Lunar New Year at the Hyatt

This Friday, Hyatt Regency Saipan will mark its fourth year in celebrating what is considered China’s most important festival, the Lunar New Year, which welcomes the Year of the Dog this year.

Kili Café & Terrace will be open from 6pm to 9pm on Feb. 15-17, Thursday to Saturday, to highlight tasty Chinese dishes that will be set in buffet style and will not only sate your appetite but also set you up for a whole year of prosperity and good luck.

The feast will be based on Changsa dishes, known for their sweet and spicy flavors, fresh aroma, and delightful colors.

Hyatt’s offerings will be carefully prepared by chef Hugo Lai, a visiting chef from Grand Hyatt Changsa, China. “I am very glad to have this opportunity to be here on Saipan and get to know Saipan and the people here. It is my first time on island and I am loving the weather and the people.

“My passion for cooking began as a child when I would help my mother in the kitchen. I eventually went to Guanzhou to learn [more about cooking],” he said. “After many years of study and of effort, I became a Hyatt qualified chef. I am very happy that I can be here for Chinese New Year and share my food with Saipan.”

Hyatt executive chef Gabriele Colombo said that two to three months of preparation and planning went into organizing the menu.

“We are expecting 300 guests and it is always a challenge but we are ready as we continuously work to prepare the best Chinese dinner for three nights,” he said.

Colombo said the dishes will highlight shrimps, tiger crabs, baby lobster, ribs, Peking duck, and braised pork belly.

“We will also have Hunan spicy hotpot and carving. Our desserts are also a crowd drawer as we serve Sesame chocolate ball and tofu cheesecake,” he added.

This will be the fourth year in a row that Hyatt will feature a visiting chef for the Lunar New Year.

“We are really excited to have chef Hugo with us for the fourth time and to bring in a chef from one of our sister properties in China,” said Hyatt Food & Beverage director Ty Pauling. “They come here to work with our team in the kitchen as it is a great learning experience for our chefs.”

Pauling said that many of Hyatt’s chefs are mostly residents who are getting a start in the culinary field. “To be able to experience this type of cuisine coming from a place that they have never been, or never been exposed to otherwise, might just entice them to go the extra step and go to Changsa or go and learn a little bit about Hunan or the kind of cuisine they really want to cook,” he added.

A traditional lion dance will be performed by the Chinese Association of Saipan at 11am at the Hyatt lobby, followed by Chinese martial arts and tai chi performance at 5pm to 5:30pm at the hotel lobby and another one at 6:30pm at the Kili Café & Terrace.

Hyatt assistant marketing communications manager Claudine Camacho encourages everyone to book reservations at 234-1234.

Dinner price is at $60 per person and $40 for Club at the Hyatt members. (Bea Cabrera)