CNY set deals for fuss-free reunion
These festive bundles are worth it
When it comes to feeding the masses at home during Chinese New Year, it is all about value.
That is why if you are buying your reunion dinner instead of cooking it, it is best to look for package deals.
What I do is buy the best deal within my budget and add other ingredients. For example, get a basic pot of pen cai, throw in a can of abalone, some meats and vegetables, and you will have a luxurious version.
Any bundle from the major restaurant groups is worth considering because they have economies of scale to offer good deals.
Here are some deals worth checking out:
CRYSTAL JADE
Its Auspicious Reunion Feast bundle (from $368.80) has five dishes - Bountiful Abalone Treasure Pot, Reunion Norwegian Salmon Yusheng, Fortune Chicken, Fried Glutinous Rice with Cured Meats and either a nian gao or savoury carrot cake - and that is good enough for a meal.
On its own, the pen cai is priced from $268.80 and has 18 items such as whole 10-head abalone, sea cucumber and fish maw.
You can order online (estore.crystaljade.com) or head down to the restaurants. Crystal Jade is working with several bank credit cards and you will be able to get discounts with them.
TUNGLOK GROUP
Its Take Home Feast (from $388) has five items for a fuss-free meal. The cost depends on the pen cai you pick (three choices) and how many people you will be feeding.
There will also be yusheng, superior herbal chicken, fried glutinous rice and nian gao.
There is a vegetarian version that starts at $268. If you are a Citibank or United Overseas Bank card holder, you will get 15 per cent off your Take Home Feast if you order by Sunday.
MERCURE SINGAPORE BUGIS
Song Garden (Mercure Singapore Bugis, Tel: 6521-9299) has curated the Home Reunion Takeaway set (from $498) and filled it with goodies.
One of the highlights is the Song Garden Supreme Fortune Pot, with ingredients such as Japanese eight-head abalone and crispy pork belly.
You can add on more sides such as Water Chestnut Cake ($20.80) and Steamed Carrot Cake with Chinese Sausage ($20.80).
SHANGRI-LA HOTEL SINGAPORE
The Festive Counter (Tel: 6213-4398) at the lobby of Shangri-La Hotel Singapore is now open, and it has lots of Chinese New Year goodies available, including the Prosperity Luxury Combo ($528).
This set is good for eight and contains the usual line-up of festive dishes. The stars are the Abundance Treasure Pot and Fortune Abalone Yu Sheng.
PARADISE GROUP
The Bountiful Takeaway Set ($328) from the Paradise Group has four dishes: Prosperity Abalone Yu Sheng, Treasure Pot, Black Truffle Kampong Chicken and Fortune Lotus Leaf Glutinous Rice.
Usually the treasure pot is the centrepiece, but here, it is the chicken. It is baked for 90 minutes with black truffle and doused in a house-made sauce and will go great with rice.
You can order this from any of the group's restaurants.
GIANT
Supermarket chain Giant has made it easy to organise a steamboat with its steamboat bundle Click & Collect service. You get to choose from three bundle options, and each set features hotpot essentials and luxury ingredients such as Iberico and kurobuta pork, abalone and sea cucumber.
The bundle options are Success ($88, for four), Joy ($128, for eight) and Premium Good Luck ($168, for eight). You can do add-ons. To order, visit www.giant.sg/steamboat before Jan 28. Collect from Feb 1 at Giant Tampines, IMM, Suntec City and Sembawang.
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