Grand Hyatt Singapore - Celebrating Chinese New Year in Extraordinary Living Grand Style

I was invited to the "Living Grand" event for Chinese New Year at Grand Hyatt Singapore.

I expected any event at the Grand Hyatt to be nothing but grand, but this evening was well beyond my expectations.

The evening started "innocently" enough with the customary lo hei 撈起.



Nothing can make a Chinese New Year party take off to a more rousing start than the traditional lo hei.

After the lo hei session, shouting auspicious Chinese New Year well wishes with gusto, I thought we were going to settle down to yet another very nice, "the same" Chinese dinner routine.

I was in for a huge surprise.



Wow.

When the curtains were drawn, we were awestruck, instantly.

Surprise and awe.

We knew immediately that this evening will be an extravaganza to remember. I just didn't know yet what delights awaited us.



We streamed eagerly into the mist shrouded red chamber, drawn into it like it had a certain irresistible magnetism.



Was it the colourful flowers or the pretty violinist or the playful clown that we were drawn to?

Yes.....



And, it's everything together that enthralled us in this Magical Garden.



Suddenly, a dancing white fairy gracefully lifted the veil to reveal the kitchen.

Fairies dressed like colourful chefs were busy conjuring our memorable dinner.



Water 水, Metal 金, Earth 土, Wood 木 and Fire 火 in harmony. The Kitchen God must be pleased.



The good chef was a pretty picture of focus while a beautiful fairy floated by (close enough to smell her perfume).



Dinner was steaming hot and ready.

Hotel Manager Olivier Lenoir let no more than 6 sentences of formalities interrupt the flow of the evening's festivities.



The resident fortune teller took over and impressed us by correctly predicting the first dish.



Grand Hyatt Singapore's interpretation of "Buddha Jumps over the Wall 佛跳翻牆" was an appetising nourishing broth featuring chicken, mushroom, abalone, sea cucumber and dried scallop in an earthen clay pot.



Abalone is an auspicious food at Chinese New Year dinners because bao yu 鮑魚 sounds like 保餘 "guaranteed surplus" in Cantonese.

The beautiful violinist continued to serenade us while we dine.

Music is the food of love.

Play on.

Eat on.



The circus master gate crashed our party looking anxiously for his missing tiger. I stopped to watch the commotion.



Longing for the gift of feelings, Olympia the pretty manufactured doll asked for our help to find her a heart.



We laughed heartily at the clown who has forgotten how to make people laugh (because we hoped to help him rediscover his comic magic).



The main course of Chinese roast duck, crispy chicken egg, water spinach, and lotus rice.



A poetic monkey made us laugh by insisting that we listen to his mangled recitations of familiar poems.
 



The desserts were the fitting grand finale to a grand evening - I have never seen desserts presented in this spectacular way before.



Traditional Chinese New Year desserts such as white lotus blossom flower, Buddha’s hand, lemon and mango pudding, mini lui sha bao (custard bun) and other assorted pastries and sweet treats.

The desserts were presented on a very pretty Chinese calligraphy scroll; I couldn't bear to dirty it as I enjoyed the desserts.

With the desserts, the dinner ended on a lovely sweet note.



On another sweet note, our butler found the circus master's adorable, cuddly pet tiger.

Hello kitty......



The happiest ending of the evening.

Olympia found her heart because the Master of Ceremony gave her his. The cure for the heart less is love, for that is what they lack.

After the dinner, we were each presented with a "100 Blessings of Good Fortune" box of chocolates. White, dark and milk chocolate filled with cognac, mint, peanut butter, mocha, Earl Grey or orange. Each chocolate is inscripted with a form of the Chinese character for good fortune 福.

Misquoting Forest Gump, "Life is like a box of chocolates, full of surprises". Here's a box that delights with good fortune in 100 sweet ways.

I've heard it said that great dining is a total experience. Ah.... I know what they mean now.

Grand Hyatt Singapore's Living Grand Chinese New Year dinner is an evening I will remember.

If you would like to host an extraordinary customised event at the Grand Hyatt Singapore, you can contact Julie Goleman, Director of Events at tel: +65 6416 7261.




Grand Hyatt Singapore is located on Scotts Road in Singapore's shopping district (map).

Date of event: 11 Feb 2015

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