The biggest annual celebration in the Chinese calendar has once again arrived, bringing a season of joyful reunions, bountiful giving—and best of all—indulgent feasting. For those who celebrate, it’s time to put together a vibrant new outfit, enjoy a meal with your loved ones and usher in a prosperous Year of the Rabbit. From decadent baked goods to lavish dinner spreads, food is an undeniable highlight of the season. Between the luxurious lobsters and abalones and the multiple creative iterations of the unmissable yu sheng, it’s clear that restaurants in Singapore have gone above and beyond with their Chinese New Year offerings this year.
From heritage haven Rempapa comes beloved recipes led by heartfelt stories from Chef Damian and his team, while Chopsuey Cafe puts a contemporary twist on familiar classics with dishes like Melt Away Tamarind Beef Ribs and Lobster & Silver Needle Ma Po. For those who prefer to embrace tradition, consider Jiang-Nan Chun, Cherry Garden or Yàn, all of which serve up exquisite Cantonese cuisine. Each offering its own unique take on authentic delicacies, these restaurants promise delectable celebrations full of convivial spirit.
Below, we round up Vogue’s shortlist of restaurants in Singapore fit for a celebratory get-together and an opulent Chinese New Year feast.
1 / 5
Yàn
Savour a lavish Chinese New Year spread at Yàn, where six set menus and a range of festive a la carte offerings await. An essential at every reunion table, the restaurant’s Kaleidoscope of Prosperity Yu Sheng in ‘Shun De’ Style with Yellowtail Slices comes uniquely topped with shredded sweet potatoes, dried scallop and gold flakes. Meanwhile, the Yàn Harvest Pen Cai brings together 18 luxurious ingredients—each individually prepared before being put in a claypot and simmered in a savoury braised duck sauce—making it a highlight at any Lunar New Year meal.
Every dish on the auspicious menu is meant to usher in prosperity and abundance—from the Steamed Soon Hock with Preserved Vegetables to the restaurant’s Signature Roast Whole Suckling Pig, which is perfect for large gatherings. Inspired by the classic Buddha Jumps Over the Wall, the Double-boiled Six-head Whole Abalone with Fish Maw, Sea Cucumber and Shredded Conpoy is a nourishing and flavourful standout—as is the Stewed Ee-Fu Noodles with Live Prawns and Cheese, a dish that bears well-wishes of longevity for the year to come.
Lunar New Year menus are available from 1 January to 5 Febraury, 2023.
Yàn, 1 Saint Andrew’s Road #05-02 National Gallery, Singapore 178957
Enquiries: 6384 5585
2 / 5
Rempapa
To no surprise, Rempapa drives home the significance of tradition, especially on an occasion like Chinese New Year. This year, the menu traverses across various experiences—with dishes created by chef Damian D’Silva’s crop of young chefs at Rempapa. Specials that stem from family rituals and fond memories, starting with D’Silva’s Teochew edition of yu sheng—a no-toss dish that features fresh hamachi slices with kumquat and fresh cili kerinting atop of a bed of fresh greens.
For something more inherently Cantonese, Rempapa’s head chef Alan Chan showcases a Steamed Red Grouper with Silky Steamed Egg—where the seasonal catch is briefly steamed with young ginger and coriander before joining a soy milk and egg mix to cook thoroughly. All of that is steeped in a savoury boat of light soy sauce, Shaoxing wine, crispy garlic and coriander root. Reminiscing on one cherished staff meal, chef Chee Seng transforms a memory of a pork rib dang gui soup into an indulgent platter of Dang Gui Prime Ribs, that are deep-fried before they are glazed with dang gui sauce and garnished with fried garlic chips. As you pile up your rice bowl swiftly, don’t leave out head chef Alan Chan’s braised pork knuckle. It remains to be a childhood favourite that was lovingly prepared by his grandmother—slow-cooked till fork tender before joining soy sauces and various spices in a dark braising liquid. Not forgetting, the quintessential ingredients of dried oysters and black moss to complete the dish. To jazz things up this year, D’Silva has also joined hands with Sourbombe Artisanal Bakery to create a festive box, loaded with savoury bombolinis of his recipes—Pang Susi and Prawn Bostador, and a sweet Mango Pomelo pick by Sourbombe. Within the box lies an assortment of Rempapa’s signature kueh to graze on, making for the ultimate gift this season.
The Chinese New Year menu is available from 9 January to 5 February, 2023.
Rempapa, 2 Paya Lebar Road, #01-01/02/03, Singapore 409053
Enquiries: 9459 1603
3 / 5
Jiang-Nan Chun
With elegant interiors and exquisite Cantonese cuisine, Jiang-Nan Chun fully embraces the concept of xiang le zhu yi, or the principle of enjoyment and happiness. For the Lunar New Year, the restaurant’s nine specially curated menus—including one catered for a vegetarian diet—invites you to celebrate the season of reunion over a sumptuous feast. The da ji da li menu, in particular, promises six indulgent courses that will make your Chinese New Year dinner a decadent one.
The Deep-fried Oysters, encased in light and crisp batter, are a wonderful start to the meal. Accompanied by juicy and crispy pork belly on the side, the dish is a delightful combination of flavours and textures. Forgoing the traditional shark’s fin soup, the restaurant instead offers a Superior Bird’s Nest with crab meat that proves to be more than a worthy replacement. And for a standout dish that packs a flavourful punch, savour the Braised Spiny Lobster. Juicy and succulent, it arrives drizzled with a rich and velvety superior stock— making for a dish that will have you delighting in every mouthful.
Chinese New Year set menus are available from 1 January to 5 February, 2023.
Jiang-Nan Chun, Four Seasons Hotel Singapore, 190 Orchard Blvd, Singapore 248646
Enquiries: 6831 7653
4 / 5
Chopsuey Cafe
It might not be an obvious choice for a Chinese New Year meal, but Chopsuey Cafe in Dempsey is a hidden gem for contemporary Chinese food with Southeast Asian influences. Serving up bold flavours in a setting that has colonial charm written all over it, Chopsuey Cafe’s lohei is a healthier take on the traditional, but no less moreish. In fact, we had three servings of its Chopsuey Lucky Lunar Lo Hei, which features a delightful combination of trout, kale, celeriac, sprouts, blueberries and wild rice.
Its Fresh Prawn Cakes atop of tangy soy-based broth, alongside the tender Melt Away Tamarind Beef Ribs and lip-tingling Lobster & Silver Needle Ma Po make for excellent main choices that deliver well-balanced flavour bombs. There is also the seasonally appropriate Chocolate Orange Pecan Pie, which reminds us of a luxurious Terry’s Chocolate Orange in terms of flavour—what better way is there to wrap up a meal?
The Joyous Reunion Menu is available from 9 January to 5 February, 2023. A special limited-edition Abounding Abundance Menu, which features some of the above mentioned dishes, is available from 22 to 24 January, 2023.
Chopsuey Cafe, 10 Dempsey Road, 01-23, Singapore 247700
Enquiries: 6708 9288
5 / 5
Cherry Garden
Aside from its marvellous dim sum brunch, Cherry Garden’s Chinese New Year dishes are what we look forward to every single year. It is traditional food done in a sublime fashion—starting off with the nourishing Chicken Soup packed with American ginseng, fish maw, conpoy, Chinese mushroom and sliced abalone. Set in front of you in stunning display of dry ice, it whets your appetite for the rest of the meal. Look forward to the Sauteed Lobster with braised ee-fu noodles and garlic in superior broth, and the Prosperity Yu Sheng with Arctic clam, salmon and tiny morsels of crispy fish skin which make for a superb amalgam of textures. It’s so lavish that we pre-ordered one for our own reunion dinner.
Lunar New Year Set Menus are available from 16 January to 5 February, 2023.
Cherry Garden, Mandarin Oriental Singapore, 5 Raffles Avenue, Singapore 039797
Enquiries: 6885 3500
