Luxurious pen cai and yu sheng to order for the Lunar New Year

Celebrate the lunar new year with these six places offering an elevated version of the yu sheng, peng cai and dishes ubiquitous of the season.

1. Jade at The Fullerton Hotel Singapore

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Over the years, Jade’s Chinese Executive Chef Leong Chee Yeng has forged a reputation for his fine cuisine along with imaginative artwork (think flowers or birds crafted with edible materials like sugar and olive oil).

For this year’s Gold Rush Salmon Yu Sheng, the chef presents an intricate hand-drawn tiger accompanied by a meticulously crafted auspicious Chinese calligraphy greeting. This dramatic platter is then brightened with champagne jelly and tangy-sweet kumquat dressing.

The same yu sheng minus the embellishments is available for takeaways. For an even more extravagant celebration, the stunning Premium Gold Rush Salmon Yu Sheng consists of shredded fresh ingredients arranged into an endearing image of a tiger. A minimum of three days’ advance order is required for this masterpiece (for dine in only).

Also consider Jade’s Great Treasures Pen Cai, which comes with a host of ingredients like 10-head whole abalone, fish maw, sea cucumber, dried scallop, stewed pork belly, dried oysters, flower mushrooms, roasted duck, homemade pork ball, pork tendon and vegetables like lotus root, cabbage and leek. The takeaway pot is perfect for six persons and available from Jan 10 to Feb 15, 2022.

For more information visit https://www.fullertonhotels.com/fullerton-hotel-singapore/dining/restaurants-and-bars/jade

2. Summer Palace at Regent Hotel Singapore

Trust Chinese Executive Chef Liu Ching Hai from Summer Palace to pull out all the stops this Lunar New Year. His Grand Dynasty nine-course menu (only available for dine-in) goes for an auspiciously-prized S$8,888 that’s paired with 30-year-old Pu Er tea. Guests will be served by Liu himself in the Pearl private dining room.

Expect nothing but the best ingredients for the Grand Dynasty menu such as the Sashimi-Grade Alaskan Geoduck and Ikura Caviar Prosperity Toss, Double Boiled Treasures Soup with premium Cordyceps Sinensis and Barbecued Crispy Suckling Pig with Apple wood-smoked Foie Gras. Orders must be made 72 hours in advance.

There’s also the option to take home the Prosperity Toss (or yu sheng) that comes in eight options from Smoked Salmon to a vegetarian Purple Cauliflower with Lily Bulbs. Two takeaway meal sets – five-course Peony Set and Prosperity Set – come in red lacquer tiffin boxes that can be reused as well.

For more information, visit https://regentsingapore.com.sg/dining/summer-palace/

3. Si Chuan Dou Hua

Si Chuan Dou Hua at UOB Plaza brings back its exclusive Fugu Yu Sheng comprising pufferfish sashimi, thinly sliced and artistically assembled into the shape of a tiger. Si Chuan Dou Hua is the first and only Chinese restaurant in Singapore licensed to serve fugu. The striking yu sheng is composed of crunchy ice plant, fresh greens, and Szechuan leaves, and adorned with pink ulam raja flowers, which has a subtle mango taste.

The restaurant also has an exclusive partnership with local farm Petalicious to supply the edible flowers for its dishes. After tossing the auspicious yusheng, warm the belly with dishes like the double boiled French spring chicken soup with black tiger’s paw mushrooms and conpoy. The Chinese New Year menus are available for dine in and takeaway from Jan 10 to Feb 15, 2022.

For more information visit https://www.sichuandouhua.com/en/restaurant

4. Keyaki at Pan Pacific Singapore

Perfect for convivial home celebrations is Hai Tien Lo’s Classic Treasure Pot. Dig into the layers of eight head whole abalone, bird’s nest, Sakura chicken, dried scallops, wontons and broccoli.

Or go for the lavish new Superior Treasure Pot filled with 15 ingredients, including eight-head whole abalone, dried oyster, sea cucumber, pork knuckle, lobster, Australian scallop, dried scallop, roast duck, dace fish ball, black moss, lotus root and Yunnan fungus. Hai Tien Lo’s pen cai  is available for both dine-in and takeaway from Jan 17 to Feb 15, 2022.

If you’re seeking respite from multi-course Chinese feasts, book a table at Keyaki and savour its Premium Yu Sheng teeming with lobster, ikura and uni infused with sake and adorned with delicate Kinpaku Gold Flakes. Or go for the exquisite Wafu Yu Sheng, brimming with expertly sliced sashimi such as maguro, hamachi and yellowtail. This luxurious combination is paired with kurage jellyfish and shredded pumpkin.

For more information visit ppsinshop.com or https://www.panpacific.com/en/hotels-and-resorts/pp-marina/dining.html

5. Xin Cuisine, Holiday Inn Singapore Atrium

Xin Cuisine’s Chinese Executive Chef Chan Kung Lai is known for his Cantonese specialties such as the perfectly executed roast duck with tea leaves and luxe seafood ingredients. The Lunar New Year menu this year will also showcase the chef’s deftness in dishing out premium seafood.

For home gatherings, pick up Xin’s Traditional Pen Cai teeming with whole abalone, plump scallop and prawns, deep-fried fish maw, and sea cucumber.  For something even more decadent, opt for either Xin’s Prosperity Pen Cai or Xin’s Imperial Pen Cai. The former includes lobster, and the latter contains whole Australian three-head abalone and bird’s nest.

This year, the restaurant’s yusheng features seared sesame crusted tuna alongside freshly shredded vegetables bound with a golden pineapple sauce. Other options include the best-selling Xin’s Signature Gold Leaf Salmon Yu Sheng and Vegetarian Abalone Yu Sheng, available in small and large portions, for dining in and takeaway.  The Chinese New Year dishes are available from Jan 5 to Feb 15.

For more information visit https://singaporeatrium.holidayinn.com/cny2022

6. Putien

This year, popular restaurant chain Putien has rolled out its Pot of Goodies, teeming with 12 of the finest ingredients.

Slowly work your way through the layers of plump duotou (razor) clams from Putian, abalone, sea cucumber, scallop, fish maw, prawns, roast pork, chicken wing, Japanese flower mushrooms, oyster mushrooms, fat choy and radish. The indulgent pot is available in four sizes, and good for four to 10 people.

The festive set menus include many signature dishes, including the longevity noodles made with Putien Mazu Mee Sua (rice noodle), which is only available during Chinese New Year. The menus are available for both dine-in and takeaways from January to Feb 15, 2022.  All takeaway orders of Putien’s Pot of Goodies will receive a complimentary box of Mazu Mee Sua.

For more information, visit www.putien.com

This article was first published in The Peak.