Chinese New Year
The Dynasty Restaurant
100 US Highway 22, Greenbrook, NJ
February 8, 2009
Splendid Food Welcomes the Year of the Ox
By Ernest Jaeger, Charge de Presse Provencial Honoraire
We welcomed the Chinese Year of the Ox with festivity and grand food at Dynasty restaurant in Green Brook in February. Arranged and hosted by Chevalier Stanley Kissel and Dame Flo Kissel, the evening featured authentic Chinese food and music. Statues of the three ancient Chinese gods of good fortune greeted us as we entered the restaurant.
We learned that the Year of the Ox bodes well for us; the year should be honest, candid, and open. People born in the year of the ox are tireless, patient and hard-working; it is no surprise that President Obama was born in the Year of the Ox.
Owner Timothy Kei showed us to beautifully appointed traditional round tables where we began to sample food with a great deal of tradition. As many know, foods served at the Chinese New Year, like foods served at New Year in many other cultures, have symbolic meaning, incorporating many wishes for happiness and prosperity in the life ahead.
The extensive menu which presented more than a dozen different dishes expressed best wishes for the year ahead in many ways. The even number of dishes on the menu bestowed double happiness on all of us gathered around the table. Our appetites were whetted with a beautiful display of dim sum, perfect samplings of the meal ahead. A delicious braised shark’s fin soup symbolized wishes for wealth and prosperity.
Moist, succulent whole steamed fish conveyed wishes for prosperity. Twin lobsters, with ginger and scallions were a luxurious dish symbolizing wealth and prosperity. We marveled at how well the ginger and scallions complemented the succulent seafood.
A wish for longevity was embodied in the stewed E-Fu noodles with mushrooms. The sticky baked seafood fried rice, which contained a number of tastes, served in a lotus leaf symbolized wishes for togetherness. Many of these Asian dishes served were so much more in terms of taste and presentation than the usual Central Jersey Chinese.
After fruit and sweet bean paste, Bailli Robin Jacobs brought out owner Kei for the thanks of all the guests. Stanley Kissel and Jacobs presented Kei a Chaine plate in thanks for this wonderful dinner, a terrific way to start any New Year.
As members exchanged wishes for the year ahead on their way out, the Chinese gods of happiness continued to smile.
