Si Chuan Dou Hua @ PARKROYAL on Beach Road - Celebrate Lunar New Year With Exclusive Dishes And Set Menus

This Lunar New Year, Si Chuan Dou Hua at PARKROYAL on Beach Road welcomes the Year of the Rabbit with exclusive Lunar New Year dishes and set menus catering to a variety of family and group sizes starting from two persons. There is even a vegetarian menu for those looking to go meatless.

Abundance Treasures Yu Sheng 4/5

Si Chuan Dou Hua at PARKROYAL on Beach Road premieres its first-ever Abundance Treasures Yu Sheng featuring a combination of its Signature La Zi Ji (diced chicken with dried chilli), Abalone and Smoked Salmon. Surprisingly the combination works.

Double-boiled Chicken Broth 4/5

The hearty bowl of Double-boiled Chicken Broth with Sea Cucumber, Matsutake Mushroom and Dried Scallop is boiled over 4 hours, extracting the essence of the ingredients for a sweet and earthy finish.

King Garoupa with Fresh Sichuan Peppercorn 5/5

The crowd's favourite goes to the King Garoupa with Fresh Sichuan Peppercorn and Julienne-cut Chinese Lettuce on a Sea of Spring Onions. The fish fillet comes with a punchy heat and distinctive numbing spice fragranced by the Sichuan peppercorn. It was so good that I was silently screaming for more. It is an exclusive outlet dish at Si Chuan Dou Hua, PARKROYAL on Beach Road.

Braised Bird's Nest with Fresh Fish Maw in Crab Meat Sauce 4.2/5

Another beautiful dish on the menu is the Braised Bird's Nest with Fresh Fish Maw in Crab Meat Sauce. It is thick, rich and creamy with immense umami flavours.

Braised 8-headed Abalone with Hangzhou-style Pork Belly 4.5/5

Not to be missed is the Braised 8-headed Abalone with Hangzhou-style Pork Belly accompanied with Seasonal Vegetables. The pork belly is so soft and tender, falling apart with ease while the abalone provides the contrasting springy texture.

Braised Lobster with Fish Paste Noodles in Superior Stock 4/5

Another outlet-exclusive dish is the Braised Lobster with Fish Paste Noodles in Superior Stock. The highlight is the springy fish paste noodles paired with juicy lobster.

Pan-fried Auspicious Nian Gao and Bunny-shaped Milk Pudding 3/5

Lastly, we had the Pan-fried Auspicious Nian Gao and Bunny-shaped Milk Pudding, ending the meal on a sweet note. Unfortunately, the dessert is not as good as the savoury items.

Note: This is an invited tasting.


Si Chuan Dou Hua Restaurant
PARKROYAL on Beach Road
7500 Beach Road
Singapore 199591
Tel: +65 65055724
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Nearest MRT: Nicoll Highway (CC Line)

Opening Hours:
Daily: 1130am - 1030pm

Direction:
1) Alight at Nicoll Highway MRT station. Take Exit A. Follow the overhead walkway all the way to The Concourse building. Take the exit down to Nicoll Highway and walk towards Parkroyal Serviced Residences. Cut through towards The Plaza at Parkroyal Hotel. Journey time about 8 minutes. [Map]

Sofitel Singapore City Centre Welcomes The Year Of The Rabbit With A Bountiful Repertoire Of Culinary Treasures

Sofitel Singapore City Centre welcomes the spring festivities with a bountiful repertoire of culinary treasures from 9 January to 5 February 2023. Delight in heartwarming reunions with family and business associates over resplendent feasts that combines traditional culinary finesse with a touch of French flair, or choose from a curated spread of handcrafted treats to convey auspicious wishes of prosperity, abundance and longevity.

Healthy Well-being Yu Sheng 4.2/5

Available for Lunar New Year Takeaways at Sofitel Singapore City Centre is the Healthy Well-being Yu Sheng ($128+), a good change from the usual with its fruity take featuring a combination of mixed fruits such as kiwi, tangerines, cantaloupe, apples, honeydew, and shredded vegetables.

Chef Andrew's Magnifique Pen Cai 4.5/5

Chef Andre's Magnifique Pen Cai ($328+ for 6pax / $498+ for 10 pax) is loaded with premium ingredients, including abalone, scallops, prawns, roasted pork, duck breast and black truffle. The sumptuous dish will impress everyone at the dining table.

Double-boiled Chicken Soup with Fish Maw, Dried Scallops and Cordyceps Blossom 4/5

The Double-boiled Chicken Soup with Fish Maw, Dried Scallops and Cordyceps Blossom is a hearty and nourishing bowl of soup, whetting up the appetite for a more lavish feast on the Lunar New Year menu.

Lap Mei Fan 4.5/5

The Lap Mei Fan is well-flavoured from the waxed meat and Chinese sausage. A hearty dish packed with beautiful flavours. Give the steamed rice a drizzle of the superior soy sauce to perk up the enjoyment.

Deep Fried Cod Fish with Hot Bean Sauce 4.2/5

The Deep Fried Cod Fish is crispy on the outside and moist on the inside. The delicious hot bean sauce complements the buttery cod fish excellently.

Bird's Nest Egg Tart and Steamed Coconut Nian Gao 4/5

Lastly, we had the Bird's Nest Egg Tart and Steamed Coconut Nian Gao. My favourite is the soft and spongy nian gao infused with coconut and topped with roasted coconut.

Lunar New Year takeaway specials are available for purchase via https://bit.ly/sofitelcny23 from 23 December 2022 to 2 February 2023. Guests can enjoy 15% early bird savings using promo code “EBCNY15” before 16 January. 2023.

Note: This is an invited tasting.


Racines
Sofitel City Centre
9 Wallich Street
5th floor
Singapore 078885
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Nearest MRT: Tanjong Pagar (EW Line)

Direction:
1) Alight at Tanjong Pagar MRT Station. Take Exit A. Turn left and walk to destination. Journey time about 3 minutes. [Map]

Li Bai Cantonese Restaurant @ Sheraton Towers Singapore - Bountiful Beginnings With A Lavish Array Of Festive Staples And New Auspicious Treats.

Li Bai Cantonese Restaurant at Sheraton Towers Singapore celebrates Lunar New Year with a line-up of auspicious reunion feasts from 2 January to 5 February 2023.

Bird's Nest and Lobster Yu Sheng 4/5

Toss to a new height with the new Bird's Nest and Lobster Yu Sheng ($298/$338). The Chinese salad platter features premium bird's nest and Boston lobster meat accompanied by a medley of quintessential ingredients like pomelo, yam, sweet potato, white radish, carrot and pickled ginger.

Sauteed Bird's Nest with Crabmeat and Conpoy 4.2/5

The Sauteed Bird's Nest with Crabmeat with Conpoy is a luxe enjoyment, sweetened by the crabmeat and conpoy.

Steamed Grouper Fillet with Garlic, Ginger and Spring Onion 4.5/5

The Steamed Grouper Fillet with Garlic, Ginger and Spring Onion is a gorgeous and delicious dish. Painstakingly deboned, the moist and succulent fillet is given a lift in taste profile with the pairing of garlic, ginger and spring onion.

Braised Australian Greenlip Abalone and Dried Oyster 4.2/5

Another auspicious dish on the menu is the Braised Australian Greenlip Abalone and Dried Oyster paired with greens and fat choy. The firm yet tender texture of the greenlip abalone will delight both the young and old.

Stewed Fish Noodles with Alaskan Crab Meat and Diced Shrimp 4.8/5

Li Bai's Stewed Fish Noodles with Alaskan Crab Meat and Diced Shrimp is a must-have. The noodles made with fish paste have a unique soft and bouncy texture. It even comes with a hint of wok hei, evident from the burnt surface of the noodles.

Nian Gao, Water Chestnut, Double-boiled Peach Gum 3.5/5

Wrapping up our meal is a trio of Chinese desserts - Nian Gao, Water Chestnut, and Double-boiled Peach Gum with American Ginseng, Red Dates and Snow Lotus Seeds to end the dinner on a sweet note.

Note: This is an invited tasting.


Li Bai Cantonese Restaurant
Sheraton Towers Singapore
39 Scotts Road
Singapore 228230
Tel: +65 67376888
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Nearest MRT: Newton (DT Line, NS Line)

Opening Hours:
Mon-Sat: 1130am - 230pm, 630pm - 1030pm
Sun: 1030am - 230pm, 630pm - 1030pm

Direction: 
1) Alight at Newton MRT station. Take Exit A. Walk to destination. Journey time about 3 minutes. [Map]

Wan Hao Chinese Restaurant @ Singapore Marriott Tang Plaza Hotel - A Resplendent Spring Celebration With Exclusive Set Menus

Celebrate Lunar New Year celebration at Wan Hao Chinese Restaurant at Singapore Marriott Tang Plaza Hotel with Wan Hao Chinese Restaurant's exclusive 6 or 8-Course Set Menus. The menus feature dishes using a luxuriant selection of fresh seafood and premium meats. Price starts from $118.80++ per person, available from 26 December 2022 to 5 February 2023.

Yu Sheng

Kickstart your celebratory meal with a toss with six Yu Sheng varieties, starring an auspicious selection of Rock Lobster, Hokkaido Scallop, King Salmon, Yellowfin Tuna and Caviar, accompanied by choice of citrusy yuzu dressing or traditional dressing. Auspicious Imperial Yu Sheng includes Australian Lobster, Sea Urchin, Hokkaido Scallop, Salmon Roe, Tuna and Caviar.

Eight Treasures Imperial Pot with Bird’s Nest

Wan Hao Eight Treasures Imperial Pot with Bird’s Nest 贵妃煲 (For takeaway and delivery: $508/ 5 pax; $928/10 pax) is all about nourishing your body with collagen and nutritional goodness. Ingredients include Bird’s Nest, 10-Head Australian Abalone, Fish Maw, African Premium Sea Cucumber, Black Moss Dace Fish Beancurd Bag, Live Prawn, Pork Tendon, Free-Range Chicken and Japanese Shiitake Mushroom. This modern take on a traditional Pen Cai symbolises endless harmony and prosperity.

Steamed Garoupa Fillet with Caviar, Golden Superior Sauce and Chinese Mustard Green

The exclusive set menus include seafood dishes such as Steamed Garoupa Fillet with Caviar, Golden Superior Sauce and Chinese Mustard Green. The superior sauce was tasty - it was vibrant with sweetness from pumpkin, laced with a slight fruity tartness from tomato, and punctuated with hints of bitterness from the Mustard Green.

Roasted Australian Quail with Fermented Red Beancurd

This Roasted Australian Quail with Fermented Red Beancurd was mouthwatering the moment it was served, and it was indeed finger-licking good. The brine gave an excellent brush of umami-ness to the tender and moist quail meat.

Steamed Roe-Crab with Glutinous Rice

Our rice dish was a Steamed Live Crab with Roe and Wok-Fried Glutinous Rice with Hong Kong Chinese Sausage. I like how the sweet crab meat mingled with the savoury rice.

Bird’s Nest with Premium Hokkaido Melon

The desserts were definitely one of the highlights. Bird's Nest with Premium Hokkaido Melon carries the melon's natural sweetness with only a tiny amount of cream added to bring the ingredient together.

Cempedak Custard Golden Nian Gao Tart, Osmanthus with Red Dates Rice Cake

We had a taste of the newly launched Cempedak Custard Golden Nian Gao Tart (8 pieces Golden Nian Gao Tarts $32). A blend of creamy custard filled with sweet fibrous cempedak fruit within the crispy and buttery crust tart. We also sampled a piece of the Osmanthus with Red Dates Rice Cake 桂花杞子枣皇糕 ($58nett), which carries very soothing flora notes emanating from the osmanthus.

For dining reservations, please call 6831 4605, email mhrs.sindt.fb.reservations@marriotthotels.com or visit https://www.wanhaochineserestaurant.com

Photos and words by Si An. A girl who is allured by travelling, loves the feel of freedom, smell of the rain and the aroma of fine coffee and food. Note: This is an invited tasting.


Wan Hao Chinese Restaurant (萬豪軒)
Singapore Marriott Tang Plaza Hotel
Level 3
320 Orchard Road
Singapore 238865
Tel: +65 68314605
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Nearest MRT: Orchard (NS Line, TE Line)

Opening Hours:
Mon-Fri: 12pm - 3pm, 630pm - 1030pm
Sat-Sun & PH: 1130am - 3pm, 630pm - 1030pm

Direction:
Alight at Orchard MRT station. Take Exit 1. Walk to destination. Journey time about 5 minutes. [Map]

Restaurant BORN @ Neil Road - Fine-Dining Restaurant of Contemporary Cuisine By Chef Zor Tan Based on the Circle of Life.

Restaurant BORN, located within the iconic Jinrikisha Station at the junction of Neil Road and Maxwell Road, is helmed by Chef Zor Tan. Cher Zor has bags of experience and awards under his belt working in well-awarded restaurants such as Restaurant Andre in Singapore, Restaurant Raw in Taiwan and Sichuan Moon in Macau.

Winter Melon with Purple Shiso Jus

The food at BORN celebrates the Circle of Life, drawing from Zor's journey, which distils into nine guiding principles that become the manifesto of his cooking. They are categorised into Birth, Roots, Memories, Craft, Relationship, Vicissitudes, Time, Progress, and Legacy.

Jellyfish pickled with Mountain Chilli

Pickled Japanese Daikon Skin

The dinner started with a selection of pickles and snacks for a multi-experience, multi-plate series embodying Chef Zor's philosophy. The frist series is a trio of pickles - Winter Melon with Purple Shiso Jus, Pickled Japanese Daikon Skin, and Jellyfish Pickled with Mountain Chilli.

Tomato, Smoked Plum, Basil

Abalone, Burnt Chilli Pesto, Garlic Crisps

Chicken Skin Mille Feuille, Eggplant, Caviar

Fish Bacon, Sweet & Sour Sauce, Homemade Chilli Oil

Taro Puff, Salted Egg Custard, Bottarga

The other snack items are Tomato, Abalone, Chicken Skin, Fish Bacon and Taro Puff. These are all Zor's childhood memories from the food he loves and his mum's cooking, giving them an elevated interpretation. While the items are exquisitely executed, there is a familiarity in the taste.

Japanese Yellowtail Tartare

We then moved into the meal proper with the first course, Japanese Yellowtail Tartare. The deliciously flavoured dish is inspired by Zor's early stint at a Japanese restaurant chain. The buri is cured in salt and Sichuan peppercorns, followed by preserving the fish in between layers of konbu, a time-honoured technique known as kobujime.

"Aged" Beef/ Oyster / Fried Bao

The next course is "Aged" Beef/ Oyster/ Fried Bao which attributes to Zor's time working at Restaurant DiverXo in Spain, where he witnessed the Spanish chef making "bao". The creative dish sees aged vintage Wagyu beef tartare marinated with Sichuan peppercorn and house-made Sichuan-style chilli oil enrobed in a light aerated batter. It uses the cooking method of oyster 'hao bing', flash-fried till golden brown, topped with bresaola and paired with Irish oyster emulsion..

Jerusalem Artichoke/ Lily Bulbs/ Caviar

Next is the Jerusalem Artichoke/ Lily Bulbs/ Caviar, a vegetable Zor was introduced to when working at Restaurant Andre, which became one of his favourite vegetables. The artichoke puree has a sweet and savoury profile, finished with caviar, fresh lily bulbs from China, extra virgin olive oil, and white chocolate shaved tableside. The Jerusalem artichoke skins did not go to waste. Instead, it is coated in maltose, dehydrated and served as a side.

Chicken Liver/ Smoked Oil/ Forest Mushroom

The Chicken Liver/ Smoked Oil/ Forest Mushroom is Zor's way of paying tribute to his mentor, Chef Andre Chiang. He presents his interpretation of the iconic Foie Gras Parfait at Andre, elevating the under-appreciated chicken liver into an indulgent flan. It is finished with forest mushrooms and blanched cubed celeriac.

Monkfish / Fermented Capsicum/ Chicken Fat

I enjoyed the Monkfish/ Fermented Capsicum/ Chicken Fat, which consists of seasonal white fish steamed, served with fermented imperial chilli, and crunchy jade fungus from Yunnan and finished in a velvety emulsified chicken fat accented with Sichuan peppercorn. The dish is inspired by the classic Sichuan 'Duo Jiao Yu Tou' on the Sichuan Moon restaurant menu during Zor's time in Macau.

Fish Maw/ Chinese cabbage/ Smoked Eel

The Fish Maw/ Chinese Cabbage/ Smoked Eel uses the classic French chou farci cooking technique, where fresh barramundi fish maw is filled with Chinese cabbage trimmings and smoked eel. The parcel is then wrapped in Chinese cabbage leaf and a layer of caul fat before pan-searing. Lastly, it is topped with julienned raw Chinese cabbage stem and fried local fish maw, finished in a light, refreshing broth made from smoked eel bones.

Alaskan King Crab/ Glutinous Rice/ Crab Bisque

The Alaskan King Crab/ Glutinous Rice/ Crab Bisque is a celebration of reunion featuring glutinous rice balls filled with crab miso. The green and red colouring come from beetroot and spinach juice. Alongside the glutinous rice ball is premium Alaskan king crabs brushed with fermented yellow soybean paste finished in rich crab roe sauce, crab bisque and butter.

Pigeon/ Grains/ Corn

The Pigeon dish comes with breast and leg dry-aged for 12 days, confit for 2 hours and bincho-grilled. On the side is risotto made by cooking barley in chicken stock, mixed with pearl corn. I find the sauce most interesting, a concoction of pigeon jus, fermented black beans and green Sichuan peppercorns.

Bird's Nest/ Osmanthus/ Chrysanthemum

Pre-dessert is the light and nourishing Double-boiled Bird's Nest served with osmanthus syrup, osmanthus sorbet, Japanese chrysanthemum jelly and petals. A refreshing idea for a palate cleanser.

Toasted Rice/ Chestnut/ Sable

Rice, the last dish of any Chinse feast, led to the creation of Toasted Rice/ Chestnut/ Sable as a dessert. The sweet ending comprises milk ice cream, toasted rice cream, puffed rice, caramel, black garlic, sable, French chestnut puree, and Chinese candied chestnuts.

Spicy Beef Fat Financier (Spicy)

Sea Buckthorn Jelly (Sour) and Buttergourd Bonbon (Bitter)

Ispahan Lotus (Sweet)

Completing our 9-course dinner experience is the Petite Fours. Each has a different sour, sweet, bitter and spicy (酸甜苦辣) profile, representing the key guiding principle of Vicissitudes, as Zor believes one does not taste sweetness without first knowing bitterness.

Note: This is an invited tasting.


Restaurant BORN
1 Neil Road
Singapore 088804
Tel: +65 92708718
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Instagram
Website
Nearest MRT: Maxwell (TE Line)

Opening Hours:
Tue-Sat: 6pm - 11pm
(Closed on Sun, Mon)

Direction:
1) Alight at Maxwell MRT station. Take Exit 1, 2 or 3. Walk to junction of Neil Road, Maxwell Road and Tanjong Pagar Road. Cross the road and walk to destination. Journey time about 3 minutes. [Map]