Chinese New Year is a spring festival considered to be the most important traditional Chinese holiday. The celebration took place at the Sichuan Restaurant, the first Chinese restaurant to join the Bailliage of Austria in 2002.

Maître Restaurateur Chunah Urban-Chao and Chancelier Franz Obenaus, who was in China for several years, gave us lots of information about this festival. In Chinese they wished “happiness and prosperity” to the members and guests!

After a Panda Bear cocktail consisting of Bamboo brandy, Campari and orange juice, small delicacies were served as hors d'oeuvres …
- spiced plaice
- beef in cubes with chilli and mountain pepper
- chicken cut into strips in “1000 flavours” sauce
- fuzhu (tofu skin) in sesame oil
- cucumber in garlic sauce
- sweet and sour pickled carrots and radish
- large beans in spicy sauce.

As a warm starter Jiaozi (cooked dumplings) stuffed with pork in Sichuan sauce and baked vegetarian spring rolls were served.

A 2017 Traisental DAC Riesling “Terrassen” 2017 from the Markus Huber winery in Reichersdorf ob der Traisen was the perfect partner.

As main courses, there were …
- king prawns with chilli
- minced pork “gan shao" with broccoli, needle mushrooms and boiled jasmine rice
- Armur carp piquant-fried with tofu in a potato rösti nest
- grilled surimi on fast-fried Thai wild garlic and bean sprouts.

These dishes were accompanied by a 2016 Neuburger Ried Kremser Kogl Reserve from the Müller winery in Krustetten, Kremstal.

A 2017 St Laurent from the Marko winery in Göttlesbrunn (Carnuntum wine region) complemented tea-smoked duck wrapped in homemade “palatschinken” (pancakes) with young onions and cucumber.

As a dessert, we were treated with boiled rice dumplings stuffed with black sesame and set on vanilla sauce with sesame powder. Also baked rice dumplings with white sesame stuffed with sweet bean paste on cashew nuts ginger and matcha pudding. Traminer Selection 2013 by Marko also in Göttlesbrunn (Carnuntum wine region) was perfect with these two.

The gastronomic trip to Sichuan with its diverse culinary delights took place in spring-like weather on the terrace of the Sichuan Restaurant. At the end of the splendid evening the kitchen and service brigades were thanked and a Bailliage commemorative plate was awarded to Maître Restaurateur Chunah Urban-Chao.

Werner Scheibenpflug
Chargé de Presse