The annual Chinese New Year reunion dinner is a battlefield of expectations. On one side, you have the traditionalists (usually grandmothers) who believe that if you didn’t spend three days soaking dried scallops, you don’t love your family. On the other side, you have the realists (us) who love tradition but also love having enough sleep to function.
Every year, the “What are we eating?” debate threatens to tear families apart before the first ang bao is even distributed. Do we go for the sticky, collagen-rich luxury of Buddha Jumps Over the Wall? Or do we stick to the communal abundance of a classic Pen Cai?
This year, Yummy Food, in collaboration with Yummy Palace Restaurant, is attempting a diplomatic solution with The Best of Both Worlds – Yuan Yang Buddha Jumps Over the Wall Pen Cai. It’s a mouthful to say, but the premise is promising: why choose when you can have both?
I took a look under the lid to see if this hybrid creation is a stroke of genius or just a really crowded pot.
The Concept: A Tale of Two Soups
The “Yuan Yang” concept is quintessentially Singaporean. We drink yuan yang (coffee mixed with tea); we eat yuan yang hotpot (spicy and non-spicy broth). Applying this duality to a festive centrepiece makes perfect sense.
By combining the structural integrity of a Pen Cai with the liquid luxury of Buddha Jumps Over the Wall, Yummy Food is essentially trying to solve the “dry vs wet” dilemma of festive takeaways. It’s designed for the Year of the Horse, but frankly, it’s designed for indecisive eaters who want the abalone and the drinkable soup.
What’s Inside the Pot?
Lifting the lid reveals a landscape that is undeniably impressive. We are looking at over 20 ingredients here. It’s not a sparse arrangement where you have to hunt for the good stuff.
The roll call reads like a who’s who of Chinese luxury:
- The Heavyweights: 6-Headed whole abalones and goose web. These are the status symbols, the items your auntie will side-eye to check for size.
- The Flavour Soakers: Fish maw, sea cucumber, and large Hokkaido dried scallops. These are the textural powerhouses that absorb the broth.
- The Comfort Layers: Roasted pork belly, black chicken, and Chinese sausage (lup cheong).
- The Foundation: Silky braised tofu and mushrooms.
It’s a crowded pot, but in a good way. The ingredients feel curated rather than just thrown together for bulk.
The Broth: The 8-Hour Verdict
As any self-respecting food writer will tell you, a Pen Cai lives or dies by its stock. You can have the most expensive abalone in the world, but if it’s swimming in MSG water, it’s worthless.
Yummy Food claims a secret recipe slow-cooked for over eight hours. The result? It’s thick. It has that glossy sheen that coats the back of a spoon – a sign of genuine collagen extraction rather than just cornstarch thickening. It’s deep, savoury, and manages to cling to the ingredients without tasting cloying. It successfully bridges the gap between a braising sauce and a soup, which is harder than it sounds.
The “Plug-and-Play” Factor
Let’s be honest about the logistics of a reunion dinner. The kitchen is usually a disaster zone. Finding a pot big enough to reheat a massive Pen Cai is a logistical nightmare involving transferring, spilling, and swearing.
Yummy Food has solved this by including a complimentary Yuan Yang electric cooker (worth $90) with the order. This is a smart move. You plug it in, simmer for 15-20 minutes, and serve. No transferring required. It turns the dish from a “catering project” into a genuine plug-and-play solution. For anyone dreading the post-dinner cleanup, this alone might be worth the price of admission.
Is It Worth It?
Priced at $418, this isn’t a budget meal. It’s a premium centrepiece. However, when you factor in the sheer volume of ingredients (feeds 8-10 pax realistically), the electric cooker, and the mental peace of not having to cook, the value proposition holds up.
The “Best of Both Worlds” title isn’t just marketing fluff. It actually delivers on the promise of combining two distinct festive experiences into one pot. It’s rich without being overwhelming, and traditional without being stale.
The Details:
- Dish: The Best of Both Worlds – Yuan Yang Buddha Jump Over the Wall Pen Cai
- Price: $418
- Promo: Get $40 off with code RERGHUAT (valid before 21 Jan 2026) or $20 off with the same code order.
- Availability: Islandwide delivery or self-pickup.
- Order online at yummyfood.com.sg
Conclusion
If you are looking for a reunion dinner that maximizes “face” (mian zi) while minimizing kitchen stress, this is a strong contender. It respects tradition enough to satisfy the elders but offers enough modern convenience to save your sanity. And really, isn’t that what a successful Chinese New Year is all about?
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