8 yusheng platters to usher in the Year of the Dragon with
They come in varying degrees of extra, from lavish dragon-shaped creations to ‘gyu’ instead of ‘yu’.
(Photo: Peach Blossoms)
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It’s a funny thing growing old. One minute you are too young to appreciate anything but the golden crackers in yusheng and the next, you’re a 20-something who will only eat the raw fish and crackers (eww, vegetables). Before you know it, you can’t wait for Chinese New Year to roll around because you are positively craving the whole salad — pickled ginger, jelly fish and all. If that hasn’t happened to you yet, don’t worry, youngling, it will.
Happily, the season always delivers. Yusheng with yu (fish), yusheng with gyu (beef) and yusheng with everything from caviar and gold leaf to braised abalone and lobster abound during this time of year. ‘Tis the season to give a toss, friends. Because you only have a month to load up on yusheng before it’s back to your regular old desk lunch salad. Herewith, eight options to give a huat about.
We’ve come to expect nothing less than beautifully extravagant yusheng from Jade’s Chinese executive chef Leong Chee Yeng, and he does not disappoint. For a cool S$988, you can make a mess of his Premium Dragon Dance Yu Sheng (order three days in advance). This is art on a plate, with ingredients like rose wine-marinated abalone, king prawns and Norwegian smoked salmon arranged to resemble a dancing dragon complete with its coveted “pearl of wisdom”. Starting from a more down-to-earth S$78, you can get the humbler Gold Rush Dragon Yu Sheng that is set against a hand-drawn dragon and Chinese calligraphy greeting writ in cinnamon powder.
ULTIMATE KINKI YU SHENG
The always tasty Ultimate Kinki Yu Sheng (S$88, serves six) lives up to his maximalist name. We like its distinct Japanese bent, with salmon, tuna and swordfish sashimi shaped into rosettes and crowned with gleaming orbs of salmon roe and flying fish roe. There are tendrils of deep-fried crabsticks, dried wakame, pickled daikon, and thin strips of Japanese cucumber. That’s on top of the shredded carrots, daikon and Japanese fish floss that circle the plate. To finish, a lashing of truffle oil and some diced beetroot for an auspicious jolt of red.
DRAGON DYNASTY YU SHENG FROM HUA TING
This stunning platter of yusheng (S$388, serves 10) from Hua Ting is as lavish as it looks. Among the artful heap are tender South African abalone, crunchy French ice lettuce and morsels of Australian lobster arranged to depict a resplendent dragon. Other yusheng options at this stalwart Cantonese restaurant include one with live prawns, crab meat and French ice lettuce (from S$108) and Fresh Hamachi Lo Hei Yusheng (from S$88).
TABLESCAPE YU SHENG
Salmon sashimi, grilled octopus, avruga caviar and gold leaf? This yusheng is indubitably auspicious. At Tablescape, the yusheng (S$128, serves up to six people) platter is also lavished with crispy fish skin, winter melon, pomelo, ginger, carrots and bok chui crackers (those requisite golden pillow crackers beloved by young and old). Available till Feb 24 for dine in and with three days’ advance notice for takeaways.
GYU SHENG FROM FAT COW
For some, Gyu Sheng (S$68, serves up to five people) might already be a tradition. For others, it’s a new, novel spin on the ubiquitous Chinese New Year tradition. Either way, this Fat Cow offering is back again, the highlight of which are the velvety slices of Toriyama Umami Wagyu crowning a piquant mix of seafood and veggies like chuka kurage (seasoned jellyfish), chuka wakame (seasoned seaweed salad), sea urchin, salmon roe, white radish and pickled ginger, with a tasty wafu sesame dressing. Available with a two-day advance order for dine-in or takeaway.
FORTUNE GOLD FLAKES YU SHENG FROM GOLDEN PEONY
All things gold-flecked are welcome at Chinese New Year, including the Fortune Gold Flakes Yu Sheng (S$188) from Golden Peony. Expect lobster, baby abalone, crispy white bait, golden coin chicken bak kwa, fried fish skin and fresh fruit among the colourful tumble of vegetables.
YUSHENG PLATTERS FROM SHANGRI-LA SINGAPORE
Everyone has a different opinion of what the best ‘yu’ is for yusheng, so at Shangri-La Singapore, you can choose from four options: Auspicious Yu Sheng with South African abalone, Hokkaido scallop and Scottish smoked salmon (from S$218); Fortune Yu Sheng with lobster and Scottish smoked salmon (from S$148.80); Prosperity Yu Sheng with Norwegian smoked salmon (from S$98.80), and Happiness Yu Sheng with Golden Crispy Fish Skin (from S$69.80).
HARVEST YU SHENG FROM PEACH BLOSSOMS
