Food

With dining restrictions set to be the norm in the foreseeable future, it will probably take a while before we can see a group of 12, 10 or even 8 in one restaurant table again. This is especially tricky for Chinese restaurants as Chinese food is traditionally enjoyed in one large group. For now, most Chinese food lovers can still look forward to enjoying their favorite dishes at home, with families or close friends, as long as they don’t breach whatever maximum guests the government prescribes.

Like everyone else, I have had my fair share of food takeaways and deliveries for the past 16 months (and counting). Among these takeaways, I would say that Chinese food is probably the most frequent cuisine I go for. In this regard, I have compiled this list to share my favorite Chinese food takeaways and deliveries. They are arranged in no particular order.

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Qin is the inhouse restaurant of The Clan Hotel. Opened by Tunglok Group, the restaurant serves Chinese food but with a modern twist. In Chinese, the restaurant name is 亲 which means kinship, in keeping with the overall theme of The Clan Hotel.

Located at the 5th floor of the property, the venue boasts of sweeping views of Singapore’s CBD owing to Qin’s high loft-style layout and floor-to-ceiling windows. Qin is comprised of two levels – the lower level is where the restaurant is located while the upper loft level is a bar where guests can unwind before or after their meal. The walls here are quite notable with their TCM medicine cabinets – inspired design.

Given that the restaurant is by Tunglok Group, I was actually expecting something more traditional but the cuisine is pleasantly fresh and outward looking, taking inspiration from Singapore and beyond. 

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The mid-autumn or mooncake festival 2021 will fall on the 21st of September 2021. In the lunar calendar, the mid-autumn festival is celebrated every 15th of the eight month. Despite the “evolving situation”, this looks to be another year filled with noteworthy and even some unusual flavors. This guide will be regularly updated with 2021’s catalog of the best mooncakes in Singapore as well as ongoing promotions and mooncake delivery options. The most common types of mooncakes include:

• Traditional baked mooncakes which come with lotus paste or occasionally with red bean paste. These baked mooncakes may also come with one or two salted egg yolks at the center. Sub-specialties include low-sugar baked mooncakes or those that replace the traditional lotus paste with something else, such as pandan or even pineapples.
• Snowskin mooncakes, which need to be chilled and have a shorter shelf life, usually come in fruit flavors with sub-specialties including durian mooncakes and even alcohol infused ones. Snowskin mooncakes are not baked and the crust is made with glutinous rice, enabling a texture similar to mochi. These mooncakes are usually considered less oily than the traditional baked ones.
• Teochew mooncakes are also baked but differ in the sense that the crust is made of filo pastry. Instead of lotus paste, the filling is made with yam, green bean or red bean.

I will also aim to show what the containers look like, so that you’ll know which hotels, Chinese restaurants and bakeries have the best and most beautiful mooncake boxes for 2021.

As most providers have ramped up their online ordering systems, the best credit cards to use for your mooncake purchase would be those that give discounts. Promotions are listed below under the individual brands. Currently, there is also a promotion with Citibank where you can get either a Dyson V8 Slim Fluffy Cordless Vacuum or S$350 cash if you sign up as a new Citi cardholder here.

Is there mooncake fair in 2021?

Given the current situation and the move to online orders and mooncake deliveries, there won’t likely be any physical mooncake fairs or roadshows in 2021. However, there’s likely to be a multitude of online mooncake fairs.

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Executive Cantonese Chef Hoo Chee Keong officially joined Si Chuan Dou Hua Restaurant – Top of UOB Plaza with his refined take on Cantonese Cuisine since 1st April this year. At only 38 years old, the young executive chef brings with him solid years of experience in some of the finest Chinese restaurants in Singapore. He was most recently at Mott 32 in Marina Bay Sands. With his arrival, Chef Ho has come up with a new and highly approachable 6-course tasting menu at $88++.

the view from si chuan dou hua Top UOB Plaza

Situated at the highest floor of UOB Plaza, the second tallest building in Singapore, one can catch sweeping views of the CBD and the surrounding Marina Bay while partaking in this new menu. The dishes contain no MSG and has a distinct focus on premium boutique produce.

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Tucked away at the second floor of the Grand Mercure Singapore Roxy in Katong is Jia Wei, an unassuming Chinese restaurant in the chain hotel. Although most of Singapore’s best Chinese restaurants are usually located in town, this Katong gem piqued my interest after an acquaintance on Instagram posted a couple of mouthwatering dishes from the venue. A quick check at various websites also revealed a few value-for-money deals so the decision to come was really a no-brainer.

Get a 20% discount voucher at Jia Wei here

As of this writing, I have been to Jia Wei three times. The first two times were for the value lunch sets. Portions were quite big and I was amazed by the 4 courses that came with the meal I chose. Following that, I was invited by the restaurant for dinner to check out the ala carte menu.

Jia Wei uses locally sourced ingredients whenever possible and that includes the greens in its vegetable dishes and even some of the seafood. Believe it or not, Singapore does have a thriving agri/aquaculture sector.

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Dumpling Festival 2021, also known as Dragonboat Festival or Duan Wu Jie (端午节) in Chinese, falls on the 14th of June 2021 – the fifth day of the fifth lunar month. Although the Dumpling Festival is not a public holiday in Singapore, this is the time that families and friends come together to enjoy exquisitely handmade sticky rice dumplings or zongzi (粽子). Traditionally, there are 3 types of rice dumplings:

• Nyonya – Often has a blue tip. The interior features minced meat.
• Hokkien – Juicier than the Nyonya rice dumpling due to the presence of pork belly brimming with fat. The juices get absorbed by the rice.
• Sweet – Filled with various beans, nuts, dates or simply just the sticky rice and nothing else. Also called kee chang. Vegetarian-friendly.

If you were to choose to buy your rice dumplings from hotels and Chinese restaurants, expect luxurious ingredients such as scallops, abalone and even duck. This year, a couple of outlets have introduced some unique flavors. Many of the bak chang listed below for Dumpling Festival 2021 are available not just for takeaway but also for delivery. Here is a list of the best rice dumplings being sold this year:

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