The best potluck dishes to bring to Chinese New Year gatherings 2026

Hai Tien Lo

Another year, another season of festive feasts laden with all manner of indulgent grub. This 2026, we’ll be ringing — or should we say, reining — in the Year of the Horse, which is why we’re looking at auspicious potluck platters both exquisite and bountiful enough to feed an entire stable of ravenous relatives.

Whether you’re partial to roast meat platters, seafood-rich pen chai pots, or nostalgic bites glammed up with modern touches, these are the heavy hitters you’ll want to bring for the festive season’s potluck parties.

Min Jiang

For those looking to usher in the Lunar New Year with oodles of heartwarming indulgence, look no further than Min Jiang’s abundant festive claypot heaving with abalone, boneless pork knuckle, and a host of other treasures for the season.

The entire affair is gussied up with layers of sliced lotus root — deep-fried and stuffed with minced chicken and shrimp for extra richness — and braised until the flavours come together into a delicious, rib-sticking whole.

Find out more here.

Shisen Hanten by Chef Kentaro

Shisen Hanten by Chef Kentaro rings in the advent of the new lunar calendar with its signature style of Japanese-Sichuan cuisine.

Key to the restaurant’s 2026 line-up is the debut of its elevated take on a festive staple — wok-fried glutinous rice, now adorned not just with the traditional Chinese sausages, but lavish inflexions like diced Canadian foie gras and white truffle oil.

If that wasn’t luxurious enough, it gets an even coating of black Yunnan truffle shavings for a final punch of aromatic finery.

Available for takeaway alongside other festive signatures like mapo tofu, roasted Irish duck in dang gui sauce, and more.

Find out more here.

Holiday Inn Singapore Atrium

Looking for a crowdpleaser for a potluck party? You can’t go wrong with the nourishing “Buddha Jumps Over The Wall” Farm Chicken at Holiday Inn Singapore Atrium’s Xin Cuisine.

This take on the traditional Chinese delicacy places farm-fresh chook at centre stage, with supporting acts such as abalone, sea cucumber, mushrooms, and a rich, savoury broth to bring it all together. 

Find out more here.

Andaz Singapore

Andaz Singapore’s 5 ON 25 sets the tone for Lunar New Year with a take-home pen cai overflowing with abundant seasonal treasures. These include bounties from both the ocean – think six-head abalone, fish maw, sustainably sourced king scallops and tiger prawns, as well as land, thanks to the addition of roasted pork and duck.

That’s not to mention the time-honoured superior stock everything’ll be braised in for more than eight hours, which almost demands additional helpings of rice to sop it all up.

Find out more here.

Parkroyal Collection Marina Bay Singapore

While Peach Blossoms’ executive Chinese chef Edward Chong is known for his culinary innovation, his Lunar New Year menu leans traditional, with familiar favourites throughout. Now, that isn’t a bad thing at all — anyone arriving at a potluck party hefting the chef’s signature roast meat platters is almost certain to receive a rousing welcome.

For sheer, festive indulgence, you can’t miss the succulent and imperiously crispy Fragrant Whole Smoked Duck served with Dang Gui sauce.

Find out more here.

Pan Pacific Singapore

Go the whole hog and arrive at the potluck with an entire roasted suckling pig, courtesy of Pan Pacific Singapore’s Hai Tien Lo. Between six to eight guests will be able to enjoy its succulent flesh and deliciously crisp, golden skin.

However, you could also stretch that number with other traditional protein-rich delights, such as roasted duck with angelica root sauce and crispy spring chicken showered with aromatic minced garlic.

Find out more here.

Ban Lan Hokkien Cuisine

The first overseas outpost of Fuzhou’s Ban Lan Hokkien Cuisine celebrates its first Chinese New Year in Singapore’s Scotts Square shopping mall with a traditional pen cai centred around the culinary bounties of its home in Fujian province.

We’re talking dried abalone, collagen-rich shark fin lip, black pork tendon, and Minnan-style dried scallops, set against traditional delicacies including spiny sea cucumbers, flower mushrooms from the slopes of Wuyi Mountain, and handmade meatballs typical of Shenhu Town in Quanzhou. 

Find out more here.

Marriott Singapore Tang Plaza

At a potluck, not everyone has to bring the showstopping centrepieces. Sometimes, it’s perfectly fine to take charge of the trusty and comforting — and for that, you’ll want Marriott Singapore Tang Plaza’s tender yam cake.

Starting this year, it’ll come with an extra layer of umami oomph, thanks to XO sauce added on top of the traditional Chinese sausage and dried shrimp embedded in the starchy staple.

Find out more here.