Tables at popular restaurants are filling up fast for Chinese New Year Eve

Some restaurants are already fully booked on that day.

 

Li Bai Cantonese Restaurant in Sheraton Towers Singapore has been fully booked for Chinese New Year Eve dinner since September last year. Half the diners made reservations as early as last February.

 

 

 

Other restaurants that are packed include Wah Lok Cantonese Restaurant in Carlton Hotel, which has been fully booked since last month, and Yan Ting at The St Regis Singapore, where slots for its one-seating reunion dinner were filled up by November.

 

Other restaurants that are filling up fast include Hua Ting Restaurant in Orchard Hotel and Si Chuan Dou Hua Restaurant in UOB Plaza.

 

 

Hai Tien Lo in Pan Pacific Singapore, Golden Peony in Conrad Centennial Singapore and Min Jiang at Goodwood Park Hotel are up to 80 per cent booked.

 

Most of the 20 restaurants that The Sunday Times speaks to say that they are not increasing prices of festive set menus in order to stay competitive. This is despite the rising cost of premium ingredients such as seafood and the extra manpower needed to handle extra seatings.

 

Mr Robert Han, group general manager of The Quayside Group, which owns Peony Jade Restaurant at Clarke Quay and Keppel Club, says: “In view of the uncertainties of the economy, we are keeping to last year’s pricing despite using ingredients such as fish maw from China, lobsters from Canada and Italian black truffles. Prices have increased between 20 and 30 per cent in the past year.”

 

For other restaurants, prices are up 2 to 10 per cent this year.

 

Madam Soon Puay Keow, managing director of Spring Court in Upper Cross Street, says its prices have increased by 5 per cent this year. Dried delicacies such as sea cucumber and Chinese sausages have gone up by 20 per cent, while seafood such as scallops and lobsters have increased by more than 10 per cent, she says.

 

At least one restaurant is reducing prices.

 

Wan Hao Cantonese Restaurant in Singapore Marriott Tang Plaza Hotel says prices of its set menus this year start at $98.80++ a person, compared to $118++ a person last year.

 

Mr Himanshu Jethi, the hotel’s assistant director of food and beverage, says: “We revised our pricing strategy after comparing prices with competitors in order to reach out to a wider demographic of diners.”

 

With stronger demand for reunion dinners this year, restaurants such as Hai Tien Lo have increased its seating capacity by 30 per cent.

 

Zi char restaurant Keng Eng Kee in Alexandra Village is fully booked on Feb 7, the eve of Chinese New Year, so it decided to offer reunion dinner menus on Feb 6.

 

About 60 per cent of the tables for the additional seating have been booked.

 

Ms Ang Ling Ling, 41, an assistant director in the social sector, is looking to reserve a table for her family’s reunion dinner.

 

She says: “Although prices at some restaurants have increased, I will still visit a restaurant as it saves the hassle of cooking and it is a once-a-year treat.”

 

However, property agent Jasmine Tan, 51, is staying away from restaurants.

 

She was put off by an hour-long wait three years ago at a restaurant despite having made reservations.

 

“It is more worthwhile to spend the money on quality seafood ingredients for a steamboat meal at home,” she says. “We can eat and chat without keeping to a time limit.”

 

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