FollowTuesday, 11 February 2025 ~ It was a public holiday, and we had no concrete plans—until my husband made a last-minute announcement that he wanted to have brunch with us. With little time to spare, we all hurriedly got dressed, excited yet curious about where he intended to take us. As always, he loves surprising us, keeping the destination a secret until we were already on our way.
Minutes later, while in the car, he finally revealed his plan—dim sum at Xin Cuisine at Concorde Hotel! I was absolutely thrilled because Xin Cuisine serves some of the best dim sum I have ever had. True to tradition, my husband ordered all our favorite items: steamed cha siu pau, siu mai, har gau, cheong fun, fish balls, pork porridge, egg tarts, coconut polo buns, and cha siu baked buns, among others. This time, he also decided to try something new—Siew Yoke (roast pork). It turned out to be one of the tastiest Siew Yoke I have ever had, with a crispy crackling skin, the perfect fat-to-lean meat ratio, and just the right amount of seasoning without an overpowering porky odor. It was an excellent addition to our usual dim sum spread.
That evening, we continued our celebrations with an early Chap Goh Mei dinner at my husband’s Aunt Wendy’s house. The Yaps gathered for a traditional potluck feast, featuring all the beloved Hakka Chinese New Year dishes. We indulged in braised pork belly with dried oysters and black fungus, steamed Chinese sausages and liver sausages with arrowroots (Nag Ku), steamed chicken, homemade Yee Sang, and many other delectable dishes. After a satisfying meal, we had our final card-playing session of the season. Our next round of card games will likely be during next year’s Chinese New Year!
As always, my husband’s cousin thoughtfully ordered Chagee bubble tea for the girls and tong sui (sweet soup dessert) for the older relatives, wrapping up our celebration on a sweet note. And with that, the 15 days of Chinese New Year festivities officially came to an end.
While the celebrations were joyous, I must admit that I’m so relieved it’s over—I have barely had a proper night’s sleep for 15 days, thanks to the thunderous fireworks every single night. To make matters worse, Haru has been sleeping on our bed throughout this period, seeking comfort from the loud noises. Now that the celebrations are over, I’m looking forward to finally catching up on some much-needed rest!
Early Chap Goh Mei dinner
No. of times viewed = 13