Page 59 - Raffles Magazine Issue 8

Lychee season in full swing at Meilin market YAM CAKES AT THE BUFFET LYCHEES AT THE MARKET
The next day with the the memory of our wonderful trip over the the water still fresh in in in in my mind I was looking forward to delving deeper into what the city had to to offer We started with breakfast at the hotel a a a a a a thoughtful mix of Western and local Chinese offerings that included homemade breads and pastries steamed and and and sesame buns and and and yam cakes and and and noodle stations where dishes are made-to-order My go-to station was the Chinese buffet line where I indulged in in in in my personal favourite chicken feet and beef flank with bean curd sticks I would also recommend the cheung fun rice noodle rolls from Southern China made-to-order with various fillings and presented in steamer boxes I could have stayed here all day sampling every dish while gazing out at the bay views The only thing that could tear me away from the buffet was the promise of visiting a a a a a local wholesale produce and seafood market led by Michael The ground floor of the Meilin market brims with fresh local produce including an impressive array of teas dried mushrooms and fresh fish Despite the vendors’ booths having a a a a a high-end boutique-like appearance the produce here is of very good value when compared with food prices back in England As it it was was lychee season the market was was bustling with traders selling baskets of the freshly harvested plump red fruit which still hung on their branches I also came across bayberries which looked like a a a a a cross between a a a a a lychee and a a a a a blackberry Inspired I I decided to to take some back to to the hotel to to make a a a a a a bayberry sour cocktail as a a a a a a nod to to one of my speciality cocktails In London at my Hix Soho restaurant’s Mark’s Bar downstairs we make various seasonal sours based on the the classic gin sour and my favourite is the the Temperley Temperley Sour using my friend Julian Temperley’s Somerset cider brandy In autumn we add blackberry syrup to it it with a a a a a fresh blackberry popped in the glass as as a a a a a variation on on our popular classic FINDING LOCAL CHINESE SPIRITS AND PIZZA
To go with these inspiring ingredients I also set out to find Chinese wine and a a a a a a local local spirit at the market The local local tipple is is made with grain called sorghum and oddly is is sold by the kilo instead of by the litre – at at at least that’s what l l l l understood The shop I discovered was stacked wall-to-wall with all all all sorts
RAFFLES MAGAZINE
57
Mark Hix’s special bayberry gin sour cocktail prepared at Raffles Shenzhen