Lohei (a.k.a. Yee Sang) - article contributed by our foodie Mr Mak Sin Chang

All Singaporeans must celebrate Chinese New Year with some Lo Hei. If you did not Lo Hei, you will feel like you did not celebrate Chinese New Year. And I am sure some of us had experiences of comparing with friends on who had Lo Hei more within the 15 days of Chinese New Year. Now that we are all celebrating Chinese New Year in Hong Kong, how can we continue to Lo Hei for an auspicious new year?

After trying several different restaurants in Hong Kong that claimed to serve Lo Hei (some tasted more like chopped salad to me), here is a list of my personal trusted list of Lo Hei that I believe Singaporeans will like.

Bibi & Baba

The sensational Peranakan restaurant, which all Singaporeans and Malaysians in Hong Kong had visited last year, is serving the Lo Hei just like how all Singaporeans will like it. Apart from just carrot and white radish as the based, they also added green radish to it. With this addition, I am quite sure a Singaporean is involved in the planning process to ensure the authenticity of their Lo Hei. At HK$328, you will have  set of ready prepared Lo Hei serving 6 - 8pax. Order it from Jia Catering before 6pm daily, to pick up the Lo Hei from their shop the next day. If you are feeling generous, choose the abalone option at HK$596.

https://www.jiacatering.com/bibi-and-baba-delivery/p/cny-limited-edition-lo-hei-prosperity-toss-

Putien

Similarly, Putien hailed from Singapore and is in Hong Kong since 2015! And very quickly on the following Chinese New Year in 2016, they started serving the Lo Hei (the Singapore way!). Long strand of carrot and radish stacked up nicely and all the right ingredient surrounding it. When I first had it in 2016, I was so pleasantly surprised that I can really find Singapore Lo Hei in Hong Kong. Subsequently when I visit, I do experience the Hong Kong staff cutting down on the plum sauce to make the yusheng a little too dry. And it took me some time to convince them to give me more, as they think the sauce is too sour and too sweet to put more. But it is definitely a go to place for yusheng especially with the pricing starting from HK$198, it is good to order and do the symbolic toss for a great year.

https://www.putien.com/hongkong/en/putien-chinese-new-year-set-menu/

Feast Catering

An online catering company that brings a variety of food to your home, including Singapore or Malaysia food. Under the same F&B group that brings us Hainan Shaoye and Hawker 18, which both serve Singapore and Malaysia food, Feast hopes to bring you the joy of tossing at home. From HK$228 a set, which you can choose smoked salmon, sesame chicken, or top blade (yes, why they have such different  combo?? I guess to cater to people who do not eat fish), you can enjoy this must have CNY activity at home. Their staff once told me that their boss mixed around with Singaporeans during the University days, hence he had a lot of yummy experience of Singapore food and made him grew a Singapore palate. So you can order other Singapore dishes, e.g. hainanese chicken, or pandan rice cake along with your Lo Hei!

https://www.feast.com.hk/

DIY – Make Your Own!

With the DIY kit in Singapore of abundance, many times we will buy a set and add our own grated carrot and radish. However, these Lo Hei ingredients set is near to impossible to get in Hong Kong. But recently I heard the news that HKTVMall is selling these set online at HK$88 for 6pax serving or HK$138 for the 10pax serving. Quickly I made the purchase online and I can pick it up from their store two days later. The box set, which comes from Selangor, does contain everything you need for the Lo Hei, apart from candied winter melon, carrot, radish and sashimi, which you can find them easily in Hong Kong. So now you can Lo Hei everyday at home even when you are in Hong Kong.

p.s. I know everyone loves to eat the cracker in the Lo Hei, and it is never enough with this  黃金滿地, you can easily go to the local pastry shop and buy the 鹹蛋撒 and crush it up to use it.