Newly appointed Chinese cuisine Executive Chef Chef Ball Yau’s flair for authentic Cantonese flavours and artistic presentation results in a uniquely personal selection of 16 dishes in his new degustation menu
The Peninsula Bangkok has introduced a 16-course degustation menu at restaurant, Mei Jiang. Featuring 16 dishes personally created by the hotel’s new Chinese Cuisine Executive Chef Ball Yau, the menu is the first of its kind for a Chinese restaurant in Thailand. Each handcrafted dish will be presented in a tasting portion, enabling diners to enjoy the expressive range and quality of Chef Yau’s Cantonese cooking. A special tea-pairing option is also offered.
Chef Yau’s Degustation Menu features culinary inspirations from his Hong Kong upbringing, his experiences working with Chinese master chefs in Hong Kong, Beijing, Macau and Shenzhen, and surprise elements from across Asia and around the world. Gourmands who were enamoured by his award-winning gastronomy in Hong Kong and other cities will discover exquisite new creations for the first time, while diners unfamiliar with his culinary style will be delighted by the refined Cantonese flavours and imaginative presentation.
Signature highlights include pumpkin with homemade preserved plum sauce and stir-fried Phuket lobster with egg white, crab coral and green asparagus. Guests will also experience exemplary braised M6 wagyu beef brisket rolls with turnip in beef soup, sweet and sour crispy carabineros, blending fine Asian and Spanish ingredients, and Chef Yau’s own twist on a traditional Cantonese dessert of pumpkin coconut cream with bird’s nest.
While at the helm of stellar restaurant and hotel kitchens across major China cities, Chef Yau received consistent acclaim for reimagining Cantonese flavours while pioneering a balanced yet elegant brand of cooking. His childhood roots also play a large role in his cooking, and he remains inspired to craft dining experiences for guests that stay faithful to the timeless Cantonese principles he learned from his mother, grandmother and, of course, Mrs Fong.
His approach to Cantonese cuisine focusses on vegetables, herbs, mushrooms and white meat, while minimising the use of sugar, oil, seasonings and red meat (often associated with Chinese cooking). By doing this, he respects the inherent flavours and textures of each key ingredient.
As an alternative to the 16-course degustation menu, diners at Mei Jiang can select Chef Yau’s special dishes from the à la carte menu, alongside other Cantonese delights and Mei Jiang favourites, such as Peking duck, deep-fried fillet of snow fish with homemade dried shrimp and chilli salt, and clay pot fried prawns in port wine sauce.
