Thick and rich Buddha Jumps Over the Wall gets a light makeover; health-focused New Year’s Eve meals from Fuhang and Fuxin Hotels start at just NT$250

▲ The Lotus Leaf Double Treasures with Jade Pearls offered by Fuhang Hotel Taoyuan Branch. (Photo / Reporter Chen Ruizhong, same below)

Reported by Reporter Chen Ruizhong / Taipei

As Lunar New Year approaches, major hotels and restaurants are rolling out themed New Year’s Eve dishes to mark the occasion.Fuhang HotelandFuxin Hotelboth stated that this year consumers are more conscious about food safety and health. As a result, traditional banquet cooking techniques—such as using thickening agents, artificial food coloring, and meat tenderizers—have been replaced with healthier and safer alternatives. For example, Fuhang Hotel uses brewed black bean paste and red glutinous rice blended into a puree to enhance flavor and color; Fuxin Hotel marinates pork chops with natural vegetable and fruit juice enzymes to make the meat more tender.

▲ Optimistic about the 2016 Lunar New Year market, Fuhang expects sales of its Imperial Buddha Jumps Over the Wall to reach up to 600 servings.

Led by Chef Ah-Chi, the Fuhang Hotel culinary team has chosen Jiangsu-Zhejiang cuisine as the theme for this year’s takeout New Year’s Eve meals, with each head chef offering their own signature dishes. Chef Ah-Chi said this year’s New Year’s Eve menu makes use of a variety of seasonal ingredients, with “health” being the top priority in both cooking methods and ingredient selection. Among the recommended dishes is the Imperial Buddha Jumps Over the Wall.

The Imperial Buddha Jumps Over the Wall is made with a broth simmered using old hens, pork bones, Jinhua ham, and vegetables, and uses shark fin lips, shark fins, and taro to enrich the texture and flavor of the soup—replacing the traditional use of cornstarch and animal gelatin. The Cinnamon Braised Wuxi Pork Chop from the Linkou branch uses Sanxing scallions and black pork, slow-cooked and braised for four hours to let the flavors penetrate, making it one of the most labor-intensive dishes in this year’s New Year’s Eve lineup.

The Yuemei branch uses a free-range hen weighing around 1.8 kg, along with shiitake mushrooms, chestnuts, and taro. The dish is first braised and then deep-fried to create “Lotus Phoenix Hiding the Universe.” The Taoyuan branch’s Lotus Leaf Double Treasures with Jade Pearls stuffs abalone inside a lotus leaf and pairs it with chestnuts, shiitake mushrooms, and salted duck eggs, then steams the combination to allow diners to savor the natural sweetness of the ingredients. In addition, different restaurants offer other signature New Year’s Eve dishes such as green pesto mint lamb shoulder chops, garlic-flavored beef short ribs, and cordyceps flower glue stewed black chicken.

▲ Executive Chef Ah-Chi of Fuhang Hotel.

Fuhang Hotel stated that the group operates 15 hotels across Taiwan, each with its own exclusive signature New Year’s Eve dish. Consumers can order according to their personal preferences. Based on current booking trends, this year’s takeout New Year’s Eve meal orders are expected to grow by 10–20% compared to 2015, with last year’s popular Buddha Jumps Over the Wall selling 300 servings and this year’s projection reaching 600 servings.

▲ The tea-marinated crispy-skinned chicken prepared by Fuxin Hotel.

Considering that modern families tend to be smaller, Taipei Fuxin Hotel has introduced its first-ever 2016 New Year’s Eve meal set: a six-course combo suitable for eight people. In addition to the classic Abalone Buddha Jumps Over the Wall, the set also includes a platter and traditional Taiwanese dishes such as rice cake.

Fuxin Hotel’s Six Harmony Platter features six creative dishes including cold mixed fresh fish rolls, cherry duck breast wrapped in cod liver, and flying fish roe sausages. There are also two skillfully prepared dishes: garlic-flavored roasted pork ribs and tea-marinated crispy-skinned chicken. Chef Chung Shizhen explained that the original tea-marinated crispy-skinned chicken is made by marinating imitation native chicken in locally sourced oolong tea sauce, then air-drying and baking it to achieve a delightfully crispy skin. The garlic-crusted roasted pork ribs are marinated with natural fruit juice enzymes made from pineapple and other fruits to keep the meat tender and sweet, while also avoiding the use of artificial tenderizers. The ribs are first steamed, then baked, and finally sprinkled with garlic crisps for added flavor.

▲ The garlic-crusted roasted pork ribs marinated with natural fruit enzymes.

Chef Chung Shizhen also noted that the Abalone Buddha Jumps Over the Wall adopts a non-thickened Taiwanese style, featuring ingredients such as abalone, taro, fish skin, and pork tripe. It has a refreshing and sweet taste, enhanced with a subtle hint of wine aroma from the use of wujiapi (a medicinal herb). Among the other six New Year’s Eve dishes is a red glutinous rice cake made with 10 taels of red glutinous rice, as well as a small side of Hong Kong-style radish cake.

Fuxin Hotel stated that this year, strict quality control has been applied to the ingredients, ensuring that the New Year’s Eve meals are not only creative but also safe for consumption. Orders placed before January 10, 2016, for the Auspicious New Year’s Eve Meal Set are eligible for an early bird 10% discount. The Abalone Buddha Jumps Over the Wall is priced at NT$1,680, the tea-marinated crispy-skinned chicken at NT$960, and the cheapest radish cake at NT$250. Purchasing the full set for NT$6,230 also comes with a complimentary bottle of X.O. sauce. New Year’s Eve meal orders will be accepted until January 30, 2016, and all dishes are freshly prepared on the day of pickup. Customers can collect their orders from February 1 to 6 between 11:00 AM and 9:00 PM at Fuxin Hotel.

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