Savouring the Year of the Dragon, Jia He's Gastronomic Celebration

Jia He Chinese Restaurant in Singapore's One Farrer Hotel is a name that's synonymous with the finest Chinese cuisines, whether that be their famous hand-made dim sum or their exquisite banquet menus. As we welcome the Year of the Dragon, Jia He's contribution to the culinary celebration will envelop your senses to a feast of prosperity and good fortune. Guaranteed "wows"!

The feast starts with the Yu Sheng, a dish that's as much about ceremony as flavour. Jia He takes this traditional offering to another level. The most oversized yu sheng platter I'd ever seen was presented. There are different colours and textures and include a mix of five auspicious ingredients – fish maw, roast duck, abalone, sea cucumber and salmon mixed with a salad made with ingredients including green peppers, fish, shredded carrot and radish, plum sauce, peanuts and spices, and a hint of a spicy sauce. The spice flavour is not what I had usually experienced with other Yu Sheng dishes, and this one was pleasant and tickles the palate ever so gently. Each ingredient represents blessings such as good wealth, good health and happiness. These ingredients are then tossed up in the air and mixed, or "Lo Hei", which means 'tossing up good fortune'; it's a communal wish for prosperity that uplifts in spirit as it is on the tastebuds.

The Buddha Jump Over the Wall soup is the second course, but it's two courses as you are served soup in two portions, each with different ingredients. At Jia He, Korean red ginseng is a unique addition to this delicacy known for its rich taste and particular manner of cooking, which can take up to eight hours to make. The first course of this soup, a delicate broth with fish maw and ethically sourced shark fin, exudes such a rich flavour. Warm, comforting and utterly delicious. The soup is kept hot with a tea candle warmer, a thoughtful touch. The second course comes with the shiitake mushroom, ham and pork tendon. The soup has been reduced and comes as a thicker broth than the first soup course, creating a luxurious layering of flavours. I can't recall the last time I had this soup, but I will definitely remember this one.

But Jia He doesn't stop there. The next course is the Steamed Lobster with Sea Urchin in Egg White and Chinese Wine. Presentation-wise, a whole lobster mounted on lotus root "branches" is meant to symbolise a dragon, representing the coming Year of the Dragon. The softness of the egg-white custard, the subtle infusion of Chinese wine, and the salty pop of ikura create subtle flavours that are nothing short of exquisite. It is a delicate-tasting dish and reminiscent of Japanese chawanmushi.

Then comes the Poached Garoupa with Wild Mushrooms in Superior Lobster Stock. In this dish, Master Chef Andy Chu shows how simple cooking techniques of quick sautéing and gentle poaching can create memorable dishes. The fifth dish is a cooked tableside. The presentation of the raw ingredients is a picture in itself. The sliced fish is quickly sauteed with various spices and oils. The mushrooms are poached in the lobster stock. The final dish combines the ingredients and is served. The fish holds its shape well, and the mushrooms add enough earthy flavours to complement the delicate taste of the garoupa.

The hosts told us that the best was yet to come, and boom! Here was the Roasted Suckling Pig with Australian Abalone, Fried Rice with Yam and Sakura Shrimp. The highlight of almost any Chinese New Year feast is the whole suckling pig, a symbol of prosperity and good fortune for the coming year. This dish is so visually stunning it stopped the conversation. Chef Andy cuts the piglet in half, and as he opens up the two halves, you see the braised abalone served over the fried rice. It is an Instagrammers dream! I tasted the rice. Wow! There is so much flavour just in the rice. The pork is eaten in two ways: the skin and tender meat. The cherry tomatoes and cucumber slices pickled in sour plum juice are brilliant small touches, cutting through the rich pork with their tart zing. This dish is a definite showstopper and is available for pre-order for your CNY feasting.

Sweet endings are capped with two desserts. Daifuku with Mandarin Orange and Cream, and a Birds Nest Ginseng Xiao Long Bao. Daifuku is a type of rice cake or a filled mochi. Once again, delicate flavours are the highlight, and the Mandarin flavour is just enough to dominate. The xiao long bao is the familiar dumpling shape, but the inside is filled with a bird's nest "soup" that is sweet rather than savoury. 

Jia He Chinese Restaurant serves fantastic food and memorable service. It's a place where every dish tells a story of tradition and innovation. Make your reservations, gather your loved ones, and prepare for a feast that promises memories of the welcoming of the Year of the Dragon.