Binge - Chinese New Year Feasts 2010 - Part 1

According to a press release I received, we will be expecting a “thunderous year of the Metal Tiger”. Perhaps this will bode well for the delicious cougar – closet or otherwise – in all of us SimplyFab ladies. And with optimism in hand and auspiciously ‘rad’ outfits to pave our way, ‘tis time to check out what the restaurants have rolled out for the season. Here’s Part 1 of our series:

Marina Mandarin Singapore. Peach Blossom Chinese Restaurant’s new Salmon, Tuna, Passion Fruit, Mango, Jackfruit, Rambutan and Kiwi Yu Sheng (from $68 nett) is truly yummilicious. Refreshing, fruity, delicately sweet and light, it hits the spot absolutely fabulously and I could eat it just for lunch with a nice chilled white. Their version of the traditional nian gao ($68 per box) is a humongous monster with a soft, delicate texture, made with coconut milk and less heavy than the ordinary nian gao. It was delicious cut into slices, dipped in egg and pan fried. (Just watch the calories!) There are also four other flavours of nian gao – sweet potatoes with lotus paste and coconut, radish cake with Chinese sausage, black moss with Chinese sausage, and pumpkin with Chinese sausage ($68 nett for a box with one large traditional nian gao and four smaller ones of the various flavours). All available for takeaway at the hotel’s Peach Blossom Chinese restaurant from now until 28 Feb.

Apart from that, the restaurant’s CNY set menus looks rather good value. The 8-course Contentment Set (from $288 for four people) includes salmon and tuna yu sheng, sharks fin soup with fish maw and conpoy, wok fried scallops, steamed cod, braised belly pork with yam and black moss (yums!) and their signature claypot rice with Chinese sausage and preserved meats. Lots more goodies in the offing, so check them out.

Tel: 6845 1118 or email peachblossoms.mms@meritus-hotels.com

Fairmont Singapore. Szechuan Court’s Chef Sebastian Goh has a penchant for being adventurous with his cooking so even though it is traditional at heart, expect some surprising twists with your food here. Highlights include his Yin Yang Abalone, Salmon and Tuna Gold Ingot yu sheng ($188 large) which has a sprinkling of mini abalones (the symbolic gold ingot!); an unusual Two Way Duck, slow cooked with spices and crisp cooked, coated with minced seafood paste and Tang Fu sauce, and a supremely Chinese Braised Abalone, Dried Oyster, Thorny Sea Cucumber and Seafood in Saffron Chicken Reduction, all slurpy, snappy and chewy.

There are quite a number of rather good set menus for small groups (3-5 people) all the way to menus for groups of at least 6 with prices starting from $68++ per person. Just as an example, the menu for min. 6 people at $78 per person comes with 10 course, including salmon yu sheng, double boiled fish cartilage, sea conch with ginseng superior stock, steamed cod, tiger prawns, braised pork belly with fermented beancurd and spices, braised abalone clam with dried oyster and cream of red bean with black sesame dumpling and louts seed. Every menu ends with traditional and green tea nian gao. (Good to know, every $100 spent at Szechuan Court in the month of February gets you a $50 voucher.)

Tel: 6431 6156 or email dining.singapore@fairmont.com

Fullerton. I just love the food at Jade, one of my favourite Chinese restaurants which is helmed by another super creative Chinese chef Leong Chee Yeng. Their Gold Rush Yu Sheng with apple plum dressing ($48 - $118) is one of the more unusual – 18 ingredients in all, including salmon or tuna, and gold-flecked Champagne jelly. Sounds good already. Their eight CNY set menus (from $68 per person) all start with yu sheng, and highlights include lobster with preserved olives and leeks, Braised Sharks Fins with Crabmeat Roe and Cognac in superior broth, Deep Fried Chicken Marinated with Five Spice and Port Wine with crispy lychee and shrimp paste, and for dessert (one of the chef’s fortes!) Shaved Coconut Ice and Honey Pineapple served with Panfried Nian Gao. (Yu Sheng available from 8-28 Feb, CNY menus from 13-28 Feb.)

Tel: 6877 8188 or email jade@fullertonhotel.com

- Ee Waun