Restaurant Overview
Tien Court Restaurant, ensconced on the second level of Copthorne King’s Hotel along Havelock Road, presents its “Blossoms of Fortune Dining” experience—a carefully orchestrated series of Chinese New Year set menus celebrating the lunar transition. Available from 30 January through 3 March 2026, these offerings embody Teochew culinary philosophy elevated through premium ingredient selection and meticulous technique.
Ambience & Atmosphere
The dining space at Tien Court cultivates an environment befitting auspicious celebration. Positioned within the hotel’s architecture, the restaurant likely balances traditional Chinese aesthetic sensibilities with contemporary elegance—subtle red and gold accents signaling prosperity, warm ambient lighting creating intimacy, and table settings that honor both formality and comfort. The Lunar New Year period typically sees such establishments adorned with symbolic decorations: kumquat plants representing golden fortune, plum blossoms heralding renewal, and calligraphic blessings suspended overhead. The service rhythm in Cantonese-Teochew fine dining follows deliberate pacing, allowing appreciation of each course’s narrative within the broader feast.
The Sweet Happiness Set Menu ($142 per person)
This seven-course progression follows traditional Chinese banquet structure, building flavor intensity and textural complexity through careful sequencing.
Course-by-Course Analysis
1. Prosperity Smoked Salmon Yu Sheng ★★★★½
Visual Presentation: The yu sheng arrives as a chromatic celebration—vibrant crimson salmon contrasts against ivory radish julienne, emerald cilantro, golden candied cashews, and the multicolored crackers that provide architectural height. The dish resembles an edible garden, a deliberate visual metaphor for abundance.
Textural Composition: The interplay of textures defines this ritualistic dish. Smoked salmon offers substantial, meaty resistance—thick-cut rather than paper-thin, providing genuine protein satisfaction. Candied cashews contribute dual-phase texture: initial crunch yielding to creamy nut interior. Raw vegetables (typically daikon, carrot, cucumber) deliver crisp hydration, while sesame seeds provide subtle granular punctuation. The plum sauce and various oils create slip and cohesion, preventing the composed salad from disintegrating during the ceremonial toss.
Flavor Profile: Smoky, saline salmon anchors savory depth. The candied cashews introduce caramelized sweetness with roasted, almost buttery undernotes. Pickled ginger provides acidic brightness, while five-spice powder and white pepper contribute warming aromatics. The plum sauce binds these elements with sweet-tart fruitiness.
Cultural Significance: Yu sheng transcends cuisine—it’s participatory theater. Diners gather, chopsticks raised, to toss ingredients skyward while pronouncing auspicious phrases. “Lo hei!”—rise up!—accompanies the vigorous mixing, each addition symbolizing specific blessings: prosperity, longevity, sweetness, youth.
2. Braised Superior Pumpkin Soup with Bird’s Nest and Crab Meat ★★★★★
Visual Presentation: Presented in individual bowls or a communal tureen, this soup exhibits gentle amber-orange hues—the pumpkin base creating sunset warmth. Delicate white strands of bird’s nest float like silk threads, while flaked crab meat provides ivory accents against the golden canvas.
Textural Analysis: The soup achieves remarkable textural sophistication. The pumpkin base, thoroughly braised then strained, creates velvety, nearly creamy consistency without dairy intervention. Bird’s nest—actually the hardened saliva of swiftlets—rehydrates into translucent, gelatinous strands offering gentle resistance, a slippery-tender quality prized in Chinese gastronomy. Fresh crab meat contributes sweet, fibrous flakes that dissolve on the tongue. The overall mouthfeel soothes—warm, coating, restorative.
Flavor Construction: Well-balanced umami forms the foundation: superior stock (likely chicken or pork bone, simmered for hours) meets the natural sweetness of pumpkin. Crab meat introduces marine sweetness and iodine complexity. The bird’s nest, while relatively neutral, absorbs surrounding flavors while contributing subtle mineral notes. Gentle seasoning—possibly white pepper, ginger, minimal salt—enhances without dominating.
Preparation Insights: Traditional preparation involves:
- Selecting dense, sweet pumpkin varieties
- Roasting or steaming pumpkin until completely tender
- Creating superior stock through 6-8 hour simmering with chicken, pork bones, dried scallops
- Soaking bird’s nest for 4-6 hours, removing impurities with tweezers
- Steaming bird’s nest with ginger to eliminate gaminess
- Gentle combination just before service to preserve delicate textures
Nutritional & Symbolic Value: Bird’s nest ranks among Chinese cuisine’s most prestigious ingredients—believed to enhance complexion, boost immunity, support respiratory health. Its inclusion signals luxury and care for guests’ wellbeing.
3. Signature South African 6-Head Abalone with Fish Maw and Black Moss in Oyster Sauce ★★★★★
Visual Presentation: This dish epitomizes Chinese banquet aesthetics: glossy, mahogany-hued sauce clings to tender abalone pieces, their surface catching light. Black moss (fat choy) provides dark, thread-like contrast, while reconstituted fish maw appears as translucent, jade-tinged cushions. Often arranged on a bed of blanched seasonal greens (baby bok choy or gai lan), the composition balances earth tones with vibrant chlorophyll.
Textural Mastery: “6-head” indicates size—six abalones per catty (approximately 600 grams)—signifying substantial specimens requiring extensive braising. Properly executed, abalone achieves tender, slightly springy texture, offering gentle resistance before yielding. It should never be rubbery or tough. Fish maw (dried fish swim bladder) reconstitutes into soft, gelatinous texture with faint bounce—a supreme vehicle for sauce absorption. The moss adds minimal textural contribution but symbolic significance. The oyster sauce creates luxurious coating, glossy and clingy.
Flavor Architecture: Premium oyster sauce provides the flavor foundation—concentrated umami, gentle sweetness, caramelized depth from slow reduction. The abalone itself offers delicate marine sweetness, enhanced through days of braising in master stock (superior broth enriched with dried seafood, chicken, aromatics). Fish maw absorbs these flavors while contributing subtle oceanic notes. Shaoxing wine, ginger, scallions in the braising liquid add aromatic complexity.
Preparation Methodology: Authentic preparation demands time:
- Dried abalone requires 3-5 days soaking, changing water multiple times
- Gentle simmering for 8-12 hours in master stock until tender
- Fish maw soaked overnight, boiled with ginger to remove fishiness, then braised
- Final assembly with premium oyster sauce, thickened superior stock
- Black moss rinsed thoroughly (often contains sand), briefly blanched
Cultural Symbolism: Black moss (发菜, fat choy) sounds like “prosperity” in Cantonese, making it auspicious New Year fare. Abalone represents abundance and completeness. Fish maw symbolizes wealth accumulation.
4. Pan-fried Cod Fish with Golden Garlic Soy Sauce ★★★★½
Visual Presentation: Golden-crusted cod portions rest on the plate, their surface glistening with aromatic sauce. Minced garlic, fried to amber perfection, provides textural and visual punctuation. The fish’s white flesh contrasts beautifully with the caramelized exterior and bronze-toned sauce. Fresh herb garnish (cilantro or scallion) adds verdant accent.
Textural Dynamics: The preparation achieves textural duality: exterior crust—achieved through proper pan temperature, minimal oil manipulation, and possibly light cornstarch dusting—delivers satisfying crispness. The interior remains moist, with cod’s characteristically large, tender flakes separating easily under fork pressure. The fish’s buttery quality (cod contains beneficial oils) creates luxurious mouthfeel. Golden garlic adds granular crunch, while the sauce provides silky coating.
Flavor Development: Cod’s mild, slightly sweet flesh serves as canvas for the sauce. The golden garlic—fried until nutty and aromatic without bitterness—provides savory intensity. Soy sauce contributes saline depth and umami richness, likely balanced with sugar (creating sweet soy character), possibly rice wine, and sesame oil for aromatic finish. The Maillard reaction from pan-searing adds additional flavor complexity.
Cooking Technique: Successful execution requires:
- Cod portions of consistent thickness (2-3 cm ideal)
- Thorough surface drying to achieve crust
- Hot pan with neutral oil (peanut or vegetable)
- Single flip technique—undisturbed cooking until bottom achieves color
- Separately prepared sauce to prevent burning garlic
- Final sauce application or serving on the side
Ingredient Quality: Premium cod—firm, translucent when raw, without ammonia scent—makes substantial difference. Atlantic cod or Pacific black cod (sablefish) offer superior fat content and flavor.
5. Teochew Braised Sliced Irish Duck ★★★★
Visual Presentation: Thin-sliced duck arranged in overlapping formation, the meat exhibiting gradations from mahogany skin to rose-pink interior. The braising liquid creates lustrous glaze, while accompanying vinegar-chili dip provides crimson accent. Simple presentation allows the duck’s quality to speak.
Textural Characteristics: Irish duck, selected for higher fat content compared to standard varieties, produces especially unctuous, richly textured meat. Proper Teochew braising yields tender slices that aren’t dry, with rendered fat creating silky mouthfeel. The skin should offer slight resistance before giving way. The accompanying vinegar-chili dip provides contrasting textural element through minced garlic and chili fragments.
Flavor Profile: The duck itself delivers deep, almost liver-like richness characteristic of well-raised waterfowl. Teochew braising employs soy sauce, rock sugar, galangal, star anise, cinnamon, coriander seeds—creating complex, aromatic sweetness that penetrates the meat. The vinegar-chili dip cuts through richness with acidity and heat, cleansing the palate between bites.
Traditional Preparation: Authentic Teochew method involves:
- Whole duck blanching to tighten skin, remove impurities
- Braising in master stock (passed down, enriched over years)
- Low, gentle heat for 1-2 hours until tender
- Resting in liquid as it cools for flavor absorption
- Chilling before slicing for clean presentation
- Serving at room temperature with dipping sauce
Regional Context: Teochew (Chaozhou) cuisine, originating from Guangdong’s eastern region, emphasizes ingredient purity, precise technique, and accompaniments that enhance rather than mask. This braised duck exemplifies the philosophy.
6. Wok-fried Glutinous Rice with Dried Scallop, Chinese Sausage and Black Truffle ★★★★★
Visual Presentation: The fried rice arrives mounded on the plate, individual grains glistening with wok hei (breath of the wok). Visible are amber Chinese sausage cubes, pale dried scallop fragments, and dark truffle shavings creating visual intrigue. The dish exhibits warm earth tones—cream, tan, mahogany, black.
Textural Excellence: Glutinous rice, when properly wok-fried, achieves satisfying chewiness—sticky yet separate, creating pleasant resistance. The rice should retain slight bite rather than becoming mushy. Dried scallops, rehydrated then shredded, contribute tender-fibrous texture. Chinese sausage (lap cheong) offers fatty-chewy contrast, with fat rendering during cooking. Black truffle shavings add no textural contribution but aromatic luxury.
Flavor Complexity: This dish demonstrates umami layering:
- Dried scallops: concentrated marine sweetness, intense savory depth
- Chinese sausage: sweet-savory pork, wine aromatics, slight tang from fermentation
- Black truffle: earthy, musky, almost chocolate-like complexity
- Base seasonings: likely soy sauce, oyster sauce, white pepper
- Wok hei: smoky, almost metallic intensity from high-heat cooking
Preparation Technique: Achieving excellence requires:
- Soaking glutinous rice 4-6 hours, steaming until just tender
- Soaking dried scallops, steaming with ginger-wine, shredding
- Dicing Chinese sausage, briefly pan-frying to render fat
- Very hot wok with minimal oil
- Adding rice in portions to prevent clumping
- Constant motion, tossing and stirring
- Truffle addition at final moment to preserve aromatics
Cultural Significance: Glutinous rice symbolizes family cohesion—its sticky nature representing unity. Incorporating luxurious ingredients elevates this humble staple to banquet-worthy status.
7. Double-boiled Peach Gum with Red Date and Glutinous Rice Ball, Steamed Nian Gao ★★★★
Visual Presentation: The dessert course offers dual components: a gentle soup dessert and traditional New Year cake. The peach gum dessert appears as translucent amber broth dotted with jewel-like ingredients—golden peach gum, dark red dates, white glutinous rice balls. The nian gao presents as glossy brown cake studded with crushed peanuts.
Textural Journey: Peach gum (桃胶), the resin from peach trees, reconstitutes into translucent, jelly-like pieces offering gentle bounce—similar to agar but more delicate. Red dates (jujubes) provide soft, almost creamy sweetness. Glutinous rice balls (tang yuan) contribute chewy, mochi-like texture with possible sweet filling. The nian gao achieves dense, sticky-chewy consistency—intensely glutinous—with crushed peanut coating adding granular crunch.
Flavor Profile: The double-boiled dessert offers gentle, natural sweetness from rock sugar and dates, with subtle floral notes from the peach gum. Red dates contribute caramel-like, almost apple-esque sweetness. The nian gao delivers concentrated sweetness from brown sugar, with peanuts providing roasted, nutty balance.
Preparation Insights:
- Peach gum requires overnight soaking, removal of impurities
- Double-boiling (water bath steaming) for 2-3 hours preserves delicate texture
- Nian gao preparation involves glutinous rice flour, brown sugar, water steamed for hours
- Peanut coating prevents sticking, adds flavor dimension
Symbolic Closure: Nian gao (年糕) sounds like “higher year,” symbolizing advancement and growth. Tang yuan represent family reunion and completeness. Red dates signify sweetness in the coming year.
Overall Culinary Assessment
The Sweet Happiness Set Menu demonstrates sophisticated understanding of Chinese banquet composition—progression from raw-fresh (yu sheng) through delicate soup, premium proteins, balanced flavors, substantial starch, concluding with symbolic sweetness. Each course builds upon the previous, creating crescendo then gentle resolution.
The menu showcases Teochew culinary values: ingredient quality paramount, technique serving enhancement rather than transformation, balance between richness and refreshment, symbolic meaning reinforcing celebratory purpose.
Pricing & Value: At $142 per person, the menu positions competitively for hotel Chinese fine dining featuring premium ingredients (abalone, bird’s nest, truffle). The early bird promotion (20% discount with advance payment by 28 January, or 10% for dine-in during the period) offers reasonable value considering ingredient costs and preparation complexity.
Final Reflections
Tien Court’s Blossoms of Fortune Dining transcends mere sustenance—it’s edible theater celebrating cultural continuity, seasonal transition, and communal hope. Each dish carries meaning beyond flavor, each ingredient whispers tradition. The meal invites diners to participate in rituals centuries old while experiencing contemporary culinary refinement.
For those seeking authentic Lunar New Year celebration through gastronomy, this menu delivers abundance, symbolism, and genuine culinary accomplishment.
Rating: 4.6/5 Stars
Practical Information:
- Location: Copthorne King’s Hotel, 403 Havelock Road, Level 2
- Nearest Station: Havelock MRT (Thomson-East Coast Line)
- Hours: Daily 12:00-14:30, 18:00-22:00
- Reservations: +65 6318 3193/3198