Have you realised that Chinese New Year (CNY) is only a mere few weeks away? It is scary how time flies, but we are only thankful that the upcoming festive public holiday means yet another opportunity to spend time with our loved ones.

And of course, we have to profess our love for Mitzo, right? It has always been one of our favourite dining destinations for Chinese gourmet and we are all ecstatic about the scrumptious festive sets, CNY-themed cocktails and takeouts specially for the upcoming Chinese New Year at this sexy Chinese restaurant.

Mitzo’s irresistibly groundbreaking renditions of Chinese classics are far from ordinary, yet by no means stray away from traditional practices. The CNY specials will all be available from 23 Jan 2016 to 22 Feb 2016 for both lunch and dinner.

Quote “ladyironchef” and book by 20 Jan 2016 to enjoy 15% off (*not valid for 07 Feb 2016) all set menus and goodies at Mitzo.

By tradition, Lunar New Year is incomplete until everyone has tossed the yusheng. Celebrated Chef Nicky Ng – previously the head chef at Michelin-starred Hakkasan New York – and his A-team have created a unique reinterpretation of the classic Lo Hei.

The unexpected ingredients are unexpected choices for yusheng, especially the burst-in-your-mouth lychee caviars and crispy lotus root chips.

Mitzo’s Pearls of Prosperity Kingfish Yusheng (regular – S$68++, large – S$108++) is truly one of a kind. It uses superbly fresh Japanese Kanpachi Kingfish sashimi that is both sweet and rich in flavour and everything is plated so gorgeously.

A homemade savoury Chu Hou sauce which comprises garlic, ginger, sesame seeds, spices and soybeans is then drizzled all over, ready for you to toss to prosperity. You would have noticed that crispy lotus roots, fried salmon skin and toasted pistachos are too used to give the overall dish an extra crunch. Note that a regular portion can feed 4 to 5 guests, while the large portion is great for 10 pax.

If any of your dining companions are vegetarian or unfortunately allergic to seafood, Mitzo has a meat-free option. Bouncy Konnyaku jelly – which has an uncanny resemblance to the fish slices in terms of texture and appearance -  is used to replace raw fish slices.

The refreshing Prosperity Toss is characterised by a plethora of colourful fresh fruits such as mango, rock melon, and honeydew – just to name a few.

Have your chopsticks ready? Dig in and start exchanging well wishes!

The Superior Fortune Pot (S$338++) aka Pen Cai is an extravagant delicacy worth splurging on. Traditionally, this casserole-like basin is served to the Emperor, hence symbolic of wealth and prosperity. The piping hot bowl – filled with over 10 types of luxurious ingredients such as crispy roast pork belly, sea cucumbers, fish maw, premium abalone and more – is a must-eat during Chinese New Year. Portions are huge, and no less satisfying.

And at Mitzo, the star is definitely the Superior Lobster Fortune Pot (S$398++) – where generous amounts of succulent lobsters cooked in Mao Tai Chinese liquor are added on top of the already-sumptuous spread in the basin.

Mitzo’s Chinese New Year set menus are aplenty, too. The servings cater to a small group of four to a group of ten; prices start from S$118++ per pax to S$1,288++ per table, and every menu features different highlights and special creations, of which the platter of handcrafted steamed and fried nian gao is our favourite!

Nian gao is a classic CNY dish of sticky cake that symbolises good luck and the welcoming of a ‘higher year’.

Still need more recommendations?

We say you cannot skip Mitzo’s two signatures and everyone’s favourites – the Special Barbeque Pork (S$18++) and Black Truffle Crispy Roast Duck (S$38++). These two items are permanently available at Mitzo, even during the Chinese New Year period. We have been raving endlessly about them since one first visit to Mitzo for an obvious reason – they are beyond divine.

Honestly? Best charsiew in Singapore. And as if roast duck isn’t amazing enough, we have black truffle sauce to up the game; roast ducks are never the same again after you’ve had this rendition.

Chinese New Year or not, we go back to Mitzo for these two dishes.

While the consumption of cocktails is not a typical affair during the Lunar New Year, Mitzo has concocted two Asian cocktails made with oriental ingredients that signify prosperity, because they know these will get to your hearts.

The Mandarin Mojito (S$20++) and the Spring Elixir (S$20++) are what you should look out for. The former is a interpretations of the ubiquitous Mojito, where it is prepared with Angostura bitters, apricot liqueur, Havana Club rum and mandarins, while the latter is a red date blend infused with gin, Campari, goji berry syrup, honey dates and red vermouth.

East-meets-West tipples that were interestingly inspired by various symbolic meanings, we can get used to eating yusheng with cocktails.

Here’s a toast to a prosperous new year!

If you are tempted by Mitzo’s various festive offerings but wish to spend the occasion at home, takeaways are available for Pearls of Prosperity Kingfish Yusheng (regular – S$68+, large – S$108+), Superior Fortune Pot (regular – S$338+, large – S$628+), Superior Lobster Fortune Pot (regular – S$398+, large – S$688+) and Homemade Koi Fish Nian Gao (S$28+).

Remember to quote “ladyironchef” and book by 20 Jan 2016 to enjoy 15% off (*not valid for 07 Feb 2016) all set menus and goodies.

Mitzo Restaurant & Bar
Level 4 Grand Park Orchard
270 Orchard Road
Singapore 238857
Reservations: +65 6603 8855 / rsvn@mitzo.sg
Mon to Wed: 12pm – 2.30pm, 6.30pm – 12am
(2 seating on 7 Feb – 1st Seating: 6pm to 8pm; 2nd seating: 8.30pm to 10.30pm)
Thu to Sun, PH and Eve of PH: 12pm – 2.30pm, 6.30pm – 1am
Nearest Station: Orchard/Somerset

This post is brought to you by Mitzo Restaurant & Bar.

How to ever get sick of Grand Hyatt Singapore when the many restaurants are ever competent and always delighting our taste buds with new creations?

It is no secret by now that mezza9 is among our all-time favourite restaurants list, and we can go there for lunch and dinners and still be wowed by the chefs for their outstanding culinary skills and understanding of food.

And then there is StraitsKitchen too, an evident crowd favourite with its impressive buffet line-up, featuring the heritage of Singapore and all our representative dishes. It is a halal outlet too, and one that our Muslim friends can head to for a trusty feast.

So what is Chinese New Year without a get-together at Grand Hyatt Singapore? Whether you are looking for a buffet, or a multi-course Chinese meal, you can find your answer(s) here. Something to take home too, perhaps? We will share with you our picks from their festive takeaways!

MEZZA9′S 4-COURSE CHINESE NEW YEAR SET MENU

Over at mezza9, it is always a pleasant experience. The exuberant staff are ever ready for a warm welcome, and stepping in to the restaurant brings about calmness to the soul. Always a familiar environment – like a second home – yet always with surprises that await. Special dishes-of-the-day, seasonal ingredients, promotional menus… the list goes on, and this Lunar festivity no less.

Celebrate a sustainable new year as spring awakens at mezza9, and they are one of the very few restaurants in Singapore that uses only sustainably sourced seafood products that are either wild-caught or farmed. This is one practice that we have always supported, and it is for a meaningful cause without compromising on our food quality and tastes.

mezza9′s 4-course Chinese New Year Set Menu (S$88++/pax) has the perfect balance – there is more than enough food for everyone and you won’t have to fret over what to order.

Start your reunion dinner with the Double Happiness and Good Luck Sustainable Yu Sheng. Topped with sustainable New Zealand red snapper and king salmon, the traditional dish is made even special with customisable add-ons – chilled Alaskan king crab (S$26++), sliced Hokkaido scallop (S$38++), and sliced Australian abalone (S$40++).

Succeeding the prosperous starter is the Double-boiled Winter Melon Soup. This is not your usual Cantonese-style soup. Think of a modern interpretation of the classic Cantonese favourite, and prepared with scallops, Spencer Gulf wild king prawns and abalone. Such a commendable rendition, one serving of this flavoursome soup is hardly enough!

The main is a Braised Naturland Organic Barramundi with fermented rice reduction and ginger paste. The beautiful white fish is flaky, and sustainable, of course. More popularly used in Thai cooking and Australian cuisine, the barramundis here at mezza9 are interpreted with similar influences, and the result is a smooth contrast of the mildly-sweet fish and a lightly spicy sauce.

Glutinous Sesame Rice Ball in almond soup with gingko nut and white fungus – that shall be your sweet ending. Nothing quite as comforting as a milky almond soup with sweet dumplings that we grew up eating. A taste of home indeed, and Chinese New Year cannot get any cosier here at mezza9, really.

The four dishes are also available individually on the a la carte menu. On top of that, there are two more dishes that you might fancy – the Chinese cabbage wrapped fragrant brown rice with waxed preserved duck, yams and conpoy (S$38++), and braised pig’s trotter with herbs and spinach (S$58++).

STRAITSKITCHEN’S CHINESE NEW YEAR BUFFET

StraitsKitchen is a perennial favourite for those who want to enjoy a mouthwatering buffet spread of the best local favourites in a comfortable air-conditioned setting. From 18 to 20 Feb 2015, StraitsKitchen’s halal-certified kitchen will be whipping up special dishes including mini Buddha jumps-over-the-wall, glutinous rice with crab meat, ee fu noodles with shredded duck, and deep-fried traditional prosperity rice cakes and yams.

StraitsKitchen’s sustainable yu sheng will also be available for a la carte orders from 15 February to 5 March 2015, at SGD 28++, SGD 48++ and SGD 68++ respectively for a small, medium and large portion.

Chinese New Year Reunion Buffet Dinner (18 Feb 2015)
(Inclusive of the sustainable yu sheng buffet, selected juices, coffee and tea)
Adult: S$98++, Child: S$48++

Chinese New Year Buffet Lunch (19 Feb 2015)
Adult: S$60++, Child: S$34++

Chinese New Year Buffet Dinner
(inclusive of the sustainable yu sheng buffet, selected juices, coffee and tea)
Adult: S$88++, Child: S$48++

GRAND HYATT SINGAPORE’S CHINESE NEW YEAR GOODIES TAKEAWAY

The highlight of Grand Hyatt Singapore’s Chinese New Year takeaway delights this year is the 100 Blessings of Good Fortune (S$288+) – a stunning box of 100 pieces of praline. Every piece of praline is carved individually with one out of a hundred character styles of “Fu”; some dating to the late Zhou and early Qing dynasty (221-206 BC).

This elegant Chinese graphology-inspired set includes dark, milk and white Swiss chocolates encasing six different flavours such as cognac, Earl Grey, mint, mocha, orange, and peanut butter. We cannot think of a better gift than this for your esteemed corporate clients! You can purchase the Bai Fu Tu at the shop – mezza9 starting from today.

Need more gift ideas? There are aplenty here at the Grand Hyatt’s takeaway racks! Everything is packaged so elegantly, they make great gifts for your loved ones. Pick from a selection of kueh bangkit (S$28+), Nian Gao (S$38+), and our favourite Mahjong Praline Set (S$168+) – as the saying goes, this is so “full of win”.

Click here to view the full list of mezza9 Shop’s Chinese New Year Delights.

For more information, please call +65 6887 5492, email singapore.grand@hyatt.com or go to www.singapore.grand.hyattrestaurants.com

This post is brought to you by Grand Hyatt Singapore.

One of the most underrated restaurants in town happens to be one that we really love for many reasons – Plaza Brasserie at PARKROYAL on Beach Road. For one, we grew up with the buffet spread that our parents have always loved, and every return brings about fond memories of the good times with our loved ones.

It may not be the sexiest place to date, but we still go back to Plaza Brasserie whenever we need a trusty option that will never fail us. The chefs are like good friends to us, and we share the same gourmet ideals and philosophies. Some days, you just need to do away with all frills and fads, and let the true essence of culinary blow you away.

We love to bring our families to Plaza Brasserie for a sense of familiarity, and celebrating Chinese New Year there sounds like an awesome idea. To rejoice in the festivity, the team at Plaza Brasserie is all ready to impress. With a determination to pamper their regulars with that coveted familiarity, the chefs are also introducing unique creations for some surprises, and it includes two lamb dishes in the Prosperity Feast. Well, it is the year of the Goat, right?

We had the privilege to have a preview of the feast, and here are some of the highlights of the Chinese New Year Buffet at Plaza Brasserie that you must not miss out on:

HAINANESE LAMB STEW WITH HERBS

Among the two lamb dishes that the chefs have come up with for Plaza Brasserie’s Prosperity Feast, the authentic Hainanese Lamb Stew with Herbs is a bowl of piping hot goodness that bubbles with flavours and textures. As Chinese, we love our soups, and there are endless possibilities as long as you have your hands on premium ingredients.

So at Plaza Brasserie, let’s go herbal. And lamb. Who would have thought that these two would go so well together? The blend of bitterness and fragrance from the herbs mixture masks the gaminess of the lamb, and the end result is a beautifully smooth soup that is best to whet your appetite and to kickstart your meal.

LAMB SIEW MAI

The Lamb Siew Mai is another standout dish. Once again, who would have thought that siew mai can be made with lamb meat? And that is precisely why we love the chefs at Plaza Brasserie. They love to reinvent familiar household dishes, without steering them too far away from their origins, yet still enough to surprise the taste buds.

Now, did we just hear ‘free flow lamb siew mai’?

BOSTON LOBSTER IN WHITE PEPPER SAUCE

Boston Lobster slathered with white pepper sauce is just about one of the best things we’ve tasted at Plaza Brasserie. We have been so hooked since, and never stopped thinking about it. Every paying adult diner will enjoy a half portion (about 250g) for dinner, and special guests who go for lunches on 19th and 20th Feb will get a half portion too.

MINI BROWN RICE BALLS WITH MINCED PORK FILLING

Not to worry if you are not a fan of lamb. Because we’ve got the highly addictive Mini Brown Rice Balls with minced pork filling. Sounds a little healthy at first, but we changed our minds when we popped the first rice ball in; the explosion of sweetness is our mouths was unbelievable and we could not stop eating. How can something so simple and unassuming taste so out of the world?!

FRUITFUL YUSHENG

Plaza Brasserie has given yusheng a twist. Instead of the usual yusheng ingredients, it has incorporated fruits – like tangerine, peach, rock melon, pineapple and green mango – to the popular Chinese New Year dish that will suit everyone in the family. Its sweet fruitiness is paired with the homemade plum sauce, and a toss would not only symbolise good luck and prosperity, but good health too!

By the way, we have affectionately nicknamed yusheng as the ‘Chinese salad’, but this version takes the cake. It is literally a pile of goodness!

EIGHT TREASURE DUCKS

A beautiful duck that comes complete with generous stuffing of chestnuts, ginko nuts and mushrooms. This may not be the most photogenic item, but it is surely a hearty dish and it is easy to eat. Yay to boneless ducks!

CHEF’S ‘LIVE’ COOKING STATION

One of the things that we always look forward to when dining at Plaza Brasserie is the Chef’s ‘live’ cooking stations. From local fare like Fried Oyster Omelette, Prawn Mee Soup, Laksa, to the Indian corner where the prata man flips your dough right before your eyes – there are lots of actions going on and all around you. The ‘live’ cooking stations rotate regularly, so there is always a surprise element, and definitely something to please.

FESTIVE SWEETS AND GOODIES

So we’ve got the pineapple tartlets, almond cookies, walnut cookies, love letters and lotus root candies. The usual suspects, of course, and what is Chinese New Year without them? All baked in-house, and we’d say to not miss out on the pineapple tartlets and almond cookies!

BEST OF ASIA BUFFET SPREAD

Plaza Brasserie is best known for its “Best of Asia” buffet lineup. There is no better time than the Chinese New Year period to treat yourself and your loved ones.

Prosperity Feast at Plaza Brasserie, PARKROYAL on Beach Road

6 Feb to 5 Mar 2015 (excluding 18 – 20 Feb 2015)
Lunch buffet: Adult S$48, Child S$29
Dinner buffet: Adult S$68, Child S$41

18 Feb 2015 (Lunar New Year Eve)
Lunch buffet: Adult S$58, Child S$35
Dinner buffet: Adult S$98, Child S$59

19 & 20 Feb 2015 (Lunar New Year)
Lunch buffet: Adult S$68, Child S$41
Dinner buffet: Adult S$68, Child S$41

Child pricing is applicable to children four to 12 years old.
Prices subject to 10% service charge and prevailing government taxes.

Plaza Brasserie
PARKROYAL on Beach Road
7500 Beach Road, Level One
Tel: +65 6505 5710
Daily: 12pm – 2.30pm, 6pm – 10pm
Email: dining.prsin@parkroyalhotels.com

This post is brought to you by PARKROYAL on Beach Road. 

It is no secret by now – Seasonal Tastes at The Westin Singapore is one classy restaurant we always love and frequent, and no matter how many times we dine there, there is always something new to look out for, and something different to try.

The buffet spread is one sumptuous one. Fresh seafood aplenty, sushi and sashimi selection, ala minute stations with varying cuisines, and our all-time favourite dessert shrine. They have the best desserts among the many buffet lines in Singapore. If you haven’t tried the spread, you are missing out – big time.

More reasons to visit Seasonal Tastes is the upcoming festivity, Lunar New Year. We already did, and as always, our taste buds were so spoilt by the team of chefs. This is one place to bring your family to for celebrations. The spread is wide and there will surely be something for everyone. More importantly, their lunar menu is a fair mix of traditional goodies and improvised recipes that is sure to please.

Here are the dishes to love at Seasonal Tastes’ Lunar New Year Buffet Spread:

MINI BUDDHA JUMPS OVER THE WALL

Buddha Jumps Over The Wall, for the uninitiated, is a prized Chinese delicacy. It is a soup dish, double-boiled over long hours with the most premium ingredients. It is flavoursome and very nutritious.

Every paying adult who dines at Seasonal Tastes’ during Lunar New Year’s Eve and Lunar New Year will get to enjoy a serving of this delicacy that comes with abalone, mushroom, sea cucumber, scallop and chicken. What a treat! This alone is reason enough to swing by for dinner, because it is such a value-add to the buffet!

GOLDEN FRIED FISH WITH TRIO OF SAUCE

Traditionally, fish symbolises ‘surplus’. Chinese like to believe that with surplus from the year, they will have better luck in the coming year to make more money.

And this fish dish is our favourite from Seasonal Tastes’ Lunar New Year buffet lineup. White fish slices fried to a crisp perfection, eat them with the three special homemade sauces – black pepper cheese, Thai sweet & spicy dip, and herbs & vinegar. Black pepper cheese sounds just about right. Who would have thought cheddar would blend so well with fresh black pepper? The creamy goodness complements the flaky white fish like peanut butter and jelly. But of course, a sweet and spicy kick is always good, that’s why we loved the Thai dip a lot too!

It may sound simple. Heck, it does not even look that pretty! But you need to try this yourself to experience that explosion of flavours in your mouth.

BRAISED PORK BELLY, TARO AND GOLDEN PUMPKIN

This dish has a very catchy Chinese name – jin(1) yin(2) man(3) wu(1). If your hanyu pinyin is as good as our Chemistry, this literally means your house is filled with gold and silver. In other words, wealth in abundance.

Metaphorically, the richness of this braised pork belly dish is a symbol of wealth. Slabs of prime fatty meat braised with heart and soul, then slathered with a sweet taro and pumpkin sauce. The end result is a melt-in-your-mouth meat dish that is so good on its own, we couldn’t help but have multiple servings. Even if you are not a fan of taro and/ or pumpkin, you will fall in love because the sweetness of the sauce is akin to that of BBQ-ed pork, or what we know as char siew.

MUSHROOM, BLACK MOSS, DRIED OYSTER & SEA CUCUMBER

This is a pot of auspicious ingredients, the Chinese would believe.

Black moss sounds and looks gross, but it is a popular ingredient that every household will use for their Lunar cookings. When dried, it resembles hair, hence its Chinese name (fa cai) – figuratively, it means striking it rich. Sea cucumber’s Cantonese name sounds like happiness, hence making it a prized ingredient for Chinese New Year too. And of course, dried oysters and mushrooms are ever popular among Chinese.

So, imagine having this dish free flow. Eat all you can! Eat all the auspiciousness, and enjoy a ‘surplus’ for the coming year!

GOLDEN PROSPERITY WATER CHESTNUT CAKE

The pastry chef and her team has come up with two creations for the Lunar feasting. Please do not stuff yourself silly with the savoury food, because you need room for desserts! Start your sweet indulgence with the prosperity cake.

Water chestnut cake is well-loved by the Cantonese, and it is a translucent beauty that has a tender texture and light sweetness – usually served chilled.

CHOCOLATE RED DATES GATEAUX

We’ve had many chocolate gateaux before, but a chocolate gateaux with red dates? This has ought to be the first.

SUPERFOODS FORTUNE YUSHENG

For Lunar New Year this year, The Westin Singapore is offering a Superfoods Fortune Yusheng that is made up of 28 ingredients and sauces. including apricot, raisins, pine nuts and dried berries. Not only does it come with healthier ingredients, it is also photogenic and is one of the prettiest yusheng that we’ve had in recent years. If you are in a group of 6 guests or more, the chefs will prep a full serving of yusheng for your tossing pleasure. For smaller groups, create your own yusheng. It is part of the buffet and you can have fun matching and matching the different ingredients for your DIY yusheng.

The Superfoods Fortune Yusheng (S$78+ for small, S$138+ for large) is also available for takeaway (from 1 Feb to 5 Mar) at Daily Treats, which is located at level 1 of The Westin Singapore. To order, email restaurant.reservation@westin.com, advance order of 3 days is required.

Lunar New Year’s Eve Buffet (18 Feb 2015)
Dinner: Adult S$98++, Child (aged 5 – 12) S$49++

Lunar New Year Buffet (19 Feb 2015 – 5 Mar 2015)
Lunch: Adult S$52++, Child (aged 5 – 12) S$26++
Dinner: Adult S$72++, Child (aged 5 – 12) S$36++

For the latest updates, go to The Westin Singapore’s website, ‘like’ The Westin Singapore on facebook, and follow them on Instagram.

Seasonal Tastes
32/F The Westin Singapore
Asia Square Tower 2
12 Marina View
Tel: +65 6922 6968
Email: seasonaltastes.singapore@westin.com
Nearest Station: Downtown/Marina Bay

This post is brought to you by The Westin Singapore.

Lunar New Year is the biggest and most important celebration for the Chinese community. Luxuriating and feasting on delicacies is also part of the tradition of the yearly affair, and every year, families get together for elaborate dinners as a symbol of harmony and reunion.

In the past, Lunar New Year was celebrated only at home, and hence it was a time to test the women’s culinary skills. But as times evolved, families start heading out to restaurants to celebrate, or even opt for convenient takeaways.

Takeaways are indeed time (and life) savers. The idea of feasting on premium cooking at the comfort of our own abodes cannot be better. This year, of the many tastings we’ve had, TungLok stood out for their family-friendly takeaway menu that is readily available at most of their outlets. They’ve got the classic dishes like yu sheng and poon choi all covered, and their competitive prices make them a distinguished option for all who are looking for quality takeaways to treat your family and friends.

We are giving away 3 X TungLok Group CNY Festive Goodies Sets (worth S$92.90 each). More details on how you can join the giveaway at the end of this post.

Here are the highlights from TungLok Group’s Chinese New Year Takeaway Goodies for your reunion dinner.

Let’s start with the Prosperity Salmon Yu Sheng. No one celebrates Chinese New Year without a bountiful toss. Otherwise known as lo hei, this dish of raw fish salad is essential during celebrations for it is a symbol of prosperity, abundance and good luck. TungLok’s version is a traditional one, with a medley of fresh vegetables, mushrooms, homemade yam, sweet potato shreds and fresh salmon sashimi slices.

Drizzle it with the TungLok’s signature plum sauce, a sweet one that symbolises a sweet life. Priced at S$48 (for 6 persons) and S$78 (for 10 persons), and there is also a vegetarian option exclusively available at LingZhi Vegetarian Restaurant.

Our all-time favourite is a good, hearty pot of poon choi, or pen cai. Traditionally a dish that is fit for the royalty in the Song dynasty, pen cai was once served in wooden washbasins and signifies abundance and richness. In modern times, it is a one-dish item served in claypots, with layers of delicacies immersed in a decadent braise sauce.

TungLok’s Treasure Bowl comes in different variations, but every one boasts only the finest ingredients and homemade abalone sauce. Expect nothing less than abalones, scallops, smoked duck breast, dried oysters, sweet cabbage, black moss and many more treasures of the ocean.

The Heavenly Treasure Bowl that contains 16 ingredients is the most luxurious treat, and comes in two different sizes – S$368 for 6 persons and S$568 for 10 persons. The Royal Treasure Bowl contains 13 ingredients, and is priced at S$268 for 6 persons and S$368 for 10 persons. The Longevity Bowl, a vegetarian option is also available at LingZhi Vegetarian Restaurant at S$188 for 6 persons and S$248 for 10 persons.

Something classic and will surely please the crowd is the Superior Herbal Chicken. It may sound predictable, but TungLok’s rendition is a superior one indeed. Prepared with many kinds of precious Chinese herbs and put to steam under very high heat, the chicken is succulent, tender and explodes with flavours. At just S$38 for a whole chicken, the Superior Herbal Chicken makes an affordable treat and add-on to your reunion dinner.

Chinese are always fond of glutinous rice, and TungLok has their version of Fried Glutinous Rice with Assorted Preserved Meat. It comes in two portions – S$28 for 6 persons and S$42 for 10 persons.

On to the festive gifts, we are huge fans of the TungLok Pork Jerky – in simpler words, strips of divine bak kwa. Many may not know, but TungLok flame-grill their own Pork Jerky (S$33.80 per 500g) and in very limited quantities, so it is the fastest fingers first. Losers weepers, really. The honey-glazed one is our favourite and once you start, you cannot help but reach out for more.

TungLok X.O. sauce (S$9.80) – made with a blend of dried canopy and silver bait using TungLok’s secret recipe – is also a nice gift for your family and relatives.

Nian Gao (Chinese New Year’s cake) is the festivity’s essential. It signifies a higher year ahead, and Chinese eat it for good luck. TungLok has created a few exhilarating flavours – traditional, pandan and black sesame at S$20 per box. And there is a special Red Dates Nian Gao – at S$28 per box, this 9-layer rendition is said to boost your immunity and lower your cholesterol.

Sets are also made available in the form of Take-home Feast, which comprises Pen Cai, Yu Sheng, Superior Herbal Chicken, Fried Glutinous Rice with Assorted Preserved Meat and Nian Gao. Prices start from S$238, and there are several combinations that are good for 6 to 10 persons. Perfect for your reunion dinners, or if you are hosting a small party.

We’ve got good news! Early birds who make their purchases before 06 February 2015 will enjoy 15% off – the offer applies to purchase of yu sheng, pen cai as well as the Take-home feast.

For dine-in guests, receive a S$20 dining voucher with every S$100 spent. You will also enjoy a complimentary rice pack* with a minimum spend of S$150. TungLok First members continue to enjoy 10% rebate* during festive period. * Terms and conditions apply.

TUNGLOK GROUP CHINESE NEW YEAR 2015 GIVEAWAY

1. TungLok Group is giving away 3 CNY Festive Goodies Sets which consists of a takeaway Prosperity Salmon Yusheng, Traditional Nian Gao, and one Twin Pack TungLok X.O. sauce (worth S$92.90).
2. Leave a comment in this post and tell us why you want to win TungLok Group’s Festive Gift Sets.
3. ‘Like’ TungLok Group on Facebook.
4. Share the link of this post on your Facebook timeline.
5. The contest starts from today till 3 Feb 2015, 2359 hrs.
6. Winners will be notified by email.

UPDATE: The three winners are Sarina Lim, May Neo, and Alexis Y.

This post is brought to you by TungLok Group.

There are the kind of places where you bring your date to for a private celebration, or for a team lunch. Then, there is also the list for more intimate experiences with friends and families. For Chinese New Year 2015, Resorts World Sentosa has two perfect options for everyone.

Want an elegant space with top-grade Chinese cuisine for a night of sheer indulgence? Feng Shui Inn is the kind that fits the bill. Mark this place down and consider it one of the places to feast at.

Apart from Lo-hei of several options, there is an a la carte menu. The Poached Seasonal Greens with Live Lobster and Black Fungus (S$38 for a small portion) is highly recommended. For something even more flavourful, try the Pan-seared Oysters with German Pork Knuckle (S$68 per serving). This dish packs a wicked punch and is good for sharing. And for the prettiest dessert? The Soft Layered Cake with Custard & Golden Flakes (S$48 per whole cake) will set everyone’s hearts aflutter.

There are also set menus of different configurations, and prices start from S$1,188 for 6 persons.

If you prefer somewhere quieter and romantic, Forest is for you. Helmed by Chef Sam Leong and his wife, Forest, this modern outlet offers exquisite Chinese dishes in a refined setting.

Dine with your discerning loved one(s) at Forest with a range of lunch and dinner sets. To begin, every set comes with a fruity salmon yusheng. Something fresh and something different.

But if sets are too much for two, there is also an a la carte menu, from which we really love the Four Treasures Soup (S$32 per person). Braised with fish maw, sea cucumber, conpoy and crabmeat and served in a young  coconut, this is one soup that is luxurious and oh-so-sweet. Mains includes Boston Lobster that is wok-fried with green chives and fresh lily bulb (S$58 per person), Canadian Geoduck Clam (S$38 per person) and Marble Goby Fillet that is steamed with yellow bean sauce (S$34 per person). But we’d go for the Kurobuta Pork (S$28 per person) anytime – charcoal-grilled pork that is accompanied with asparagus, this dish is a fine mix of sweet and savoury.

Of course, there are many more dining options over at Resorts World Sentosa. You can find out more from their website, or like them on Facebook and Instagram for more updates. For reservations, call +65 6577 6688 or email dining@rwsentosa.com

This post is brought to you by Resorts World Sentosa.