Photography Frenchescar Lim Art Direction & Styling Nikki Ho
From conventional platters to new-fangled flavour combinations like chicken rice-inspired yusheng, these are the 11 best yusheng platters of 2017 to toss for good fortune.
*Most yusheng platters need to be ordered at least three working days in advance. Call the respective restaurants to check.
$128, from Yan, #05-02 National Gallery Singapore, tel: 6384-5585. Dine-in only, Jan 9-Feb 11.
This was the unanimous favourite. The glittering fried tang hoon sculpture was such fun to toss and tasted light as air. The colourful strips of bell peppers and cucumbers were easy on the palate, and the subtle savoury undertones of the soya sauce-based dressing went perfectly with this classy ensemble.
$78 (small), $118 (large), from Crystal Jade Prestige, #02-01 Marina Bay Financial Centre, tel: 9117-3916. Dine-in and takeaway, Jan 16-Feb 12.
Herbal ingredients took centrestage, but they proved refreshing, rather than medicinal. We relished the crunch and chew of the cordyceps flowers, sweet lily bulb petals, Chinese yam, and marinated jellyfish. Strips of candied peel – lime as well as the “Buddha hand” citrus fruit – lent just the right zestiness to counter the richness of the Japanese sesame dressing.
$88 (small) and $168 (large), from Hai Tien Lo, Pan Pacific Singapore, tel: 6826-8240. Dine-in, Jan 9-Feb 11, and takeaway, Jan 16-Feb 11.
This was almost too cute to eat. It was also really juicy and fresh, with the sour plum sauce striking a good balance of sweet and tangy. The abundance of Boston lobster, salmon sashimi and surf clams earned brownie points from us.
$328, from Shang Palace, Shangri-La Hotel, Singapore, tel: 6213-4473. Dine-in only, Jan 16-Feb 11.
East meets West, with occidental ingredients like salad greens (purple lettuce and rocket leaves) for a bittersweet hit, dried cranberries for tartness, and beetroot strips for juicy crunch. Poached lobster and smoked salmon glam up this chinoiserie-chic yusheng.
$58 (small) and $88 (large), from Sawadee Thai Cuisine, 9 Tan Quee Lan Street, tel: 6238-6833. Dine-in and takeaway, Jan 1-Feb 11.
This Thai-inspired platter introduced green mango strips, crispy deep-fried pork skin, rice crackers and crushed peanuts in addition to sliced abalone and traditional yusheng ingredients for a winning formula that was sweet, sour and spicy. Our only quibble was that the veggies were shred too finely and made them hard to toss.
$68 (regular) and $108 (large), from Mitzo Restaurant & Bar, Grand Park Orchard, tel: 6603-8855. Dine-in and takeaway, Jan 14-Feb 11.
Surprises were plentiful here: juicy lychee pearls, toasty crushed pistachios, deep-fried lotus root and fish skin, crispy vermicelli, and a dark sauce that reminded us of chee cheong fun. It may sound bizarre but everything combined well to deliver crunch, sweetness and savoury depth.
$78 (small) and $108 (large), from Silk Road Restaurant, Amara Singapore, tel: 6227-3848. Dine-in, Jan 16-Feb 11; takeaway at the festive booth at Level One, 100 AM Mall, Jan 3-Feb 11.
Spice-cured salmon, jellyfish, sliced abalone, salmon roe, fried salmon skin and crispy whitebait – such a list of premium ingredients! What made this yusheng particularly memorable was the garlicky punch from the chilli paste-and-sesame dressing.
$188 (small) and $218 (large), from Gourmet Carousel at Royal Plaza on Scotts, tel: 6589-7788. Dine-in and takeaway, Jan 20-Feb 11.
Royal Plaza’s yusheng has always been a little avant-garde. This year’s edition remixed elements of chicken rice. Rice puffs and a garlic chilli sauce were right on theme, while squares of crispy chicken skin lent a welcome fatty flavour to complement the lobster sashimi. The strips of boneless chicken feet were surprisingly refreshing and crunchy, too.
$168, from The Salon, Hotel Fort Canning, tel: 6799-8809. Dine-in and takeaway, Jan 2-Feb 20.
With a dainty stack of salmon belly, Hokkaido scallops, Alaskan crabmeat, fatty tuna belly and caviar, this was more like a sashimi moriawase platter disguised as yusheng. The house-made osmanthus reduction held it all together with a floral, honeyed sweetness.
$88, from Summer Palace, Regent Singapore, A Four Seasons Hotel, tel: 6725-3288. Dine-in and takeaway, Jan 16-Feb 11.
The kaleidoscope of colours made this a visual feast, and the medley of ingredients – dried persimmon and figs, julienned purple potatoes, fresh mango strips and fried enoki mushrooms – was a real flavour party, too. So much so that we hardly noticed this yusheng was completely vegetarian!
$88 (small) and $168 (large), from Szechuan Court, Fairmont Singapore, tel: 6431-6156. Dine-in and takeaway, Jan 22-Feb 22.
If it’s a taste of the traditional you seek, this one is perfect. The lineup was simple and classic but the ingredients won us over with their invigorating flavours. There was no faulting the pristine quality or the generous amount of Hokkaido snow crab legs either.