When was the last time you ate fish? As our oceans have become polluted, many people have become very nervous about eating fish, shellfish and other seafood. Even though Jeddah is right on the Red Sea Coast, much of the seafood on sale in the city comes from elsewhere.
Last year, I met with a representative of a company based in the Eastern Province who told me that his firm was shipping loaded trailers of seafood to Jeddah every week. The fish was being purchased in the Gulf fish markets and then layered in ice. Once the trailer was full it would be trucked overnight to Jeddah. The businessman assured me that the operation was completely safe and hygienic but I know that I would go out of my way to avoid eating one of those fish. My idea of fresh fish is the Rainbow Trout that I pull out of a lake in the morning and then grill over a campfire for lunch.
Seafood lovers have it tough these days. The very best of the catch is purchased by wholesalers, large restaurants and hotel chains. Standing in the seafood section of a supermarket or the neighborhood fishmonger’s, I always try to remember all the important tips about buying fish. There should be no fishy odor. The fish should have firm flesh, shiny scales, bright red gills and clear eyes. Shellfish should have tight shells and smell like a fresh breeze. I usually ask the attendant how long the fish has been on display. He always assures me that the fish arrived that very morning. If that is true then the fish has been out of the water at least two days and probably more.
Going out to a restaurant is even worse. There’s no telling how old the fish on the menu really are. Hidden under sauces or battered and fried, it’s hard to guess the age of the seafood being served. Trust me — fish doesn’t get better as it gets older. Viruses and bacteria begin multiplying in seafood from the moment it’s removed from the water. And seafood is very delicate. It’s not like meat or poultry. Seafood requires very gentle handling to ensure that its nutritional content remains intact.
So what if I told you that there is a restaurant where a seafood lover can be sure that the fish or shellfish about to be consumed is just caught fresh? In fact, it’s so fresh that moments before it is brought to the table it’s swimming in tanks in the restaurant kitchen. Now, I’ll agree that the restaurant is a little bit far from Saudi Arabia. To be honest, getting to dinner requires an eight-hour flight on Cathay Pacific from Riyadh. But once a seafood lover arrives at Yü, the seafood restaurant in the Hotel Inter-Continental Hong Kong, the gastronomic experience is so dazzling that the journey to get there becomes just a minor inconvenience.
Yü’s menu features fresh fish and shellfish of the highest standards. The fish are caught in the cleanest waters of Southeast Asia. They are immediately brought live to Yü in special containers filled with the same seawater in which they were caught. These fish never touch Hong Kong’s waters. Upon arrival at Yü, the fish are put into special holding tanks where they get over their "jet lag" and become rejuvenated before entering the restaurant’s "working tanks." Yü’s fish tanks contain biologically filtered ocean-like water. A specialized water purification system, free from chemicals has been installed in each tank, ensuring the optimum conditions and standards for the fish. Nicholls, a New Zealand company, developed the "Life Support System," which guarantees the healthiest fish until their preparation in either Chinese or Western style.
At Yü, the sea is the theme. Set in the ceiling is a mirrored glass "river," framed by fiber optic light fixtures, which create an underwater atmosphere. Floor-to-ceiling windows give a spectacular view of Hong Kong’s harbor. A dramatic undulating Bubble Wall, 44 feet in length and seven feet in height, provides a deepsea illusion as guests enter the restaurant. The Bubble Wall was tailormade by Nipura of Japan and weights 10 tons. Two oversized Nicholls fish tanks are encased within the wall. The Bubble Wall tanks hold only fish but there are a series of Nicholls tanks in the open kitchen in the main part of the restaurant that hold other live sea creatures such as prawns, crabs, lobsters and clams — all destined to delight Hong Kong’s diners. While awaiting their fate, the fish live the high life with an exclusive harbor view and meals of live jumping shrimp.
The entire operation at Yü is overseen by Geoff Haviland. A rising star on the culinary scene, Haviland has worked throughout his native Australia at some of its trendiest restaurants. His cuisine has garnered accolades and been featured in numerous lifestyle and culinary magazines, including Australian Vogue and Vogue Entertaining.
Describing himself as a chef of modern Australian cuisine, Haviland says, "I believe in clean flavors, with an emphasis on the freshness of ingredients and a focus on presentation."
Yü serves only seafood direct from its own tanks. Following the trend toward healthy, light food, the seafood is seasoned only to enhance its natural taste and prepared with utmost care in order to secure its natural vitamins, minerals and proteins. Vegetables and sauces are served on the side. Guests can choose their favorite method of preparation: Grilled, poached, braised, fried or steamed. Besides the special selection of live fish, Yü is famous for its a la carte menu, which changes seasonally and offers a variety of innovative dishes with Asian inspiration. Yü also has its own Sushi Bar which Haviland feels adds another dimension to a "Yünique" dining experience. It features the freshest sushi and sashimi, prepared by the restaurant’s own Sushi master.
"Hong Kong is the most exciting culinary city," said Haviland. "I am amazed at the variety of products available and I am inspired by traditional Chinese cuisine, especially its rich heritage of preparing fresh seafood."
Haviland is not a fan of deep frying or heavy sauces. He feels that the seafood served at Yü is itself so exquisite that it only needs minimal enhancement with contrasting tastes and bright colors.
"One of the most popular items on the menu is our Seafood Mountain, which is really a very simple dish," explained Haviland. "It’s the presentation that makes it so stunning. And because it’s a social dish with everyone sharing and trying different tastes, that’s what makes it so popular. The clams, scallops, oysters, lobster, mussels and shrimps are removed from the kitchen tanks and immediately placed into the bullion and then arranged on a mountain of crushed ice. Then it’s served with the six different freshly made sauces so everyone can dip, taste, explore and feel good."
Haviland’s slow cooked sea bass is prepared with a similar theme — fresh ingredients and stunning presentation. The sea bass has a cherry tomato crust. It is served on top of saffron braised vegetables and garnished with candied fennel.
"Being the executive chef in a top restaurant is very demanding these days," said Haviland. "The dining public is better educated. People eat out more and they know what’s available. International travel means that people have become more aware of different tastes and cooking styles. Diners coming to a top restaurant want to be served meals where the presentation is memorable and the style is very amusing. To do that the ingredients have to be fresh, so they’re at the peak of flavor. At Yü ours simply couldn’t be any fresher or more delicious!"
