KATHMANDU: The lavish dinner table was set at the Sunrise Restaurant, Hotel Yak and Yeti, Durbar Marg on February 8. The dish itself hinted that the dinner on the table was ready to welcome a special occasion — Chinese New Year.

“The Chinese people celebrate their New Year for seven days. They eat lavish food with friends and family. They also visit temples and have fun,” shared Krishna Kaji Basnet, Executive Chef at the Hotel.

The highlight of the dinner was Chinese Crispy Duck with plum sauce. Besides that Soya Glazed Pork Loin with szechwan sauce, Coriander Crusted Wok Fried Tenderloin, Sweet and Sour Vegetables, steam Chinese rice and Stir Fried Tofu with cashew nut were listed as the main course.

The brown Crispy Duck, cooked twice — first the whole duck is boiled with star anise, ginger, garlic, salt and pepper then is roasted until the duck is crisp — was crunchy and its richness was evident while chewing it, the reason duck fat. As balance is always the key to a perfect dish, plum sauce’s sour and sweet taste did just that to the oiliness. Soya Glazed Pork Loin had more sweet taste but with szechwan sauce, the perfect blend of both flavours sweet and hot, added to the flavours.

As the noodle is the one of the main items in the New Year celebrations, hot and tangy Chinese Spicy Chicken Noodle Soup ought to be on the dinner menu. The dinner menu also had Chinese stir fried counter with 10 varieties of vegetables, condiments and noodles.

For the dessert, Chinese Caramelised Toffee, Crispy Date Pancakes, Ginger Lemon Mousse, Coconut Pudding, Fruit Sushi and others would have mesmerised anyone. Those who love sweets would have relished these. While doing so you may get a familiar taste savouring Fruit Sushi and Crispy Date Pancakes. How? Well Fruit Sushi tasted similar to Kheer and the latter tasted like Haluwa Swari.

Just when you were familiarising with this revelation, Executive Chef Basnet added, “Some of the dishes have been modified and have mixed flavour of Nepal and China. Being a Nepali I definitely have a Nepali touch while cooking keeping the taste of the customers in mind.