Jade Restaurant @ The Fullerton Hotel: Chinese New Year 2016 Highlights

The traditional Lo-Hei comes in all sorts of patterns and luxury ingredients these days. But how about one with Champagne Jelly? This CNY, you can literally toast off to an auspicious Monkey year with the Eight Happiness Gold Rush Yusheng (from $68++ onwards for 5 pax) that is enlivened with peach dressing (Yes, cos Monkey God Sun Wu Kong loves his peaches, doesn't he?) 

This is part of the Lunar New Year reunion dishes by Chef Leong Chee Yeng and his culinary team that is available till 22 February. While hearty dishes such as Pen Cai is also available, why not invest your calories in the pot of nutritious Braised Six-head abalone soup ($58++/pax) so that you can not only indulge in more dishes but also revitalize your skin for glowing complexion? Unlike classic Cantonese soups, this boasts a unctuously creamy mouthfeel that is testimonial to long hours of brewing all the premium ingredients including sea cucumber, fish maw and ROASTED PORK! 

Poached Seaweed and Abalone Fortune Dumplings ($16++ for 3 pcs per pax/$38++ for 8 pcs) Never would I expect to have abalone inside Chinese dumplings because it is simply too extravagant. But yet when such a creation truly came into reality, it did not taste awkward at all. Shaped like those pretty green corals in the oceans, these juicy seafood parcels offered succulent and bites, with an underlying umami that is reinforced by the drizzles of XO sauce. 

New dishes such as the Simmered Boston Lobster with Ginger Milk ($88++ for one whole lobster 700g) scored high on creativity with its unique milky gravy but the gingery notes seemed to relegate into the backseat and did not make a strong presence, though the portion was outrightly fresh and generous. Meanwhile, popular classics such as Wok-fried Glutinous Rice ($14++) continues to impress regular diners and the younger generation alike. The tantalizing sweetness in the grains melded with the smoky caramelized flavors of the sausages to form such a humble yet delicious dish. 

For the sweet year ahead, don't forget to try some of the unique pastries specially produced by the pastry team besides the usual dine-in desserts like Almond Cream and Sago Red Bean Dumplings. For instance, they have given the typical cumbersome Nian Gao a beautiful makeover by scaling it into bite-sized tarts and infusing it with local Asian flavors. The Sweet Potato Pandan Flavored Nian Gao tarts  ($28++ for box of 8)are chewy and crunchy at the same time, with an alluring fragrant and fine measure of sweetness. The Rose-water Chestnut cake is actually not a cake but a toothsome dessert that comes close to Chinese Osmanthus Jelly. The chestnut bits imbued delectable crunch, making this an extra light and refreshing treat. 

Other highlights include the Honey Peach Pastry ($26++ for box of 8), a delicious alternative to the Pineapple Jam by substituting the filling with peach jam and baked in a golden buttery crust, as well as a very adorable Longevity Monkey Mandarin Orange Buttercream cake which I have posted here. The impressively wide selection of CNY sweets is definitely a good news for those with a sweet tooth (including me) since many restaurants/hotels tend to focus on the usual savoury dishes. All these are available for order and collection until 22 Feb 2016.

Jade Restaurant (玉楼）

The Fullerton Hotel Singapore

1 Fullerton Square

Singapore 049178

Tel: +65 68778188
Daily: 1130am - 230pm, 630pm - 1030pm

www.fullertonhotel.com

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