Beijing hotel introduces tastes of South Asia
"The simple is the best," Eric Hong says of the South Asian dinner menu he's just developed to go along with the JW Marriott Beijing Central's popular buffet. At JW Kitchen, his healthy yet unsophisticated delicacies include Vietnamese spring roll, tom yum soup, and Klang style bah kut teh - literally "meat bone tea", a pork-rib dish cooked in broth.
A Chinese-Malaysian born in George Town, Malaysia, the hotel's newly appointed executive chef has more than 20 years' culinary experience in globally recognized hotels across Asia. His Chinese origin, international education and work experience has fed a fierce passion for Chinese culture and fusion of Western and Asian fares, he says.
The bah kut teh was a favorite at our table when I dined at the restaurant the other day. Despite its name, there is no tea in the dish's ingredients. Very popular in Malaysia and Singapore, the dish is often served with rice or youtiao (deep-fried breadstick).
