Still yet to recover from all the year-end festivities despite it already being mid-Jan? I hate to break it to you, but time flies, and we’re gearing up for another season of feasting — Chinese New Year.
Even so, we’ve been seeing an uptick in dining in, given the circumstances (I’m talking about you, 9% GST). These days, it’s become the “in thing” to stay in and host gatherings at home, rather than dining out at a restaurant and having to splurge on a fancy 10-course set menu.
If you plan on doing the same, here are the different types of festive feasts, bundles, and sets that you can order for either takeaway or delivery this CNY, to enjoy in the comfort of home.
1. Unique Yusheng
No CNY gathering is complete without yusheng, a must-have if you want the year to be filled with good fortune.
Even if your family is planning on an entirely home-cooked meal, they might still want to splurge on a fabulous yusheng that wasn’t simply purchased from the nearest supermarket as an afterthought.
As such, you can take your pick from an array of modern yusheng iterations, such as the The Robertson House “Chasing the Dragon” Yusheng (from S$58++) from Entrepôt, which sees house-cured salmon paired with fun ingredients like ikura, candied pecans, popping candy, and dragon fruit for the base.
The takeaway option, which can be ordered by contacting +65 8380 1689, even comes with a 90ml cocktail from speakeasy bar Chandu, so you and the fam can start the evening on a boozy note.
Lime Restaurant has a line-up selection of exquisite Yu Sheng with toppings like Baby Abalone and Sliced Avocado (S$98), Australian Lobster (S$108), and even Plant-based Bak Kwa (S$78) — because those on vegetarian or vegan diets should never be left out.
If you’d like to really indulge, Fat Cow has knocked it out of the park with their amusingly named Gyu Sheng (S$68 for 4–5 pax) featuring luxurious Toriyama Umami Wagyu, chuka kurage, uni, and ikura, available from 12 to 24 February 2024.
2. Heartwarming hotpot
I don’t know about you, but hotpot is a must-have for every CNY. And if you’re sick of braving the crowds to stock up on ingredients, why not take it easy this year by ordering one of these fuss-free hotpot bundles?
Beauty in The Pot makes the requisite hotpot session a breeze with the Reunion Takeaway Hotpot Set (S$358 for 5 pax), inclusive of Prosperity Abalone Yu Sheng; a twin pot with soup bases of your choice; and over 20 fresh ingredients including fresh scallops and pork collar.
You’ll even get a complimentary electric pot and disposable ware for your convenience, so there’s less cleaning up to do!
Meat lovers will delight in Suki-Ya’s exclusive Take-Home Hotpot Platters, which come with your favourite cuts of meat, soup bases, a vegetable and meatball platter, side dish, and even a “Flavour Bar” of sauces.
For instance, the Suki-San’s Deluxe Hotpot Platter (S$88.80++) consists of wagyu beef, iberico pork collar, chicken, and salmon shabu — the best of all worlds. Oh, and you’ll get to toss up a storm with the complimentary yu sheng as well.
3. Non-traditional feasts
Let’s face it — as much as we enjoy the festivities, not all of us want to eat the typical CNY cuisine throughout the entire 15 days.
Spend the evening chatting (or gossiping) with your cousins over the Luxe Sashimi Platter (S$68.80) from Japanese restaurant Tajimaya Yakiniku that features a whopping 55 pieces of sashimi: salmon, tuna, akami, swordfish, hamachi, and salmon belly.
Otherwise, make it a meaty affair with the CNY takeaway bundles from Wokº15 Kitchen. Instead of the traditional char siew, go for the Crispy Batalle Duroc Pork Belly (S$59), which boasts crackling skin with the perfect meat-to-fat ratio. Alternatively, make a beeline for the 48-hour Dry-aged Barbecue Duck (S$65), that’ll have you swooning upon the first bite of its tender, flavour-packed meat.
4. Bountiful buffets & catering
When it comes to hosting large groups (yes, we’re talking about the extended family you only see once a year on CNY), nothing beats the convenience of catering.
If you’re not sure which buffet caterer to go for, look no further than FoodLine, Singapore’s biggest catering and cake portal, where you can easily explore menus, compare prices, and read reviews — all in one place.
With over 1,000 CNY catering menus available, including full buffets, mini buffets, party sets, yu sheng, pen cai, bento sets, halal options, and CNY hampers with prices from as low as S$13.80, you’re definitely going to be spoiled for choice.
There’s something for everyone, even if you don’t feel like eating Chinese cuisine on Chinese New Year, be it Thai, Peranakan, Malay, or Indian cuisine, just to name a few.
As you browse, be sure to keep an eye out for merchants offering exclusive early bird promos with free dishes or discounted prices (up to 20% off), because it doesn’t hurt to save as much as we can — especially during the festive period.
To sweeten the deal even more, FoodLine is offering an additional sitewide promo of 15% off, valid till 24 February 2024. Customers who place orders will even receive complimentary S$400 Huat! Together vouchers, so you may very well just be tempted to order an extra bountiful buffet spread.
Let me entice you even further: from now till 22 January 2023, stand a chance to win giveaway prizes worth over S$1,000 including mini buffets and bak kwa by simply joining @foodlinesg on Telegram.
Now you won’t have to worry about feeding those relatives (and their +1s) that unexpectedly turn up!
5. Sumptuous sweet treats
After all those indulgent eats, you’re going to want to start the year on a sweet note.
Thankfully, there are tons of CNY desserts available for takeaway and delivery.
Highlights include the Kumquat & Kokuto Pineapple Pie (from S$68) from AMI Patisserie, which sees a house-made puff pastry with pineapple jam, almond cream, and sliced Ehime kumquat citrus, as well as the dramatic 13 Wonders Mahjong Set (S$48), from 5 ON 25 at Andaz Singapore, comprising peach chocolate-flavoured tiles and a spicy mandarin dragon praline centrepiece — perfect for bringing to all those upcoming mahjong sessions.
If you’re looking to stock up on CNY cookies that visitors will actually eat, hit up bakeries like La Levain — I’ve got my eye on their Sicilian Pistachio Praline Cookies (S$38.80) and Peanut Shrimp Cookies (S$26.80).
Those who consider pineapple tarts their all-time favourite CNY snack should hit up Nesuto for their twist on traditional Pineapple Tarts (S$29), which come in enticing flavours like Brown Butter Vanilla, Roasted Tea (Hojicha), and 5-Spice.
So, which of these CNY takeaway feasts will you be sitting down to?
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I'm always feelin' either boozy or boujee ✨