Chinese delicacies of spring

Gala dinners will be held at Plaza Hotel, 63 Building

Chef Lai Yau-Tim of Tim’s Kitchen

By Kim Ji-soo

From April 24-25, you don’t need to travel to Hong Kong, Macau or Shanghai to experience the cuisine of the internationally renowned “Tim’s Kitchen.”

The Plaza Hotel in downtown Seoul and 63 Building in Yeouido will feature chef Lai Yau-Tim for a gala dinner on these two dates. The Plaza’s Chinese restaurant Taoyuen will host chef Lai for a gala dinner on April 24 and the 63 Building’s Chinese restaurant Baek Ni Hyang will hold another chef gala dinner on April 25. Taoyuen will showcase Tim’s Kitchen’s menu from April 23-27.

The gala dinner is chef Lai’s first official visit to Korea, co-hosted by the Seoul’s top two Chinese restaurants to present delicacies of spring in an “Ultimate Flavor of Cantonese.”

Chilled Marinated Duck Meat Roll

The gala dinner will be prepared by chief chefs of Liu Yuen-Ren of Taoyuen and Wang Chuan-Sheng of Baek Ni Hyang, teamed together under Lai’s oversight to represent signature menus of Tim’s Kitchen.

A Tim’s Kitchen outlet first opened in Sheung wan, Hong Kong in 2000. Then it was invited by the casino mogul Stanley Ho to open a Macau branch inside the Hotel Lisboa. In 2009, the restaurant was awarded a Michelin-star. Then three years later in 2011, both branches received two Michelin stars. Tim’s Kitchen expanded its branches to Shanghai, Jingan and Pudong, as well as Chengdu and Sichuan in Mainland China, currently operating six restaurants in Asia.

Crystal King Prawn

Chef Lai, known for creating recipes with a focus on fresh ingredients and simple presentation, carefully selects the highest quality produce and presents them in an authentic Cantonese culinary fashion.

The gala dinner course menu features handpicked exotic ingredients from Hong Kong and Macau, together with various seasonal ingredients of spring from Korea. The most beloved menus including Chilled Marinated Duck Meat Roll, Crystal King Prawn, Braised Superior Bird’s Nest stuffed in Bamboo Piths, Braised Pomelo Skin with Shrimp Roes, and Red Jujube Cake and Sesame Puff from Hong Kong and Macau will be represented in the eight course meal.

Pairing wine with the gala dinner is one of the five best Bourgogne, Albert Bichot. The dinner will showcase a tasting opportunity of six different Albert Bichot premium collection, with a tasting order of Brut Reserve (sparkling), Chablis (white), Pouilly-Fuisse (white), Puligny Montrachet (white), Clos de Vougeot Grand Cru (red), and Cremant Brut Rose (sparkling). The price of the gala dinner is 400,000 won (per person including VAT and service charges).

Moreover, the Plaza’s Taoyuen’s promotional menu will include a six-course lunch and an additional main dish for dinner. The price of the course menu is 150,000 won for lunch and 200,000 won for dinner (per person including VAT and service charge).

For more information on the gala dinners, call Taoyuen at (02) 310-7300, and Baek Ni Hyang at (02) 789-5741-2.