The “Mindu Fu Banquet” at the Minjiang Heart is Now Open!
The “Mindu Fu Banquet” at the Minjiang Heart is now open!
As the second event in the “Bowl Banquet” series, over 300 seats were quickly snapped up.
On the evening of November 17, the “Mindu Fu Banquet”, co-created by the One Bowl Fuzhou “Bowl Banquet” brand and Fujian Cuisine master Chen Chongye, was grandly launched at Jasmine Street in Minjiang Heart. This event offered locals and tourists a unique feast that perfectly blended flavors and culture.
Crowds Gather at Jasmine Street, Minjiang Heart
A Packed Event with 300+ Seats Sold Out
Following the success of the “Harvest Bowl Banquet” in Fuqing, the highly anticipated second installment of the “Bowl Banquet” series, the “Mindu Fu Banquet,” arrived as scheduled on the 17th, creating a sensation at Minjiang Heart. With over 300 seats selling out during the presale phase, the event attracted a lively crowd, as locals flocked to join this grand culinary celebration. The event was generously sponsored by Tongli Rouyan and the Podian brand.
The “Mindu Fu Banquet” showcased traditional Fuzhou rural banquet dishes, blending in distinctive urban flavors. Adhering to the Fuzhou banquet custom of serving dishes in pairs rather than singles, the menu included four cold dishes, six hot dishes, four soups, along with vegetables, fruits, and desserts. Highlights included Glutinous Rice with Crab, Traditional Sauteed Sliced Chicken in Rice Wine Sauce, and Rongcheng Lychee Pork, offering guests an authentic taste of Fuzhou’s rich culinary heritage.
Liu Yiwei, a national-level inheritor of Fuzhou Pinghua (an intangible cultural heritage), performed at the event.
The “Mindu Fu Banquet” kicked off in a lively atmosphere, featuring a captivating performance by Liu Yiwei, a national-level inheritor of Fuzhou Pinghua, an intangible cultural heritage. As the opening dish of Fuzhou’s traditional banquet culture, the Glutinous Rice with Crab quickly became a crowd favorite. This signature dish, made with locally sourced red crabs, delighted diners with its rich, flavorful crab roe, tender meat, and the aromatic chewiness of glutinous rice, offering an unforgettable culinary experience.
Master Chen Chongye (left) was the head chef for this “Mindu Fu Banquet.”
Master Chef Chen Chongye’s signature dish, Home-Style Braised Fish Head King, also drew significant attention. The dish is prepared with locally sourced red bighead carp, weighing over 5 kilograms, which undergoes hours of rinsing under running water to remove any fishy odor. It is then slow-braised with pork belly as a complementary ingredient. The final dish boasts a rich, gelatinous texture and a naturally sweet and savory broth, earning widespread praise from diners. Many guests expressed that this dish allowed them to experience the unique charm of traditional Fujian cuisine.
The banquet was a feast for both the palate and the eyes, with 30 fully booked tables set along the riverbank under the glow of neon lights. Guests savored a variety of exquisite local delicacies while enjoying the picturesque riverside view, creating a truly delightful dining experience. Meanwhile, a live-streaming team captured the event in real time, allowing those who couldn’t attend in person to still feel the lively and festive atmosphere of the Mindu Fu Banquet.
Freshly Prepared Dishes to Preserve Authentic Flavors
Behind the “Mindu Fu Banquet” was the meticulous preparation and attentive service of Master Chef Chen Chongye and his team. With nearly 50 years of experience in Fuzhou rural banquets, Chen has been a central figure in preserving and showcasing this culinary tradition. His expertise has been highlighted in the documentary series “Rural Banquet”, produced by CCTV “Home Cooking” program team and Tencent’s “The Taste of Life,” where he demonstrated the intricate process of preparing authentic Fuzhou rural banquets.
From sourcing ingredients to meticulous preparation, the morning of the 17th was a hive of activity at the banquet’s prep station along the Minjiang River. To ensure that every dish served at the evening “Mindu Fu Banquet” showcased the true essence of its ingredients, all materials were freshly procured from local markets in the early hours of the day. Under the guidance of Master Chef Chen Chongye, the culinary team meticulously washed, cut, and cooked each dish on-site, avoiding any use of pre-made or processed foods and delivering only the freshest, most authentic flavors.
For instance, in preparing the traditional delicacy “Assorted Egg and Wonton Soup”, the culinary team painstakingly hand-peeled hundreds of cooked duck eggs to ensure each one was fresh and tender. As for the classic dish “Steamed Sea Clam with Egg White,” the chefs went the extra mile, meticulously cleaning and cutting each clam on-site to preserve its most authentic, natural umami flavor.
The red yeast flavor is an essential element in Fuzhou’s “Chi Jiu” (banquet dining) tradition. For the Traditional Sauteed Sliced Chicken in Rice Wine Sauce, the chefs used red yeast brewed by local farmers in the mountainous regions of Minhou. They employed the “raw chicken, cooked yeast” method on-site, allowing the rich, aromatic red yeast flavor to fully infuse the tender chicken, creating a dish deeply rooted in Fuzhou’s culinary heritage.
One bowl of Fuzhou, a thousand flavors of Fujian—finding the taste of home in a rural banquet. Since the launch of the “Bowl Banquet” series, the event has captured the hearts of locals and tourists alike, earning widespread acclaim. The “Bowl Banquet” brand is committed to showcasing the diverse flavors of Fujian, bridging the gap between rural agricultural products and urban markets through a two-way exchange. By offering these thoughtfully curated banquets, diners are invited to savor the authentic tastes of home, rekindle cherished memories, and immerse themselves in the rich and profound culinary heritage of Fujian. (Fuzhou Evening News Reporter: Quan Yiyue/Text, Lin Shuangwei/Photo)