Kunghei fatchoy! Whether you’re looking to host an elaborate multi-course dinner to celebrate the Year of the Tiger or just want to know a little bit more about it, there’s one dish that’s perfect for kicking off the festivities. Back in 2018, we paid a visit to Hakkasan Hanway Place to talk to master chef Tong Chee Hwee about the famous Singaporean delicacy Prosperity salad (also known as Lo Hei or Yu Sheng), his take on it and how it should be served during Lunar New Year.
While spiralized vegetable salads may seem like a more recent invention, many traditional dishes found in China and the rest of Asia consist of different strands of thinly-sliced vegetables tangled together in a dressing. Prosperity salad is one of these – while some of the ingredients can change depending on who’s cooking it, shredded vegetables are a must. Chef Tong has added his own twist to the dish for the menu at Hakkasan, which replaces the traditional strips of raw fish with something new.
‘We have a new dish called the Fortune Tale which is a Prosperity salad with crispy chicken,’ he says. ‘I created this using roasted chicken instead of raw fish, then added jellyfish and plum sauce together to symbolise abundance, prosperity and vigour.’