Chinese New Year is approaching and let’s find ways to usher luck into the New Year of the Rat. One of my favourite traditional practices of Yu Sheng or Lo Hei while saying and receiving auspicious well-wishes. And also spoilt for choices with so many variety and style of CNY Treasure Pots.

Hai Tien Lo at Pan Pacific Singapore

Abundance Wealth Yusheng is inspired by “Shan Shui” (Mountain Water). The inspiration comes from Chef Ben’s admiration of traditional Chinese painting featuring natural landscapes. Using shredded vegetables creating a stunning artful portraying a grand mountain overshadowing a group of little mountains, representing prospering growth. Each paper boat filled with deep-fried flour crisps symbolising an abundance of wealth in the new year. The other luxurious toppings on the yusheng including lobster, abalone and accented with Gold and Silver Flakes.

Backed by rich cultural traditions, Treasure Pot is a must to welcome the new year with abundance and good fortune. Hai Tien Lo’s signature Premium Wealth Treasure Pot is packed with 12 stellar ingredients of Whole Abalone, Fresh Lobster, Goose Web, Dried Oysters, Sea Cucumber, Fish Maw, Pork Knuckle, Roasted Duck, Bean Gluten, Chinese Mushrooms, Black Moss and White Radish. Amidst fastidious planning, strong culinary artfulness and long hours of cooking, this grand delicacy is flooded with hearty flavors and flawless taste.

Hai Tien Lo’s signature Premium Wealth Treasure Pot is available for both dine-in and takeaway from 9 January to 8 February 2020.

A series of auspiciously-named menus exhibit an astounding cluster of fresh ingredients highlighting Double-boiled Chicken Soup with Whole Abalone, Sea Conch and Korean Ginseng; Baked Fillet of Sea Perch in Champagne Sauce; and Double-boiled Bird’s Nest with Almond Cream served in Young Coconut. Double-boiled Chicken Soup with Whole Abalone, Sea Conch and Korean Ginseng is double boiled for three hours and left it overnight for the extra flavour. Strong flavours with a natural sweetness in the soup and the premium ingredients like abalone, sea conch and scallop are perfectly executed and tender to bite.

Baked Fillet of Sea Perch in Champagne Sauce made an impressive presentation. The gentle champagne sauce had a nice balance with the fresh sea perch. The baked sea perch was flaky with a nice juice oozing out. I’m pretty sure it’s impossible to ever get tired of this champagne sauce. The thin and shatters easily crisp cracker added another dimension to this dish.

Nothing beats a bowl of warm Double-boiled Bird’s Nest with Almond Cream served in Young Coconut after a meal. Smooth, with a slight creamy almond cream texture, and a generous serving of bird’s nest.

Chinese New Year Set Menu featuring finest Cantonese delicacies available from 9 January to 8 February 2020.

Jiang-Nan Chun at Four Seasons Singapore

A series of celebratory menu crafted Executive Chinese Chef Tim Lam featuring impeccable dining in modern vibe at Jiang Nan Chun.

This luxurious Abundance Lobster, Abalone and Salmon Yu Sheng combines the use of ingredients that represent prosperity, abundance and good fortune. I’m impressed with the freshness of daily sourced lobster, abalone and salmon alongside with hand-shredded seasonal vegetables, healthy crunch including pumpkin seeds, melon seeds and sunflower seeds, and homemade condiments and sauces. This yusheng comes with the right amount of sauce with a nice balance of sweetness and nuttiness.

Double-boiled Bird’s Nest Soup is served with generous servings of bird nest strips, whole dried scallops and sea whelk. The sea whelk and scallops are soaked in the sweetness of chicken soup immediately awakens up your appetite!

Jiang Nan Chun Signature Roasted Duck had tender and juicy meat, crispy skin, and it’s roasted leaving a hint of smokiness. The fats layer beneath the duck skin must have melted and marbled into the meat as the skin can be easily lifted from the surface.

Fish is a must eat during the Chinese New Year because fish in Chinese (鱼) sounds the same as in Chinese (余). Simple dish of steamed star garoupa uses very few ingredients to bring out the good flavour and bouncy texture of fresh fish. The superior soy sauce a bit of sweet and savoury umami to this dish.

Chilled Coral Seaweed with Peach Resin as I like the crunch adding to this dessert as finale.

Festive Dining at Jiang-Nan Chun starting from 6 January to 8 February 2020.

Yan Restaurant

Yans celebrates the joyful arrival of spring once again with a new 6 course menu curated by Head Chef Ng Sen Tio. Enjoy its classic Cantonese fare of elegance as the restaurant offers a range of flexible seating arrangements from plush booth seats to larger tables and private dining rooms.

 As depicted by the auspicious phrase 步步高升, Yan rendition of its savoury Shunde-style yusheng not only features a mountain of crispy vermicelli adorned with shreds of vegetables, it was also topped with crunchy mee pok, you tiao and gold flakes.

Steamed Star Grouper with Yunnan Preserved Vegetables and Cordyceps Flower not only brims with auspiciousness but also with deliciousness. The head and tail of the fish is said to be arranged in the shape of a dragon that symbolises power, strength and good luck. The fish was indeed rather fresh and had an excellent texture.

Finally, savour the Yàn Harvest Pen Cai, a grand claypot of a total of 18 different ingredients such as abalones, whole conpoy, roast pork, fish maw, sea moss, sea cucumber, scallops and more. Each Pen Cai is individually prepared before being combined and simmered with flavourful braised duck gravy.

I typically get excited when it comes to desserts, especially unique ones such as this large bowl of Hot Purple Sweet Potato Cream with Bird’s Nest, Ginkgo and Mini Glutinous Rice Balls. Besides loving the lovely colour, I also enjoy the taste and the sweetness level is just right for me. I could feel the strands on bird’s nest as I ate and I was just hoping the Mini Glutinous Rice Balls weren’t that soft and had some bite to it.

Do note that Festive set menus are available from 1 January 2020 – 8 February 2020.

Lunar New Year ala carte menu is available from 25 January 2020 – 8 February 2020.

Yan is reviewed by Alvin.