KUNG HEI FAT CHOI, READERS.
Welcome to the year of the dragon.
Word is, this year will be a good one. As the only mythical creature on the Chinese zodiac, the dragon is a symbol of power, wisdom and prosperity. This year's dragon is also predicted to bring optimism and change, something people the world over will be thankful for.
I saw the arrival of the Lunar New Year as the perfect opportunity to try something new myself: to head south and celebrate in Richmond, which has the largest proportion of residents of Chinese ancestry in the country (44 per cent). It follows that the city would also have the best and most varied spread of Chinese cuisine in the country, and that supposition has been tested successfully. Richmond has been declared home to "the best Chinese food outside of China" by the New York Times, Conde Nast Traveler and others. But if you've ever gone in search of a good meal in the city, you know what I was up against: too much choice. On Alexandra Road alone - the city's "Wai Sek Kai" or "Food Street" - there are more than 200 Asian eateries serving specialties like xiao long bao ("soup dumplings"), hot pot and hand-pulled noodles.
It's even more befuddling during the Lunar (or Spring) Festival - the best restaurants are all offering set multi-course menus featuring popular New Year dishes like rice cakes and steamed whole fish, symbolizing wishful abundance for the coming year.
I turned to the recent Chinese Restaurant Awards for guidance. The awards program, now in its fourth year, seeks out the best Chinese dishes in Metro Vancouver, as judged by diners and by a panel of food critics.
Earlier this year, more than 8,000 eaters dug in during the awards' inaugural Signature Dish Dining Festival, which spotlighted dishes at select Chinese restaurants throughout Vancouver, Richmond and Burnaby. At the end of the fest, diners weighed in on their top picks with votes, and selected The Jade Seafood Restaurant in Richmond as Best Festival Restaurant Overall among the 18 participating restaurants.
I tapped my standing dinner date, Big J, and off to The Jade we went.
Mind you, even with the advance research and reservations, we still felt the tiniest bit conspicuous, given that the two of us took up a table for 10 during one of the restaurant's busiest nights of the year. To their credit, none of the staff gave us any (obvious) sideways looks; they remained friendly and helpful as we attempted to navigate the menu. Note to self: next year, bring friends.
We took in the set menu offerings: for six people, for eight people, for 10 people.
Hmm. There was one option for two, but as with all the set menus, the list included shark fin soup; neither of us will go there. In fact, had I realized The Jade would be serving it, I'd have gone elsewhere. The broth uses shark fin to add a slippery, glutinous texture; it's expensive and seen as a delicacy. To get it, fishermen slice off the fins and throw the shark, often still alive, back in the water. It's a cruel practice, and it's placing an unsustainable demand on shark populations worldwide. Besides, shark meat is high in mercury - the US Food and Drug Administration says it can expose you to potentially dangerous levels of the metal. Since poisoning myself isn't on my list of Lunar New Year adventures, we passed and asked for the regular dinner menu.
Several plates of the restaurant's spectacular "signature dish" passed our table: a whole B.C. Dungeness crab arranged as if it's napping on a scattering of mixed mushrooms and green onions.
We were tempted, but opted to try a few smaller items. Though the menu said they were "stuffed" with shrimp, the crispy fried crab claw actually came embedded in a sphere of juicy shrimp meat that was breaded and dunked in the fryer.
The black cod in our hot pot was cooked perfectly, its velvety meat still clinging to skin and flavoured with soft green onion and ginger. Pulling out the bones takes getting used to, but it's worth the effort.
Our favourite dish was composed of pork spareribs braised in tangy Jade special sauce, sided by a raft of steamed bok choy.
We also ordered the much-acclaimed tea-smoked Grandpa Chicken - which won a critic's choice award during the 2010 edition of the restaurant awards - but again my Lunar New Year inexperience proved problematic. It was forgotten in the kitchen as the staff worked to deliver set menus to other tables. By the time it reached us, it was cold.
So our year-of-the-dragon celebration was not a roaring success, but as the zodiac sign suggests, I'm optimistic and still on the lookout for new adventures, culinary and otherwise. There are plenty more of those to find in Richmond, so I'll be back; count on it.
The Jade Seafood Restaurant is at 8511 Alexandra Road, Richmond. Call 604-249-0082 or visit jaderestaurant.ca.
For information about the Chinese Restaurant Awards 2012, visit chineserestaurantawards.com.
For more information about Chinese New Year celebrations in Richmond, visit www.tourismrichmond.com.
