Media Invite
My favorite cuisine has always been Chinese food, so I was so very happy to be invited by Peony Jade for their ‘8 Rhapsodies of Spring’ CNY Tasting last week!
As appetizers before the meal, we were served bak kwa and kueh lapis, which were both delicious, and immediately brought down the atmosphere of Chinese New Year - It’s my most favorite time of the year! :)
The meal kicked off with a bang, and it truly was a BIG bang - It was the biggest Yu Sheng platter I’ve ever seen! Aptly named “Instant Enormous Windfall, Good Health & Longevity” Bonsai-shaped Monies Tree Yu Sheng, this was a platter that spanned over 3 different plates. The main round plate was a beautifully-arranged bonsai with portions of raw salmon. In the separate plate, there was a seafood platter of premium items such as lobster, Alaskan crab claws, tuna belly, Atlantic salmon, sweet shrimp, and urchin. It was definitely my first time seeing urchin in Yu Sheng platters – So exotic and luxurious!
Everything looked so fresh and sumptuous!
In the 3rd plate, there were the usual vegetable shreds and when all the ingredients were added onto the main plate, the entire dish was enhanced by Peony Jade’s unique sweet sauce, citrusy yuzu juice and a sprinkle of truffle oil. I also love it that there was deep-fried thin lotus root chips, crispy fried vermicelli and roasted pine nuts and sesame seeds, which made the platter extremely fragrant and crunchy!
It was so HUGE that we only managed to clear out half of it after everyone took several servings of it. It was SO YUMMY! Yu Sheng platters is one of the reasons why I look forward to Chinese New Year every year. =D
Priced at S$198.88, this yusheng serves up to 15 guests, and is available for dine-in at Keppel Club only. 1-day advance order is required.
The next dish served to the table made everyone go, ‘Awwwwww so cute!’ And indeed, these were amazingly cute and delicate goats made out of glutinous rice! “Prosperity & Smooth Sailing” Hand-crafted Goat-shaped Deep-fried Hum-Soi-Kuok” 三羊开泰, 洋洋得意 &“Flourishing Fortune” Steamed Black-Eyed Pea Cake with Golden Pumpkin.
I enjoyed these two dishes so much – The handcrafted goats had a crispy and chewy mochi-like outer layer, and the filling inside was hearty glutinous rice with finely diced pork and shitake mushrooms. ($9.88 per order of 3 pieces.) The steamed pea cake was extremely flavorful and had such a fine texture, it was unbelievable! The gold in the sweet golden pumpkin, symbolising prosperity and abundance, and the naturally salty jin hua ham, are used to enhance the flavour of the handmade taro paste. ($38.88 - Serves up to 15 guests)
This next dish is probably the most premium dish tasted that evening. The signature “Reaping Abundance Wealth” Australian Premium Whole Abalone Poon Choi had 18 premium ingredients such as 10-head Australian abalones, whole Sakura Chicken, whole pork knuckle, golden oysters, roast pork, South African spikes sea cucumber, fresh whole scallops, pork tendons, fatt choy, fish maw, king prawns, whole shiitake mushrooms, homemade sea-grouper mousse cake, whole golden dried conpoy, taro, beancurd skin, radish, and broccoli. What more can I say – It was the very epitome of sumptuousness and luxury.
I love the sauce of the Poon Choi so much, I wish I had a bowl of steamed white rice to have it with! Every ingredient was cooked to perfection and infused with the yummy sauce. SO GOOD! S$468.88 for the Mini Premium Pot Package (serves 6 guests), and S$598.88 for the Premium Pot Package (serves 8-10 guests).
This next dish of “A Wealth of Prosperity and Longevity” Hong Kong Roast USA Goose sealed with Chef’s Special ‘Fa Cai” Broth was a surprise for me. I don’t usually take to goose meat very well because I always felt it had a smell I didn’t like, but the way Peony Jade’s chefs prepared it, every mouthful was flavorful and delicious, and I couldn’t stop eating it!
I especially like the broth of this dish that had chinese herbs such as Angelica root, Radix Astragali and star anise. It perfectly enhanced the taste of the goose and got rid of the smell that I didn’t like in geese.
Pre-marinated and roasted for up to 2 hours. No wonder!
The next dish - ‘Abundance Fortune’ Slow-Fire Stewed Lamb with Bamboo Shoots and Chestnuts, was the only dish I didn’t enjoy that evening, and it was mainly because I don’t take mutton. The smell of mutton was too strong and overwhelming for me, so I didn’t take a bite of it at all. The husband who tried it said the meat was tender and the sauce very flavorful. The grass-fed lamb cutlets are blanched in hot water, then wok-braised with star anise, garlic and onions, sliced fresh ginger, fresh bamboo shoots, whole shiitake mushrooms and beancurd skin for 1.5 hours before making its debut on the dining table. S$78.88 and serves up to 6-8 guests.
The next dish, however, was delightful once again. I love claypot rice, and this smelt so good when it was served to our table. “Reunion Steamed Claypot Jasmine Rice with Chinese Sausages, Liver Sausages and Air Dry Duck Drumstick” was such a hearty dish, I enjoyed every mouthful of it, even though I was very stuffed by now after tasting so many great dishes.
So much greens in this dish, it made me feel happy. :) S$68.88 for up to 6 guests and S$88.88 for up to 10 guests.
Just when I thought it would be hard to be even more impressed, this masterpiece was shown to us. So many details and so delicate, it’s amazing! This is the “Huat Ah!” Prosperity Goats Gift Set – Comprises 8 realistically handcrafted goat-shaped snow skin pastries. Each is filled with salty egg custard and really tasted like snow skin moon cakes! This limited edition gift set is priced at S$88.88 per set, while stocks last!
Thank goodness my kids didn’t go to the tasting, otherwise I would have a hard time stopping them from touching the goats, I’m sure!
The Gift Set was only a display for our viewing, but this following dish was served to our table for eating instead. I was so glad that I could taste the really cute-looking snow skin goats! These were served along with another dessert dish - “Overflowing Wealth” Glazed Kumquat with “Fa-Cai” Vanilla Beans which were SO, SO GOOD. Especially after a heavy meal, these refreshing kumquat were so refreshing and sweet! Epitomising wealth and abundance, the kumquats with their skins intact are given an unusual twist by cooking them for 45 minutes over boiling water before candying them in sugar syrup for 7 days (!!!), to absorb all the sweet goodness. They are further infused with vanilla pods before serving. $18.88 per jar.
For the more health-conscious, Peony Jade presents “Triumphant Harvest and Joyous Contentment’” Gift Set, (S$78.88 for a box of 8 pieces), preservative-free artisan peony shaped floral dazzlers filled with premium low sugar white lotus paste with Salted Egg Yolk & Macadamia Nuts.
This dessert totally demonstrated the skills of the chefs at Peony Jade. The crusts were flaky and tasty, and the fillings were sweet and very yummy. Love how colorful they were too. Make a perfect finale dish.
“Bonding Bliss & Contentment” Takeaway Set Menu
Priced at S$368 for 6 Persons, and S$568 for 10 Persons, the “Bonding Bliss & Contentment” set menu consists of the following festive creations:
1. “Harmonious, Wealth and Great Health” Atlantic Salmon & Golden Roe ‘Lou-Hei’ Yusheng
2. Double-boiled Cantonese-style Lotus Roots with Golden Oysters, Red Dates and Fa Cai Soup
3. Deluxe Poon Choi – consisting of 10-head Australian abalones, Sakura Chicken, Roast Pork, South African spikes Sea Cucumber, King Sized Prawns, Shiitake Mushrooms, Golden Dried Whole Conpoy, Golden Oysters, Taro, Beancurd Skin, Fatt Choy, Broccoli
4. ‘Abundance Wealth’ Deep-fried Soon Hock Fish Hong Kong style with Superior Soya Sauce
5. ‘Abundance Wealth’ Reunion Steamed Jasmine Rice with Chinese Sausages, Liver
Sausages and Home-made Air Dry Duck Drumstick in Lotus Leaf
6. ‘Steps to Prosperity’ Deep-fried Homemade Nian Gao layered with Sweet Potato and
Enjoy 2 bottles of America’s Best Selling Arizona Green Tea with Ginseng & Honey with Peony Jade’s compliments (while stocks last!).
1-day advance order is required.
Dim Sum Buffet
For a dim sum twist, opt for the “Unlimited” Prosperity “FA-CA” Ala Carte Buffet Lunch & Dinner at Peony Jade Keppel Club and Clarke Quay, from 19 January to 12 February, and 19 February to 5 March 2015, priced at S$70.88 per adult and 50% off child (below 10 years), inclusive of free flow of freshly brewed Chinese Tea and Longan Tea. The buffet spread includes delicious Prosperity dishes like “Fa-Cai” Yu-sheng, Mini Buddha-Jumps-Over-The Wall, Meaty Chilli Crab and many more. End your meal on a sweet note with our mouthwatering desserts. Lunch starts from 11am to 2.30pm (last order at 2.00pm), while dinner starts from 6 to 11pm (last order at 10.00pm). The first sitting for dinner is from 5pm to 7.30pm, while 2nd sitting is from 8 to 11pm.
Pre-orders for takeaways and, reservations for dine-ins are highly recommended, please call:
Peony Jade @ Keppel Club – OPEN TO PUBLIC!
Bukit Chermin Road (Off Telok Blangah Road), Keppel Club (Level M) Singapore 109918
Tel: 6276 9138, 6375 5562
Operation Hours: OPEN THROUGHOUT THE LUNAR NEW YEAR PERIOD
Monday to Friday – 11am to 2:30pm & 6pm to 11pm
Saturday & Sunday – 10am to 3pm & 6pm to 11pm
Peony Jade @ Clarke Quay
Blk 3A Clarke Quay,#02-02 (Walk-in from Liang Court)
Tel: 6338 0305
Operation Hours: OPEN THROUGHOUT THE LUNAR NEW YEAR PERIOD
Monday to Friday – 11am to 2:30pm & 6pm to 11pm
Saturday & Sunday – 10am to 3pm & 6pm to 11pm
GO, MAKE YOUR RESERVATIONS FOR CHINESE NEW YEAR AT PEONY JADE NOW! :)
