It may look like just another “steamed fish” dish in a restaurant, but I see it as an elevation of local Chinese food. Chef Edward Chong’s new dish 梅菜乾東星斑馬鮫魚獅子頭pushes the envelope, delivering multiple layers of flavour in a 2-mouthful-sized nugget.

He sets the ground work by braising mui cai (梅菜 or preserved mustard leaf) and pork belly till soft. The amino acids and salt content in the mui cai enhance the pork flavour, releasing an appetising musky aroma and robust savouriness.

Next, he made fish paste using mackerel, which has a pronounced flavour and firm texture. When this little dollop of mackerel fish paste is sandwiched between braised mui cai, and a fillet of fresh leopard coral grouper (東星斑), it acts like an intermediary between the grouper above and the mui cai below; tying the whole assemblage together in taste and texture.

Last but not least, the optics of the dish is deceptively simple, with a precise level of knife skill involved.
#chinesefood #cantonesecuisine #chinesecuisine #seafood #sgchef #sgrestaurant #sgfood #sgfoodie #sgfoodporn #eat #food #foodporn #foodstagram #foodie #foodies #foodlover #foodgasm #foodpics #foodpic #foodforfoodie