天頤 Yi | 中菜 Omakase
中國菜講究鑊氣盪熱，份量豐富易於共享。因此以廚師發辦（Omakase）形式呈現中國八大菜系，相信在亞州暫時就只有摩柏斯21樓的天頤在做這件聽起來有點吃力不討好的美食任務。
The Chinese culinary tradition tends to emphasize on the concept of abundance, and so the cuisine has a penchant for family style service. As such, Yi at the Morpheus, with a focus on representing the 8 regional cuisines of China in a tasting menu format, has its work cut out for it.
但中菜「不時不食，突顯食材原味」的烹調邏輯，在天頤范主廚對時令愈見成熟的敏感度和烹飪技術配合下，玩起 Omakase，卻令人悟出粵菜中隱含著的美感、靈活多變和食味之豐富。
Executive Chef Fam, with his acuity to seasonality and wealth of knowledge in cooking techniques, is able to create an omakase experience that highlights Chinese seasonal produce as well as the cuisine's beauty and dynamism.
在半年後重開的天頤，摒棄了以往菜式每日改變的堅持，重新設計了每月推出陳新，以時令節氣為靈感的12道菜式菜單，令餐廳能更專心提升客人用餐體驗。
Reopening after a 5-month hiatus, Yi's tasting menu is now inspired by the Chinese solar terms and changing monthly, rather than daily, so that there's more attention paid to the dining experience.
菜單：「夏至」（圖1）
第一道｜毛蟹：魚籽｜糟鹵 （圖2）
開首第一道菜，往往代表菜單規格的標桿和誠意的表述。這道菜把北海道毛蟹、伊朗魚籽醬和中式糟鹵的三種 umami ，碰撞出細膩複雜的味道層次。毛蟹是至陰至柔的細嫩、魚籽醬則富有爆發力，最後再收斂到糟鹵的陳酒甘甜氣息。
Course 1 - Horsehair Crab: caviar, rice wine lee
Combining three ingredients rich in umami: the delicate Hokkaido horsehair crab, the explosive Iranian caviar, and the lingering depth of a Chinese pickle sauce made with aged rice wine lee, this dish confers a complex yet harmonious savoriness, setting the course for the rest of the menu.
第二道｜鮑魚：南非鮮鮑｜紅燒（圖3）
鮮鮑雖然在風味上不及干鮑濃厚，但卻保留了鮑魚的本味和彈性。即席紅燒呈上，菜式充滿美感又能留住溫度。
Course 2 - Abalone: fresh South African abalone, red-braised
While fresh abalone doesn't have as much umami as its dried counterpart, it retains its natural flavors and al dente texture. The dish is finished and sauced tableside, providing a show as well as preserving the optimal serving temperature.
第三道｜湯：花膠｜菌（圖4）
深海鱸魚花膠的鮮美，貫穿了這道顏色慢熬至金黃色的老火雞湯。溫潤舒暢的味道，最後以意大利豬臉頰肉碎提鮮。
Course 3 - Soup: fish maw, mushroom
The gelatin-rich seabass fish maw is pillowed in a glistening golden stock made with stewing hen, with a sprinkle of minced iberico pork cheek. It's soothing and nourishing, just as chicken soup should be.
第四道｜黑喉鯛：欖豉（圖5）
全晚最愛的一道菜式。把粵菜家常蒸魚要做到極致，范主廚決定從每個細節入手。
黑喉鯛肉質較清新緊嫩，適合於夏天享用。先取其鯛魚骨，以5-6小時「吊」成魚清湯，再把黑喉鯛最緊嫩的魚腩部分，用魚清湯以「蒸氣浴」的方式即席（圖6）把魚腩蒸至剛熟後，佐以秘制欖豉和頭抽享用，口腔一下子鮮成了汪洋。
Course 4 - Nodoguro: preserved olives
For the fish course, Chef Fam uses the leaner summer nodoguro in an elevated version of traditional Cantonese streamed fish. The fish bones are used to make a fish stock, which is used to steam the fish belly in a "hammam" tableside. Topped with preserved olives and premium soy sauce, this dish brims with umami. This is my favorite dish of the night.
第五道｜龍蝦：杭椒｜爆炒（圖7）
爆炒是粵菜的精髓，爆炒龍蝦更是相當考慮廚師功力，那一剎那的火喉掌控，足以定斷龍蝦的爽甜度。以鑲了豬肉的杭椒和龍蝦爆炒，惹味非常火喉精準。
Course 5 - Lobster: Chinese chili, stirfry
Stirfry is a quintessential Cantonese cooking technique. And stirfrying an ingredient like lobster, requires precise control of heat and timing. The lobster here is stirfried with pork-stuffed Chinese chili, and it's timed to perfection.
第六道｜和牛：松露｜爆炒（圖8）
以鹿兒島A4和牛跟雞樅菌爆炒，再即席上演一場松露雨，塔斯曼尼亞冬季黑松露為肉味添上豔麗氣場。
Course 6 - Wagyu: truffle, stirfry
The Kahoshima A4 wagyu is stirfried with chanterelle mushroom, and the finished dish is topped with a confetti of shaved Tasmanian black truffle, adding to the aroma.
第七道｜乳鴿：香芧｜吊燒（圖9）
天頤的招牌菜。師父為了把香芧入味於23日大的石歧妙齡乳鴿，想盡了千方百計。先在滷水中加入香茅生浸乳鴿，再在上桌時佐以煙燻香茅葉，最後現點即炸至皮脆多汁，拍照多一秒也嫌太久。（並附上檸檬水洗手，很貼心的服務細節。）
Course 7 - Pigeon : lemongrass, crisped
This is Yi's signature dish. Chef braises the 23-day-old squab in a lemongrass infused master stock, deep fries it to create the crispy skin, then smokes it with burned lemongrass tableside. There is no pretty way to eat this, and so the server provides a side of lemon water for hand washing. A thoughtful touch.
清清味蕾：番厘茄啫喱配話梅泡沫（圖10左上）
把番茄和話梅的譽瓏軒經典組合拆解重組。番茄一口咬下，是帶有自然舒爽酸味的啫喱。一份小啫喱便要用上3-4個日本番茄澄清吊汁炮製，配上話梅泡沫，這道過場小品的呈現和構成都充滿想法，酸甜味道具衝擊性。
Palate cleanser: Tomato gelee with preserved plum espuma
This is an homage to the Jade Dragon signature snack. One slice of this deconstructed tomato requires the juice of 3-4 full tomatoes. Paired with preserved plum espuma, this bite-sized flavor bomb packs a sweet and sour punch.
第八道｜菜：松茸｜上湯（圖10右上）
這道菜充滿夏季時令性。以「地三鮮」為靈感，有時令的覓菜嫩葉，和經香烤後風味更濃厚的松茸。最後佐以烏魚子提鮮。
Course 8 - Veg : matsutake, stock
This dish is the epitome of summer. Inspired by a northern Chinese peasant dish called disanxian (literally "3 treasures of the earth," originally a stirfry of potato, eggolant, and green pepper), this dish sets out to provide the best of summer. Using fresh shoots of amarath as bed, the dish is topped with grilled mastsutake and a generous sprinkle of mullet roe for maximum umami.
第九道｜香苗：海膽｜鹹飯（圖10 左下）
薑蔥、豬油渣和海膽的搭配，就是簡單純粹的美味！如果能做到粵式煲仔飯「咋咋聲」的熱鍋焦香會更完美。
Course 9 - Rice : sea urchin, Minnan salty rice
Pairing allium, crackling, and sea urchin, this play on the Minnan classic is simple but delectable. If this can be combined with a sizzling Cantonese claypot to create a tahdig, it would have been even more amazing.
第十道｜椰皇：雪燕｜蘆薈（圖10 右下）
夏天是享用椰皇的時令季節，加上滋陰養顏的雪燕牛奶布甸和有助消化的蘆薈，嘗用此甜品後，當下有什麼燥熱也頓時消除。
Course 10 - Coconut: tragacanth, aloe vera
No summer menu is complete without coconut. This refreshing coconut panna cotta is topped with tragacanth (natural resin from an Asian legume tree) and flesh of an aloe plant. It's the perfect antidote to the summer heat.
