Antoinette - Wealth Of Sweet Indulgences For The Lunar New Year

Once again, Chef Pang of Antoinette is at the top of his game for the Lunar New Year with a wealth of new creations as well as bringing back the signature classics to usher in the Year of the Pig.

Hong Bao

During the Lunar New Year, the act of giving Hong Bao (red packet) symbolises sharing of blessing. With this auspicious symbolisation, Chef Pang created the Hong Bao ($10 small / $25 big) for this Lunar New Year using a combination of French and Japanese bread making techniques. The bread is infused with red dragon fruit, hence the flavour and colour. Inside the bread, you can find layers of nian gao (made in-house with black sugar and fried shallots), candied yam and sweet potato, pork floss and salted egg.

Abundantly 

A fun and dramatic new cake for the Lunar New Year is the Abundantly ($38). The chiffon cake is infused with rich purple sweet potato and topped with a thin circle of black sesame peanut feuilletine. To enjoy it, diners lift of the little partition for a windfalls of wealth and luck. It releases a flowing profusion of salty cheese cream that drapes over the cake, with a wealth of black and gold tapioca bubbles steeped in black sugar, candied sweet potato and yam cubes, gold-covered chocolate coin, ingot and koi fish. It is like have a creamy cheese bubble tea cake.

Purplelette 

For bite-sized pleasures, there is the Purplelette macarons ($3 per piece / $19 for 6 pieces). The macaron shell is made with purple sweet potato yam and sandwiched between a ring of sweet potato cream with a cheese centre filling. It is hard to stop at one.

Queen's Yusheng

For a different kind of Yusheng, the classic Queen's Yusheng ($88) makes a return for 2019's Chinese New Year. Cracking open the golden chocolate egg reveals freshly diced and shredded pineapple, Thai green mango, red dragon fruit and pomelo. Tossed to a year of prosperity and good luck, together with almonds, cashews, mandarin orange butter cake, meringue kisses, yam and sweet potato chips.

For those who is planning to share some happiness to their friends, families and colleagues, Antoinette has a number of gift options such as the gorgeously floral Saint Honore gift box ($75), Singapura Cookie Tin ($24), propitiously bright red Luxur gift box in three different sizes ($20/$26/$35), as well as the Bisou gift box in a graceful grey velvet in three different sizes.

Note: This is an invited tasting.


Antoinette 
30 Penhas Road
Singapore 208188
Tel: +65 62933121
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Nearest MRT: Lavender (EW Line)

Opening Hours:
Mon-Thur: 11am - 10pm
Fri & Eve PH: 11am - 11pm
Sat: 10am - 11pm
Sun & PH: 10am - 10pm

Direction:
1) Alight at Lavender MRT station. Take Exit B. Walk to V Hotel Lavender. Walk down Horne Road and turn right onto Penhas Road. Walk to destination. Journey time about 5 minutes. [Map]

Cherry Garden @ Mandarin Oriental Singapore - Luxurious And Largest Traditional Pen Cai

From 18 January to 19 February 2019, usher in the Lunar New Year with a wide range of epicurean delights from Cherry Garden at Mandarin Oriental Singapore, available both dine-in and takeaways. You might not want to miss the Singapore's largest traditional ‘basin dish’!

Yu Sheng 3/5

Be it in the comfort of your own home or at Cherry Garden, start off the celebration with one of the Yu Sheng offerings on the menu, such as Yu Sheng with Salmon, Alaskan Crab Meat and Black Truffle ($138/$276). Unique to Cherry Garden is the julienned Rosella fruit and spring onion sauce to enliven the flavour of the Yu Sheng. It might be a good idea to leave out the crab meat during the tossing as those delicate meat pieces will be inundated by the sauces and other ingredients.

Pen Cai 4/5

As mentioned, one of the highlights from Cherry Garden is its Luxurious Pen Cai and is supposedly Singapore’s largest traditional ‘basin dish’, loaded with premium ingredients such as braised four-head abalone, lobsters, scallops, sea cucumbers, prawns, roasted duck, lotus chicken, roasted pork belly and more. If you are dining in, you will witness the sea creatures and greens swimming in a large pot of superior broth and have the fun of ladling the ingredients out of the big pot. It is available for takeaway as well but it will be presented in a daintier fashion.

Pig Trotter 3/5

The Year of Pig calls for a pork dish - Pig Trotter with Black Moss ($68) made with soybean paste and braised for two hours. Although it isn't my favourite kind of braising method, which is the dark and blackish kind, the tender meat made up for it. The accompanying abalones actually fared better in such braising sauce.

Red Date Nian Gao 4/5

As part of the set menus, rounding off your meal will be some Chinese New Year delights. The Fried Red Dates Nian Gao is probably one of the best that I have tried. It is not easy to produce in small quantities and this ended my meal perfectly. It came hot with a crisp exterior, soft and chewy with a pronounced red date sweetness. Most importantly, it was not cloying at all. It is available for takeaway ($48) as well.

Aloe Vera Jelly 3.8/5

Part of a set menu is the Chilled Aloe Vera Jelly with lemongrass and rose. It felt so good having it after all the heavyweight dishes.

If you are keen for a more casual celebration, head down for the Weekend Dim Sum Brunch instead, which you will taste new dishes such as Crispy Wasbi-aioli Prawns with fresh mango and tobiko, and the all-time favourite Five Grain Fried Rice with Cantonese pork sausage.

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.


Cherry Garden
Mandarin Oriental Singapore
Marina Square
5 Raffles Avenue
Singapore 039797
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Nearest MRT: Promenade (CC Line), Esplanade (CC Line)

Opening Hours:
Weekday Lunch: 12pm - 230pm
Weekend Dim Sum Buffet: 11am - 1pm, 130pm to 330pm
Dinner: 630pm to 1030pm

Direction:
1) Alight at Promenade MRT station. Take Exit A. Cross the road. Walk to Marina Square. Follow the signage to destination. Journey time about 6 minutes. [Map]

2) Alight at Esplanade MRT station. Take Exit B or D. Walk to Marina Square. Follow the signage to destination. Journey time about 8 minutes. [Map]