Our fuss-free guide to picking a restaurant for Chinese New Year 2017
From traditional dishes to reinvented renditions, here's where you should go for a reunion meal.
7 years ago
Chinese New Year is just around the corner, which means you’re fast running out of time in making restaurant bookings for your reunion dinner. Here, we’ve put together a vast array of CNY lunch and dinner options into four categories—buffets and affordable alternatives, luxurious reunion dinner, dinner with amazing views and non-Chinese restaurants with their own renditions. We’ve even thrown in some gift ideas.
Buffet and affordable alternatives
Lime at PARKROYAL on Pickering
Feast your eyes and tastebuds out with their delicious offerings. You can look forward to exciting dishes like steamed red garoupa with Chef’s Fei secret sauce and bak kwa and pork floss pizza. These desserts also promise a satisfying end to your meal: homemade beancurd and and an orange chocolate fondue fountain. 3 Upper Pickering St. Make a reservation via Chope here.
When: Jan 27-30 (yu sheng till Feb 10)
How much: From $48 per person
If you are not into conventional dinner settings, you’ll find the Eight Treasures Premium Steamboat buffet menu worthwhile. You can enjoy barbecue highlights like bak kwa and Taiwanese sausages and seafood choices like lobsters, jumbo prawns, scallops and more. They also serve a whole suckling pig at the buffet counters. 81 Anson Rd.
When: Jan 27-Feb 11
How much: From $58 per person
Located within Holiday Inn, this delightful restaurant is offering one-for-one buffet dinners that switches up often for more options, besides the usual lo hei and abalone. You can expect traditional waxed duck and chicken sausages rice, the classic buah keluak chicken and Szechuan pepper lamb. 2/F Holiday Inn Singapore Orchard City Centre, 11 Cavenagh Rd. Make a reservation via Chope here.
When: Jan 27-31
How much: From $80 (for two)
The interactive dining concept restaurant has also come up with a two or three-course menu, that will feature not only kung pao chicken linguine, but also their take on Singapore’s favourite dish, the soft shell chilli crab with mantou buns. Besides that, they also offer suckling pig that took a total of 19 hours to brown, marinate and roast. For desserts, you can indulge in some satisfying pineapple tarts. 35 Robinson Rd. Make a reservation via Chope here.
When: Jan 16-29
How much: From $32 per person
Luxurious reunion dinners
Blue Lotus Chinese Eating House
If you are feeling more casual and laid back, this traditional Chinese joint is serving up dishes in three menus—harmony, prosperity and longevity. Of course, traditional yu sheng will be served, but besides that, exquisite truffle wonton lobster bisque and signature chilli pomelo crab claw will also be amongst the menu. Also, if you come in a group of 20 for dinner, you’ll receive a complimentary juicy Ibérico suckling pig (only applies to lunch menu), so gather the troops! #01-13 Quayside Isle, 31 Ocean Way. Make a reservation via Chope here.
When: Jan 16-Feb 11
How much: $88 per person
Ornamental lamps, gorgeous screens with floral motifs and beautiful windows; pair that with delicate, contemporary plating, and you have a spot that’s appropriate for a family reunion. Besides the traditional lo hei, there are some luxurious dishes double-boiled chicken soup with abalone, wok-fried lobster with goose liver, bird's nest with six treasures soup. G/F Capella Singapore, 1 The Knolls. Make a reservation via Chope here.
When: Jan 28-Feb 11
How much: From $79 per person
The opulent and elegant fine dining restaurant is serving an enormous pen cai that weighs 25 kilograms, measuring 45 centimeters in diameter, consisting of lavish ingredients like four-headed abalone, scallops and lobsters. The other dishes on the menu is a balance between the greens and meat, ending off with a cold treat, their chilled mango cream with lime sorbet. 5/F Marina Square, Mandarin Oriental. Make a reservation via Chope here.
When: Jan 5-Feb 11
How much: From $128 onwards per person
This stalwart in Cantonese cuisine offers set menus by person and tables of ten. They also put in lots of effort in the presentation of the dishes; their roast suckling pig stuffed with California Maki resembles a dragon boat. The menu is well thought-out, with options like sliced abalone placed in a mini golden pumpkin, Hong Kong style steamed soon hock fish, and not forgetting the desserts like chilled jelly with aloe vera. 2 Temasek Blvd. Make a reservation via Chope here.
When: Jan 10-Feb 11
How much: From $100 per person
Known for the Cantonese dishes with a twist, Chef Nicky Ng is bringing his innovative touch to traditional dishes, offering two types of yu sheng (one of which is vegetarian) and three types of reinvented pen cai with a choice of prawns, lobsters or groupers. They are also having three choices of menu catered for groups of six or ten, with dishes like sea cucumber with abalone and oyster, lobster meat fried rice and steamed soon hock fish with minced ginger in soya sauce. Level 4, Grand Park Orchard, 270 Orchard Rd. Make a reservation via Chope here.
When: Jan 14-Feb 17
How much: From $128 per person
Known for their gastronomic Cantonese dishes, Chef Brian Wong is serving lavish dishes like braised bird’s nest broth with crab meat, ginseng marinated roast duck and stewed 10-head abalone with dried oyster. But if you are looking for something vegetarian, they have pen cai with black truffle, mushrooms and different types of greens. Also, they’re offering mango pudding in the shape of a koi. 3/F Singapore Marriott Hotel, 320 Orchard Rd. Make a reservation via Chope here.
When: Jan 9-Feb 11
How much: From $68 per person (inclusive of a choice of a glass of sparkling wine, beer or soft drink)
Located at Furama Riverfront, enjoy your festive reunion with dishes like poached osmanthus chicken, Danggui roasted duck and salmon yu sheng. Besides that, they are also having delicious brightly-colored treats like orange chiffon cakes and golden baked tapioca cake. 2/F Furama Riverfront Singapore, 405 Havelock Rd. Make a reservation via Chope here.
When: Jan 7-Feb 11
How much: From $98 onwards
This mod-sin restaurant is offering a six-course menu, starting with luxurious abalone, followed by mains like pen cai risotto with tiger prawns and mushrooms; and ending it off with glutinous rice cakes with mandarin sorbet and pineapple tarts. #02-23, Esplanade Mall, 8 Raffles Ave. Make a reservation via Chope here.
When: Feb 3-14
How much: $88 per person
Housed in Sheraton Towers, this restaurant is offering eight menus curated by Executive Chef Chung Yiu Ming, serving traditional dishes with an added twist—steamed red garoupa with Yunnan ham and chicken with prawn paste stuffings served with mango and ee-fu noodles. G/F Sheraton Towers Singapore, 39 Scotts Rd.
When: Jan 11-Feb 11
How much: From $148 per person
Dinner with amazing views
Aura
If having a five-course dinner menu with magnificent views of the Padang and Marina Bay is your thing, then Aura is the place to go. They’re serving prosperous dishes like Hokkaido scallop carpaccio with salmon caviar, Australian abalone, steamed Italian seabass and the sweet mandarin orange bavarois to end the meal. 5-05-03 National Gallery Singapore, 1 St. Andrew’s Rd.
When: Jan 9-Feb 11
How much: From $58
Situated at the 57th floor of Marina Bay Sands skypark, you can enjoy an amazing view of the city with the prosperity dishes like pan fried XO king prawn, steamed sea bass fillet and a sweet dessert with burnt coconut marshmallow, apricot gel and chocolate puffed rice. 57/F Marina Bay Sands SkyPark, 1 Bayfront Ave.
When: Jan 23 - Feb 5
How much: From $168 per person
Le Meridien Singapore, Sentosa
With views overlooking the majestic Merlion statue, enjoy a cozy family dinner over sumptuous dishes like crispy spring chicken, the ever-popular salted egg prawns and shark’s fin soup with crab meat. Match it up with Asian delicacies like deep fried Nian Gao or go for the very Singaporean coconut kaya pandan cake. Sentosa, 23 Beach View.
When: Jan 11-Feb 11
How much: From $48 per person
Their lo hei is looking like a mix of French, Japanese and Chinese cuisine, with star ingredients like black winter truffle, Japanese surf clams and hokkigai thrown into the mix, along with crispy fish skin, salmon trout sashimi and Hokkaido salmon roe. OUE Bayfront Rooftop, 50 Collyer Quay. Make a reservation via Chope here.
When: Jan 9-Feb 11
How much: From $98
If having dinner alongside the idyllic Singapore River sounds good to you, read on. VLV is offering five set menus for you to choose from. Some of the signature dishes featured are Kagoshima Kurobuta Char Siew and black truffle roasted duck. Vegetarians can opt for chrysanthemum tofu soup and fried millet with pinenut. For desserts, you can expect a classic “or nee”—pumpkin, gingko nuts and coconut ice-cream. #01-02 3A Merchant's Court, River Valley Rd.
When: Jan 16-Feb 11
How much: From $98 per person
Non-Chinese restaurants with their own renditions
If you fancy peranakan flavors for your reunion dinner, this restaurant at the recently opened Hotel Indigo Singapore Katong are dishing out a reinvented salmon yu sheng with pineapples and cornflakes, a nyonya-inspired stir-fried prawn dish with extra punches of sweet, sour and spicy paste and more, perfect for a party of up to eight persons. #01-01 Katong Square, 86 East Coast Rd. Make a reservation via Chope here.
When: Jan 16-Feb 11
How much: From $188
Chef Daniel Boulud’s restaurant, known for their French cuisine, is offering Singaporean classics like chilli crab with spicy mustard greens and buttery mantou buns and roasted suckling pig with extra punches of spice and black pepper Boston lobster. #B1-48, Galleria Level, 10 Bayfront Ave. Make a reservation via Chope here.
When: Jan 9-Feb 11
How much: From $18 onwards
Veteran chef Emmanuel Stroobant doesn’t disappoint with his upscale dishes. You can expect his inspired version of the traditional yu sheng comprising of homemade tea-smoked salmon paired with sweet and sour dressings like wild honey, yuzu and plum. For main dishes, look forward to symbolic reunion dishes like Merlan Colbert with spiced sides, as well as the pigeon and foie gras farce dumpling garnished with cabbage, radish, onion puree and smoked potato espuma. #02-02B One Fullerton, 1 Fullerton Rd. Make a reservation via Chope here.
When: Jan 31-Feb 10
How much: $58 per person
Straits Kitchen at Grand Hyatt
There are many halal Chinese restaurants, but none of them beat Straits Kitchen. For this CNY, they’re offering the must-haves like Buddha Jumps Over The Wall (comprising of braised oyster with black moss) and Singaporean favorites like wok-fried king prawn in salted egg sauce. G/F Grand Hyatt Singapore, 10 Scotts Rd. Make a reservation via Chope here.
When: Jan 7-Feb 11
How much: From $98
Get roasted, meat lovers. The Carvery is also offering some crispy delights like pork belly with apricot ginger sauce and golden yu sheng with Norwegian trout and fried fish skin. Then end the meal off with delectable desserts like yuzu trifle and persimmon fruit compote. 323 Alexandra Rd. Make a reservation via Chope here.
When: Jan 10-Feb 11
How much: From $45 per person
Last minute CNY gift ideas
Let Dean & Deluca tantalize your taste buds with traditional CNY favorites, featuring pineapple tarts and almond cookies, beautifully packed in Harmony, Abundance and Treasure Gift Sets. Send your loved ones these perfect gifts via pre-orders online or e-catalogue, available till Feb 11.
When: Till Feb 8
How much: $18-$380
A nice mix of traditional and Asian-hipster, Singaporean furniture label Scene Shang’s ceramic and silver-plated May Mug is a great gift for those who love good coffee and pretty things on their desks. Be extra seasonal and get the one that says yu, for fish, symbolizing plenitude.
Admit it: receiving yet another hamper full of cookies and tarts only amps up your caloric anxiety over CNY. Well, healthy snack subscription service Made Real is rolling out a healthy CNY hamper, with black sesame granola cookies, five-spice nut mix, Eastern trail mix and more. And you can send them around the region.
When: Till Feb 27
How much: $29 per box
You can find more in our CNY Guide 2017.
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