8 restaurants to have a prosperous CNY reunion dinner

Chinese New Year is just weeks away on Jan 29, 2025, and if you have yet to make reservations for your CNY reunion dinner, now’s the time. Whether you’re a traditionalist or prefer inventive takes on classic delights, here’s where to book a spot.

1. Man Fu Yuan at Intercontinental Singapore

Whether you have a cosy group of two to five or a boisterous party of 10, Man Fu Yuan has various prix-fixe menus to cater to all.

The five-course Blissfulness menu ($938++ for 5 pax), for instance, is tailored for a group of five, with signatures such as the Man Fu Yuan Abundance Treasure Pot brimming with over 18 premium ingredients. Think six-head whole abalone, rock lobster, premium sea cucumber, grilled unagi, dried whole scallop, fish maw and pork trotters. And for the extravagant seven-course Harvest Prix-Fixe Menu ($1,558++ for 5 pax), you can look forward to Double-boiled Sakura Chicken Soup served in a coconut husk, Steamed Mandarin Perch Fillet, and Braised Rock Lobster with lobster with golden crispy rice and lobster bisque.

There’s a curation of a la carte treats too, from Roasted Suckling Pig with Five Grain Glutinous Rice ($538++) to the Trio Roast Platter ($69++).

Where: Man Fu Yuan, Intercontinental Singapore, 80 Middle Road, Singapore 188966
When: Jan 6 to Feb 16, 2025. Only dinner is available on Jan 27 and 28 (1st seating: 6pm to 8pm | 2nd seating: 8.30pm to 10.30pm)
Cost: From $168++ per guest (min two to dine), from $938++ for five guests, and from $1,998++ for 10 guests for prix fixe menus.

2. Shang Palace and Reunion Gala Dinner at Tower Ballroom, Shangri-La Singapore

Shangri-La Singapore’s Shang Palace is marking the start of the Year of the Wood Snake with five resplendent eight-course menus as well as a la carte New Year dishes curated by executive Chinese chef Daniel Cheung. A vegetarian menu is available, too.

Eat your way through delectable treats running from Buddha Jumps Over the Wall to Braised South African Candy Heart Dried Abalone, Sauteed Lobster, Braised Bird’s Nest Broth with Conpoy, and Steamed Coral Trout. Of course, there’s the Fortune Yu Sheng, with Norwegian smoked salmon and poached lobster to kick things off.

And on Jan 28 itself, you can enjoy your reunion dinner with the live streaming of CCTV’s Spring Festival Gala at the hotel’s resplendent Tower Ballroom. From 6.30pm, savour a celebratory eight-course menu with delicacies including Fortune Yu Sheng with Norwegian Smoked Salmon, Braised Pumpkin Bird’s Nest Broth, Braised Whole Abalone, and Sichuan-style Prawn with Asparagus, priced at $188++ per guest, inclusive of unlimited soft drinks and Chinese tea. That’s not all — every set ordered comes with a complimentary South African Abalone to take home.

This is accompanied by captivating live performances, including Chinese instrumental music and a Mask Changing act. Little ones can make a beeline for the dedicated kid’s corner offering activities such as badge customisation and paper origami to keep them entertained.

When: Jan 13 to Feb 12, 2025 for set menus. Jan 28, 2025 for Reunion Gala Dinner
Where: Shang Palace and Tower Ballroom, Shangri-La Singapore, 22 Orange Grove Road, Singapore 258350
Cost: 8-course set menus are priced from $198++ to $398++. Reunion Gala Dinner at $188++ per person

E-mail dining.sls@shangri-la.com or call 65 6213 4398 for reservations or more information.

3. Soup Restaurant

Have a sumptuous meal with Soup Restaurant’s two set menus — the Joyous and Abundance menus — available for groups of two to 10.

Toss to the new year with its Baby Abalone with Crispy Yam and Longan Yusheng (Joyous menu) or the Baby Abalone with Salmon & Crispy Yam Yusheng (Abundance menu). Then dig into dishes like Seafood Crab Meat Pumpkin Soup, Braised Abalone With Thick Mushroom & Naibai, and Double Happiness Steamed Rice with Chinese Sausage & Olives, depending on the set you go for.

The star of this year’s CNY menu is the Truffle Abalone Seafood Pot, slow-brewed for over four hours in a rich truffle chicken broth. Nibble on eight ingredients, from 10-head abalone to fried fish maw, tiger prawns, roast pork, and shiitake mushrooms.

There’s, of course, its signature Samsui Ginger Chicken, too.

When: Jan 1, 2025 to Feb 11, 2025
Where: Soup Restaurant outlets
How much: Joyous Set: From $128++ for two pax to $668++ for 10 pax
Abundance Set: From$178++ for two pax to $828++ for 10 pax

Visit Soup Restaurant’s website for a list of outlets and more information.

4. Si Chuan Dou Hua at Parkroyal on Beach Road and UOB Plaza

If you’re up for yusheng with an exotic spin, you’d want to make a reservation at Si Chuan Dou Hua. This year, it’s doling out a Prosperity Yusheng which can be topped with smoked salmon or fugu sourced from the illustrious Shimonoseki city in Japan, available at both outlets. Shaped in the likeness of a snake, it also boasts over 30 varieties of delicious greens, cresses, and edible flowers.

Over at the Parkroyal on Beach Road, you’ll be savouring executive chef Dave Lai’s signature dishes, such as the robust Crispy Suckling Pig with 5 Dipping Sauces, punchy Stir-fried Lobster Tails with Fresh Peppercorn, and Wagyu Beef Fried Rice with Sichuan Preserved Vegetables.

And if you’re making your reservations at the UOB Plaza restaurant, look forward to Braised Bird’s Nest and Alaskan Crab Meat Soup with Crab Roe, as well as Deep-fried Cod with Eggplant in Garlic and Chilli by executive Cantonese chef Hoo Chee Keong.

When: Jan 6 to Feb 12, 2025
Where: Si Chuan Dou Hua at Parkroyal on Beach Road, 7500 Beach Road, Singapore 199591, and Si Chuan Dou Hua Restaurant, #60-01 UOB Plaza 1, Singapore 048624
Cost: Lunar New Year set menus start from $118++ per person at Parkroyal on Beach Road and $148++ per person at UOB Plaza.

E-mail top@sichuandouhua.com for reservations at the UOB Plaza outlet, and e -mail Douhua.prsin@parkroyalhotels.com for reservations at the Parkroyal on Beach Road outlet.

5. Zui Teochew Cuisine

If Teochew fare is your family’s jam, look no further than Chui Huay Lim Teochew Cuisine and Zui Yu Xuan Teochew Cuisine under the Zui Teochew Cuisine brand.

Both restaurants offer the Teochew Prosperity Yu Sheng ($48, $68, and $98), with red carrots, preserved radish, coriander, chilli slices, and red coral lettuce for a bolder flavour and crunch, as well as a drizzling of zesty plum sauce.

Zui Teochew Cuisine’s Festive Pen Cai ($298++, pre-order 1 day in advance) is a Teochew take on this classic Chinese New Year dish. Think five-head abalone, poached prawns, sea cucumbers, fish maw, pig tendons, fatt choy, shiitake mushrooms, conpoy and beancurd skin.

On the eve of Chinese New Year Eve (Jan 28, 2025), look forward to a range of Reunion Sets, each with Teochew Prosperity Salmon Yu Sheng and sumptuous dishes such as Poached Prawns with Aged Chinese Wine, Teochew Steamed Pomfret, Braised Duck with Beancurd, and more.

For celebrations between Jan 13 to Feb 16, 2025 (excluding Jan 28), there are Celebration Sets (for 4 to 10 pax). Highlights include the Teochew Classic Platter and, depending on the set you choose, items like Deep Fried Ngoh Hiang, Chilled Marinated Jellyfish, Pig Trotter Terrine, and Teochew Puning Beancurd. A whole Teochew Roasted Suckling Pig can also be added to these set menus at the promotional price of $298++ with every set menu ordered. An advance order of two days is required.

Where: Chui Huay Lim Teochew Cuisine, 190 Keng Lee Rd, #01-02 Chui Huay Lim Club, Singapore 30840, and Zui Yu Xuan Teochew Cuisine, 130/131 Amoy St, Far East Square, Singapore 049959
When: Jan 13 to Feb 16, 2025
How much: Celebration Sets: from $308++ for 4 pax to $1,668++ for 10 pax
Reunion Sets (Jan 28): from $378++ for 4 pax to $1,688++ for 10 pax

Visit Zui Teochew Cuisine’s website for reservations or more information.

6. Summer Pavilion at The Ritz-Carlton Millenia Singapore

An elegant celebration awaits at Cantonese fine dining outfit Summer Pavilion, which has six- to eight-course lunch and dinner set menus.

Sample chef Cheung Siu Kong’s signatures such as the steamed Dong Xing Grouper fillet with luffa gourd and black fungus, and the nourishing double-boiled chicken soup with thick fish maw, matsutake mushroom, dried scallop, and delightfully springy soaked nostoc algae. There are also new creations, including steamed vermicelli with king scallop, caviar, crab roe, and egg white, and a Prickly Sea Cucumber Yu Sheng.

Chef Cheung’s take on the quintessential pen cai sees ten layers of superior seafood and meats such as sea perch, scallops, fish maw and abalone.

Diners celebrating the first 15 days of the Lunar New Year at Summer Pavilion will receive a set of limited edition Ritz-Carlton red packets and a pair of Mandarin oranges, per reservation.

When: Jan 13 to Feb 12, 2025
Where: Summer Pavilion, The Ritz-Carlton Millenia Singapore, Marina Bay 7, Raffles Ave, Singapore 039799
Cost: From $158++ per person for lunch, and from $218++ per person for dinner, minimum two to dine

Visit The Ritz-Carlton Millenia Singapore’s website for more information. Call +65 6434 5286 or email rc.sinrz.summerpavilion@ritzcarlton.com for reservations.

7. Yan Ting at St. Regis Singapore

To treat (and impress) your loved ones, award-winning Cantonese fine-dining restaurant Yan Ting is where to take them. This year, the spotlight is on roast specialities, fresh seafood, and timeless Cantonese classics across six-course and eight-course menus.

Menu highlights include Japanese Somen with Braised 6-head Abalone as well as the Prosperity Oyster and Black Moss. The Steamed Sea Perch Fillet with Red Date and Tangerine Peel combines fork-tender fish with the sweet fragrance of red dates and bright citrus notes. Meanwhile, the Steamed Marble Goby Soon Hock Fillet with Dough Stick and Garlic balances delicate fish meat with crispy dough sticks and garlicky depth.

When: Jan 13 to Feb 12, 2025
Where: Yan Ting, Level 1U, St. Regis Singapore, 29 Tanglin Road, Singapore, 247911
How much: From $168++ for a six-course menu, and from $1,888++ per table of 10 for an 8-course set menu

Visit Yan Ting’s website for reservations or more information.

8. Canchita

Classics will always have a place in our hearts, but if you’re looking for something a little different this year, make a reservation for Canchita Peruvian Cuisine, which has returned with its Chifa (Cantonese cuisine fused with traditional Peruvian ingredients) favourites.

Available through Jan 2025, it has unveiled seven seasonal dishes to commemorate the occasion, with highlights like the Lo Hei & Crunchy Tacos ($72++), a vibrant yusheng with fresh prawns, octopus, Peruvian uni and red snapper topped with golden tortilla chips. Meanwhile, the Ceviche Canton ($32++) brings a Chifa touch with red snapper cured in ginger-infused Tiger’s Milk.

For carbs, order the stir-fried Chaufa Capon ($38++), a PeruvianCantonese fried rice, stir-fried with Peruvian-style char siew, Hokkaido scallops, and crispy calamari in a delectable house-made tamarind tomato sauce with red quinoa.

There are cocktails specially concocted for the occasion too, like the auspiciously named Blossom, an Oriental-inspired tipple with Szechuan pepper gin, lychee liqueur, lime juice, and juicy strawberries, as well as Prosperity, shaken with chrysanthemum-infused pisco, lemon juice, Mandarin orange, roselle, and pineapple juice.

Where: Canchita, Dempsey Rd, #9A 9B, Singapore 247698
When: Throughout Jan 2025

Visit Canchita’s website for reservations or more information.

This article was originally published in Singapore Women’s Weekly.