Usher in the Year of the Pig with classic Chinese dishes and other innovative picks at these restaurants
With the Lunar New Year peeking around the corner, it’s time again to start planning the all-important reunion dinner. And while you can hire a private chef to do all the work for you, we’d rather treat the family to a sumptuous dinner at some of Singapore’s top dining spots. Here’s where you can usher in a prosperous Year of the Earth Pig.
Adrift by David Myers
Celebrity chef David Myers’ lavish six-course dinner menu ($188++ for two) will showcase the restaurant’s signature seafood flair with dishes such as Binchotan Abalone and Squid with Sansho Pepper and Ink Glaze and Woodfired Flounder with Chilli, Coriander and Superior Sauce. But carnivores aren’t forgotten, and they’ll get to dig into a juicy Suckling Pig with Lardo, Mustard Seeds and Radicchio in Gua Bao. A la carte Yusheng is also available ($15++ per person), with a minimum order for two.
Adrift by David Myers
Lobby level
Tower 2
Marina Bay Sands
10 Bayfront Avenue
Singapore 018956
Tel: +65 6688 5657
Auntie’s Wok and Steam @ Alley on 25, Andaz Singapore
Ring in the New Year at Andaz Singapore at Auntie’s Wok and Steam @ Alley on 25. This year, the restaurant pays tribute to tzi char culture with creative picks like the Whole Boston Lobster Egg Noodle, Saffron Fried Rice with Cantonese Cured Sausage and a traditional must- have: Braised Dong Po Belly. These are available as a la carte selections or in sharing menus for between four and eight people (from $288). But before that, toss to an auspicious year ahead with the Prosperity Ross Yusheng ($38), which is filled with slivers of eight-head abalone. You can also purchase a selection of festive cakes and cookies online.
Auntie’s Wok and Steam @ Alley on 25
Level 25
Andaz Singapore
5 Fraser Street
Singapore 189354
Tel: +65 6408 1288
Cassia, Capella Singapore
This contemporary Chinese restaurant at Capella Singapore, Sentosa is going all out with three reunion-dinner set menus (from $139 per person) and four Lunar New Year set menus (from $88 per person) featuring classic festive delicacies such as the Wok-Fried King Prawn with Pineapple Sauce and Wok-Fried Chilli Soft Shell Crab served with Deep-Fried Mantou.
There are also two kinds of yusheng platters; savour a combination of colourful julienned vegetables, golden crackers, fresh salmon sashimi with Cassia’s homemade passion fruit sauce when you tuck into the Prosperity Lou Hei or opt for the Cassia Premium Lou Hei, complete with a cute pumpkin-carved pig and ingredients such as lobster, abalone and black truffle.
Cassia
Capella Singapore
1 The Knolls
Sentosa Island
Singapore 098297
Tel: +65 6591 5045
Jiang-Nan Chun, Four Seasons Hotel Singapore
Executive Chinese chef Tim Lam’s exquisite Lunar New Year menus (from $148 per person) focus on fresh, seasonal produce, and the main highlight this year is the Fresh Australian Lobster and Abalone Yu Sheng, complemented by hand-shredded seasonal vegetables and homemade sauces. For those craving veggie-friendly delights, the one Michelin-starred Jiang Nan Chun offers a six-course vegetarian set menu ($118 per person) with specials like Wok-fried Boston Lobster in Black Bean Sauce and Braised Six-head Abalone with Dried Oyster and Black Moss. There’s also a range of takeaway sweet and savoury treats such as Coconut Nian Gao and Carrot Cake with Chinese Sausage, perfect for family celebrations or festive gifting.
Jiang-Nan Chun
Level 2
Four Seasons Hotel Singapore
190 Orchard Boulevard
Singapore 248646
Tel: +65 6831 7220
Madame Fan
Chinese New Year is a little more special at this dining spot at The NCO Club, which is launching its first-ever Lunar New Year lunch ($78 per person) and dinner menus (from $128 per person). Apart from its dim sum mainstays, you can also add Double Boiled Sea Conch or Sakura Chicken and Cordyceps Flower Soup to your dinner menu. Madame Fan’s Prosperity Yusheng (from $88) gets a new twist, too, thanks to ingredients like crispy rice noodles, purple cabbage, silver fish, pomelo, mandarin orange and green mango.
Madame Fan
Level 2
The NCO Club
32 Beach Road
Singapore 189764
Tel: +65 6818 1921
Cherry Garden, Mandarin Oriental, Singapore
Toss to endless wealth and prosperity with one of the five yusheng platters available at Cherry Garden at Mandarin Oriental, Singapore. Whether you’re having the Bountiful Yu Sheng with Alaskan Crab Meat and Black Caviar or the vegetarian alternative with fresh fruits and vegetables, each of the five platters comes with julienned Rosella fruit and a velvety housemade spring onion sauce.
In addition to the Luxurious Pen Cai, which is filled with braised four-head abalone, lobsters, sea cucumbers and more, Cherry Garden is also offering takeaway heritage dishes such as Slow-Cooked Beef Brisket Stew with Tendon and Turnip and Pig Trotter with Black Moss. Wash it all down with MO Bar’s Year-of-the-Pig-inspired The Golden Fortune cocktail ($26), a gin-infused tipple with barbecued pork, dry vermouth, gold leaf and aromatic fat oil.
Mandarin Oriental, Singapore
Marina Square
5 Raffles Avenue
Singapore 039797
Tel: +65 6338 0066
Min Jiang, Goodwood Park Hotel
Regardless of which outlet you go to (there’s one at Rochester Park), you’re in for a wonderful time. Mainstays aside, the Deep-Fried Pork Knuckle and Slow-Baked Honey Butter Ribs will more likely than not, please the most pernickety diners. There’s also the crispy duck to look forward to, which is first deep fried then shredded and set on a bed of glutinous rice. Takeaway dishes are also available, and if you’re ordering from the Rochester Park outlet, don’t leave out the Double-Boiled Whole Chicken Stuffed with Bird’s Nest and Duck Foie Gras Dumplings.
Min Jiang
Goodwood Park Hotel Singapore
22 Scotts Road
Singapore 228221
Tel: +65 6730 1704
Nostra Cucina
Thinking of doing something different for your reunion dinner this year? Add an Italian twist to your Lunar New Year festivities with Nostra Cucina’s sumptuous five-course dinner menu ($88++ per person; $188++ per person with wine pairing). Start with the Buratta with Eggplant and Minced Pork or Crispy Mozzarella with Five Spice, Garlic and Chilli before moving on to satisfying mains like the crisp Fried Snapper with Agro Dolce and Crispy Kale. End your dinner on a sweet note with the aromatic Vanilla Bean Panna Cotta with Tangerine and Almond Hazelnut Biscotti.
Nostra Cucina
B1-42
Galleria Level
The Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands
2 Bayfront Avenue
Singapore 018972
Tel: +65 6688 8522
Shangri-La Hotel, Singapore
Set your reunion dinner at one of Shangri-La Hotel, Singapore’s dining destinations this Chinese New Year. At Shang Palace, Fortune Yu Sheng, Braised Whole Abalone, Braised Bird’s Nest, King Prawns are highlights of its seven- and eight-course menus. The Line takes things to the next level with more than 25 new dishes from Shanghainese, Cantonese, Sichuan and Singaporean cuisines including Nyonya Curry Chicken, Shanghai Braised Pork Trotter and Szechuan Mala Fish. Alternatively enjoy a full-blown Peranakan feast at The Lobby Lounge with classics like Babi Pongtay, Itek Sioh, Bakwan Kepiting, Chap Chye and more.
Shangri-La Hotel, Singapore
22 Orange Grove Road
Singapore 258350
Tel: +65 6737 3644
Yan
Yan encapsulates the Lunar New Year in six set menus, (from $128++ per person) filled with hearty pleasures like the Signature Roast Crispy Suckling Pig, Superior Chicken Broth with Fish Maw, Braised Ee-Fu Noodles with Dried Scallop and Enoki Mushroom and other festive seafood essentials. But first, toss away with the Kaleidoscope of Prosperity (Shun De Style) yusheng platter – a mountain of crispy fried vermicelli topped with gold leaves, a vegetable medley, youtiao and slices of fresh salmon or yellowtail, all adorned with bak kwa.
Yan
#05-02
National Gallery Singapore
1 St. Andrew’s Road
Singapore 178957
Tel: +65 63845585
