‘THE secret in Chinese cooking is that ingredients must be fresh.”

With this is a brief yet strong statement, Chef Ben Hui Chun Yuk—one of the most sought-after Chinese chefs in Asia—explains why Chinese cuisine continues to be well loved by foodies the world over, including Filipinos.

The chef applies this simple yet timeless concept to the six dishes recently introduced at Golden Bay Fresh Seafood Restaurant, which were launched at its grand outlet along Central Business Park, Macapagal Boulevard in Pasay City.

“We are relaunching these six bestsellers as we’ll be soon celebrating our second year in the business,” Golden Bay Marketing Manager Joseph Wong said. “Also, we are presenting our new offering—the moon cake—as we approach October—the month for the Moon Cake Festival or the Mid-Autumn Festival.”

The six entrées are Imperial Shark’s Fin, Abalone with Sea Cucumber and Fish Maw, Cinnamon Fried Scallop Ball, Baked Blue Crab Rice, Cold Sea Mantis, and Braised Steak Beef Ribs.

The Imperial Shark’s Fin is the bestseller among the soups of the Golden Bay. Served steaming hot, it has a very rich soup stock with a golden color. Being a premium item, a serving costs P1,500 per person.

Another seafood choice is the Abalone with Sea Cucumber and Fish Maw, which is one of the restaurant’s new dishes, yet already enjoying rave reviews from diners. The abalone is imported from Australia, the fish maw from Malaysia and Singapore, while the sea cucumber is sourced locally. This entrée is available at a discounted price of P300, or half its regular price of P600, as part of the restaurant’s promotions.

“The shark’s fin, abalone, sea cucumber and fish maw are special dishes of the Chinese. They are considered foods for the gods. Some only eat them during special occasions,” explained Wong.

The Cinnamon Fried Scallop Ball, meanwhile, features cattle fish meat rolled into a ball and fried with cinnamon, and best paired with the fruit cocktail salad roll.

If you prefer fresh catch dish cooked upon order like those in the many dampa food places in the area, you can also enjoy them at Golden Bay.

Try the Baked Blue Crab Rice, which highlights the sweet taste of blue crab in sticky rice mixed with Chinese sausages and some salted fish. The blue crab is priced P1,200 per kilo and the sticky rice costs P200 (cooking charge).

The Cold Sea Mantis, meanwhile, is actually a very simple dish but the secret lies in the salty tausi sauce. So when you dip and taste it, the sweetness goes out with a hint of salt. It’s priced P2,000 per kilo.

On the lookout for something that is a mix of Western and Chinese food? A must-try is the Braised Steak Beef Ribs. Imported from the US, the beef is soft and tender, and blends well with the sauce prepared with rich soup stock. This entrée costs P300+.

For a traditional Chinese experience, Golden Bay offers for the first time its very own moon cake. Prepared by Chef Ben, it is freshly baked, all natural, and without preservatives. He uses the best ingredients bought from China and Hong Kong, such as lotus seeds, almonds, walnuts and first-class duck egg, among others.

Golden Bay’s moon cake comes in four variants: the Mini Mooncake, which is priced at P680 per box of eight pieces; One-Egg with White Lotus, P780 per box of four pieces; Two-Egg with White Lotus, with a price tag of P880 per box of four pieces; and XO Mixed Nuts, which is comprised of pork floss and tapa with almond and walnuts, available at P980 per box of four pieces.

“Golden Bay is mostly about simple food. We use high-quality ingredients,” Wong stressed. “So I invite foodies out there to come over because with the rich ambiance and the perfect recipe of our chef, these two are enough to try what we offer here.”

For inquiries or reservations, visit www.goldenbayrestaurant.com.