Besides planning for bountiful reunion feasts, it is just as important to stock up goodies for your snack platter for when guests visit. Many Chinese New Year fairs in shopping malls are already rolling out the snacks and sweet treats, while hotels and restaurants are also busy taking orders.
Many of this year’s new snacks have a local twist. They include nasi ulam florentines from the Cedele restaurant chain and salted egg yolk kue lapis by Ollella bakery.
Others are upping the spice factor, such as Sichuan-flavoured broad beans from Careshop de Cafe and sambal bak kwa cookies from Peony Jade restaurant. For the more health-conscious, there are low-sugar and gluten-free items as well. And since it will be the Year of the Dog, expect plenty of canine-shaped items, from pineapple tarts to mochi. Here are 18 interesting snacks, cookies and desserts to chow down on:
Text: Eunice Quek/The Straits Times / Photos: The Straits Times
Chinese New Year gets a dose of millennial pink with Kele’s new rose-flavoured pineapple tarts ($28.80). Other interesting pineapple tart flavours include pandan and cocoa, priced at $26.80 a tub.
Kele is at 2 Smith Street, open: 10 am to 8 pm (Sundays to Thursdays), 10 am to 9 pm (Fridays and Saturdays). 10 am to 5 pm on Feb 15, 17 and 18. Closed on Feb 16. Chinese New Year booths at Takashimaya Square, Nex and Suntec City. Visit www.kele.sg
The Baker Haus, which specialises in cookies, has a new sambal chicken floss cookie ($30) that is mildly spicy.
The Baker Haus’ Chinese New Year booths are at Takashimaya Square, VivoCity, Bugis Junction and Tampines Mall. Visit www.facebook.com/tbhcookies
These addictive cookies, or “oatkies” ($18), are flourless and made with oatmeal instead, which makes them extra crunchy. They are best eaten within five days and warmed up in the oven. Two more festive flavours are tangerine dark chocolate and salted egg.
Coco & Frank is at 12 Haji Lane, 11.30 am to 7.30 pm daily; Chinese New Year booths at Takashimaya Square and VivoCity. Call 6341 7041 or visit www.facebook.com/Cocoandfrank
Pastry chef Daniel Tay’s three-week-old Old Seng Choong store offers a range of cookies in local flavours, such as satay cookies ($18.80) and bak kut teh cookies ($19.80) which are infused with white pepper, herbs and spices. There are also cereal prawn cookies ($19.80) and putu mayam cookies ($18.80).
Old Seng Choong is at #01-48 Clarke Quay Central, 6 Eu Tong Seng Street, 11 am to 10 pm daily; and Chinese New Year booth at Takashimaya Square. Visit www.oldsengchoong.com
While you may not get a burst of liquid gula melaka in your mouth, these ondeh ondeh cookies ($17 for 42 pieces) are still tasty treats. The pandan-flavoured pastry is soft and crumbly, and topped with sweet gula melaka paste and coconut shavings.
Sweet Fillings by Aidynafi Nasir is at Chinese New Year booth at Square 2, or call 8150 0571 to place orders.
Peony Jade’s sambal bak kwa cookies ($38.88) pack quite a punch with tasty bak kwa bits.
Peony Jade’s Chinese New Year booth is at Takashimaya Square. Visit www.facebook.com/PeonyJadeRestaurant
SPRMRKT’s signature pineapple tarts ($38.80) get a new flavour with pineapple jam that bears hints of lemongrass and their buttery shortcrust pastry is blended with Earl Grey tea leaves.
SPRMRKT is at 2 McCallum Street, 8 am to 9.30 pm (weekdays), 9 am to 5 pm (weekend); and SPRMRKT Daily is at 41 Robertson Quay, 8 am to 11 pm (Mondays to Wednesdays, and Sundays), 8 am to midnight (Fridays and Saturdays); pre-order until February 15, 3 pm. Order at least two days in advance. Visit www.sprmrkt.com.sg
This crispy rice biscuit ($21.50) is a play on nasi ulam, a Peranakan herb rice salad. These fragrant flat discs are laced with herbs, chilli and sesame seeds and are gluten-and dairy-free. Other festive flavours include green tea, almond ikan bilis and gula melaka coconut.
Cedele outlets include Novena Square, Wheelock Place, and Parkway Parade. Until March 2 or while stocks last. Visit www.cedelegroup.com
Goodwood Park Hotel’s salted egg yolk lotus root chips ($36.80) last year was one of the best-selling Chinese New Year snacks. It returns this year, along with salted egg yolk yam chips with Sichuan spice ($36.80).
Goodwood Park Hotel, The Deli is at 22 Scotts Road. Until March 2, order five days in advance by February 26, noon. Call 6730 1786 or e-mail deli@goodwoodparkhotel.com
While these chips ($12) are not quite like gado gado – the popular Indonesian salad with potatoes, hard-boiled eggs, fried tofu and a peanut dressing – the mix of chilli and lime flavours will make you reach for more.
Rasa Sayang’s Chinese New Year booths include Takashimaya Square, Raffles Xchange, Novena Square and Tampines Mall. Order by February 2. Visit www.rsayang.com
Bake Inc’s salted egg skin yuba ($19.80) is an interesting take on the salted egg yolk trend. Plus, it is extra crispy.
Bake Inc outlets include Block 449 Ang Mo Kio Avenue 10, #01-1713; Block 275 Compassvale Link, #01-01; and Block 317 Yishun Avenue 9, #01-02. Chinese New Year booth at Takashimaya Square. Visit www.bakeinc.com.sg
If you like Sichuan mala flavours, this will be your go-to snack. These crunchy broad beans ($8) pack in the aroma and heat of the Sichuan peppers. Other broad bean flavours include sriracha and wasabi.
Careshop de Cafe Holdings is at 33 Hamilton Road, 11 am to 10 pm (Mondays to Saturdays), closed on Sundays and public holidays; Chinese New Year booth at VivoCity. Call 6293 9298.
Food manufacturer Kwong Cheong Thye, better known for its variety of sauces, has come up with salted egg yolk golden crackers ($6.60) – perfect for jazzing up your yusheng this year. Limited quantities available. The stall also sells yusheng sets.
Kwong Cheong Thye’s Chinese New Year booth is at Takashimaya Square. Visit www.facebook.com/kctsoya
Antoinette’s chef Pang Kok Keong has a modern interpretation of the traditional orh nee dessert for Chinese New Year. The orh nee cake ($10 for a slice, $45 for 15cm whole cake for four to eight people) has layers of yam mousse with yam cake, gula melaka and pumpkin cremeux with fried shallots. It is topped with almond crumble and candied gingko nuts. The other option is the orh nee macaron ($3 each, $19 for a gift box of six pieces). The macaron shell is topped with bits of coconut and filled with candied pumpkin, fried shallots and coconut yam cream.
Antoinette outlets are at 30 Penhas Road; and 02-33/34 Mandarin Gallery, 333A Orchard Road. Until February 28. Call 6293 3121 (Penhas Road) or 6836 9527 (Mandarin Gallery), or visit antoinette.com.sg
Teochew confectionery Thye Moh Chan’s flaky pastry offerings include The Golden Joy ($3 a piece, $22.80 for eight pieces), which are filled with red bean, mochi, spicy pork floss and salted egg yolk. The other new item is Golden Bangle ($18.80 for eight pieces), where the pastry is filled with mung bean paste and diced bak kwa.
Thye Moh Chan outlets are at #B1-11/12 Paragon, 290 Orchard Road, and #01-45/46 Chinatown Point, 133 New Bridge Road. Until March 2, 10 am to 10 pm daily. Visit thyemohchan.com
New offerings at Tarte by Cheryl Koh include mandarin pistachio tart, with pistachio frangipane, pistachio chiboust cream, chopped pistachios and candied orange, as well as fresh mandarin orange segments, curd and mousse. Other highlights include the raspberry lychee tart and coconut pandan tart. All tarts cost $22 for a 12-cm tart and $38 for a 16-cm tart.
Tarte by Cheryl Koh is at #02-12 Shaw Centre, 1 Scotts Road. From February 1, order two days in advance. Visit www.tarte.com.sg
Kueh lapis gets a savoury twist at Ollella, with its Salted Egg Yolk Kue Lapis ($24 for 350 g, $50 for 700 g, and $90 for 1.4 kg). It has bits of salted egg yolk between the buttery layers. Prune, Nutella and original flavours are also available. The brand – better known for its choux pastry – also has a Prosperity Choux Tower containing 30 pieces of choux pastry with pineapple compote and fresh Chantilly cream.
Ollella is at Takashimaya Food Hall, #B208-4 (until February 22), and Chinese New Year booth at Takashimaya Square. Order online at ollella.oddle.me
Diced bak kwa is added to these buttery French cakes. Each tub costs $25.
One Farrer Hotel & Spa is at 1 Farrer Park Station Road. Order by February 27, three days in advance. Call 6705 7825 or order online at orders.onefarrer.com
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