Auspicious feasts for the Year of the Dragon

PARKROYAL COLLECTION Marina Bay, Singapore

Usher in the Year of the Dragon with celebratory feasts at PARKROYAL COLLECTION Marina Bay, Singapore, where its dream team of talented chefs has curated an abundant array of traditional favourites, reunion takeaways and other festive goodies to share with family and friends.

At its acclaimed Chinese restaurant Peach Blossoms, executive Chinese chef Edward Chong presents his signature Harvest yu sheng (S$188/S$288), with its dramatic, nitrogen-frozen rose that is “smashed” over a colourful collection of vegetables, fruits, abalone, crispy whitebait and kanpachi.

Chef Chong has also crafted six Chinese New Year set menus, including a seven-course Blessings set at $2,388 per table of 10, and a six-course Year of the Dragon Imperial set at $398++ per person (two days advance order required). Highlights include snow crab and wild mushrooms served on Japanese pearl rice, as well as double-boiled geoduck and chicken mousse soup.

For a takeaway family gathering at home, Peach Blossoms’ Happiness Reunion Bundle (S$688) serves 10 people, featuring Prosperity Salmon yu sheng, braised pig’s trotter with abalone, steamed sea bass with dried oyster in mushroom sauce, and more. Its Blossoming Abalone Treasure Pot also returns (S$328 and S$588) filled with whole abalone, sea cucumber, scallops and other prized ingredients.

Peppermint also offers a wholesome spread from Jan 12 to Feb 25, featuring the likes of braised black Angus short ribs Cantonese-style, and braised sea cucumber with abalone. At Portman’s Bar, enjoy Oriental-themed afternoon tea (S$68 per person) with highlights such as abalone radish cake and “Black Gold” yam puff filled with chicken char siew and dusted with gold flakes. 

Prices are before service charge and taxes. For more information, visit: https://bit.ly/jubilant-abundance

Pan Pacific Singapore

Get set for a prosperous Year of the Dragon at Pan Pacific Singapore, which has spared no effort to create a bumper harvest of exquisitely crafted set menus and auspicious takeaway treats at its acclaimed restaurants.

Start off with elevated Cantonese cuisine at Hai Tien Lo, where executive chef Ricky Leung has created elegant set menus priced from S$128 (vegetarian menu) to S$498 per person.

Tuck into signature dishes such as sliced crispy barbecued suckling pig and caviar, accompanied by deep-fried crispy chicken wing stuffed with bird’s nest, fish maw and crab meat; and braised whole abalone with dried oyster, homemade fish bean curd and black moss.

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There are also four kinds of yu sheng available, from S$68 for a vegetarian version to S$288 for the Abundance yu sheng – filled with luxurious whole abalone, scallops, lobster and more.

Treasure pot lovers will also enjoy two versions of their favourite pen cai, priced from S$388 to S$938. Pick from the classic version or the premium treasure pot that includes lobster and Queensland grouper fin.

Both yu sheng and pen cai are also available for takeaway, along with a superior treasure set reunion bundle that includes yu sheng, pen cai, crispy spring chicken and taro cake.

For a Japanese twist, enjoy a taste of Keyaki’s premium yu sheng (S$388) featuring top-quality sashimi including lobster, hamachi and uni, or wafu yu sheng (S$168), which highlights yellowtail and jellyfish.

For a mix of local and international favourites, Edge has something to please all tastes, including make-your-own yu sheng, whole suckling pig, Peking duck and braised pork belly. 

Prices are before service charge and tax. For more information, visit: https://panpacific.com/ppsin-cny2024

Crystal Jade Group

With 19 casual and fine dining restaurants in its stable, Crystal Jade Group offers an extensive array of Chinese New Year set dinners and auspicious takeaways that will make this a reunion to remember for all families big and small.

Group executive chef Martin Foo and his stable of talented chefs have curated a line-up of menus at its restaurants that will be served from Jan 19, with a host of exquisite creations to be enjoyed at Crystal Jade Palace, Crystal Jade Golden Palace and Crystal Jade Pavilion. These include the premium prosperity yu sheng (S$138/S$208) which boasts poached Boston lobster tail, torched scallops and fresh fruits such as dragon fruit, mango and longan.

Festive feasting continues with exclusive set menus at the three restaurants priced from S$168 to S$228 per person at Crystal Jade Palace and Crystal Jade Golden Palace, and from S$138 to S$198 per person at Crystal Jade Pavilion. Be wowed by the likes of lobster, caviar and foie gras on puff pastry; pan-seared abalone with mushrooms and crispy leeks; and crispy scaled marble goby with mozuku seaweed.

For gatherings at home, pick from its festive takeaway bundle (S$492.40), or design your own with auspicious sharing dishes such as a beautifully boxed eight-coloured appetiser platter (S$52.80), and Eight Treasure Vegetable wrapped in beancurd skin (S$29.80). Or how about the DIY steamboat bundle (S$88) with a fortifying collagen chicken soup base, for a fun, hassle-free reunion dinner?

Prices are before service charge and tax. For more information, visit: www.crystaljade.com

VOCO Orchard Singapore

Welcome the Year of the Dragon and the new beginnings it symbolises, with a spread of culinary delights at VOCO Orchard Singapore. With a creative blend of tradition and contemporary flair, Opus Bar & Grill crafts an exquisite festive menu that appeals to all palates. Meanwhile, D9 Cakery is your go-to place for classic takeaways and auspicious gifts for family, friends and business associates.

Gather loved ones for a heartwarming reunion at Opus Bar & Grill, where an indulgent CNY Sunday buffet spread awaits on Jan 28 and Feb 4, 11, 18 and 25. Toss to good luck at the DIY yu sheng bar, as you design your own auspicious salad. Sample Asian delights such as otah terrine, lotus leaf-wrapped rice and abalone pen cai, while also indulging in the restaurant’s signature seafood on ice, caviar and blinis, and il Cielo’s homemade pizzas and pastas. Priced at S$128 per adult and S$64 per child, prosecco and champagne options are also available.

Chinese New Year dishes are also served from Feb 9 to 16, including sweet and spicy short ribs with kong bak pao (S$48) and mandarin orange mousse with citrus sponge (S$16).

At D9 Cakery, fill your trays with traditional treats such as its signature pineapple tarts (S$39.90), buttery sugee almond cookies (S$39.90), crispy prawn rolls (S$32.90), classic love letters (S$39.90), CNY pralines (two for S$10) and macarons (S$5 each), and make yours the home everyone wants to visit.

Prices are before service charge and tax. For more information, visit: https://orcharddining.vocohotels.com/festive

InterContinental Singapore

The Year of the Dragon makes a grand entrance at InterContinental Singapore, where Michelin-recommended Man Fu Yuan crafts a gleaming culinary tribute to the mythical beast. 

Its show-stopping 60-inch Dragon’s Wealth yu sheng (S$888 for 10 persons) features a resplendent dragon head and tail symbolising power, health and good luck. Luxurious ingredients include rock lobster, sea urchin and shredded dried Hokkaido scallops, tossed in a refreshing honey miso peach dressing.

Sit down to a sumptuous reunion dinner with the five-course Blissfulness Prix-Fixe menu at S$888 for five persons, featuring its signature treasure pot. Or pick the lavish seven-course Harvest Prix-Fixe at S$1,498 for five guests, which boasts double-boiled collagen soup with Sakura chicken and premium Yellow Jade sea cucumber.

The Abundance treasure pot (S$498) is also available for takeaway, featuring lobster and sea cucumber. Other treats to bring home are the new baked purple sweet potato nian gao tarts (S$48.80 nett for eight pieces), or its famed prosperity pineapple balls (S$46.80 nett).

At The Lobby Lounge, sweeten your Chinese New Year celebrations with new pastry creations such as mandarin orange cake (S$12); pina colada money bag (S$12); and lucky fortune cake (S$88) topped with a God of Fortune hat.

For a different experience, LUCE by Davide Giacomelli serves up an abundant Sunday champagne brunch on Feb 11, serving Italian classics such as stufato di manzo alongside CNY-inspired suckling pig and yu sheng. Whichever you choose, you’re set for a golden year ahead.

Prices are before service charge and tax. For more information, visit: singapore.intercontinental.com/lunarnewyear

Orchard Hotel Singapore

Prepare for a radiant Chinese New Year at Orchard Hotel Singapore, which has decked out its lobby with a festive Dragon House that proliferates with seasonal blooms to welcome this auspicious time of year.

Award-winning Hua Ting’s master chef Lap Fai inspires with beautiful creations such as Dragon Dynasty yu sheng (S$388) – highlighting premium abalone, Australian lobster, French ice lettuce artistically shaped like the mythical creature. Its signature live prawn and crab meat yu sheng (S$108/S$188), whole abalone yu sheng and hamachi yu sheng (S$88/S$148) are also available.

For other takeaway treats, there’s Hua Ting’s fortune pot pen cai (S$368/S$688) that brims with abalone, fish maw and sea cucumber. Complete your home menu with golden suckling pig (S$408) or Irish roasted duck (S$118). Its traditional nian gao set (S$48) in four flavours – traditional, osmanthus water chestnut, turnip and the new truffle and mushroom – make a welcome gift.  

For that all-important reunion dinner, Hua Ting’s set menus are priced from S$148 to S$228 per person, with creations such as Buddha Jumps Over the Wall with bird’s nest; braised 4-head abalone; and steamed empurau in superior soya sauce. 

Alternatively, indulge in Orchard Cafe’s 8 Treasures Prosperity buffet (from S$78 to S$138 per person), featuring seafood on ice, black Angus prime rib, and treasures such as golden suckling pig, Peking duck, braised abalone and sea cucumber. All-time favourite durian pengat makes for a sweet ending, and a sweet start to the dragon year. 

Prices are before service charge and tax. For more information, visit: https://www.millenniumhotels.com/en/singapore/orchard-hotel-singapore

The Capitol Kempinski Hotel Singapore

Welcome the Year of the Dragon with many-splendoured feasts at The Capitol Kempinski Hotel Singapore, with auspicious menus and festive takeaways that appeal to every palate.

At 15 Stamford Restaurant, enjoy Asian flavours with a modern twist in its exclusive four-course set lunches (S$68 per person) and five-course set dinners (S$168 per person). For lunch, dine on cured swordfish and mandarin orange, chicken essence broth with abalone and pan-fried black cod. Dinner raises the bar with Korean abalone and oscietra caviar, smoked duck breast and wagyu short rib.

Dine in style at the elegant Atelier, which pampers guests in a glamorous chinoiserie setting. Available from Jan 22 to Feb 24, the six-course Family Reunion set lunch (S$138 per person) includes salmon yu sheng, double-boiled abalone chicken soup and sauteed Hokkaido scallops. Pick from the Good Fortune set dinner (S$168 per person) with premium yellowtail yu sheng and braised sea cucumber, or impress with the Prosperity Blooming set (S$238 per person), with abalone yu sheng and cheese-baked lobster among its highlights.

Alternatively, recreate the Kempinski experience at home, with yu sheng platters (S$88 nett/S$168 nett) and pen cai, a treasure trove of abalone, fish maw, sea cucumber and more. 

Enjoy a relaxing afternoon tea (S$56 per person) at the Lobby Lounge, and nibble on dainty Chinese-inspired bites such as pork floss sandwiches, kueh pie tee and red date and almond jelly. It’s a perfect setting to relax and contemplate an exciting dragon year ahead.

Prices are before service charge and tax. For more information, visit: https://www.kempinski.com/en/singapore

Artyzen Singapore

Savour the Year of the Dragon from a different perspective at the brand new Artyzen Singapore’s Quenino by Victor Liong, which showcases Asian cuisine with a contemporary touch.

This being the restaurant’s first Chinese New Year, chef Liong unveils a festive menu in collaboration with famed Melbourne restaurant Lee Ho Fook – the two-hatted Chinese restaurant that he founded before opening Quenino by Victor Liong.

Get a taste of tradition prepared with Australian and New Zealand ingredients in his special six-course menu available from Feb 8 to 24. Start with 8 Prosperous Treasures, starring drunken quail in aged Shaoxing wine and Chaozhou-style marinated scampi. Another highlight is Lee Ho Fook Yee Sang Lo Hei, which pairs King Ora salmon from New Zealand and a crunchy slaw, tossed in a fragrant yuzu and plum dressing.

Seafood plays a dominant role in the menu, as the chef plates up whole steamed Murray cod or coral trout, hand-picked mud crab and Pacific oysters. Other classic Lee Ho Fook dishes include crispy eggplant in a spicy sweet-sour glaze, and slow roasted, 14-day dry-aged duck which is served with claypot rice and house-cured pork. End off with his signature jasmine tea custard, which was first served when his Melbourne restaurant opened in 2013.

Chef Liong’s debut festive menu is his way of sharing his own memories of Chinese New Year in Australia. “Whether you’re in Singapore or Melbourne, it’s my way of bridging the two cities closer, united by a sense of occasion and abundance at the dinner table.”

Prices are before service charge and tax. For online reservations, visit: https://www.artyzen.com/en/hotels/artyzen-singapore/dining/ or call 6371 6030