Looking for a place that can tease your palate with exciting Chinese delicacies? Look no further. Man Ho’s new Executive Chef Leslie Du has created a new menu full of unforgettable dishes ready to serve.
Story & Photo by guest writer – Mam & Took LuxurySocietyAsia.com
As we stepped into Man Ho’s charming space on JW Marriott 2nd floor, we couldn’t wait to see how Chef Leslie would creatively bring together age-old recipes with traditional ingredients as well as international elements.
Having been recently renovated, Man Ho now boasts an elegant décor with brighter color and contemporary feel. For smaller groups, you might want to savor your dining experience in its spacious main dining room.
For a party of 10 people, you also have a choice of using their private room to celebrate special occasions or simply enjoy family gatherings free of charge. Surrounded by big windows, the dining room is well-lit with natural light during daytime, giving a relaxing atmosphere.
Trained with the world-renowned Modern Chinese Master Chef Jeremy Leung, Chef Leslie employs traditional cooking techniques with his modern Cantonese style to craft signature dishes that reflect his modern take.
The first dish Shanghai smoked fish comes with flare as the aromatic smoke swirls out as soon as the glass cover is lifted. The grouper, dapped in thin layer of flour and fried to a crispy skin, is fresh and juicy. The brown Shanghai sauce is lightly sweet. Fried lemongrass spices up the dish with its herbal taste and scent.
Next comes Crispy duck served with five spiced duck foie gras, fresh mango, caviar bao. The duck skin is perfectly crisp, going along so well together with the thick fatty piece of foie gras. Tangy and sweet, mango brightens the dish. And the shiso leaf, which at first seems like just a decoration, adds a refreshing after taste to the bite.
Squid ink seafood dumpling served in golden broth is the dish that truly surprises us. Seemingly simple with just asparaguses, enoki mushrooms, and a prawn wrapped in squid ink flavored flour, the dish tastes utterly complex once you sip the “golden broth”. The trick, as Chef Leslie later reveals, is the broth which has been immaculately simmered for more than ten hours, combining carefully selected ingredients including carrot, pumpkin, fish, shrimp and dried scallops.
What we love about the following dish Sweet and sour pork with pineapple is the fried taro made into a bird nest-like shape. The outside is light and crisp which gives a contrasting texture to the soft and juicy pork balls stuffed with tangy pineapple. And notably, the sweet and sour sauce, which the Chef strikes a good balance between sweetness and sourness, binds all the ingredients together wonderfully.
Wok-fried chicken with chili and ice cream is the most creative dish we have tasted so far, with fiery Sichuan style seasoning juxtaposing with the sweet blend of vanilla ice cream. Hot vs. Cold – the temperature contrast plays with our senses; whereas Hot vs. Sweet makes we go back and forth nonstop between the spicy chicken and the lightly sweet vanilla ice cream. From the fragrant smell of the dried chili and the infamous Mala, we can really tell that it has been wok-fried in an extremely high heat and that oh-so-powerful spice adds a stinging yet pleasant touch to the dish that makes you keep yearning for more.
We know our meal is winding down when this noodle dish is presented. Australian scallop with X.O. sauce noodle shows us that Chef Leslie is indeed a force to be reckoned with. Again, looking quite simplistic, the dish in fact has subtle layers that showcase his techniques and style. His noodle has a smooth mouthfeel with ‘just right’ elasticity. The Chef special sauce – Chef Leslie’s very own combination of Shanghai and Cantonese style sauces – is rich and flavorful yet not too overwhelming. Complemented with perfectly seared Australian scallop, this noodle dish shines as a contemporary rendition. The carefully selected condiments – tiny peas and spring onions help add refreshing elements to the otherwise rich and heavy dish well.
Cheesecake with fresh passion fruit ends our meal on a high note. Rich and creamy, the cheesecake is very fulfilling for the sweet lovers. The tangy passion fruit sauce, together with fresh fruits like dragon fruit, kiwi and strawberry, balances out the richness and gives the dish a clean finish in your mouth.
All in all, the meal has been quite an impressive culinary journey with meticulously presented dishes that taunt our sensory experiences. Man Ho is truly the place where you can find classic well-loved dishes that your family would enjoy as well as ones with Modern twists that your friends would find enticing. So next time you crave Chinese food, you now know just the right place to satisfy your craving!
Man Ho Modern Chinese Cuisine
2nd floor, JW Marriott Hotel Bangkok
Closest BTS: Pleonchit station and Nana station
Opening hours:
Lunch 11.30am – 2.30pm
Dinner 6pm – 10.30pm
Tel: 02 656 7700