TWIST ON TRADITION

Run-of-the-mill Lunar New Year feasts are a thing of the past with these menus that put an inspired spin on the classics.

byNavin Pillay

Antoinette’s aptly named Abundantly chiffon cake

CLASS ACT

For the festive season, Antoinette reimagines French classics with Chinese flavours. The Queen’s Yu Sheng is a dressed-up dessert version of the original dish. Instead of raw fish slices and julienned vegetables, this prosperity platter features a gleaming golden chocolate egg, nestled among an array of chocolates, nuts, rich mandarin orange butter cake, meringue, crispy taro and sweet potato chips. Crack open the gilded egg to dig into tangy shredded pineapple, Thai green mango, red dragon fruit, and pomelo. Now, all that’s left to do is to mix in the mandarin orange dressing, plum and gula melaka (palm sugar) before you toss everything for good luck, in true lo hei fashion. A special cake has also been created for the season—Antoinette’s Abundantly is a glorious chiffon cake incorporated with rich purple sweet potato and garnished with black sesame peanut feuilletine. This toothsome confection is topped with piquant cream cheese, black and white tapioca balls, glacéd sweet potato and yam cubes, gold chocolate coins and a sycee (ingot).

Queen’s Yu Sheng from Antoinette

AUSPICIOUS BREW

Head to 1864 The Bar at Sofi tel Singapore City Centre for Chinese New Year cocktails shaken and stirred by Head Mixologist Michael Mendoza. Bai Shu (left), which means ‘white rat’ in Mandarin, is an Asian version of Bloody Mary, concocted with yuzu-spiced tomato juice. Hong Shu (right), which translates to ‘red rat’, is made with non-alcoholic Seedlip spice—which packs a punch—yuzu juice and fragrant rosemary syrup. While there, do yourself a favour and check out Racines— right next door—and their Lunar New Year menu that promises a sensorial dining experience via its interactive open-kitchen concept—the perfect venue to enjoy a reunion meal with your loved ones. The restaurant’s pièce de résistance is the Signature Pen Cai prepared by Executive Chef Andrew Chong as part of its festive menu.

1864 The Bar’s Instagram-worthy concoctions

HOMETOWN FAVOURITES

Sometimes, all one wants is a simple, comforting one-dish meal rather than the rich and unctuous repasts on festive menus everywhere. Jade Restaurant at The Fullerton Hotel understands this and has come up with their version of the Hakka favourite, silver needle noodles (also known as “rat’s tail” noodles) with minced pork, a dish which makes an appearance on many family tables during the Lunar New Year. The restaurant’s upscale version, Hot Stone Silver Needles Noodles with Truffle Meat Sauce, is elevated with fresh truffle and truffle oil, which melds exquisitely with the fragrant pork braise. Its other festive dishes are also worth a mention. The flavourful Deep-Fried Chilean Sea Bass with cherry tomato in peach sauce (for 8 to 10 persons) showcases the chef’s masterful knifework, where the fish is sliced and shaped into a rat. Do leave some belly space for Executive Pastry Chef Siddharth Prabhu’s series of contemporary baked delights. The pretty Koi Fish Jelly encircled by fresh fruits takes the cake.