Six&Seven Picks for Chinese New Year 2014

Over the years, hotels and restaurants have been coming up with fresher and more interesting ways to celebrate festive seasons. This 2014, we offer you some of the best ways to usher in the Chinese New Year ranging from ostentatious, auspicious Yushengs to conservative Prosperity Treasure Pots and everything in between! Over the top Yushengs:

It is without a doubt that InterContinental Singapore Man Fu Yuan's impressive Prosperous Man Fu Yuan Yusheng ($888, feeds 30) spanning across the table of their exclusive grand private dining room that comfortably sits 30 would take the cake for this category. Besides generous portions of fresh lobster, geoduck, Japanese amaebi, Ikan Parang, Hamachi and salmon, look forward to custom-fitted long scoops to help you mix up this giant rendition.

What Hilton Singapore's Triumph to Success Yusheng lacks in size, it makes up with some exquisite pairings. For $888, the 30-pax Yusheng features premium Italian cavaiar atop fresh two-head abalone, tuna, salmon that is then topped with gold flakes and tossed with truffle oil and a zesty Yuzu sauce, as well as a toast to celebrate. Yes, De Sousa champagne included.

Grand Park City Hall Park Palace's signature Shunde-style Yusheng goes luxe with their Imperial Five Treasures Golden Shunde Yusheng ($888), bearing prized ingredients like abalone, lobster, geoduck clam, salmon and hamachi adorned with cherry blossom-shaped crowns of caviar and fish roe, and later edible gold flakes.

For the Traditionalists:

Carlton Singapore Wah Lok's wide selection of traditional favourites and modern specialities require little introduction and  their classic Poached Rice with Crab Soup in Casserole remains a highlight and personal favourite. Imagine smokey rice crisps in a comfortingly rich soup flavoured teamed with generous heaps of delicate crabmeat.

The intricate, hand-carved 'Fu' radish and 'Chun' carrot characters in Fullerton Hotel Singapore Jade Restaurant's Eight Treasures Signature Pen Cai, featuring prized six-head South African Whole Abalone and a multitude of other premium seafood, meat and vegetables, is sure to both please and satiate the folks and in-laws.

All about the Presentation:

Four Seasons Singapore Jiang-Nan Chun's Prosperity Salmon Yusheng makes a most-welcomed addition to any dining table with its gold-coated rice crispies, and extremely fine vermicelli and shredded carrot meticulously shaped into an auspicious '吉' character.

Many hotels try, but can pull off a horse-shaped Yusheng with as much artistic flair as Xin Cuisine, Holiday Inn Singapore Atrium. Their spirited signature Xin Yusheng is even served with an ice sculpture bearing Australian lobster, abalone and salmon for that extra wow factor.

Not-quite-Yusheng Yusheng:

Chef Stephane Istel of Bar-Roque Grill presents a modern, Yusheng-inspired Raw Fish Salad that pairs sexy curls of vegetables—purple, white, orange and heirloom carrots, daikon, celery—with candied walnuts, salmon, seasonal scallops, toasted sesame seeds and crispy lotus root chips, spiced up with a savoury homemade ginger-and-sesame dressing.

More 80s disco than Yusheng, Amara Hotel Silk Road Restaurant's Eight Treasures Yusheng—abalone, prawn roe, caviar, tobiko, prawn, octopus, jelly fish and salmon—teams their signature Sichuan spicy sauce for a fragrant fiery touch atop the usual sweet-sourness that makes for a great way to jumpstart one's appetite.