Finally, we’re able to gather with groups of friends, family and business associates to ring in the Lunar New Year and enjoy delicious yu sheng without having any restrictions. If you fancy something really unique – aside from the usual lohei – here are some places to consider. Whether it’s a French fine dining or Japanese wagyu restaurant, or a convivial steak house, the colourful platters are well-thought-out and just as auspicious.
Related: The best rabbit-themed dishes for Chinese New Year 2023
Celebrate the Lunar New Year with a luxurious yu sheng prepared with contemporary French flair by chef Jeremy Gillon of Restaurant JAG.
When you dine at the one Michelin-starred restaurant from January 5 to 28, order this sublime festive platter brimming with vibrant seasonal vegetables from France, Japan, and neighbouring regions. Enjoy the textural contrast of raw, cured, and pickled ingredients like orange and black carrots, yellow and red beetroots, green and red radishes, daikon and cabbage.
The creation is luxed up with cured Scottish salmon, smoked Hokkaido scallop, and marinated Japanese shrimps, and complete with crunchy watercress crackers, sesame, peanuts, and gold leaf. Before tossing, the yu sheng is bound with a unique dressing of argousier (sea buckthorn) with blood orange.
Available for lunch and dinner, Restaurant JAG’s Yusheng is priced at $128 or $198 with the supplement of caviar. An advance notice of 48 hours is required.
Find out more: Restaurant JAG
Artemis Grill gives a modern take on the traditional yusheng this Chinese New Year. The dining concept on the 40th floor of CBD’s CapitaGreen building rolls out a unique Chinese New Year lohei experience for lunch and dinner from January 10 to February 4.
There are Standard and Premium options to choose from. Each set includes salmon and ikura alongside pickled wakame, red cabbage, carrot, sesame, peanut, daikon radish and tapioca crackers, topped with gold leaf. You also have a choice to upgrade to the premium set which features succulent hamachi and Hokkaido scallop.
The regular set with salmon and ikura caviar is $68 and serves two to four, and the premium set with hamachi, Hokkaido scallop, salmon and ikura caviar is $148, ideal for six to eight persons. If you want to make your celebration even more extravagant, go for the optional add on: 30g tin of No.25 Oscietra Caviar $148. Artemis Lo Hei must be pre-ordered a day in advance.
Find out more: Artemis Grill
Fat Cow’s lavish Gyu Sheng returns this Lunar New Year with generously portioned premium Japanese wagyu. This is the restaurant’s unique take on yusheng. Instead of raw fish, you’ll get to savour richly flavoured A4 grade wagyu.
The playfully named Gyu Sheng comprises a platter of thinly sliced A4 Miyazaki wagyu, assembled with chuka kurage (seasoned jellyfish), chuka wakame (seasoned seaweed), uni, ikura, and caviar. The dish is complete with white radish, carrots and pickled ginger, laced with a tart-tangy goma ponzu sauce.
At $99, the Gyu Sheng serves three to four persons, and is available for dine-in and takeaway. Available from January 16 to February 5 (requires two days’ advance notice).
Find out more: Fat Cow
Modern steakhouse Meadesmoore, located on Boon Tat Street, launches the Abundance Platter, their beefy take on the traditional yu sheng.
Meadsmoore’s “niu sheng” features a generous mound of charcoal-grilled Eight Blossom Wagyu Tri-tip MS-6/7 flanked by colourful julienned vegetables (shredded to order) and housemade pickles. Smooth and tender wagyu Tri-tip MS-6/7 from Queensland is used for this creation. The ikura, which is marinated in white wine and lemon peel, replaces the usual raw fish. Instead of the usual crackers, crunch Japanese rice puffs are scattered over the dish, and a tangy ume and caramelised shallot dressing perks up the “niu sheng”.
This festive dish is available for dine in and takeaway from 9 January to 5 February 2023 only. Meadesmoore’s Abundance Platter, $78 (regular for three to four persons) and $118 (large for six to eight persons). For non-beef eaters, Meadesmoore also offers a fish version with Szechuan pepper and apple cured hamachi at the same price.
Find out more: Meadesmoore
Bedrock Origin at Oasia Resort Sentosa will be offering yu sheng for dine-in from January 16 to February 5. You’ll get to feast on the restaurant’s version with kingfish sashimi and sake-braised New Zealand Wild Black Paua Abalone. This delicacy is slow-braised in sake for six hours till tender and sliced.
The dish comes with quintessential yusheng ingredients such as shredded daikon, carrot, cucumber, roasted crushed peanut, roasted sesame, fried yam strips, golden crackers, cinnamon powder, white pepper powder, sesame oil, and plum sauce. Perfect for four to six persons, the yu sheng is priced at $88. A day’s advanced order is required.
Find out more: Bedrock Origin
Mio Fine Foods, a modern Japanese concept that opened in August 2022 at 82 Neil Road, ushers in the Year of the Rabbit with their Edible Garden Yusheng. The restaurant’s rendition of yusheng is a unique assembly of sunflower and sesame seeds, ginger, roasted almonds, pumpkin seeds, wakame, lotus chips, tempura crisps and assorted vegetables laced with house-made plum sauce.
You can choose to have your yusheng with assorted fresh sashimi like salmon and swordfish or abalone mushrooms which is ideal for vegetarians. Available from January 9 to February, 5 Mio’s Edible Garden Yusheng for four to six persons is priced at $58, and is available for dine-in and takeaway.
Mio is also offering an eight-course set menu at $238 (for four persons) which includes yu sheng with sashimi, and signature dishes like Potato Nesuto Tempura (hand-shredded potatoes with truffle and kaffir lime aioli), Wagyu Sando and Asari Clam Somen.
Find out more: Mio Fine Foods