Patrons make early bookings for LNY Eve dinners

SINGAPORE: With the Lunar New Year just round the corner, restaurants have been receiving bookings for reunion dinners on the eve of the festival.

One restaurant even had reservations one year in advance. Andrew Tan, general manager of Orchard Hotel Singapore, said: "Most of them who had their reunion dinner here last year, booked Hua Ting one year in advance."

Though prices for some reunion dinner menus may be steep — a meal for 10 could set patrons back by S$888 to S$8,888 — demand is still strong.

To avoid the crowd, some have chosen to have reunion lunches instead.

Restaurants are also pulling in the crowds with innovative menus.

One restaurant is offering vegetarian dishes such as crispy mock fish and braised pumpkin soup with vegetable dumplings.

Leong Chee Yeng, Chinese Chef de Cuisine at Fullerton Hotel Singapore, said: "We have more vegetarian diners, especially on the first and 15th day of the Lunar New Year. To attract more of such diners, we are coming up with more vegetarian dishes."

— CNA/ir