We share our fave CNY menus this year, from the traditional to the edgy and the downright epic…
Now that Christmas is over, CNY has been quietly sneaking up on us. Yes, it’s officially time to go knee deep in yusheng, pineapple tarts and all the reunion dinners. We’re ushering in the Year of the Ox with lotsa good food. Here, we’ve selected the best of the best Chinese New Year menus that are made to impress…
Best Chinese New Year 2021 menus
Shang Palace at Shangri-La Hotel, Singapore
Available from 25 Jan to 26 Feb 2021
Ring in the Lunar New Year amidst oriental opulence at none other than Shang Palace. With four delicious eight-course set menus to choose from (prosperity, harmonious, opulence and abundance) your family will have a tough time deciding on one. Culinary highlights include the Fortune Yu Sheng loaded with Norwegian smoked salmon and poached lobster, wok-fried Boston lobster with green pepper sauce, Buddha Jumps Over the Wall and braised bird’s nest with sea cucumber. There’s also a dedicated seven-course menu for vegetarians.
Shang Palace, Shangri-La Hotel Singapore, 22 Orange Grove Road, Singapore 258350
Set menus, from $168 per pax; Vegetarian set menu, from $108 per pax
15 Stamford by Alvin Leung at The Capitol Kempinski Hotel Singapore
Available from 25 Jan to 26 Feb 2021 (except on 14 Feb)
The flagship restaurant of Capitol Kempinski is known for blending modern techniques and authentic traditional flavours seamlessly. Just take a look at what it has to offer this year. Its six-course Prosperity Chinese New Year set dinner takes the creative route with dishes like guinea fowl with foie gras foam, wagyu beef cheeks and succulent Atlantic cod. For a classic approach, go for the six-course Auspicious Chinese New Year menu, which starts with a king salmon yu sheng, followed by a bowl of Buddha Jumps Over The Wall, steamed blue eye cod and Hokkaido pork spare ribs.
15 Stamford by Alvin Leung, The Capitol Kempinski Hotel Singapore, 15 Stamford Road, Singapore 178906
Prosperity and Auspicious Chinese New Year set, from $168 per pax
Man Fu Yuan at InterContinental Singapore
Available from 12 Jan to 26 Feb 2021
InterContinental Singapore’s fine dining Chinese restaurant, Man Fu Yuan, is serving up a spectacular feast for Chinese New Year. If you wanna usher in the new year with a bang, begin with the 60-inch Blossoms of Spring Prosperity Yu Sheng. This indulgent creation features succulent Hokkaido scallops, tender salmon slices and crispy fish skin. They’re shaped into the Chinese character of ‘chun’ (meaning spring), celebrating the season of fresh, new beginnings.
Whether you’re dining out with just your partner or making full use of the eight-person gathering rule, Man Fu Yuan’s range of eight different prix-fixe menus have your festive feasting plans covered. We’re salivating over delicious highlights like the classic braised beef pot with a variety of beef cuts (inspired by the Year of the Ox!), the crab meat pumpkin bisque with bird’s nest and crab roe, the signature roasted suckling pig and more auspicious treats. There’s also a vegetarian prix-fixe menu with picks including braised broccoli with vegetarian abalone, double-boiled bamboo pith and stir-fried asparagus. Dining at home? There are plenty of delectable dishes to take home, too!
Man Fu Yuan, InterContinental Singapore, 80 Middle Road, Singapore 188966
Lunar New Year Prix-Fixe menu, from $138 per pax
Xperience Restaurant at SO/ Singapore
Available from 12 Feb to 26 Feb 2021
Xperience Restaurant welcomes the Year of the Ox with a three- and four-course European fusion set menu. Tuck into delights like Gold Ingot, which offers chicken and foie gras tortellini with chicken broth, chang shou mian (spaghetti in pork sauce) and nian nian you yu, steamed fresh market fish of the day with prawn bouillabaisse. Oh, and you get to indulge in free-flow dim sum and Chinese tea too. And of course, there’s the lo hei. Expect the usual toppings, but you can always upgrade the platter with Japanese sweet shrimp sashimi for a unique toss.
Xperience Restaurant, SO/ Singapore, 35 Robinson Road, Singapore 068876
Chinese & European fusion menus, from $38 per pax
Cassia at Capella Singapore
Available from 11 Feb to 26 Feb 2021
Kick off the CNY festivities with your fambam by making your way to Sentosa. Chef Lee Hiu Ngai of Cassia has come up with two celebratory reunion dinners that pay homage to Chinese fine dining. The Prosperity Reunion Set sees Cantonese plates like double-boiled thick chicken broth with scallops and flower mushroom, as well as steamed glutinous and jasmine rice with Chinese sausage wrapped in lotus leaf. Meanwhile, the Fortune Reunion Set offers a trove of luxurious dishes like braised bird’s nest with caviar and stewed ee-fu noodle with king prawn.
For those who can’t make it for the CNY Eve reunion dinner, don’t worry, as the culinary team will dole out special set menus throughout February. That includes a dim sum lunch menu with highlights including wok-fried carrot cake with Chinese sausage, prawn and scallop in XO chilli sauce, and steamed prawn and dried scallop dumpling with gold.
Cassia, Capella Singapore, 1 The Knolls, Sentosa Island, Singapore 098297
CNY Eve Dinner, 11 February, from $149 per pax; special set menus, 12 – 26 February, from $89 per pax
Jumbo Seafood
Available from 25 Jan to 28 Feb 2021
It’s no surprise that seafood dishes are at the heart of Jumbo’s CNY specials, especially the popular chilli crab. While you mop up savoury gravy with deep-fried golden buns, look forward to the reunion set. It features oceanic treats like seafood soup braised with fish maw and crab meat, steamed marble goby with soya sauce, steamed rice braised pork and dried scallop wrapped in lotus leaf, and Prosperity salmon yu sheng. The lunar festivities are kept alive till February with the special Celebration Set. Highlights include steamed Boston lobster with minced garlic and glass vermicelli, 10-head abalone braised with broccoli and shiitake mushroom, and seafood fried rice for carbs.
Jumbo Seafood, multiple locations including Riverside Point and Dempsey Hill
CNY Eve Dinner, 11 February, from $298 for 4 pax; Celebration Set, 25 Jan – 28 Feb 2021, from $258 for 4 pax
Wan Hao Chinese Restaurant at Singapore Marriott Tang Plaza Hotel
Available from 20 Jan – 26 Feb 2021
A feast fit for an emperor awaits. Look forward to braised giant prawn with salted egg cream sauce, crispy pork trotters with fermented red rice sauce, deep-fried lobster with champagne honey sauce and Boston lobster with black truffle and cheese. To up the ante, the restaurant is debuting its namesake Eight Treasures Imperial Pot. The lavish pot is replete with nutritional and nourishing ingredients. Think along the lines of bird’s nest, 10-Head Australian abalone and fish maw. As for yu sheng, you will be spoilt for choice. Take your pick from five different lo hei platters like the new Boston lobster with caviar and the vegetarian-friendly pear and avocado.
Wan Hao Chinese Restaurant, Singapore Marriott Tang Plaza Hotel, 320 Orchard Road, Singapore 238865
Prosperity set menus, $108.80 per pax for 4 to 8 pax
Auntie’s Wok and Steam at Andaz Singapore
Available from 25 Jan to 26 Feb 2021
The swanky restaurant is ushering in the Year of the Ox with nine new dishes whipped up by Xi’an-born Chinese chef Guo Qiang. The spread includes dishes like fish maw soup, ginseng-braised whole chicken and steamed marble goby swathed in Nyonya sauce. For a communal meal, the Auspicious Treasures pen cai fits the bill, boasting a wide selection of ingredients like sustainably sourced tiger prawns, shitake mushrooms, pork belly, conpoy and Australian eight-head abalone. Don’t worry about overeating, as the lo hei here is pretty healthy. Aptly named Andaz Healthy Yu Sheng, the platter comprises of Scottish smoked salmon, kale, beetroot, flaxseeds, chia seeds and sunflower seeds. It’s all about balance!
Auntie’s Wok and Steam, Level 25, Andaz Singapore, 5 Fraser Street, Singapore 189354
Lunar New Year set menu, from $128 per pax with a minimum of 4 pax
Park Hotel Clarke Quay
Available from 25 Jan to 26 Feb 2021
If you’re into CNY classics, Park Hotel Clarke Quay will tempt you with its four set menus. Start your feast with the yu sheng, featuring slices of pan-seared tuna, white and green radish and carrot, purple cabbage, pickled vegetables, torch ginger flower and kaffir lime leaves. Then, there’s the crispy duck marinated with spices such as cinnamon, star anise and Sichuan peppercorn. It’s steamed and coated in a batter, and deep-fried to perfection. Other crowd favourites include salted egg yolk tiger prawn and steamed red garoupa with yellow bean paste. Psst: If you’re looking to throw a fuss-free reunion dinner at home, there’s a special takeaway set.
Park Hotel Clarke Quay, 1 Unity Street, Singapore 237983
Set menus, from $388 to $768
With such fantastic Chinese New Year menus, you know where we’ll be hosting our rounds of reunion dinners…