Making Chinese New Year dining plans? Here's my review of Man Fu Yuan's Lunar New Year offerings that I hope you'll find useful. Man Fu Yuan has created a luxurious Black Truffle Yu Sheng with fruits for a refreshing start to the Year of the Fire Rooster.

Tossing Yu Sheng is such a noisy and messy affair but it's a lot of fun as we shout out traditional auspicious sayings or make up new quotes. If you'd like to know what to say, check out: CNY – How to Lo Hei Yu Sheng 捞起魚生.

Though lots of fruits had been added to the Yu Sheng, it was thankfully not excessively sweet. The Chinese Black Truffle slices added a slightly earthy note to the Yu Sheng. I loved the crisp Silver Bait in addition to the crunchy gold flakes that gave this dish a gilded appearance. If you're not into Black Truffles, Man Fu Yuan also serves Salmon Yu Sheng priced at $78 for a small portion.

Available for takeaways, orders placed before 20 Jan get 20% off while Gourmet Collection members enjoy a 25% discount. Read below for more details.

Chilled Marinated South African Fresh Abalone in Half Shell with Goma Sesame Sake Dressing

Chef Eric Neo had created this dish for the preview. Even though it's not available on the menu, you could probably make a special request in advance if you'd like to try it. I enjoyed the firm texture of the chilled marinated South African Fresh Abalone and the nutty Goma Sesame Sake Dressing. A refreshing variation even though I still prefer braised abalone.

Double-boiled Chicken, Fish Maw, Bamboo Pith and Ginseng in Superior Stock

I think soups are such a comforting treat after a busy day in a freezing office, thus I loved the flavourful flavourful and the crunchy texture of the bamboo pith. This was one of my favourite dishes that evening.

Main Courses

Braised Sea Cucumber & Fish Maw in Superior Brown Sauce

I enjoyed the tender Fish Maw but gave the Sea Cucumber a miss as I've never been a fan of the latter's texture. I especially loved how the lusciously smooth Superior Brown Sauce lent flavour to the otherwise bland Fish Maw.

Steamed Fillet of Star Garoupa in Consomme of Lobster & Luffa Gourd

This was an unusual combination of three ingredients that are rarely found together. The Lobster Consomme gave the dish an umami touch while the sweet and juicy fish flakes absorbed the flavours from the consomme. The soft and spongy Luffa Gourd added an interesting texture to the dish although it's unlikely to appeal to people who aren't fans of Okra (aka Lady's Fingers) or Aubergines (aka Brinjals).

Steamed Boston Lobster with Egg White & Chinese Rice Wine Consomme @ $13/100g a la carte or as part of Lunar New Year Set Menu 4

This is a upgraded version of a traditional dish of Steamed Flower Crabs with Egg White, Chinese Rice Wine and Crisp Pork Lard Croutons. I loved the tender and juicy Boston Lobster, the tasty and silky smooth Egg White, the well-rounded flavour of the fragrant Aged Shao Xing Wine and the smoky pork lard croutons. This is a Must-Try!

Chef Eric Neo prepping the Man Fu Yuan Supreme Treasure Pot (Pen Cai) @ $398 for 5 diners

Like Yu Sheng, Pen Cai has become a dish that's an indispensable part of a Chinese New Year celebration.

Pen Cai: 10 Head Abalone, Spring Chicken with Aged Hua Tiao Wine & Pearl Rice, Spike Sea Cucumber, Fish Maw, Canadian Lobster Meat, Goose Web, Hokkaido Crab Meat, Dried Oyster, Australian Scallops, Live Prawns, American Sea Whelk, Flower Mushroom, Cabbage, Fried Bean Curd Skin, Fried Yam, Preserved Meat Sausage, Liver Sausage & Sea Moss

The Man Fu Yuan Supreme Treasure Pot aka Pen Cai is an extravagant dish made with 18 premium ingredients each of which have auspicious meanings. My favourite items in the Pen Cai were the Abalone, Fried Bean Curd Skin, Fried Yam, Preserved Meat Sausage, Hokkaido Crab Meat and Fish Maw because of the flavours that they'd absorbed from the rich sauce.

Barbecued Whole Suckling Pig with Glutinous Rice @ $388 Available all year round with 2 days advance order

In spite of how full I was feeling, I had to find room for the Barbecued Whole Suckling Pig with Glutinous Rice, the pièce de résistance of the meal! One of my favourite dishes at Man Fu Yuan, the Barbecued Whole Suckling Pig with Glutinous Rice ($388) and Barbecued Whole Suckling Pig ($298) is available all year round for dine-in or takeaway. Due to the long preparation time, orders have to be placed at least two days in advance.

I love the crisp, browned crackling, the delectably succulent meat, and the fried glutinous rice with Lup Cheong (Chinese sausages). The fried rice had "wok-hei" (aka breath of the wok) and was moistened with glistening drippings from the slow-roasted Suckling Pig. This is definitely a Must-Try!

Dessert

Double-boiled Hashima with Eight Treasures Tea served in Whole Coconut @ $28

The coconut water that the ingredients were cooked in imparted a natural sweetness to the dessert. I loved the gelatinous texture of the Hashima, an ingredient that's supposed to be great for the complexion. This may not have the healing qualities attributed to Birds Nest but it is a close and wallet-friendly alternative.

Almond Pastry

The light texture of the pastry was enjoyable but the almond paste filling was a little too sweet for me.

Image reproduced with permission from InterContinental Singapore

Man Fu Yuan's Chinese New Year Takeaway Menu

Man Fu Yuan has an extensive takeaway menu for those who are looking for delectable dishes or goodies for house parties.

There's an Early Bird discount of 20% for purchases made by 20 Jan 2017 from the online store.

Gourmet Collection members use promo code "GOURMET25" for a 25% discount.

* NB: Discounts are not applicable to hampers.

Man Fu Yuan InterContinental Singapore 80 Middle Road, Singapore 188966 Phone: +65 68251007 Email: sinhb-festive@ihg.com Web: singapore.intercontinental.com/dine-drink/man-fu-yuan

Operating Hours: Daily from 12 pm to 2.30 pm & 6.30 pm to 10.30 pm.

PS: Thank you, InterContinental Singapore, for the kind hospitality.