Golden Peony (Conrad Centennial Singapore) 2018 Chinese New Year Highlights

The rooms at the Conrad Centennial Singapore have undergone a massive refresh and they are now looking great! In fact, the Executive Lounge in the property is currently going through a series of refurbishment to ensure that it stays in line with the new brand standards and global image. In spite of these changes, one thing that stayed constant throughout is the quality of food at Golden Peony - the luxury hotel's signature Chinese restaurant. For the Lunar New Year ahead, Chinese Executive Chef Ku Keung has once again created a series of creative dishes that combines the best of traditional Cantonese cooking techniques with a much more modern presentation.

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Yu Sheng with New Bedford Scallop, Salmon, Crispy White Bait and Fish Skin
Golden Peony - Conrad Centennial Singapore

If you are planning to hold a corporate lunch or dinner here at Golden Peony, a very special Fortune 3-D Meringue ‘Yu Sheng’ with Abalone, Salmon, Crispy Fish Skin  (立体金犬鸿运鱼 生) can be arranged with a minimum of 30 persons. Apart from the usual salmon, expect to find plump and delicious New Bedford scallops as well as crispy white bait and fish skin in this festive salad. If you are interested in takeaway Yu Sheng from Golden Peony, the smallest size (that serves 2-5 diners) is available from S$68 nett. 

Double-boiled Cordycep Flower Soup with New-Caledonia Obsiblue Prawn and Black Chicken in Whole Young Coconut
Golden Peony - Conrad Centennial Singapore

The second course is the Double-boiled Cordyceps Flower Soup with New-Caledonia Obsiblue Prawn and Black Chicken in Whole Young Coconut. This soup utilises premium ingredients like the exceptional obsiblue prawn (which you can find in high-end French restaurants) from New Caledonia. The usage of cordycep flower which is believed to improve cardiovascular health, adds a nice touch to the naturally-sweet soup (since the coconut water is retained) and provides the dish with light earthy notes.  

Stir-fried Half Lobster topped with Crispy X.O. Chilli Sauce
Golden Peony - Conrad Centennial Singapore

Every good Chinese restaurant creates their own X.O. Chilli Sauce in-house and Golden Peony is ranked amongst my favourites where X.O. sauces are concerned. Combining the flavours and the beautiful texture of fresh lobster, the Stir-fried Half Lobster topped with Crispy X.O. Chilli Sauce is not a dish to be missed.

Fortune Eight Treasure Stewed Duck
Golden Peony - Conrad Centennial Singapore

Wrapped in lotus leaves and stewed with herbs and spices, the Fortune Eight Treasure Stewed Duck from Golden Peony was one of my favourite dishes during the tasting of the new Chinese New Year dishes at the Conrad Centennial Singapore. The protein itself retains plenty of moisture due to the way it is being cooked and more importantly, the steam and heat actually helps to lock in the flavours a lot more. This is just one of those Chinese dishes that you would wish you had plenty of white rice to go with. 

Braised Australian Abalone in Japanese Beancurd with Black Moss, Chinese Mushroom and Seasonal Vegetables
Golden Peony - Conrad Centennial Singapore

If I had to pick a personal favourite, it would definitely be the Braised Australian Abalone in Japanese Beancurd with Black Moss, Chinese Mushroom and Seasonal Vegetables. Abalone dishes are rarely my favourite since I have always felt that there is little differentiation amongst them but the version over at Golden Peony has one of the most delicious and decadent braised sauce that I have ever eaten. The usage of the sweet tofu pockets (commonly used to create inari sushi) is ingenious as it strikes a balance between both sweet and salty flavours to create a textural bridge between the chewiness of the abalone and the smooth-velvety braised sauce underneath it. 

Roast Whole Suckling Pig with Shanghainese Sticky Rice, Fritters and Chicken Floss
Golden Peony - Conrad Centennial Singapore

Last year, Golden Peony featured a suckling pig with California maki which was a little odd for me but this year, the combination makes a whole lot of sense. It is typically common to find glutinous rice stuffed within that crispy and paper-thin skin of the suckling pig but this is definitely my first time trying it with Shanghainese Sticky Rice. Anyone who has visited China or Shanghai specifically, must have tried 'Ci Fan' which is a staple for breakfast amongst locals (much like how 'Jian Bing' is like for locals in Beijing). This is certainly one of the nicest combination of flavours as far as suckling pigs go.

Crispy Jujube Pastry | Japanese Sweet Potato Puree with Pearls
Golden Peony - Conrad Centennial Singapore

While the presentation of dishes here at Golden Peony leans towards a more modern approach, the flavours are truly authentic - the preparation still requires culinary skills in traditional Cantonese cooking. For takeaway goodies, be sure to check out the Conrad Centennial Singapore for more information - Citibank & UOB cardmembers enjoy 15% off from 15 January to 15 February 2018. 

This was an invited media-tasting session, though all views expressed are my own. 

Conrad Centennial Singapore
2 Temasek Blvd, Singapore 038982
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