When Chef Shaun invited us to attend the test run of his new menu at Fresh Restaurant, the Mandarin Oriental’s romantic seashore dining haven near Dadonghai, we accepted the offer with delight, and it turned out to be a perfect evening. We had the honor of dining with the dinner hosts, Ann Guo and Chef Shaun, who joined us in the final round of our dinner to enjoy dessert and wine.

 

 

   

 

As always, the ambience of the Fresh Restaurant was not a letdown with its high-end table setting, the sound of waves crashing against the secluded beach, the tropical sunset view, the sea breeze and the sway of the garden of palm trees. This unique ambience can only be found in Sanya at Fresh Restaurant in Coral Bay.

 

Rock crab meat sweet corn chowder complimented with freshly baked buns served with olive oil.

 

 

 

The first entrée that came was a rock crab meat sweet corn chowder complimented with freshly baked buns served with olive oil. The soup was not as thick as the sweet corn crab meat soup normally found back home in Australia, but the flavor was more enhanced with shreds of crab meat and slightly creamy sweet corn broth. The flavor was enticing, with the sweetness of both crab meat and sweet corn combining in the palate. Dipping the freshly baked buns into the soup, like what we use to do in Australia, revealed the flavors of the soup and bun to be a perfectly matched pair. Eating the whole-meal buns dipped in olive oil is another option for a healthier combination.

 

 

 Cured salmon in smoked salmon jelly topped with cauliflower, lavender, pink grapefruit, edamame, and coriander seeds

 

The second entrée served was cured salmon in smoked salmon jelly topped with cauliflower, lavender, pink grapefruit, edamame, and coriander seeds. The texture and smoky taste of the salmon was heightened by the fruitiness of grapefruit and the chewiness of edamame, giving a real taste of healthy Mediterranean cooking.   

 

The entrées, a Chinese starter and a Mediterranean finish, kick-started the meal deliciously. This fusion cuisine is something that Chef Shaun proudly, and often, talks about, and these were great starters to build up our appetite for the rest of the meal.  

 

 Roasted turbot garnished with baby beets, nave, and olive oil

 

The first main course was roasted turbot garnished with baby beets, nave, and olive oil. The tenderness of the turbot came from the fish itself plus the careful roasting that sealed the juice of the meat within the whole fish. The olive oil gave the fish a smoother taste to the palate and the twist of a kind of lime found only in Sanya made the whole eating experience of the fish magical.

 

 Crisp skinned pot roast suckling pig, roasted together with baby carrots, baby potatoes and pumpkin served with apple puree, ale mustard, and cider jus 

 

 

 

The second main course was crisp skinned pot roast suckling pig, roasted together with baby carrots, baby potatoes and pumpkin served with apple puree, ale mustard, and cider jus. While we were certainly getting full after already having eaten 3 or 4 courses, the smell of the pork roast and the sight of its crispy skin enabled us to proceed strongly ahead with the delicious feast. The suckling pig was so well roasted that while the skin was perfectly crackling, the meat would fall off the bone as you took a bite but at the same time remained firm so as to release the delicious juice as you chewed. The baby potatoes, still in their jackets, and baby carrots and pumpkin made the dish more diverse to our taste buds and completely filled our stomachs. This combination was heaven on earth. We also ordered a Californian Chardonnay to compliment the liquid side of the palate with the main courses, and we found this precise mix of food and drink to be an exquisite experience.

 

Valrohna chocolate fondant accompanied with butterscotch ice cream and pistachios

 

To finish off the dinner with a big climax, Chef Shaun served out a dessert rich in European flavor, the Valrohna chocolate fondant accompanied with butterscotch ice cream and pistachios. By now, our taste buds had completely surrendered to the whole dining experience and our bodies and souls were floating in the distant horizon of the South China Sea.

 

 

 Ann Guo, the PR manager of Mandarin Oriental, Sanya

 

 the Chef Shaun Langdon

 

We truly thank our hosts Ann Guo, the PR manager, and Shaun Langdon, the Chef, for the experience and for being most attentive to catering to all of our needs, ensuring us a perfect night out at The Fresh in the Mandarin Oriental, Sanya.

  

We will definitely go back for more, invited or uninvited.

 

You can join the dining experience too by simply calling:

12 Yuhai Road, Sanya 572000

Hainan, China

Tel +86 (898) 8820 9999

Fax +86 (898) 8820 9393

Email slangdon@mohg.com

Website www.mandarinoriental.com/sanya

 

About Chef Shaun Langdon

 

With over 12 years of experience in some of the most renowned restaurants in Australia and the United Kingdom, Hailing from the South-East coast of Australia, Shaun has always had a passion for cooking. Born into a family of fishermen, he was exposed to seafood from an early age, and it is seafood which remains the primary devotion of his cooking today.

 

Determined to pursue his love for all things culinary, Shaun accepted an apprenticeship at the age of 15, first with Italian chef Danny Russo at L’Unico restaurant in Sydney, and then with English chef Matt Kemp at Restaurant Balzac in Randwick, New South Wales. His talents were soon noticed by the legendary culinary master Peter Gilmore, who offered Shaun the position of Chef de Partie at his celebrated Quay Restaurant on Sydney’s picturesque harbour. Having honed his skills during two successful years at the Quay, Shaun decided to venture outside of his native Australia by moving to the United Kingdom where he worked for master Sommelier Gerard Basset at Hampshire’s Hotel Terravina and also as head pastry chef at Coombe Abbey Hotel in Warwickshire.

 

In 2009, Shaun was tempted to return to his homeland to run the exceptional Surry Hills

bistro Bird Cow Fish. Awarded with one ‘Chef Hat’, Australia’s equivalent of the Michelin

star, Shaun helped the restaurant go from strength to strength during his two year tenure.

 

In joining Mandarin Oriental Sanya, Shaun brings his flair and enthusiasm for seafood to the shores of the South China Sea where his unique cooking style and flavours are sure to surprise and delight even the most seasoned seafood aficionados staying at the luxury resort.

 

SOURCE: WOS Team