8 CNY afternoon tea sets for a sweet start to the year

With the arrival of the Lunar New Year, you’ll be busy planning for festive family gatherings and extravagant feasts. But before the time for reunion dinners actually roll around, there’s no reason you can’t have a cosy get-together with loved ones to bask in the festive spirit while enjoying delicious eats.

From to novel fusion-style nibbles to classic dim sum, these restaurants are already welcoming the Year of the Tiger with delectable CNY-themed afternoon tea sets.

Ocean Restaurant, Resorts World Sentosa

If you missed Resorts World Sentosa’s High Tea In The Deep last year, it’s made a celebrated return. And this time, with menu items specially curated with symbolic meaning.

Gaze at serene marina creatures gliding through the water while you tuck into 12 tempting morsels — think handmade siew mai with abalone, Canadian lobster kueh pie tee, coconut with osmanthus and bird’s nest, and deep-fried matsutake mushroom pancake with crab meat. Then dive into sweet nibbles like Mandarin Orange Chocolate Truffle, Premium Pineapple Ingot Tart and Golden Nian Gao and Custard Roll.

You can also go for the family-friendly Behind The Panel Tour Bundle ($128 per person), which adds on a guided tour at the S.E.A. Aquarium, and discover how aquarists care for marine life.

PSA: The last launch of the High Tea In The Deep sold out fast, so you’ll want to book this asap.

$88++ per person. Ocean Restaurant is at Equarius Hotel, West B1M Carpark. Visit its website for reservations or more information.

Lobby Lounge, The Capitol Kempinski Hotel Singapore

Over at The Capitol Kempinski Hotel Singapore’s Lobby Lounge, sit down to five curated courses of quintessential high tea classics with an Asian slant.

Your experience kicks off with the likes of lobster pineapple salsa and chicken rice arancini with sambal shrimp, followed by heartier bites like honey glazed pork with foie gras on brioche and spice roll with barbequed pork belly and chilli crab quiche.

Then move on to pineapple-studded scones, osmanthus honey mochi baba, black sesame mousse with yuzu curd, and buttery pineapple tarts.

$68++ per person, available daily from Mon to Fri (2.30pm to 5.30pm), and on Sat and Sun from Jan 17 to Feb 15, 2022 (excluding Feb 14) with two seatings: 12.30pm and 3.30pm. The Capitol Kempinski Hotel Singapore is at 15 Stamford Rd, Singapore 178906. Visit its website for reservations or more information. 

The Rose Veranda, Shangri-La Singapore

Soak in the views of the lush greenery through the glass windows of the elegant Rose Veranda while you sample its three-course Springtime High Tea set.

To start, nibble on an assortment of sandwiches and tarts like Spicy Lobster & River Prawn in Coconut Tartlet, and Truffle Egg with Ham & Chicken Floss Sandwich before moving on to mains. For that, you get a choice of Grilled Barramundi with black bean sauce, Cornish Butter Milk Chicken with a Spicy Wild Rice Casserole or Honey Glazed Balsamic Beef Ribs.

Round off your meal with an array of desserts such as Kumquat Pound Cake, Koi Fish Chocolate, Pineapple Éclair, and Jasmine Tea Financiers as well as orange and vanilla scones.

$98++ per set (serves two), from now till Feb 11, 2022. Wed to Friday (1pm to 5pm), and Sat, Sun and PH (12pm to 2pm, 3pm to 5pm). Shangri-La Singapore is at 22 Orange Grove Rd, Singapore 258350. Visit its website for reservations or more information.

The Lobby Lounge, Shangri-La Singapore

If a Peranakan interpretation of afternoon tea sounds more your cup of well, tea, then head to Shangri-La Singapore’s Lobby Lounge, where a spread of sweet and savoury favourites await.

Presented as a  three-tiered set, you’ll be indulging in nibbles like Pulut Hitam Mousse, Kueh Dadar, Ondeh Ondeh, and Kueh Talam.

There are also more inventive takes, like the Spicy ‘Hae Bee Hiam’ River Prawn Tart with Coconut, Barbeque Chicken Char Siew with Guacamole in a choux puff, and Prosperity XO Spanish Tuna Salad with Cucumber and Caviar in an heirloom carrot bun.

$78++ per set (Mon to Fri) and $88++ per set (Sat, Sun & PH), 3pm to 5pm, from now till Feb 11, 2022. Shangri-La Singapore is at 22 Orange Grove Rd, Singapore 258350. Visit its website for reservations or more information.

Bar Intermezzo, Orchard Hotel Singapore

Orchard Hotel’s three-tiered festive afternoon tea set has a line-up of scrumptious delights, from Scottish Smoked Salmon, Avruga Caviar and Baked Mango Chicken Tarts to Peking Duck Crepe in Plum Sauce, Fried Yunnan Ham Arancini, and Boston Lobster Roll.

To satiate your sweet tooth, there’s Ondeh Ondeh Opera cake, Coconut Yam Panacotta, Blueberries Yoghurt Dome, and more. And if you’d like a little booze to amp up your afternoon, sip on specially crafted CNY cocktails such as the Rolling for Prosperity ($16++), Ang Bao Na Lai ($15++), Heart of Gold ($15++), Good Fortune ($16++), and Fire Cracker ($15++).

 $68++ (serves two), from Jan 10 to Feb 15, 2022. 

For reservations: Tel 6739 6668 or Email IntermezzoBar.OHS@millenniumhotels.com

Si Chuan Dou Hua, Parkroyal on Beach Road

The afternoon tea experience at Si Chuan Dou Hua starts with a welcome mocktail and a mini Prosperity Golden Smoked Salmon Yusheng platter.

More so the classic dim sum-style, it’s got a line-up of handcrafted goodies like Steamed Lobster Dumpling, Steamed Pumpkin-shaped with Crispy Chicken Floss, Deep-fried Spring Roll with Shredded Duck Meat and Deep-fried Yam with Scallop.

Dessert-wise, sink your teeth into the ubiquitous Nian Gao (New Year cake) as well as Homemade Fine Beancurd with Chinese Rice Wine.

$48++ per person, available daily from Feb 1 to 28, 2022, 2.30pm to 6pm. Parkroyal on Beach Road is at 7500 Beach Road, Singapore 199591. Visit its website for reservations or more information. 

Atrium, Pan Pacific Singapore

Unwind at Pan Pacific’s Atrium with Lunar New Year Afternoon Tea, presented beautifully in a bespoke tea-stand that recalls the Atrium’s iconic lantern-inspired seating pods. Expect handcrafted treats, from the Bak Kwa Quiche and Tortilla Wrapped Smoked Duck to the Crabmeat with Smoked Chilli Mayo on Mini Soft Roll, Mini Mandarin Ivory Tart, Peanut Prosperity Cake, and more.

For a little more pizzazz, you can opt to include a Good Fortune Cocktail with your spread, which has Bombay gin, Bénédictine D.O.M., mandarin orange juice, chrysanthemum tea, honey syrup, and orange bitters.

From $48++ per person (includes a pot of Bacha coffee or TWG tea) to $68++ per person (includes a glass of champagne or Good Fortune Cocktail).

Mon to Thurs (2.30pm to 5pm) and Fri to Sun (two seatings at 12.30pm and 3.30pm). Pan Pacific Singapore is at 7 Raffles Boulevard, Marina Square, Singapore 039595. Visit its website for reservations or more information.

Tablescape, Grand Park City Hall

While you can’t dine in, Tablescape has a lavish spread of both signature favourites as well as Chinese New Year-themed delights you can enjoy with loved ones from the comfort of your couch.

Look forward to savoury morsels like Crab Meat & Abalone Tartlet, Smoked Dyck and Foie Gras Vol Au Vents, as well as delectable finger sandwiches. There’s also Mandarin Orange Mousse Tart, Cherry Red Eclairs, Apple Rosemary Tart and LNY chocolate pralines to finish your feast on a sweet note.

And as a nod to the occasion, it’ll also include a special Chinese tea (instead of its usual English Breakfast) to wash it all down.

Make it twice as nice with the bundle that comprises the after tea set together with Tablescape’s Josper Grilled Bak Kwa ($148)

$88nett. Order here.

This article was first published in The Singapore Women's Weekly.