With just days to the Year of the Ox, we nose out more good lo hei offerings. We also look out for comfort food as a foil to 15 days of the Lunar New Year feasting.
botanico at The Garage
Ring in the Niu year with The Garage’s Lunar New Year specials that are rich in symbols of luck, peace and wealth. Its Yusheng (from $68++) offers a choice of luxe Norwegian salmon or Hokkaido scallop layered on a fresh salad base. This comes with a playful twist with additions such as couscous, house-fermented carrots, raw Japanese corn kernels, house-pickled celeriac, pomegranate seeds, truffle oil and crispy baked bacon.
Follow up with Botanico’s five-course LNY Dinner ($88++) available from 11 to 13 February. The line-up includes Duck Croquette (with a foie gras heart) and Chickpea Tofu topped with belachan chilli and smoked aubergine. The adventurous vibe continues in the silky Roasted Cod complemented with a scallion mash made with Idaho potatoes, butter and chopped scallions . The richness of the fish is cut through with a zingy ginger-soy-spring onion sauce coloured with a dash of squid ink. The meal is beautifully capped with a sweet and clean Roku Gin & Mandarin Sorbet, paired with osmanthus jelly to add floralcy.
Yusheng lo hei salad is available till 26 Feb for dine-in or takeaway. LNY dinner at Botanico is dine-in only from 11-13 February. Explore the menu or book your table here.
New Ubin Seafood
Make is a truly Singaporean Chinese New Year at New Ubin Seafood. Whether a meal shared with your immediate family of four, or a larger gathering of eight, New Ubin Seafood has set menus across a range of budgets. Start with the Golden Fortune Yusheng with Fresh Salmon, of course. If you’re looking for novelty and surprise, it comes replete with yummy toppings that run the gamut from Crispy Fish Skin to Carabinero Prawns. The secret ingredient is truly the plum sauce, which has remained with New Ubin Seafood since its first CNY. As for the rest of the meal, take your pick from the beloved restaurant’s hearty and auspicious set menus.
Chinese New Year menus are available for takeaway and dine-in at three outlets till 26 February. Discover the prosperity menus here.
Chopsuey Cafe at dempsey
When you think about it, the reunion dinner is a wonderful tradition of reconciliation and solidarity in the family. But that doesn’t mean it has no room for innovation. Chopsuey Cafe presents a modern rendition of traditional Chinese dishes from now to 26 February. Diners can tuck into Chopsuey’s Lucky Lunar ‘lo hei’ among other festive favourites. To make things fun, Chopsuey has concocted a repertoire of east-meets-west CNY menus. You will find a selection of Chinese comfort dishes but featuring contemporary Anglo-Chinese influences. Expect bold flavours and inspired combinations in a variety of menus catering to gatherings of any size.
Chopsuey Cafe has curated three menu sets for two to eight people, at $48++, $68++ and $88++ per pax. The menus that kick off with a thirst-quenching Iced Pink Longan Tea. The Chopsuey ‘lo hei’ is a deliciously healthy take on the traditional dish, featuring trout, kale, celeriac, sprouts, red radish, blueberries and wild rice.
Check out the CNY spread or book your table here.
Da Paolo gastronomia
What is Chinese New Year without a bevy of cookies and goodies? Da Paolo Gastronomia is offering a slew of scrumptious CNY exclusives, all with an Italian touch.
The handmade cookies come in three flavours: Almond Biscotti, Double Chocolate Cookies and Pistachio Biscotti. They all offer perfect flavour and texture combination and make perfect gifts for loved ones too.
For more gift ideas, consider Da Paolo’s Eternal Spring Hamper ($78) which is packed with an array of goodies including their in-house Wildflower Honey (180g), Strawberry Jam (110g), Orvieto Classico (375ml). There is also the Grandeur Reunion Hamper ($188) and Boundless Blossom Hamper ($168), each chock full of delicious treats that have been meticulously selected.
Meals are never quite complete without desserts and Bonci’s naturally leavened baked cakes come in Bria Rum & Chocolate, Bria Limoncello and Bria Mokanero variants at $64 each. These decadent treats are the perfect way to end your celebration nights and will definitely leave your guests wanting more. We can absolutely vouch for these.
Check out the goodies or place your orders here.
Lyre’s NON AlCoholic spirits
Is there any point in drinking, if not to get inebriated? Definitely. Besides being socially responsible, there are folks who prefer staying sober or abstain for religious reasons. Lyre’s non-alcoholic spirits make it possible for everyone to enjoy all aspects of socialising without getting drunk or breaching beliefs.
Additionally, bartenders are getting increasingly creative with Lyre’s collection of flavours, so this is trending. But don’t take our word for it. Try them yourself.
To welcome the Niu year, stock up your home bar with Lyre’s award-winning non-alcoholic spirits. While you’re at it, why not bring in extra luck with auspicious colours. These include Italian Orange, Italian Spritz, Aperitif Rosso, Spiced Cane Spirits and Absinthe.
Discover Lyre’s non-alcoholic spirits here.
auntie’s wok and steam, Andaz singapore
Auntie is back. So now you can relish in piquant Rainforest Alliance Coffee Pork Ribs made from a full-bodied espresso pulled from Fair Trade Rainforest Alliance Certified coffee beans from Bon Café. Other highlights include the Australian Angus Striploin doused in a tasty home-made black pepper sauce using Sarawak black peppercorns. Otherwise try the sauce inspired by Chef Guo Qiang’s Northwestern Chinese heritage – the Xinjiang style – which delivers a fiery kick. The robust flavour is created using a blooming technique involving an exotic blend of cumin, chilli powder, white pepper, bay leaves powder, ginger and garlic.
Seafood lovers can enjoy a selection of live and sustainable seafood with dishes such as Wok- fried Boston Lobster, Steamed Garoupa, and Poached Herbal Prawns, which contains sustainably farmed Vietnamese king prawns in a herbal brine of Shaoxing wine and nutritional herbs such as Dang gui (Angelican root), Yu zhu (Solomon’s Seal), Gui Pi (Cinnamon) and Ba Jiao (Star Anise).
Other fan favourites making a comeback on the menus are the Fried Organic White and Brown Rice with either crab or asparagus, made with organic rice sourced from the Raitong Organics Farm in Northeastern Thailand; Beef Brisket Noodle Soup, and Auntie’s Laksa, teeming with delectable tiger prawns and fish cakes.
When you grow weary of CNY grub, let Auntie feed you with soul food. Besides hitting that satisfying spot, you’ll feel better that it is all sustainably delivered.
Check out what else is on the menu here.
Want more Lo Hei ideas? Read our earlier curation here.
Want to find the right wine for the occasion, see M+S winemaker Sue Daniels’ tips here.
