It’s the season for all things red, angpao-giving, and, of course, reunion feasts. Chinese New Year reunions, whether they involve getting together with extended family members, friends or coworkers, are at the core of what the holiday is all about – and at the core of the gatherings are – you guessed it – FOOD!
To cater to upcoming CNY reunion feasts, eateries far and wide have come up with all sorts of seasonal offerings. From fast food to traditional Chinese cuisine and a wide range of beverages, get ready to huat together with your loved ones with our picks for this week’s Hype Eats.
Getting ready to usher in the new year? Marrybrown’s got you covered with the much-anticipated Egg-stra Ong meal to celebrate the Year of the Rabbit with egg-stra abundance and joy! A fan favourite, the Egg-stra Ong menu is making a comeback, and new items this year are Egg-stra Ong Fish Pau, Salted egg fries, and Banana pie, available in 2-pc for à la carte from RM7.80; and 2-pc combo from RM14.80.
Can’t get enough of the signature Crispy chicken and burger coated with rich salted egg sauce? Go for the 2-pc Egg-stra Ong Chicken Combo and Egg-stra Ong Burger Combo, priced from RM20.80 and RM16.80 respectively. You can also indulge in both Crispy chicken and burger with the Egg-stra Ong Box Meal priced from RM25.80. All combo meals also come with a cup of Fruity Fizz, infused with refreshing flavours of orange, pineapple, mango, and dragon fruit; while the Egg-stra Ong Box Meal comes with mashed potato, fries and a beverage.
Date: While stock lasts
Location: MarryBrown
In celebration of the Lunar New Year, The LIBRARI’s Spring Afternoon Tea takes traditional fare to new heights with a heavenly ice-cream pairing, specially-devised by The LIBRARI’s very own in-house ice-cream master. Sample both savoury and sweet ice-cream flavours such as Truffle and Béarnaise Ice-Cream, or Rhubarb and Mascarpone Ice-Cream, matched beautifully with added treats. Accompanying this afternoon tea is a complimentary bottle of Kronenbourg 1664 ROSÉ beer. The LIBRARI’s Spring Afternoon Tea will be available daily from 2:00PM to 5:00PM and is priced at RM 158 nett per person or RM 298 nett for two people.
Don’t forget to check out The RuMa’s Shanghainese Peddlers Gin – an award-winning craft gin from Shanghai. Inspired by the Shanghai underground, it boasts diversity in its ingredients, infused with notes of Sichuan pepper, Buddha’s hand, lotus flower, Xinjiang almonds, Guangdong liquorice, Chinese cassia and coriander seeds. Three varieties of Peddlers will be offered at SEVEN Lobby Bar: Craft Gin, Salted Plum Gin & Barrel Aged Gin.
Of course, you can’t forget the cookies. From Pineapple tarts to Peanut Butter Cookies and Sable to Linzer Raspberry, The RuMa Hotel and Residences is ready to serve you with a delectable array of traditional favourites. Grab these auspicious cookies for RM128 per box.
Date: The LIBRARI’s Spring Afternoon Tea (13 January – 31 March 2023)/ Shanghainese Peddlers Gin (10 January – 28 February 2023)
Location: The RuMa Hotel and Residence
For diners looking for non-oriental cuisine, but want a touch of Chinese New Year tradition, Maria’s SteakCafe Abundance Set and Prosperity Set will give you both. The sets will start with its signature Yee Sang toss. Do try Maria’s signature Smoked Salmon Yee Sang or Pulled Beef, which is a twist on the traditional raw fish salad dish.
Starting at RM788++, Maria’s SteakCafe’s Abundance set is designed for an intimate group of 4 to 6 pax; with a Prosperity Set created for a bigger party of up to 10 pax. Enjoy your Chinese New Year dinner with Maria’s signature Ribeye, tender baby cutlet, and spaghetti seafood Aglio Olio that pair with Spicy Mussels, Caesar Salad, and creamy mushroom soup to start your palate; and end your meal with a prune loaf. If grain-fed ribeye is not your choice of steak, Maria’s SteakCafe offers upgrade options, ranging from Australia Black Angus to Wagyu MB9, which you can pair with a bottle of wine, too.
Date: Now till 5th February 2023
Location: Maria’s SteakCafe
Thai food lovers are in for a treat, because one of Thailand’s most coveted brands has made it’s way to Malaysia. TUMMOUR’s first outlet is located at Empire Shopping Gallery, Subang Jaya, where its Muslim-friendly menu was introduced for the first time. Famous for bona fide Thai cuisine, TUMMOUR’s customers can indulge in a variety of classic flavours, along with some unconventional ones that are sure to tickle their taste buds.
TUMMOUR serves a simple yet deeply satisfying Thai menu that features many Malaysian-favourites, such as Papaya Salad (Som Tum), Spicy Prawn Soup (Tom Yum Koong), among others. You’ll definitely be pleased to find a selection of meat and seafood dishes, soups, salads, desserts, and much more on TUMMOUR’s impressively extensive Muslim-friendly and pork-free menu. Head over to Empire Shopping Gallery this week and check out this new Thai food restaurant.
Location: Empire Shopping Gallery, Subang Jaya
Celebrate the auspicious season with newly-curated and limited-edition “Fortune Flavors the Bold” beverages from Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf.
A new year is all about fresh starts, and fresh brews! Have an extra peachy one with the new Peaches & Cream Cold Brew Tea (small, RM16.90, regular, RM18.50); and Peaches & Cream Ice Blended® (small RM17.90, regular RM19.50). For coffee lovers, set off on your fortuitous adventure of flavors with a flair of the sea with the new Seasalt Caramel Latte (hot/iced) (small RM17.90, regular RM18.90), Seasalt Caramel Cream Cold Brew (small RM14.50, regular RM15.50) and Seasalt Caramel Gibraltar Latte (hot/iced) (RM15.80).
As for the Lunar New Year seasonal menu, be sure to try out their Golden Prosperity, a delicious orange and white chocolate creation; Red Fortune, red and white velvet and raspberries; and Carrot Cake, loaded with carrots, plump raisins, walnuts and pistachios topped with cream cheese frosting.
For those who cannot get enough of The Coffee Bean’s new Peaches & Cream beverages, have them in dessert form with the new Peaches & Cream Tart. Meanwhile, the Peanut Butter Swirl serves as a rich, easy snack. Finally, Spaghetti Bolognese and Aglio Olio are perfect for those who want a warm, savoury meal in their tummy. Alongside the new beverages and food, special rabbit-themed Lunar New Year merchandise in the form of mugs and tumblers are also available for you to carry good fortune – and your favourite beverage.
Date: While stocks last.
Location: The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf
Oh Cha Matcha, well-known for its colourful, playful concoctions, is offering a healthy and perfect gift option to celebrate the upcoming Chinese New Year, the Matcha Prosperity Bag!
You’ll find not just the matcha-infused drinks in a luxurious sustainable bamboo bag, but snacks such as vegan-friendly and dairy-free homemade Matcha Pineapple Tarts, homemade Tofu Crisps, and Chinese new year must-have Roasted Plant Seeds (kuaci). Oh Cha Matcha has also launched four new and refreshing flavoured matcha, namely, Grape Matcha, Mango Coconut Matcha, Pineapple Coconut Matcha and Tropical Matcha.
A bag full of love, antioxidants, and tasty treats is available from now till 29th January 2023 at the TTDI store, selling at RM168; and you may pre-order at www.ohchamatcha.com. Back by popular demand, the Matcha Pineapple Tarts are also available on an a la carte basis at RM45.
Date: Treats available till 29th January 2023
Location: TTDI Store
For fans of SHIN’LABO BY JAMES Won, it’s an occasion for thanksgiving, with a brand-new menu designed exclusively for Chinese New Year to evoke memories of family reunions and traditional nostalgia.
Hosted at Asia’s only first-of-its-kind KRUG CHEF’S TABLE with a luxurious curated menu hand-crafted around the principle of big spirited meals exclusively for groups of ten (10) or more, the feast comes packaged with two (2) complimentary bottles of top-quality sparkling Sake, and a unique Japanese Jyuu Sang celebration, coupled with state-of-the-art hi-fi professional music audio systems with karaoke to turn a dine-out into a full-blown party.
Date: Now to 5th February 2023
Location: Mitsui Shopping Park LaLaport
ZUS is about to shake things up this 2023 with the launch of their new line of iced shaken drinks. Modelled after the Italian shakerato (a combination of an espresso shot, ice and sugar syrup, shaken together in a cocktail shaker), the new beverages are the Iced Shaken Double Espresso and Iced Shaken Orange Osmanthus.
To celebrate the upcoming Chinese new year with good fortune, prosperity and new year blessings, ZUS also introduces a line-up of Prosperous Orange beverages. The series is led by the new Iced Shaken Orange Osmanthus Espresso. Other drinks featured in the series also boast a zesty orange bite, including the Orange Chocolate Frappe, the Iced Orange Latte, the Iced Orange Chocolate, and Hot Orange Chocolate.
Date: While stocks lasts
Location: ZUS Coffee
Planning a reunion dinner but can’t figure out how? CookX Asia is here to help. This festive season, CookX Asia, the all-in-one social cooking app, has introduced the newest member of its ambassador line-up, Chef TK Dong, a seasoned chef who specializes in Hook Chiew-style cooking, and a new collaboration with Beacon Mart, Malaysia’s one-stop healthy food mart chain.
The new CNY ecopack series features 6 different recipes carefully curated by Chef Dong. The CNY ecopack contains everything you need to take your reunion dinner to the next level — with recipes that bring together the best of the Chinese New Year tradition with a Malaysian twist. All you have to do is select the recipe you want and CookX Asia will prepare, pack and deliver it to you!
Among Chef Dong’s recipes in the Chinese New Year ecopack are the traditional two dishes of whole fish, Steamed Pomfret, which features fresh pomfret from Beacon Mart steamed with delicious sauce; and Portuguese Steamed Fish. Other dishes featured on the menu include three types of chicken dishes in the form of Herbal Chicken Soup, Lemon Hand Shredded Chicken, Potato Curry Chicken; and to round it up, a dessert of Jujube Millet Tong Sui.
Spread the joy on Lunar New Year and welcome this auspicious day with a delectable Chinese New Year Buffet brunch at Zenith Hotels and Resorts Putrajaya, as you treasure family reunions over an abundance of seafood and scrumptious culinary delights. The hotel’s famed Chinese restaurant, Tong Yuen, will delight guests with a special Chinese New Year set menu, starting from RM888 nett, which includes several traditional dishes to enjoy, representing good fortune and prosperity, abundance of wealth, and a healthy and more fulfilled year.
There is also the option for guests to order Yee Sang from now till 6 February, and pick from the options of Fruity Veggie, King Salmon or Tiger Prawn Yee Sang to toss to greater fortune for the year ahead. Vegetarians are in luck too, as Tong Yuen also offers special Chinese New Year vegetarian set menus starting from RM1,188 nett for 10 persons.
Chinese New Year Buffet Brunch
Date: 22nd and 29th January 2023
Time: 12 pm to 4 pm
Venue: The Dining Room (Lower Ground)
Price: RM128 nett (Adult) | RM 98 nett (Senior Citizens) | RM78 nett (Child)
*Cupcake decoration activity for kids at 1 pm
Daily Yee Sang
Date: Now to 6 February 2023
Time: 11.30 am to 3 pm ; 6.30 pm to 10.30 pm
Venue: Tong Yuen (Lobby Level)
Date: CNY Buffet Brunch (22nd and 29th January 2023)
Location: Zenith Hotels & Resort Putrajaya
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