetarian dish like the Nyonya Chap Chye is always a wonderful choice as it balances your other protein intakes.
To round off the sumptuous feast, you can’t go past the delightful Nyonya Kuih Dessert Platter for a sweet conclusion.
Café Malacca
Level 2, JEN Hong Kong by Shangri-La
508 Queen’s Road West, Hong Kong
(MTR HKU station, Exit B2)
Tel 2213 6613
Website www.cafemalacca.hk
