Asian cultures are full of symbolism, which is especially true when it comes to Chinese New Year. As with holidays like Hari Raya, Diwali, and Christmas, each celebratory dish or snack exists for a symbolic reason. Whether it resembles a lucky shape, a fortuitous blessing, or the way it can imbue a meal with extra meaning, most of these foods represent luck and prosperity, and eating them is believed to invite both into your life for the days to come.
As this year’s Lunar New Year will be celebrated in a vastly different way compared to the previous years, we compiled a list of 7 different and unique ways that we can celebrate Chinese New Year in 2021!
1. Si Chuan Dou Hua
Chinese New Year celebrations are known for bringing families together. That is one of the reasons why the “reunion dinner” on the night before Chinese New Year is an important New Year’s tradition and putting an ample variety of food on the table is commonly practiced.
While we may not be able to gather in big groups for reunion dinners and celebrations this year, we can, however, indulge in Si Chuan Dou Hua Restaurant’s Chinese New Year set menu that has been conveniently curated for your intimate family gathering.
Renowned for the quality and authenticity of its Sichuan and Cantonese cuisines, Si Chuan Dou Hua is a premier fine dining Chinese restaurant and a pioneer of Sichuan cuisine in Singapore. Each mouth-watering dish is expertly prepared by their team of master chefs, ensuring that you get a restaurant quality meal in the comfort of your home.
Si Chuan Dou Hua’s Chinese New Year Set Menu B ($468+) on Oddle is an auspicious feast to behold. One of the highlights of this set menu is their Prosperity Smoked Salmon Yu Sheng with Fresh Greens. The name Yu Sheng plays on the homonyms where “yú–鱼” (fish) when enunciated appropriately, also means 馀 (abundance); and “shēng–生” (raw) can also mean “life”, making it perfect for tossing up good fortune with your family and friends for an abundance of wealth and long life.
Another highlight of their Chinese New Year menu is their Grand Fortune Pen Cai with Abalone. Traditionally a Hakka dish, Pen Cai is a must-have for your Chinese New Year as it signifies abundance and richness in the coming year. Enjoy the feast of auspicious delicacies and luxurious seafood that have been meticulously layered in a clay pot to create this elaborate dish.
This CNY Set Menu also features their Braised Soon Hock with Dried Bean Curd and Roast Pork, Braised Ee Fu Noodles with Pork Knuckle and Dried Oyster, and Dessert Duo of Homemade Fine Bean Curd with Wolfberries and Pan-fried New Year Cake.
Si Chuan Dou Hua’s Chinese New Year takeaway and delivery menus are available at all 3 of their outlets, namely: ParkRoyal on Beach Road, Top of UOB Plaza, and ParkRoyal on Kitchener Road. However, each outlet’s menu will differ slightly to feature each outlets’ speciality. Besides the set menu, diners can also place a la carte orders for Chinese New Year favourites and classics, such as the Roasted Suckling Pig, Prosperity Yu Sheng, and Grand Fortune Pen Cai, which are great for sharing with family and friends in the comfort of your home.
Takeaway and delivery orders for CNY 2021 can be placed via their Oddle platform. The Chinese New Year menus will be available from the 11th of January till the 26th of February 2021 for both dine-in and online takeaway/delivery. Self-pickup orders will be entitled to 15% off.
2. Viio Gastropub
Helmed by Head Chef Ronald Li, Viio Gastropub features an array of scrumptious gourmet food at an affordable price. The founder’s love for fine food, craft beer, and good company is clearly reflected through this gastropub’s offerings. If you are looking for an atypical Chinese New Year meal, this is definitely the place to check out!
Viio Gastropub regularly innovates and introduces new items to their menu. This Chinese New Year, Chef Ronald took the traditional dumpling and gave it a twist to create their Kurobuta Pork Silver Ingot Dumplings. With more than 1800 years of history, dumplings are a classic must have food during Chinese New Year as they are shaped like ingots and signify prosperity and wealth. Legend has it that the more dumplings you eat during the New Year celebrations, the more money you can make in the New Year, so remember to load up on Ingot Dumplings during the festive period!
You can also get your fill of abundance and richness for the coming year by trying out their Pen Cai Don which is filled to the brim with auspicious delicacies. With other unique Chinese New Year offerings such as their Roasted Duck Taco, Roasted Pork Steamed Bun, and Pan-Seared Cod Fish with Truffle Soy, Pak Choy, and Shiitake Mushrooms, it is guaranteed to be an experience unlike any other.
Experience a delectable array of flavours paired with the freshest craft beers at their intimate establishment! Their Chinese New Year menu will be available from 1 February till 28 February 2021.
📍 520 Balestier Road, #01-01 VIIO@Balestier, Singapore 329853
Operating Hours: Monday to Sunday, 12.00pm – 10.30pm
For reservations: +65 62535752 or DM @viiogastropub on Instagram/Facebook
3. The Honey Colony
The well-known phrase 甜甜蜜蜜 (Tián Tián Mì Mì) is commonly used during Chinese New Year to signify sweet and loving relationships for everyone, and nothing can sweeten your relationships more than a few jars of quality honey!
The Honey Colony is a small, family-run honey business based in Singapore. All their honey is unprocessed and cold extracted, ensuring that the original goodness of the honey is intact. Their honey is harvested from various family-run apiaries in areas such as Tasmania and South-West Australia. All their products are tested by independent testing facilities such as Quality Service International (QSI) and Analytica Laboratories and the results are available on their website, giving you the ease of mind that their products are 100% authentic. All while at an affordable price point!
Their Scottish Highlands Bundle (S$35.60) features a bottle of their award-winning Scottish Heather (227g) and lovely smooth Scottish Blossom (227g) honey! The Heather is gathered by their team of expert bee farmers from their bee-friendly hives located throughout the unspoiled wilderness of Scotland. This results in a rich, luxurious, and unique flavour unlike any other. The sweet Blossom Honey is produced by bees that forage on nectar gather from the wildflowers in Scotland’s unique natural environment. Once again gathered from their bee-friendly hives around Scotland, the pure, natural, blossom honey is good for both the bees and the environment.
Besides the Scottish honey, their other best-sellers include Western Australia’s Jarrah Honey and Tasmania’s Leatherwood Honey! (You can find out more about The Honey Colony here!) Their Bundle Deals are perfect for Chinese New Year gifting as they are a great starting point if you are unsure of where to start. Alternatively, you can mix and match from their wide variety of delicious, quality honeys!
If you are an avid fan of honey and are ready to check out, you can use promo code BEYONDNORM5 at checkout via The Honey Colony for 5% off all your purchases!
4. Los Andes Co SG
Fruits hold a special significance during Chinese New Year. Grapes is symbolic of good luck, wealth, prosperity, and fertility. Mandarin oranges are another auspicious fruit during the Chinese New Year festivities as its Cantonese pronunciation –gam– sounds similar to the word for “gold” and is therefore used to symbolise good fortune.
One unique way that you can incorporate some good fortune, prosperity, and sweetness into your Chinese New Year celebrations is through Los Andes Co.’s CNY Wine and Chocolate gift pack (S$100)! Regularly priced at S$124, this unconventionally auspicious gift pack includes 1 Tierras Altas Malbec Reserva 2015, 1 Tierras Altas Sauvignon Blanc 2019, and 1 Juan Choconat 56% Cacao Orange Milk (65gr) chocolate bar.
Launched in October 2020, Los Andes Co. aims to bring Los Andes’ greatest aromas and flavours to Singapore through their local products, such as their Argentinian wine! The first of Los Andes Co’s wines are from the Tierras Altas Winery & Vineyards which is one of the first boutique wineries in Mendoza, Argentina. Belonging to the Vargas Arizu Family, they have been involved in viticulture for more than a century, starting in 1890 and now four generations in.
If you would like to bring more sweetness into your home, Los Andes Co. also has a variety of Juan Choconat chocolate bars in different flavours, as well as a variety pack of 12 Juan Choconat mini bars so that you can try out an assortment of flavours!
Originating from Colombia, Juan Choconat makes 100% organic chocolate with non-GMO cacao. Their chocolate that has been transformed into healthy products as they are made of unroasted cacao, unrefined cane sugar, freeze-dried organic fruit, and go through an extended fermentation process to ensure that they are able to preserve more antioxidants and probiotics. Juan Choconat also supports higher and better prices for farmers by paying around 70% more than Fair Trade standard.
By purchasing Juan Choconat’s chocolates, you are not only getting delicious chocolate filled with health benefits, but you are also making a positive impact on someone’s life in Colombia.
Los Andes Co is currently having an 8% discount (Huat huat!!) and free deliveries for orders of S$45 and above from now till the end of February 2021. This discount is not applicable to the CNY Wine and Chocolate gift pack.
To sweeten your Chinese New Year whilst supporting a good cause, place your orders at https://bit.ly/35Moh5j!
5. Sinpopo Brand
Treasuring our local and artisanal baking and cooking heritage, Sinpopo is an ode to Peranakan culture and cuisine. They take pride in producing an exception range of inventive creations, often adapting well-loved local flavours into new recipes and tastes.
This Chinese New Year, Sinpopo launched their largest cookie collection of 6 festive delights! From your favourite Chinese New Year staples to timeless local flavours infused into cookies, there is definitely something for everyone!
Their Lunar New Year Collection features their fragrant Hae Bi Hiam Cookies (S$24), all-time best-seller Salted Egg Yolk Cookies with Curry Leaf (S$24), exclusive Sinpopo x Glory Premium Pineapple Tarts (S$28), Gula Melaka Biscuits (S$24), Kueh Bangkit (S$22) that graces their shelves once a year, and perfectly crisp Love Letters (S$32).
Besides that, Sinpopo also created a decadent Gula Melaka Cake 8” (S$62)! Expect a soft and fluffy gula-melaka-infused sponge cake layered with fresh, handmade gula melaka fudge and finished with a smokey gula melaka glaze. Their Signature cake is a lovely rendition that pays tribute to traditional local kuehs that often highlights this natural palm sugar. Sinpopo’s original Gula Melaka Cake serves 12-16 and is a great way to kickstart your festive celebrations!
Get any of these mouth-watering Chinese New Year goodies online at sinpopo.com (3 days in advance) and opt for island-wide delivery or self-collection at any Sinpopo Brand outlet. Alternatively, visit any Sinpopo Brand outlet to purchase the products that are available in-store. You can also pre-order their cakes and hampers in-store.
📍 SINPOPO COFFEE
Funan Mall, #01-K02
107 North Bridge Road, S(179105)
Store No.: 6970 1080
OPENING HOURS:
Tues – Sun: 11:00 AM – 9:00 PM
📍 SINPOPO GROCER
Square 2, #01-20
10 Sinaran Drive, S(307506)
Store No.: 6256 5966
OPENING HOURS:
Daily: 10:00 AM – 8:00 PM
📍 SINPOPO GROCER
The Paragon, #B1-33
290 Orchard Road, S(238859)
Store No.: 6365 1772
OPENING HOURS:
Sun – Thur: 10:00 AM – 8:00 PM
Fri & Sat: 10:00 AM – 9:00 PM
📍 SINPOPO BRAND RESTAURANT
458 Joo Chiat Road, S(427671)
Store No.: 6345 5034
OPENING HOURS:
Daily: 12:00 PM – 10:00 PM
📍 SINPOPO BAKES
391A ORCHARD ROAD, BASEMENT 2
TAKASHIMAYA FOOD HALL, S(238873)
Store No: 62355910
OPENING HOURS:
Daily: 11:00 AM – 9:30 PM
6. Diamond Kitchen
Conveniently located at 2 accessible locations, Diamond Kitchen offers some of the best Chinese cuisine in Singapore. With a focus on tasty live seafood, inspired by Cantonese cuisine, but with a tinge of influences from Teochew and other cooking styles, they serve a wide array of tantalising dishes that are suitable for casual dining and family gatherings. From soups to seafood, and many more, their menu definitely has something for everyone. When dining in, Diamond Kitchen provides a cosy and comfortable ambiance to make one’s dining experience relaxed and truly memorable.
Get ready for a year filled with abundance, surplus, and a lot of laughter with Diamond’s Great Fortune Set (S$288++). It features a variety of auspicious dishes that are perfect for your Chinese New Year gatherings. Kick-off the celebrations with Diamond’s Smoked Salmon Yu Sheng and toss to a prosperous year ahead. Prawns are a huge staple in Chinese New Year meals as its Cantonese pronunciation –har– echoes the sound of ringing laughter. Get your doze of happiness and laughter with their Steamed Live Prawns with Dang Gui. Their delicious Signature Braised Mushrooms with Broccoli brings the whole family together as the round shape of the Chinese mushrooms symbolises family reunion. This menu also includes their nutritious Double-Boiled Chicken Soup with Cordyceps Flower & Fish Maw, Thai-Styled Deep Fried Seasonal Fish with Pickled Mango, Glass Noodles with Salmon Caviar, and Yam Paste with Pumpkin & Gingko Nut. A wholesome feast from start to end!
Diamond Kitchen‘s Lunar New Year 2021 Set Menus are available from the 25th of January till the 26th of February 2021.
Choose from 4 Set Menu options:
Prosperous Set – S$388++ for 5 to 6 pax
Plenteous Harvest Set – S$488++ for 8 pax
Auspicious Luck Set – S$688++ for 8 pax
Golden Harvest Set – S$888++ for 8pax
Reunion Dinner on the 11th of February are only available at the following time slots.
5PM / 7PM / 9PM
*set menus only
For reservations:
WhatsApp or call Deven at +65 9662 7600
For deliveries:
Marine Parade Outlet
WhatsApp or Call +65 83070243
Buona Vista Outlet
WhatsApp or Call +65 83070234
7. Ministry of Desserts (M.O.D.)
Looking for an out of the box way to wish your loved ones Longevity, Prosperity, and Happiness this Chinese New Year? We have got you covered with M.O.D. by WongLee’s Grandeur Gift set (S$108)! If you are a long-time lover of Singapore’s food scene, you may have heard of Chef Francis Wong, the mastermind behind the novelty dessert creations at M.O.D. His previous ventures include Non-Entrée Desserts which brought about the popular “Chocolate Avalanche” and “Bak Chor Mee” that was well-liked by media friends and locals. M.O.D has been known for their handcrafted artisanal desserts and unique creations. Consisting of sumptuous delicacies with a twist, the Grandeur Gift set is truly one to remember as it boasts an extensive assortment of the finest desserts you could give in the likeness of abalone. Yes, you read that right! Abalone, or 鲍鱼 (Bàoyú) is a well-known symbolic Chinese New Year food as it is believed that it will bring good fortune and abundance for the rest of the year.
M.O.D.’s Grandeur Gift Set (S$108) features three exquisite flavours:
1. Longevity
With Ling Zhi as its main ingredient, it symbolises the blessing of good health and vitality. Other premium natural ingredients in this dessert includes Cordyzymes, 24K Gold Flakes, Peach Resin, Aged Dried Longan, Natural wolfberry, and 100% Natural Okinawa Black Sugar.
2. Prosperity
Embodying the symbol of wealth and fortune, American Ginseng takes centre stage in this flavour, and is accompanied by 24K Gold Flakes, Cameron Highland Chrysanthemums, Snow Lotus Seed, Natural wolfberry, 100% Natural Luo Han Guo Sweetener.
3. Happiness
Bird’s Nest has long been known for its nourishing ability to preserve youthfulness and beauty, making it a welcomed nutritional treat by all. Using 100% Natural Golden Wild Bird’s Nest from Indonesia, 24K Gold Flakes, Premium Red Dates, Natural Wolfberries, Premium Dried Osmanthus Flower, Gum Tragacanth, and 100% Natural Luo Han Guo Sweetener, it is a superior treat for all to enjoy!
All their flavours are free from artificial flavours and colouring, and is Keto and Vegetarian friendly, making it a perfect treat for you and your loved ones! Whether you’re gifting it to your elders, or getting it as a treat for yourself, you can pre-order at http://wa.me/6598578160!
*Promotion: Quote “MODAbalone” when pre-ordering for to get the Grandeur Gift set at $88 (Original Price: S$108)! Applicable till the 24th of January 2021.
Get island-wide delivery for an additional $13 (additional charges apply for Sentosa, Jurong Island, and Tuas area)!
You can also self-collect your orders at:
📍Pop-Up Store Address:
B.E.D, 26 Tai Seng St, Level 1, S(534057)
📌Operating hours : Mon to Fri, 12pm to 8pm!
Huat do you think of our list?
Feel free to let us know in the comments below.
Wishing all of you a Prosperous Chinese New Year!
