Media Invite with OpenRice Singapore: Dian Xiao Er CNY 2015 Menu

Have you goat any idea where you are going for a sumptuous meal with your family over the Chinese New Year period? Not just for reunion dinners, Dian Xiao Er has three extremely lavish Lunar New Year sets available from 30 January to 5 March 2015. They would definitely agree with all your mass-feasting wishes. They've got all your CNY specials covered. Find out what they are:

Dian Xiao Er invited the OpenRice Singapore team and members for this special CNY tasting. This is Reka, our super hyper host for tonight. We were introduced to the three main sets: 

The Prosperity Salmon Yu Sheng lohei is not only super fun to 'lo' literally because it has so much of everything to grab and toss! The Dian Xiao Er lady staff was very knowledgeable and hospitable in addressing all the sauces, ingredients and auspicious sayings while she poured everything together. In this yusheng, Dian Xiao Er used Norwegian smoked salmon, drizzled with rich oil, plum sauce, and brown melon sauce to create tangy, fresh and varied flavours of which I polished off a huge serving and grabbed a lot of 'golden moneybags' in the process. Be sure to delight in this appetizing yusheng and enjoy a whole year of blessings!

To indulge very lavishly in shark's fin is possibly a very rare opportunity that is only possible during Chinese weddings or Chinese New Year. If you would like to opt for the more sustainable seafood option, you can replace it with fish maw, crab meat and conpoy. I would strongly recommend you to do that especially because I personally feel that fish maw replicates the shark's fin texture perfectly well and is more environmentally-friendly. The velvety rich texture leaves a savoury, fragrant aftertaste that lingers beautifully on the tongue.

The roasted duck is an exclusive dish specially available only for Chinese New Year! Depending on which set you choose, you can have Angelica Herb, Ten Wonder Herbs or Wild Ginseng herbal sauces to complement the premium roasted duck. The Angelica Herb is the least intense, followed by the Ten Wonder Herbs and then the Wild Ginseng being the strongest one. The roasted duck is marinated with 10 herbs, the same ones used in the ten wonder herbs sauce, including wolfberries and danggui. I loved this dish particularly because the roasted duck is very aromatic and supple that is very good even on its own. If you're asking me which sauce I liked best, it'll be the angelica herb sauce because it adds on further variations to the tastes without being overpowering. I would expect the older generations to love the wild ginseng sauce though.

Surprisingly, I enjoyed this one...very much. When I saw 'lobsters' (alongside 'pomfret', 'abalone', 'hashima'...) on the menu, I felt like it resembled an imperial palace menu! The next thing on my mind was: lobsters... isn't that very difficult to eat? The last thing I wanted was to fight against shelled seafood with my sticky fingers. My experience of eating these baby lobsters was that they were so fresh, they easily deshelled with a very gentle tug with my fork. It didn't require much dining skills and I could stuffed a plump, juicy slab of lobster meat into my mouth, slathered with robust coconut, curry leaves, salted egg, pumpkin and a light touch of chilli padi. It might come off as very spicy, so remember to highlight to the chef to go easy on the chilli padi if your family members can't take spiciness! I found it very satisfying though. This is definitely my favourite dish of the night, hands down!

Lightly steamed in ginger, shallots, spring onions, this definitely tastes every inch of reunion and family dinners that I would always miss once in a while. This is Dian Xiao Er's special CNY upgrade from the daily fare of black or white pomfret, presenting a very rare, large breed of pomfret that is specially imported. Recently in the wet markets, it's difficult to find such luxurious huge pomfret but it's easier for restaurants to source for such exclusive good ones.

The classic braised trotters is a hearty addition to the menu after hours of professional hard work from the chef! Braised trotters is a must for many people during Chinese New Year. With familiar mainstays in Chinese cuisine like broccoli and shitake mushrooms, there is also a more deluxe upgrade of oysters in the mix for a wholesome feast.

Looking at abalones just bring the festive cheer into the room instantly! Each of the abalone is cloaked with a unique special in-house chef's blend with a satisfying bite and intense flavours. These stars of the dish totally overshone the other ingredients like fish maw, sea cucumber and green peas, but well, aren't they enough already?

Whenever I hear of hashima, I think of empresses and imperial concubines in the palace preserving their beauty with this extraordinary goodness. It is kept very cold even minutes after it was served, resulting in a refreshing, lightly sweet and elegant dessert. Hashima is also believed to boost vital organs like lungs and kidney, as well as improve skin complexion.

If you want to grab a handy takeaway to supplement your reunion dinner at home, Dian Xiao Er's popular dishes include: