CNY creations 2019: Best Yu Sheng, meals & festive desserts

It's the time of the year to come together and enjoy reunions with your entire family and friends. And what best way to celebrate than over a meal?

This Lunar New Year, venture on a gastronomic experience and try all the best CNY flavours available in Singapore. For a reunion dinner or to enjoy by yourself, here are our top choices of restaurants, cafes and bakeries in Singapore offering CNY specials that you will only find during this festive season.

YU SHENG TO TRY THIS YEAR 

1. MARU JAPANESE RESTAURANT 

Drop by the trendy Maru Japanese restaurant to try its Fatt-Choy Yusheng with daikon infused Sakura Denbu, sprinkled with Yuzu Jelly, 4 types of colour radishes, 4 varieties of pickles, pomelos and mandarins. The famous Yu Sheng comes with a signature Prosperity Sauce, Salmon Sashimi & Ikura, Ground Peanuts and Spring-Roll Skin Crackers. This delicacy is available until 3 March, to dine-in or takeaway, for only $38 (for 4 to 6 pax).

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• Address: Icon Village, 12 Gopeng St #01-05 to 11, 078877
• Note: Maru will be closed between 4th Feb to 7th Feb 2019 for CNY. Business will resume as usual from 8th Feb 2019.

2. FORLINO - SIGNATURE YU SHENG

The elegant Forlino restaurant at One Fullerton aims to impress with its delightful Yu Sheng crafted by the Chef Matteo Ponti. Again, this isn't your traditional Yu Sheng. Instead of the usual ingredients, this Yu Sheng dazzles with its premium ingredients like Kaluga Queen Caviar, scallop crudo, in-house smoked salmon and swordfish crudo to usher you in the Year of the Pig with abundance, fortune and health. At Forlino, you start the New Year with a premium meal and a premium view!

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• Address: 1 Fullerton Rd, One Fullerton #02-06, 049213
• Signature Yu Sheng Price: $188++ (serves 8 to 10 pax)
• Prosperity 4-Course Set Lunch: $88++ per pax

3. THE SAMPAN

At The Sampan, the iconic prosperity salad presents a twist on the traditional flavours with tender sesame crusted salmon, crispy shredded veg and homemade sauce. Toss your Yu Sheng at the Sampan and continue your dinner with their 8-course prosperity menu available until 8 Feb. So Huat!

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• Address: 63 Boat Quay, Singapore 049851
• 8-course Menu Price: $198 (2 pax), $598 (6 pax), $788 (8pax)

4. FAT CHAP - CRISPY PIG'S EAR AND THE SPECIAL YEAR OF THE PIG YUSHENG 

Head to Fat Chap at Suntec to toss to a new year with this unique Yu Sheng packing a vibrant blend of green and white daikon, bits of pomegranate and pomelo and paired with a side of curry spiced Crispy Pig's Ears.

You will need preorder this dainty pig-shaped Yu Sheng up to 3 days in advance. The Yu Sheng is only the start of your feast: Fat Chap has an entire 6-course Asian feast to enjoy until 19 Feb.

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• Address: 3 Temasek Boulevard #01-643 Tower 4, 038983
• The Ear of the Pig Yusheng: $38.80++ (medium); and $48.80++ (large)
• Chinese New Year 6-course menu: $48 per pax (minimum 4 to dine)

RESTAURANTS WITH SPECIAL CNY DISHES 

5. JACK'S PLACE

Don't wait for your reunion dinner to get into the festive spirit. Jack's Place is offering a Prosperity Lunch menu that is a steal. This affordable set lunch also includes a delicious pineapple pannacotta as dessert. Bring a friend along for lunch or dinner and try one of their 2 Yu Shengs: the Prosperity Lo Hei or the Abundance Lo Hei.

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• Address: Several outlets including Orchard Central, 181 Orchard Central #B1-01, Singapore 238896
• Prosperity Set Lunch Price: $20.80
• Lo Hei Price: $16.80

6. TEXAS CHICKEN - HONG POW! MA-LUCK CHICKEN 

Are you a Ma La addict? Get the sizzling HongPow Ma 'Luck' Chicken at Texas Chicken, marinated with Szechuan spices and glazed with Ma La sauce. The Texas Chicken bundles are ideal to share, and this Ma La flavour is a crowd favourite. Grab it while you can, this sizzling mala flavour is only available until 20 Feb.

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• Address: several outlets
• 8pcs Hong Pow! Ma-Luck Chicken Bundle: $46.90 (8pcs chicken, 8pcs nuggets, 4pcs honey butter biscuit)

7. THE BUTCHER'S WIFE 

This modern-European bistro in Tiong Bahru is famed for its comfort food and gluten-free menu. This is the spot to get your crispy pork fix with its CNY Pig Ears + Beer Aperitif Set. This set is available daily from 6 to 8 pm until 17 Feb, making it a cool after-work hangout spot.

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• Address: 19 Yong Siak Street, Yong Siak View, Singapore 168650
• CNY Pig Ears + Beer Aperitif Set Price: $25

8. SALADSTOP! - FORTUNE SALAD

Your Chinese New Year celebrations don't have to break the bank, and not all CNY meals need to be excessive. You can get in a celebratory mood while eating a healthy lunch every day. This colourful salad is prepared with red & white cabbage, smoked salmon, edamame, mandarin orange, carrots, tofu, walnuts, sesame seeds, chia seeds, topped with crispy crackers and yuzu plum vinaigrette. This feels like eating a healthier Yu Sheng.

This Fortune Salad might just be the perfect antidote for the CNY bingeing. Available at SaladStop! from 29 Jan to 18 Feb, with this salad you can get a taste of the season without feeling guilty.

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• Address: several outlets
• Fortune Salad Price: $13.20

CNY BURGERS ANYONE?

Not even fast food escapes Chinese New Year traditions! With a touch of Asian spices and packed with lucky ingredients, these burgers are so tasty you won't believe it.

9. FATBOY'S/FATPAPAS - HONG POW BURGER 

FatBoy's makes this CNY even more auspicious with its vibrant red bun burger. And no, this burger doesn't come with a pork patty, mind you! The Hong Pow is made with a juicy beef patty, kung pao sauce, sliced pineapple, and a mini Lou Hei. This is arguably the most huat burger in town, and you can try it until 28 Feb.

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• Address: several outlets including 17 Bali Lane, Singapore 189853
• Hong Pow burger Price: $12++ (reservation required)

10. HANS IM GLÜCK

Created especially for this period, HANS IM GLÜCK's Mandarin Joy has a chicken breast fillet sandwiched between a soft bun of your choice (multigrain, sourdough or naked) and laced with apricot chutney, mandarin orange and orange mustard sauce.

Now, all this appetising food will make you thirsty for sure. Accompany your spread with a CNY cocktail: the Scarlet (Lychee liqueur, vodka, lime juice, lychee), the Orange Jade (Rum, coconut rum, pineapple juice, orange juice) or the Prosperity Treasures (Riesling infused with mandarin orange, pear, pineapple, lychee and pomelo, topped with peach flavoured mousse).

Good things are meant to be shared so bring a date along to HANS IM GLÜCK and try the Fortune Bundle set for 2, which includes 2 CNY burgers, 2 CNY cocktails and a snack platter at an attractive price of $58++ until 10 Feb.

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• Address: several outlets including 362 Orchard Road, Singapore 238887

FOR 'SWEET TOOTH' AND COOKIE LOVERS 

From desserts and cakes to not-so-traditional cookies, here are the sweet treats you will want to try this Lunar New Year.

11. DAPPER COFFEE 

Spruce up your table with this Huat Ah money cake. Dapper Coffee makes a show out of this cake: SGD$88 will be buried in red packets within the cake for you to pull out during the party in dramatic fashion. Meant to impress this CNY? This is the dessert you need to get to dazzle your guests.

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• Address: 73 Amoy Street, Singapore 069892
• Huat Ah Money cake Price: $188

12. YOLE - SPECIAL NEW CNY TOPPING AND FRESH ICE CREAM FLAVOURS

Frozen yoghurt is the perfect guilt-free dessert, and it tastes good all year round. So why not put a lucky touch to your frozen yoghurt treat with Yole's special CNY topping, the lucky mandarins? And while you're at it, do try the new fresh ice cream flavours: Japanese Matcha and New York Cheesecake, while they're still available.

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• Address: several outlets

13. L'ECLAIR BY SARAH MICHELLE 

Forget diets, these limited edition eclairs are impossible to resist. The eclairs are now available in limited edition CNY flavours like Bak Kwa Pork Floss (yes, you read that right! Bak Kwa flavoured eclair!), Strawberry Cognac, Pineapple Tart, Mandarin Orange and Kaya Pandan. Too pretty to eat? You won't resist taking a bite.

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• Address: 190 Clemenceau Ave, #01-28 Singapore Shopping Centre, Singapore 239924
• Tasting box of 10 Price: $48

Operating hours for the CNY period:

• 4th Feb - 10.30am to 4.30pm
• 5th & 6th Feb - Closed
• 7th to 9th Feb - 10.30am to 7pm

14. THE DARK GALLERY - COOKIES GALORE. HAE BEE HIAM SABLES ($19) 

A Lunar New Year celebration isn't complete without the mandatory CNY cookies. If you are craving more than your regular pineapple tarts and kuih bangkit, the Dark Gallery has the answer to your cravings. They carry a large assortment of both sweet and savoury treats, such as:

• The Salted Egg Yolk Sables ($19), buttery salted egg yolk cookies accentuated with a touch of curry leaves for a truly authentic taste.
• The Golden Prosperity Medallions shaped like coins and embellished with Gold Leaf for extra fortune. Featuring 68 per cent Bolivia dark chocolate topped with Orange Spiced Granola.
• And Silver Longevity Medallions with the same 68 per cent Bolivian chocolate as its golden counterpart, topped with almond slivers and freeze-dried strawberries, adorned with Silver Leaf.
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• Address: Takashimaya Shopping Centre, Ngee Ann City 391 Orchard Road, #B2-29, Singapore 238873
• Chocolate Medallions Price: $21 (box with 8 pieces)

15. CEDELE 

Cedele also has a juicy Huat Chai Chicken Sandwich and healthier rendition of chicken rice in burger form, but that's not what caught our eyes (or stomachs!).

The special treats we want to surprise family and friends with are Cedele's assortment of deluxe and artisanal cookies and cakes, including the Pineapple Pocket Pie, the Mandarin Orange Polenta Almond cake, Cornflake Cookies, and the unique Peranakan-inspired Almond Ikan Bilis cookie. This Chinese New Year offerings are available now until 19 Feb.

Cedele promises and delivers. Their gluten-free, vegan and delicious sweet treats got us coming back for more. Also, discover their limited edition seasonal cakes - Lychee Rose, Sesame Tahini and Yuzu Cheesecake.

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• Address: several outlets including 252 North Bridge Road #03-28A, Raffles City Shopping Centre, Singapore 179103
• Deluxe Pineapple Pocket Pie Tin Price: $34.80
• Mandarin Orange Polenta Almond Cake (Approx 7″ Round): $38

CNY Hampers:

• Golden Treasure set: $178
• Lucky Charm set: $128
• Abundant Prosperity set: $108.

16. Tiong Bahru Bakery

Pay a visit to Tiong Bahru Bakery to try the unique Lucky Pineapple Tart available until 10 Feb. Why is this Pineapple Tart so special? This sweet rendition carries pineapples poached with passionfruit puree, ginger confit, coconut lime and almond cream. On top, is beautifully decorated with more pineapple chunks, a small confited dome made of mango and pineapple, red currants and gold leaf for the prosperous touch that the season demands.

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• Address: several outlets including 252 North Bridge Road, #B1-11 Raffles City Shopping Centre, Singapore 179103
• Lucky Pineapple Tart (CNY Special): $8.80

17. PARADISE GROUP - PIGGY PINEAPPLE PASTRIES 

On the cusp of the Year of the Pig, you will eat Piggy Pineapple Pastries. Now, how cute are these?

The cutest pig shaped pastries you will find this year are available for takeaway at Seafood Paradise, Taste Paradise, Paradise Teochew, Canton Paradise (MBS, Bedok Mall & I12 Katong outlets) Paradise Hotpot and Beauty in The Pot (excluding VivoCity) outlets until 4 February 2019.

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• Piggy Pineapple Pastry Price: $28.90 for 18pcs

Don't stop at the piggies. Paradise Group outlets have a much wider selection of seasonal cakes and pastries to try:

• Steamed Carrot Cake with Chinese Sausage: $29.80
• Steamed Yam Cake with Chinese Sausage: $29.80
• Steamed Nian Gao with Coconut Milk: $29.80
• Golden Fa Gao with Red Dates: $29.80
• Crispy Sesame Walnuts: $29.80
• Crispy Honey Cashew Nuts: $29.80
• Available outlets: Taste Paradise, Paradise Teochew, Seafood Paradise, Canton Paradise, Beauty in The Pot. Check the website for all the details on where to find and how to order these.

This article was first published in ShopBack.