Tastes of the Tiger this Chinese New Year

EVEN before you can utter the words "Lo Hei", chefs of Chinese restaurants have been transforming piles of shredded vegetables into the likeness of the tiger, imbuing the king of cats with facial expressions you would never see on National Geographic. Some look like Sylvester the cartoon cat's nephew after an accidental paint job, some like a hurriedly taken selfie and others like a getai tiger complete with wayang eyeliner. But they're all impressive, instant conversation starters and a perfect start to a reunion dinner.

If you can't get enough of tiger-related treats, there's plenty more where they came from.

Si Chuan Dou Hua

It may look like artfully arranged leaves of prata, but Si Chuan Dou Hua's yusheng is actually topped with skilfully sliced fugu sashimi arranged in a still life of a tiger's face. This feat of workmanship is paired with a platter of fresh greens and edible flowers ready for a celebratory toss. That's not the end of it, either. There are little nian gao nuggets with tiger faces that are so cute that kids would wolf them down without any bidding.

Order at sichuandouhua.com

Pulse Patisserie

Tigers are mere pussy cats in the eyes of the bakers at Pulse Patisserie, where you can ogle this 3D confection made of lychee butter cake and strawberry buttercream. Chocolate gold coins and ingots ensure that you ring in a prosperous new year too.

Order at pulsepatisserie.com

Ah Mah Homemade Cake

You'll want them for the name if nothing else. The castella cake shop has rolled out Hoo Hoo cookies and cakes, in tiger-shaped nuggets and orange cake embellished with tiger stripes. The cookies comprise buttery pastry filled with pineapple paste, while the orange cake has a triple whammy of juice, pulp and zest.

Order at ah-mah.com.sg

Tien Court

For a savoury change of pace, Tien Court's tiger buns are individually hand-painted and only 20 are available each day for dine-in. The buns, which bear a fleeting resemblance to a shiba inu, are filled with a creamy chicken mixture and you need a secret code to order them (which the servers will happily provide).

Da Paolo Gastronomia

When you don't want to be too literal, go understated the Italian way with Da Paolo's tiger bread. It's a sourdough version of fluffy milk bread, scored so that it bakes into a surface of rich golden stripes. Blonde dough infused with orange and saffron, and chocolate dough are layered to create a swirly pattern when cut, for a cool effect.

Bad Decisions Imports

Craft beer maker Deep Creek created the Sentinel Hazy IPA as part of its range of East meets East beers. The can design features the white tiger, said to be 1 of the 4 celestial guardians of Chinese mythology. A fitting drink for visitors over Chinese New Year, the beer features passion fruit and guava flavours for a heavenly brew.

Order at baddecisionsimports.com. Use promo code notyournormaltiger at checkout for an 18.8 per cent discount.