SINGAPORE (Jan 17): This year, you can usher in the Year of the Pig at the award-winning Racines at Sofitel Singapore City Centre. Executive chef Andrew Chong and his team have crafted an exquisite collection of seasonal dishes that are sure to please the palate.

Every Lunar New Year meal starts off with a yu sheng, or Prosperity Toss, where each ingredient has an auspicious meaning. Many would find the dish quite commonplace, but Racines’ Auspicious Yu Sheng with Black Garlic Dressing is sure to make you sit up. Instead of the typical sweet plum dressing, chef Chong has introduced a more flavourful and savoury fermented black garlic dressing.

Another popular dish is the pen cai, a big pot of stewed premium ingredients. Try Racines’ Magnifique Pen Cai Seafood Abalone Treasure Pot with Braised Cabbage and Black Moss, which comes with abalone, sea cucumber, king prawns, Hokkaido scallops, fried oysters, flower mushrooms, fish maw, roasted pork, roasted French duck breast, truffles, Chinese gluten and black moss.

Chef Chong’s Clay Pot Royale Braised Duck with Sea Cucumber is another crowd pleaser. If you are still hungry, go for the Steamed Fragrant Rice with Chef’s Selection of Waxed Meat and Choy Sum, a hearty dish that features an array of Chinese sausages.

The above festive dishes are also available for takeaway from Jan 21 to Feb 22.

To end the meal on a sweet note, we had the Chilled Avocado with Shredded Coconut and Steamed Koi Fish Nian Gao. This dish is made all the more special, as chef Chong has written his Chinese New Year greetings in edible gold on the plate.

This dessert can be found in Racine’s Magnifique Reunion menu, which will be available for lunch and dinner on Feb 4, 5 and 6 only.

Takeaway orders may be placed with Racines or online via Boutique Magnifique, with a minimum of three working days between confirmation of order and pickup. For bookings and reservations, contact [email protected] sofitel.com or call 6428 5000.