Chinese New Year treats

You can't really go wrong with pen chai, or fortune pot.

One of the best comes from Hua Ting Restaurant at Orchard Hotel.

Order the Deluxe pen cai (from $328 and $598 for large) and a roast duck ($72), and your meal is set.

Call 6739-6666 to place your order.

Peony Jade's offering a few options for takeaways.

If you're tired of pork, try duck.

Its Prosperity Fa Cai Duck with sea-cucumber, lotus seeds and fatt choy ($68.88) is another good option for dinner.

Call 6279-9138 (Keppel Club) or 6338-0305 (Clarke Quay) to order.

The pen cai at Putien is priced to be family-friendly.

It starts from $288 with goodies such as abalone, dried clam, roast pork and Putien's signature bean curd.

You can order at the restaurant (branches at VivoCity, Tampines Mall and nex).

FESTIVE BUFFETS

If you really just prefer to hold your reunion dinner outside of home, there is also the option of a buffet restaurant.

You'll pay about the same price as a sit down Chinese dinner but there will be more variety and more freedom.

Best part? No clean up!

At Carlton City Hotel Singapore, the buffet is at Level 3's Plate restaurant.

On the eve of Chinese New Year, it's $48.80 and you top up $25 for free flow of beer and house pour wines.

Order the Salmon Yu Sheng with Arrow Root Chips too (from $28.80). You can order that for takeway too.

Call 6632-8922 for reservations.

It's Chinese New Year with a touch of Peranakan at Ramada Singapore's Flavours at Zhongshan Park at $58 a person.

Order the 18 Treasures Yusheng (from $28) to start the meal.

It has a special ingredient - pork crackling!

Call 6808-6848 for reservations.

Another place for a reunion buffet is Cafe Mosaic at Carlton Hotel Singapore.

At $98, it's not a cheap option but you'll get a free serving of yusheng.

There are other goodies too, such as braised Chinese beef brisket and fish maw and crabmeat soup.

It's an additional $8 for drinks and $28 for all the Tiger Beer you can drink.

For reservations and enquiries, call 6311-8195.

NEW YEAR MUNCHIES

It doesn't matter if you're eating at home or out, if you're a guest, please turn up with a small gift. And a gift of food is always appreciated.

Crystal Jade always has lovely Chinese New Year goodies. I am in love with its bo lo pineapple tarts and yam cake.

This year, I have a new favourite - the black-eyed pea cake ($25.80.). It's savoury with a slight crunch.

Call 6512-0800 to order.

Niao gao is an auspicious gift and some people just love the taste of it.

Xin Cuisine's has three types (with coconut sauce, chrysanthemum and Fuzhou inspired nian gao with melon seeds, yam, ginkgo nuts, peanut and red dates), at $48 each.

Call 6731-7173 to order.

Taiwan Songshan Pineapple Cakes (from $7.50) is a tasty gift.

They are available at Din Tai Fung at Paragon, Resorts World Sentosa, Marina Bay Sands, BreadTalk IHQ, Suntec City, Tampines Mall and Jurong Point

It is said to be free of preservatives and trans-fat, so you won't feel guilty when you go crazy gobbling them down.

Heritage brand Thye Moh Chan is offering pineapple tarts with a twist: Walnut and longan at $22.80 a box.

This should please the traditionalists and those who want something new.

Thye Moh Chan is located at Parkway Parade, Chinatown Point and VivoCity.

weeteck@sph.com.sg

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