The best Chinese New Year menus for reunion dinner in Singapore

January 3 to February 5

Usher in the rabbit year with sweet beginnings of a showstopping 60-inch honey pink guava dressed yu sheng. No, you didn’t read that wrong, it is 60 inches so you best bring your appetite. What follows is a grand five-course display of signatures ($798 for 5 persons) where it stars the Abundance Treasures Pot which overflows with 18 premium ingredients such as six-head abalones, whole dried scallops and lobsters. For a blissful conclusion to the auspicious feast, the all-time favourite chilled cream of pink guava, pomelo and aloe vera makes a comeback to please even the most discerning of palates.

January 3 to February 5

Set in a 153-year-old grand Manchurian mansion with riverside views of the Clarke Quay River, reunion dinners at Mimi are worth dusting off your cheongsams for. We’re no strangers to Chef Jesse Lim’s contemporary riffs on traditional Chinese cuisine and this year’s set menus (from $78 per person) are equally as exciting as the last. Tease your tastebuds with the melt-in-your-mouth Shanghai-styled braised pork belly, Hong Kong-style ginger steamed cod, crispy lobster tossed in dried tangerine peel and many more. Don’t leave straight after the feast, round up the family for a picture or two – the heritage building has got plenty of camera-friendly angles worthy of a photo keepsake.

January 1 to February 5

Usher in the abundance of the new year and savour the best hits by the charmingly rustic Cantonese restaurant presented in eight different menus (from $148). The lively start of Yu Sheng treats your palate to a breath of sea – lobsters, surf clams, salmon, and abalone – and crisp organic ice plants drizzled with a sweet zesty sauce. Mandatory yu sheng toss check. Next comes a series of refined starters from a perfectly fried oyster to a superior bird’s nest with crab meat. But behold, the highlight is none other than a richly unapologetic braised three-head abalone paired with melt-in-your-mouth pork belly. We think it’s wise to ask for a bowl of rice to never let that irresistible sauce go to waste.

January 4 to February 5

Hop, jump or skip into the year of the rabbit at the iconic grounds of the Goodwood Park Hotel. After all, think Chinese cuisine, Min Jiang has to be one of those names that come first in mind. This year, master chef Chan Hwan Kee showcases his artistic flair as he hand-paints a pair of rabbits in the bamboo forest alongside the traditional Yu Sheng jazzed up with generous heaps of salted egg fish skin and the usual suspects. Perfect for large reunions, the Eight Prosperity menus (from $148) serve up popular reunion favourites that include the signature Silver Hill Irish duck and a medley of slow-braised treasure pots filled with the best of land and sea. Fans of the latter can also look forward to a new savoury indulgence of braised pork knuckle in the sea treasures pot.

January 21 to February 5

Celebrate the bountiful Lunar New Year with a proper bounty of some of the best local and international favourites at Edge. It is an inclusive reunion dinner that just about caters to anyone and everyone – especially the young and old. The main highlight? An entire show-stopping roasted suckling pig at the live carving station. Otherwise, lavish on a tasty selection from slow-braised pork knuckle and fresh seafood on ice to slow-roast O’Connor ribeye and Peking duck pizzas, either way, you’ll be spoilt for choice. While you're at it, don't forget to toss up the specialty yuzu-cured salmon sashimi Yu Sheng with crispy fish skin for added prosperity in 2023.

January 9 to February 5

For those looking for a reunion feast that is effortlessly divine, look no further, the 51-year-old Cantonese stalwart needs no further introduction. Presented in four eight-course menus (from $188), guests will savour timeless culinary highlights and opulent ingredients such as braised African candy heart-dried abalone, pan-fried foie gras, roasted suckling pig and the classically steamed star garoupa. This year, the one-Michelin-starred stalwart sets to impress with an auspiciously whimsical yu sheng ($388, feeds up to six persons) that is shaped to look like an adorable rabbit. This is bound to get the kids to participate in the annual toss-up. It is also bejewelled with a slurry of seafood from South African abalone, Hokkaido scallop, local lobster to Scottish smoked salmon.

January 9 to 5 February

Take in the stellar city views while you toast to a prosperous rabbit year and savour refined Cantonese cuisine. First, liven up the party with a highly customisable prosperity Yu Sheng that boasts five different options such as abalone ($98) and this year’s exclusive, bird’s nest ($118). Then, indulge in the decadent Pen Cai (from $368) brimming with prized ingredients like the premium six-head South African abalone that is perfect for a family of four or more. In the a la carte section, take your pick from a series of new dishes from aromatic braised Hokkaido scallops with ee-fu noodles and truffle sauce to deep-fried lobsters doused in an apple honey sauce. Sticking to tradition? The Cantonese classics of double-boiled soups and braised seafood are tried and true favourites that purists will find respite in. Set menus start from $98.

January 9 to February 5

Escape the festive bustle of the new year and take respite at Chopsuey Cafe in the lush grounds of Dempsey hill. That’s where you’ll enjoy a vast selection of comforting dishes steeped in contemporary Anglo-Chinese and Southeast Asian influences presented in the Joyous Reunion set menu. Tickle your tastebuds with the refreshing Orange Basil Crush that's paired with a healthy Lucky Lunar "Lo Hei" yu sheng – which comes free when you book before December 31 – featuring trout, kale, celeriac, sprouts, red radish, blueberries and wild rice topped with real gold leaf. Next up, feast on a selection of salt pepper and caramelised garlic calamari and sticky Kurobuta belly sticks to start. The hearty mains also feature an abundance of seafood and meats with melt-away tamarind beef ribs, numbing roast chicken, sweet chilli king prawns, and house-smoked spice salmon fried rice.