Intangible Cultural Heritage "Flavor" @ Yat Hin
It turns out that Hong Kong has quite a number of intangible cultural heritage items! These include over 500 items such as oral traditions and expressions, performing arts, social practices, rituals, festive events, knowledge and practices related to the natural world and the universe, and traditional crafts. Naturally, I am most interested in those related to food. It was a rare opportunity to experience the "flavor" of intangible cultural heritage with my mouth while gaining knowledge.
Our group of nine met at Yat Hin in the Royal Park Hotel, Sha Tin, to savor the Cantonese cuisine "Intangible Heritage Elegant Feast: Passing on True Flavors," inspired by Hong Kong's intangible cultural heritage items and skills.
Three Kinds of Marinated Delicacies: This includes three different intangible heritage skills! These are Chaozhou marinated food production, pickled vegetable making, and shrimp paste and shrimp sauce making techniques.
Pepper Charm Ink Jade: The orange-red color of the Chaozhou-style vine pepper cuttlefish brought back many childhood memories! The plump and chewy baby cuttlefish, after being marinated and enhanced with a secret vine pepper sauce, delivers a spicy and numbing sensation with a unique aroma.
Amber Hidden Ginger: Pickled ginger, chili, and century egg are paired with mandarin duck pickled ginger, perfectly matching the wobbly soft-boiled century egg to emit a distinctive glow.
Sauce-flavored Delicacy: The shrimp paste and scallion braised sea cucumber arrived with an aroma that hit my nose immediately! The smooth sea cucumber, coated with shrimp paste, became a flavorful dish. Combined with fried ginger shreds and the unique aroma of Beijing scallions, it was so delicious I lost myself in it.
Two Smoked Delicacies: These showcase the skills of steamer cooking and tofu product making! The lychee wood smoke aroma filled the air, making the presentation even more attractive.
Golden Thread Honey Flame: The crispy fermented bean curd char siu is tender yet chewy, exuding a subtle fermented bean curd fragrance! Together with the crispy rice puffs, it offers a new taste of char siu.
Steamed Fragrant Jade Dumplings: The steamed duck meat dumplings look a bit like soup dumplings! Inside is richly aromatic duck meat, delivering a familiar and delightful taste. You’ll have to try it to know.
Jade Pearl with Bitter Gourd: The claypot vegetable heart and fish maw contain Cantonese wontons, showcasing the intangible heritage skill of wonton making! The golden, steaming hot chicken broth is extremely fresh, fragrant, and sweet. The tender bok choy absorbs the essence of nature, making the flavor captivating. Paired with the earthfish-flavored scattered tail wontons and beauty-enhancing fish maw rolls, this dish is flawless.
Fishing Port Elegance: The typhoon shelter salted fish paste and fermented black bean pan-fried pomfret embody the skills of salted fish and fermented black bean making! The typhoon shelter sauce made with garlic, fermented bean curd, salted fish paste, and breadcrumbs is spicy and flavorful, dressing the crispy pomfret fillets in a gorgeous coat that is extremely tempting. For friends who don’t like fish, you can upgrade to Miyazaki A4 Wagyu beef for an additional $100.
Aged Marinated Mushroom Delicacy: The aged peel marinated beef liver mushroom farm chicken is prepared using Chaozhou marinated food production techniques. The chicken pieces are very elastic and flavorful, paired with rich aged peel marinade and beef liver mushrooms, creating a surprising chemical reaction.
Fishing Village Scenery: Tai O dried shrimp, fish maw, wolfberry, and vegetable heart sprouts showcase sun-drying techniques! The fish maw is packed with the salty freshness of the sea, bursting with juice and very satisfying to eat. The tender vegetable heart sprouts use only the freshest leaves, offering a crisp, sweet, and aromatic flavor.
Golden Fried Taro Silk Crab Fried Rice: This incorporates preserved meat making techniques! The golden enoki mushrooms fried to a lively crisp are super cute. Besides the rich texture, they also make the presentation of this bowl of rice more exquisite and praiseworthy.
I really love preserved meat; its unique oily fragrance is irreplaceable! Combined with fresh crab meat and crispy taro silk, this rice was devoured by me in no time.
Tea and Coffee Duo Jelly: The dessert Hong Kong-style yin-yang tea jelly highlights the yin-yang making technique. Traditional snacks: sparrow mille crepe Malay cake and nostalgic walnut cookies showcase sparrow brand production and traditional food making skills.
The nostalgic walnut cookies are crispy and fragrant, a flavor I loved as a child.
Many people don’t know this is called mille crepe Malay cake! The sparrow shape is a bit cute and perfect for photos. Although it doesn’t have a thousand layers, it is colorful, soft, and sweet with a delicious taste.
The Hong Kong-style yin-yang tea jelly in a small cup already has three layers of flavor! This unique drink is definitely a pride of Hong Kong people.
Finally, thanks to my friends for the Royal Delights pistachio cherry yogurt mousse cake at $420 per pound, a sweet birthday blessing for me and my friend Xiaowanzi. This cake has very rich layers, made of cherry mousse, pistachio meringue cake, pistachio crunch, and yogurt mousse. Besides the fruity aroma, it also has a nutty fragrance, making the flavor very interesting.
The Intangible Heritage Elegant Feast: Passing on True Flavors is originally priced at $798 per person, now offered at a special price of $638 per person (minimum six people). From Monday to Thursday, Go Royal members/guests can enjoy a discounted net price of $580 per person. Available from now until October 31, 2025 (reservation required 72 hours in advance).