I always advise my friends from abroad that if they stay at W Hotel, they should go to "Zi Yan" instead of going far away. Chef Wu Haiming of Zi Yan from Hong Kong is very down-to-earth and respects ingredients. He uses only the best ingredients from Taiwan and fresh seafood from Penghu, and he sources them himself. This time, "Shanzhen Haiyan" specially invited Mr. Liu Shannong, a "wine steward" who is good at matching various food and wine, to select a wonderful wine list for Zi Yan and compose a wonderful match between Cantonese cuisine and red and white wine, which is very innovative!
The soup I had this time, "Cordyceps Flower Stewed Dragon Gall Fish Soup", is stewed with black pig and Taiwan's ancient free-range pheasant as the base flavor, and adds dragon gall grouper bones, fish heads and cordyceps flowers that have the effect of enhancing immunity. It is rich but not heavy, which is very suitable for seasonal nourishment in autumn.
Another dish, "Celery, Lotus and Wild Mushrooms Stir-fried Penghu Prawn Balls", uses celery and lotus root to bring out the real original flavor of seafood. The highlight that amazed me the most was the "Braised Pork Belly with Bamboo Stalks and Penghu Dragon Dan Tail Fin", which features Penghu Dragon Dan grouper as the main dish. It is fried first and then braised. The tail of Penghu Dragon Dan grouper is tender and full of gelatin (I didn't know that fish tails have so much gelatin! This dish really shows the chef Wu Haiming's skill in cooking. The last dish "Zi Yan Cod Crab Meat Xishi Rice Soup" is the perfect Finale. The rich seafood soup base is fried with cod crab shells, lobster shells, sand crab, white shrimp and other ingredients. After boiling for 1.5 hours, cod crab meat, prawns, scallops, loofah, celery, green vegetable and fresh mushrooms are added, and fried fragrant rice is poured in. The crispy and fragrant taste and sweet soup are the signature dishes that cannot be missed.
I am afraid of the greasiness of the main dishes, but Zi Yan makes me worry free, especially since my ancestral home is in Guangdong, and being able to eat delicious Cantonese cuisine is a satisfying aftertaste.