According to Chinese astrology, 2024 is the Year of the Wood Dragon. This symbolises not just the aspiration to achieve and grow, but also good health and fortune. With the mythical creature representing qualities like vitality and luck, restaurants have likewise taken inspiration to create festive menus that brim with auspicious symbolisms.
Whether you’re planning for a grand reunion dinner or a casual festive gathering, here some of our top recommendations.
Grand Ballroom, One Farrer Hotel
On 9 February, enjoy your reunion dinner at the hotel’s Grand Ballroom, which features a sumptuous buffet with fresh seafood, traditional delicacies, and creative desserts. A live band performance ensures a bustling celebration. For gourmet takeaways available between January 5 and February 16, there’s the signature fatt choy yu sheng, a festive set by executive chef Marcus Tan featuring the bountiful treasures ‘poon choi’, pineapple tarts by pastry chef Wee Pai Hau, and more.
More information here.
Red House Seafood Nanyang
The homegrown and family-owned Red House Seafood Nanyang opens in the heart of Clarke Quay after an interior refresh. Between January 8 and February 25, executive chef Chen Khay Boon and his team presents celebratory set menus created for the Lunar New Year. Highlights include Alaskan king crab served two ways, crispy roasted chicken with flaxseed and sesame, as well as prosperity lobster, salmon, and coral seaweed yu sheng. For seafood lovers, there’s the outlet-exclusive giant grouper, prepared in various ways.
More information here.
Golden Peony, Conrad Centennial Singapore
Between January 15 and February 24, the Michelin-listed Golden Peony will be serving set menus and a la carte specialties for the festive season. Created by chef Ku Keung, a master of Cantonese cuisine, the menu features roasted suckling pig stuffed with fried chicken kimchi fried rice, and Spanish carabinero prawn ‘yuan yang’ fish paste noodles. Toss to a good year with the fortune gold flakes yu sheng, a medley of prized ingredients including lobster, baby abalone, crispy white bait, golden coin chicken bak kwa, fish skin, and fresh fruit.
More information here.
The Chairman’s lounge, Pan Pacific Orchard
Pan Pacific Orchard is pulling out all the stops this Chinese New Year. First, it hires incredibly popular Chinese master chef, Leung Wing Cheung from Si Chuan Dou Hua. Then, it creates one of the most creative set menus we’ve seen for this season. Chef Leung creates some subtle touches, including putting the Cantonese double-boiled supreme soup in a mini pumpkin (“to bring out the sweetness”) and wrapping rice and foie gras in a crispy chicken skin. But the piece de resistance has to be its prosperity exotic garden yusheng. Instead of fish, you get lobster. Now that’s huat.
More information here.
yì by Jereme Leung, Raffles Singapore
Ring in the Lunar New Year festivities with time honoured provincial Chinese delicacies at yì by Jereme Leung. Prepared with seasonal ingredients, the menu includes golden roasted duck with passion fruit dressing, double-boiled fish maw, morel mushroom and nostoc pearl soup, baked green Asian lobster with salted egg yolk sauce, as well as steamed glutinous rice with abalone and diced roasted duck. For the sweet finale, there’s mashed Chinese yam and sweet potato. Diners can pick from an a la carte menu or three specially curated set menus.
More information here.
QUENINO BY VICTOR LIONG, Artyzen SIngapore
Usher in the year of the dragon at Quenino by Victor Liong, the contemporary Asian restaurant at the newly opened Artyzen Singapore. A collaboration with acclaimed Melbourne restaurant Lee Ho Fook, its debut Chinese new year menu will feature a modern take on Chinese cuisine. Available from February 8 to 24, the six-course feast starts with ‘8 prosperous treasures”, a set of eight starters including drunken quail with aged Shaoxing wine and Chaozhou style marinated scampi. Toss to a good year with the yu sheng dish, which comes with king ora salmon from New Zealand; and enjoy signature dishes like crispy eggplant and slow-roasted duck.
More information here.
Yaowarat Seafood
At Yaowarat Seafood, diners can enjoy their reunion dinner with a Thai twist. Serving Chinese New Year set menus for the first time at its new location on Lavender Street, the restaurant prides itself on authentic Thai-Chinese seafood cuisine. Among the showstoppers is the Yaowarat fortune pot with Australian rock lobster, a pen cai dish with premium ingredients like braised pork leg, baby abalone, and fresh scallops. Other must-tries include curry crab, steamed seabass in spicy garlic lime, and salted egg squid.
More information here.
Jade, The Fullerton Hotel Singapore
Beautifully arranged to depict a traditional dragon dance performance, Jade‘s premium yu sheng is the star of its lunar new year menu. Fresh abalone marinated in rose wine, king prawn, Norwegian smoked salmon, as well as toppings of champagne jelly cubes add a luxurious touch to the occasion. Likewise, the rest of the festive dishes don’t disappoint. Stir-fired Australian lobster is served with silken egg and tomato sauce for an elevated take on the classic Chinese dish, while sautéed sliced tiger grouper is paired with foie gras for a rich and savoury combination. The dragon beard noodles with braised minced meat sauce rounds up the satisfying meal.
More information here.
5 ON 25, ANDAZ SINGAPORE
Backdropped by views of the Bras Basah Bugis precinct, 5 On 25 at Andaz Singapore offers Cantonese cuisine with a modern, upscale vibe. Kickstart your reunion dinner with yu sheng, served with sustainably sourced New Zealand king salmon and topped with fried yam, homemade candied walnuts, and zesty golden plum dressing. Take it up a notch with the addition of seafood like jade tiger abalone and Australian spiny lobster. Dim sum lovers will appreciate items like the melt-in-your-mouth wagyu egg tart, taro fritter with Yunnan mushrooms, and bailing mushroom dumplings. The crispy egg noodles with Maine lobster and the signature pen cai also make auspicious additions to the meal.
More information here.
Cassia, Capella Singapore
At Cassia, guests can savour an authentic Cantonese feast created by Chinese executive chef Alan Chan. Toss to new beginnings with the fortune yu sheng which comes with a medley of lobster, bird’s nest, abalone, Norwegian salmon, julienned vegetables, and homemade berries plum sauce. The seafood-themed festive menu includes braised crab meat superior Yunnan ham broth, wok-fried ocean wild caught tiger prawn, Boston lobster, and more. For desserts, tuck into the refreshing watercress honey jelly, which comes with golden bird’s nest and fresh fruits.
More information here.
Chef Chan Private Dine
At the newly reopened Chef Chan Private Dine, one can expect a Cantonese feast fit for royalty. Dubbed the ‘Loong Shifu’ menus after the eponymous chef, the new lunch and dinner menus make delightful options for the festive season. Standout dishes include the signature crispy sakura chicken and the wok-fried kway teow with fresh crab roe gravy. The former, juicy and tender, is enrobed in perfectly crisp skin; while the latter is packed with wok hei and generous chunks of crab meat. Another crowd-favourite dish is the trio of foie gras with shrimp paste, marinated quail leg with five spices, and Iberico pork with chives dumpling. Guests celebrating Lunar New Year also have the option to add on the prosperity abalone yusheng.
More information here.
Modern Provisions festive hot pot sets
If cosy reunions at home are your jam, check out online grocer Modern Provision’s festive steamboat sets. Available for delivery between February 1-24, the bundles include the seafood set, which comes with Australian king prawns, Japanese scallops and homemade negitoro balls; the beef set with ethically-reared, premium Japanese beef from Tochigi and Iwate; as well as the pork set with Iberico pork loin and collar from Spain. Perfect for fuss-free dinners, all sets come with broth, a medley of organic mushrooms and greens, as well as a duo of rather addictive, house made dipping sauces.
More information here.
