Where to Go for 2020 Chinese New Year Reunion Dinners – Best Yu Sheng, Pen Cai & Other Auspicious Dishes for the Year of the Rat

The upcoming Chinese New Year which will be the Year of the Metal Rat will fall on the 25th of January 2020 and there are plenty of restaurants and hotels to choose from to order yu sheng (lo hei), pen cai and other traditional delicacies for your reunion dinner. After tasting more than one’s fair share of CNY 2020 offerings, my overall verdict is that each restaurant has its own specialty, whether it be in the yu sheng, pen cai, meat dishes or even the takeaways.

Without further ado, I’ve tried my best to list them down here for your convenience. I can vouch for the dishes here, having tried them personally! I will also add more as the season goes along.

InterContinental Singapore

man fu yuan prosperity yu sheng 2020 (source: the hotel)

I have personally sampled Man Fu Yuan’s Chinese new year offerings for the past few years and can tell which dishes they tend to specialize in. At the top of their list of specialties would definitely have to be their super crispy 4 kg suckling pig which comes with five grains glutinous rice and preserved cured meats (S$428). Other than this, Man Fu Yuan is also notable for being one of the exceedingly few fine dining Chinese restaurants in Singapore where one can order a steamboat (hot pot). In this dish, there are up to 10 ingredients to choose from including the crowd favourite poached drunken kampung chicken marinated in Chinese herbs and huadiao wine ($22 nett, half) and freshly handmade crab claw with minced prawns ($28 nett, eight pieces).

Dates: 6 January to 8 February 2020

Best for: Suckling pig, without a doubt!

More information here

CNY takeaways can be purchased here

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Goodwood Park Hotel

goodwood park hotel min jiang CNY 2020 (source: the hotel)

Possessing one of the best yu sheng offerings this year, Min Jiang’s Joyful Abundance Yusheng (S$168++) is a delight with its crunchy chee cheong fun strips shaped like slices of cheese as a nod to the year of the rat. For pork lovers, the Pot of Gold (S$243.95 nett) with its pork belly, abalone, broccoli and pumpkin should not be missed as a takeaway item.

For those looking for fresh ideas on snacks to put up at home for CNY visiting, Min Jiang’s Crispy Kangkong with Cheese and Sour Cream (S$26.80 per jar) and Spicy Salted Egg Yolk Lotus Root Chips (S$36.80) promise to be highly addictive options.

Dates: 7 January to 8 February 2020

Best for: Snacks (takeaways), Yu Sheng

More information here

Fullerton Hotel

full of luck chilean sea bass at jade 2020 (source: the hotel)

Last year, I had written that Jade’s Full of Luck Deep-fried Chilean Sea Bass (S$280++) was their star dish for Chinese New Year so I was ecstatic to find out that they brought it back for the festivities around the year of the rat. For this coming year, Jade has changed the sauce. The fish – still sliced in criss-cut fashion – now comes with sweet tomato and peach sauce versus last year’s hawthorn sauce. Another must-try at Jade is the Mini Pot of Abundance (S$58++ per person). Think of it as an individual serving of pen cai, with premium ingredients such as abalone, mushrooms, sea cucumber, pork trotters and more all in a bowl of soup. 

Dates: 6 January to 8 February 2020

Best for: The Deep-fried Chilean Sea Bass is still my overall favorite CNY dish for the upcoming year!

More information here

Four Seasons Singapore

jiang nan chun abundance abalone yu sheng 2020 (source: the hotel)

Dine in Michelin star splendor for the upcoming Lunar New Year at Jiang Nan Chun. Highlights include the Abundance Lobster, Abalone and Salmon Yu Sheng, Wok fried Boston Lobster in Black Bean Sauce and Braised Rice Vermicelli with Three Head Abalone. Price range for festive menus  are available at $158, $188 and $238 per person for 6 courses, and range from $1158 per table of 8 persons to $6,888 per table of 10 persons for 8 courses. For a less sweet pineapple tart option, check out Jiang Nan Chun’s Pineapple Tarts (S$62 per box) which is available as a takeaway item.

Dates: 6 January to 8 February 2020

Best for: The abalone dishes here are among the best I tried for the season; the signature roast duck (year round option) is also highly recommended

More information at +65 6831 7220 or [email protected]

Carlton Hotel Singapore

alaskan crab yu sheng at wah lok (source: the hotel)

Wah Lok at Carlton Hotel Singapore has one of the most well-rounded Chinese New Year ensembles each year, with dependable classics that I personally love going back for. Top in my pen cai list is the Longevity Poon Choi (S$408 for 6 pax; S$688 for 10 pax) that includes whole abalone, sea cucumber, scallops, prawns, roasted duck and more. A new offering by Wah Lok this year is the Buddha Jumps Over the Wall (S$526 for 4; S$770 for 6) which comes with premium ingredients such as abalone, scallop, sea cucumber and fish maw and which is also available for takeaway. For a less sweet yu sheng (lo hei) option, check out the Hamachi Yu Sheng in “Soon Tak” Style with its refreshing and delightfully sour dressing.

Dates: 13 January to 8 February 2020

Best for: The Longevity Poon Choi is an annual must-try!

More information at +65 6311 8188 or email [email protected]

Singapore Marriott Tang Plaza

golden nian gao tarts 2020 from wan hao (source: the hotel)

Wan Hao at Singapore Marriott Tang Plaza proudly declares that they have Singapore’s priciest pen cai. At S$688/6 persons, S$1,088/10 persons, it certainly does not come cheap. The pot comes with 15 luxuriant ingredients that symbolises goodness and auspicious meanings. These include Sea Cucumber, Fish Maw, Irish Roast Duck, Japanese Shiitake Mushroom, Whole Pork Trotter, Black Moss Fish Paste, Baby Chinese Cabbage, Black Moss, White Radish, Beancurd Skin and Broccoli.

Among their takeaways, one of my personal favorites are the Golden Nian Gao Tart with Cempedak (S$32 for a box of 8). It also comes with other flavors such as green tea, yam and a new one this year – red date.

Dates: 3 January to 8 February 2020

Best for: Nian Gao Tarts

More information here

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Mandarin Orchard

pen cai from shisen hanten (source: the hotel)

For a 2 Michelin Star quality Chinese New Year reunion, look no further than Shisen Hanten which will be offering seven auspiciously-themed set menus—from the eight-course Prosperity menu at $538++ for four persons, to the Majestic menu that features Whole Roasted Suckling Pig among its nine courses, at $2,988++ for 10 persons. New dishes this year include the Roasted Brown Rice-fed Chicken topped with Garlic, Mala-glazed Barbecued Pork, and Braised “Rat Noodle” with Lobster in Superior Broth. The latter comes with a superior broth that was simmered for five to six hours, with the noodles and fresh lobster then braised together. At award-winning Triple Three, the buffet during CNY period will feature traditional Chinese dishes such as Buddha Jumps Over the Wall, Braised Pork Trotters with Black Moss, Roasted Suckling Pig, and Wok-fried Cray Fish with Black Pepper.

Dates: 24 January to 8 February 2020

Best for: Shisen Hanten is famous for its soups and the new soup dish concocted for CNY 2020 – the Double-boiled fish maw, dried scallop, sea cucumber, crab meat and seaweed in Chinese consommé certainly does not disappoint.

More information at +65 6831 6262/6266

Hotel Fort Canning

yu sheng from hotel fort canning (source: the hotel)

Hotel Fort Canning may not have a standalone Chinese restaurant but its newly launched ‘Ma-Luck’ Fa Cai Yu Sheng (S$98) is a serious contender for this year’s most unique style of yu sheng. This was inspired from Mala Xiang Guo – a stir-fried version of the spicy mala hotpot. The salad is made up of julienne of carrot, white radish, green radish, red cabbage, pickled vegetables, then topped with fresh green papaya and steamed lotus roots. Peanuts, wild rice and golden crackers (pok chui) are added for crunch. For those who prefer to do away with mala, there are the Signature Fortune Salmon Yu Sheng (S$68) and Garden of Gold Fruits Yu Sheng (S$88). Both options feature fresh salmon slices and lofty stacks of shredded carrot, white radish, green radish, red cabbage, jelly fish and pickled vegetables, topped with roasted sesame seeds and golden crackers (pok chui).  the The latter comprises juicy strips of rock melon, red dragon fruit, red apple, granny smith apple, green mango, green papaya, kiwi, and capsicums.

Dates: 2 January to 8 February 2020

More information here

Grand Copthorne Waterfront Singapore

pen cai from food capital (source: the hotel)

Despite not having an inhouse Chinese restaurant, Grand Copthorne Waterfront Singapore goes all out with their Chinese New Year dishes served through the buffet at Food Capital which will have Pen Cai, Lap Mei Fried Rice and other CNY goodies. Diners can also order yu sheng as a takeaway item. The Salmon Fa Cai Yu Sheng (S$68 for small) or Abalone Fa Cai Yu Sheng (S$168) can be reserved with a 20% discount if order is made by 5th January 2020.

Dates: 20 January to 9 February 2020

More information here

Pan Pacific Singapore

hai tien lo cny 2020 (source: the hotel)

Hai Tien Lo’s opulent pen cai, the Prosperity Wealth Treasure Pot (S$468 for 6 / S$738 for 10) comes with 12 ingredients and is one of the few pen cai with lobster in it. Available for both dine-in and takeaway, the traditional dish involves meticulous preparation and long hours of cooking. Another notable CNY takeaway item by Hai Tien Lo this year is the Pineapple Prosperity Cake (S$62) which has pineapple jam in the middle. Think of it as like a pineapple tart but in fluffy cake form.

Best for: The Pineapple Prosperity Pound Cake is one of the more unique takeaway creations this year, especially for those who love cakes. It is traditional but takes on a new spin at the same time.

Dates: 30 December to 8 February 2020

More information here

Park Hotel Farrer Park

blue jasmine (source: the hotel)

Blue Jasmine, the Thai restaurant at Park Hotel Farrer Park, will be offering a 1 night only Chinese New Year reunion dinner buffet on the 24th January 2020. Expect a run down of Thai-Chinese fusion dishes. Think: yu sheng infused with Thai dressing and tropical fruits such as mango, papaya and pomelo; spice braised duck and durian sticky rice. The buffet is priced at S$58 per adult and S$29 per child (6 to 12 years old). Blue Jasmine’s Thai-influenced yu sheng is also available as a takeaway item from 24th January to 5th February 2020 for S$68 per platter.

Dates: 24th January (1-night only buffet); til 5th February (takeaway items)

More information at +65 6824 8851

Bino

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