Best Pen Cai 2023 Singapore For Dine-In, Takeaway & Delivery

The coming Chinese New Year in 2023 – the Year of the Rabbit – will fall on the 22nd January 2023. Given the current situation, you can expect an abundant selection from some of the top Chinese restaurants and hotels for pen cai  for your reunion dinner. As with last year, there are several establishments offering takeaway or islandwide delivery services for Chinese New Year reunion dinners. If you choose to dine-in, try to reserve early as many of the popular restaurants get booked out weeks in advance. 

Pen cai or Poon Choi is a traditional Cantonese dish comprised of a number of ingredients including meat, seafood and vegetables. Contrary to popular belief in Singapore, pen cai is not just consumed during Chinese New Year by Cantonese communities. Traditionally, pen cai is eaten during major festivals, religious rituals and even wedding banquets. In Singapore however, it is mostly eaten during the Lunar New Year as a symbol of harmony.

Without further ado, I’ve tried my best to list them down here for your convenience. This list will be expanded over the next few days as new establishments come onboard with their pen cai for CNY 2023 so bookmark this page for future reference.

Conrad Singapore Orchard (Summer Palace)

*Top Pick* Michelin-starred Summer Palace’s pen cai is available as part of their set menus good for a 5 or 10 person reunion dinner available for takeaway and delivery. The Peony Set Menu (from S$851.05 / good for 5 pax) comes with Crispy Salted Egg Fish Skin and Jellyfish Yu Sheng, Summer Palace Pen Cai (Abalone, Sea Cucumber, Sea Moss, Roasted Pork, Dried Oyster, Fish Maw, Shiitake Mushrooms, Beancurd Puffs, Chinese Cabbage and Fungus in Festive Pot), Pan Fried Live Prawns, Smoked Chicken with Jasmine Tea Leaves, Stir-fried Glutinous Rice with Hong Kong Preserved Sausages and Dried Shrimp. You can also lux it up with their Tiffin Blossom Set Menu (from S$1,823.05 / good for 10 pax) which includes additional dishes like Stir-fried Lobster with Broccoli, Steamed Live Pearl Grouper Hong Kong Style, Diced Beef Tenderloin and more. Do note the hotel where Summer Palace is situated in, the former Regent Singapore, is now known as Conrad Singapore Orchard.

Dates: Now until 5th February 2023

Delivery: Free delivery with minimum order of S$300 / S$30 delivery fee for orders below S$300

Order here (10% off for I Wander readers, valid until stocks last)

PARKROYAL COLLECTION Marina Bay (Peach Blossoms)

Peach Blossoms’ Blossoming Abalone Treasure Pot (S$629.10) includes 10-head abalone, roast duck, braised pork trotter and a selection of premium seafood in a one-pot braise. Good for 8 persons, a vegetarian version is also available from S$393.7. Orders need to be made at least 3 days in advance.

Dates: 3rd January to 5th February 2023 (ordering is available now)

Order here (15% off)

Shangri-la Singapore (Shang Palace)

Guests may indulge in seasonal specials such as the takeaway Abundance Treasure Pot (S$498). Good for 8 persons, it hosts a treasure trove of prized ingredients including abalone, fish maw, whole dace fish, sea cucumber, pork knuckle and more, epitomizing its symbolism of abundance and prosperity. The dish is laboriously prepared over six hours to bring out the best flavors of each ingredient. 

Dates: 2nd January to 5th February 2023 (ordering is available now)

Order here

Tam Kah

Tam Kah is a seafood wholesaler that also prepares cooked seafood dishes for delivery. For CNY 2022, they are offering either the Prosperity (from S$168) or the Superior (from S$218) pen cai. Both types of pen cai come in 5-pax and 10-pax versions. Expect ingredients such as 6-head abalone, sea cucumber, fish maw, dried and fresh scallops and more. This is quite a good value pen cai if you are looking for a less expensive option this year. 

Dates: Ongoing

Order here

Crowne Plaza Changi Airport

A bestseller for Lunar New Year, the Deluxe Pen Cai with Golden Broth (S$298) is a luscious pot of treasures including premium baby abalone, dried oysters, sea cucumber, fish maw, braised pork belly, assorted mushrooms and more – all slow-cooked in collagen-rich pumpkin gravy. The pen cai is good for up to 6 persons.

Dates: Now until 2nd February 2023

Order here 

Tung Lok

Tung Lok’s pen cai, the Prosperity Pen Cai (S$325), is good for 10 persons and comes with ingredients such as abalone, prawn, fish maw, roasted pork belly, braised pork shank, fish puff, bean dough and more. Each order of their pen cai also comes with a free claypot and traditional nian gao.

Delivery: Free pen cai delivery with minimum order of S$100

Dates: 10th January to 3rd February 2023 (ordering starts now)

Order here

Ming Kitchen

Ming Kitchen is a seafood restaurant / food court stall with outlets all over Singapore. Their Auspicious Pen Cai (from S$198) comes with ingredients such as 10-head abalone, prawns, oysters, fish maw, sea cucumber, mushrooms, pig trotters, black moss and more. Each pen cai order also comes with a free pot and warmer bag. Currently, their pen cai are open for self-collection only but the good news is that customers have at least 15 collection points to choose from – all located in heartland locations such as Pasir Ris, Tampines, Choa Chu Kang, Bukit Batok and more.

Dates: Ongoing

Order here 

Holiday Inn Singapore Atrium (Xin Cuisine)

For an authentic pen cai, the restaurant’s Xin’s Traditional Pen Cai (S$368) for takeaway brims with premium ingredients such as whole abalone, fresh scallop, deep-fried fish maw, sea cucumber, live prawn and roast meat to name a few. You can also lux it up and opt for the Xin’s Prosperity Pen Cai (S$368 / S$518) which has the same ingredients as the traditional pen cai but with added lobster and no duck.

Dates: Now until 5th Feb 2023 (collection starts 21st Dec)

Order here 

Four Seasons Hotel Singapore (Jiang Nan Chun)

Jian Nan Chun’s Pen Cai (from S$888) presents a number of mainstays from this classic Cantonese dish. The pot contains mushrooms, dried oysters, dried scallops, sea cucumber, roast pork belly, pig’s trotter, baby abalone, pork ribs, fish maw, soy sauce chicken, signature roast duck, fresh prawns and black moss. 

Dates: 1st January to 5th February 2023

Order here

Pan Pacific Singapore (Hai Tien Lo)

For CNY 2023, Hai Tien Lo at Pan Pacific Singapore is offering two types of pen cai. The Classic Treasure Pot (starts from S$338) features 8 Head Whole Abalone, Bird’s Nest, Sakura Chicken, Dried Scallops, Wontons and Broccoli. The Superior Treasure Pot (starts from S$598), on the other hand, comes with 15 stellar ingredients like 8 Head Abalone, Lobster, Roast Duck, Pork Knuckle, Dried Oyster, Black Moss and more. 

Dates: 27 December 2022 to 5 February 2023 (ordering starts on the 19th December 2022)

Order here

Conrad Centennial Singapore (Golden Peony)

Golden Peony’s Prosperity Abalone Pen Cai (from S$318) and is available in 2 sizes – one good for 4 to 6 and another good for 6 to 10. Expect an abundance of premium ingredients in this pot including conpoy, fish maw, mushrooms, black moss, sea cucumber and oysters. 

Dates: 2nd January to 5th February 2023 (ordering starts now)

Order here

Si Chuan Dou Hua

Si Chuan Dou Hua’s Treasure Pot Pen Cai ($288 for 3-4 persons; $488 for 6-8 persons) comes with the full works. Think: abalone, fish maw, sea cucumber, prawns, dried scallop, dried oyster, waxed meat, duck, pork, chestnut, cabbage, mushroom, yam and black moss, cooked in your choice of traditional abalone broth, collagen or Sichuan mala for a change from the convention.

Dates: 9th January to 5th February 2023

Order here