Where to eat during Chinese New Year Day 1 and 2
Kick back and relax this festive season with dining options for everyone.
SINGAPORE — The Chinese New Year holidays have always been a legitimate excuse for us to toss caution to the wind and eat our body weight worth of calories in an attempt to avoid the daily grind waiting to consume us for the rest of the year.
For many of us, it is a chance to enjoy the festivities at home with family, friends and an immeasurable amount of pineapple tarts. For others, it is the perfect excuse for a quick holiday getaway or to kick back at a nice cafe or restaurant here.
However, a downside to this holiday is that most eateries are closed during the first two days of the Lunar New Year. Before you fear starvation, we have come up with a list of places you can go to, with options for everyone — from those looking for traditional Cantonese cuisine to alternative fare or dining at a picturesque spot with loved ones.
FOR MAXIMUM RELAXATION
Prive restaurants are known for their idyllic, laidback locations — think Singapore River at the Asian Civilisations Museum and along the water’s edge at Marina at Keppel Bay. Good news, they are open during this festive period.
“With all the visiting and CNY preparations, our customers may not have the time (or energy) to cook at home. Moreover, we also understand that it can be very challenging to find restaurants to dine at during CNY, which can be frustrating. Therefore, where resources allow, all Prive outlets stay open during all public holidays (including CNY) so that our customers have a place to go and just take a break from all the CNY madness,” explained Yuan Oeij, chairman of The Prive Group.
“Response has always been very positive, which is also why we keep doing it year on year. It is not an uncommon sight to see families dressed in their CNY best enjoying some cafe favorites over lunch and dinner.”
The group’s Chinese restaurant, EMPRESS, will also be open this year after it received feedback from customers for it to remain open. “We always try and accommodate where we can,” he added.
With special Chinese New Year dinner sets and Lucky Set lunches at their outlets including dishes such as lobster E-Fu noodles, fried glutinous rice in lotus leaf with chicken sausage and sauteed king prawns with mushroom and in XO chilli sauce, who can resist?
For more information, visit www.theprivegroup.com.sg
FOR ISLAND FUN
With free island admission and cable car rides exclusively for Singaporeans and local residents born in the Year of Rooster, spectacular light shows, dazzling lantern displays and festive performances, Sentosa is the place to be.
Get your tummies filled at the Blue Lotus Chinese Eating House. The new age Chinese restaurant will open on both first and second day of Chinese New Year and will offer its unique and healthy version of the Yu Sheng comprising of 10 herbs and vegetables, two aromatic spices, three types of nuts, tea-smoked salmon, salmon skin and silver bait, dressed in spring-onion-infused olive oil and wild honey yuzu dressing.
There will also be specially crafted Chinese New Year, communal-style set menus available for company gatherings and family reunions. Each set menu starts off with the signature Tea-Smoked Norwegian Salmon Yu Sheng and is followed by exquisite Blue Lotus dishes crafted by the restaurant’s owner and chef Ricky Ng.
Open from 11.30am to 3pm, 6pm to 10pm, at 31 Ocean Way, #01-13 Quayside Isle. Call 6339 0880.
FOR CLASSIC FARE
For some traditional Cantonise cuisine, head to Peach Garden Chinese Restaurant. While there, order its Golden Rooster Prosperity Yu Sheng, which signifies a Lunar New Year filled with abundance and prosperity. The dish is specially prepared with shredded white radish, red carrot, cucumber, preserved vegetables and fruits (such as strawberry, mango and dragon fruits) which are artfully decorated to form the shape of a rooster.
With branches located all over Singapore from Thomson Plaza to Hotel Miramar, it is certainly the most accessible. There are takeaway and catering options as well. “It has been Peach Garden’s longstanding tradition (since we opened our first restaurant in 2002) to open through the Chinese New Year period. It is always a delight to welcome both our regular diners and new customers during the festive period,” shared the restaurant’s spokesman.
Open from 10am to 2.30pm, 3pm to 5pm. For more information, visit www.peachgarden.com.sg
FOR ALTERNATIVE TASTES
A local favourite has got to be Zam Zam, one of the oldest restaurants in Singapore. Known for its popular murtabak which comes with generous servings of meat and rich flavours, Zam Zam is open during this festive period, offering the quintessential comfort food with a side of curry and Teh Tarik.
If you are still craving for something different, head down to Brez’n, an authenic Bavarian restaurant in Singapore that has rolled out a menu inspired by the warmth and tradition of Bravaria and Lunar New Year. “While we know that the customary house visits are a must, there might be some who want to take a break and try something different,” said chef Dominik Osterreicher, its executive chef and operations manager.
Highlights from the Chinese New Year menu include the Brez’n Prosperity Chicken, a whole spring chicken roasted to perfection with Bavarian sliced bread dumplings and warm mushroom stew, and the Brez’n Prosperity Platter for up to five diners which comprises crispy pork knuckle, spicy chicken sausages, sauerkraut, sliced bread dumplings and warm mushroom stew. The restaurant will also be serving an all-day Happy Hour promotion and a special Chinese New Year drink called the Orange Bliss — a prosecco cocktail with fresh orange slices.
Zam Zam is located at 679/699 North Bridge Road, Singapore 198676. Open 8am to 11pm daily. Call 6298 7011. Brez’n is located at 491 River Valley Road, Valley Point, #01-21/22/23, open from 11.30am to 11pm. Call 6235 1613.
FOR THE HIPSTER
Gallery & Co., the museum design store that doubles as a restaurant and bar, has introduced a new drink created specially for the occasion. The POP bar at the joint will be serving Goji Goji, a festive cocktail using goji berries, red dates and lychees, spiked with vodka. Also, head chef Kenneth Lin has given the traditional Yu Sheng a Japanese twist with sea kelp, seaweed and sea-grapes served alongside house-made Yuzu dressing. These festival specialties are available from Jan 20 to Feb 12.
“We are keeping the Gallery & Co. open to offer the public and museum visitors a space to hangout and dine. We are also opening with the intention of offering our consumers who don’t celebrate Chinese New Year more hangout options,” said Graeme Ian Khalil, Gallery & Co.’s Retail Management & Gallery Relations.
Located at 1 St Andrew’s Rd, National Gallery Singapore. Open from 3pm to 8pm on Jan 28 (coffee and pastries only), and 10am to 7pm on Jan 29. Call 6385 6683.