Understanding Pen Cai: Beyond the CNY Hype

Pen cai, or poon choi, represents far more than just another Chinese New Year dish. This traditional Cantonese creation has deep cultural roots extending beyond Singapore’s common association with reunion dinners. Traditionally consumed during major festivals, religious ceremonies, and wedding banquets in Cantonese communities, pen cai symbolizes harmony and abundance through its carefully layered construction.

The dish’s name translates roughly to “basin vegetables,” referring to the large wooden or ceramic pot traditionally used to serve it. Each layer holds significance, with premium ingredients placed strategically throughout to ensure every diner receives a fair share of the treasures within.

The 2026 Landscape: What’s Changed

This year’s offerings reflect evolving consumer preferences and economic realities. With Chinese New Year falling on February 17th (Year of the Horse), restaurants have launched their menus earlier than usual, giving families ample time to plan their reunion dinners.

Several trends emerge across the 13 establishments reviewed:

Premium Positioning: Most offerings fall between $300-$600 for family-sized portions, reflecting both ingredient costs and the labor-intensive preparation required. Wan Hao’s Imperial Pot, built over a week, exemplifies this dedication to craft.

Health-Conscious Options: Eu Yan Sang’s entry stands out by explicitly avoiding artificial colors and preservatives, while incorporating wellness ingredients like cordyceps flowers and millets alongside traditional components.

Accessibility: Ming Kitchen’s 15 heartland collection points address a practical concern—not everyone can travel to hotel restaurants, especially during the busy CNY period.

Tier-by-Tier Analysis

Budget-Friendly Options ($118-$218)

New Moon’s Premium Prosperity Abalone Treasure Pot ($118) deserves recognition as the value champion. This canned option weighs 1.8kg and delivers 10 whole abalones—an impressive ratio for the price. The convenience factor cannot be overstated: no advance ordering stress, no collection timing constraints. However, canned pen cai lacks the freshness and theatrical presentation of restaurant versions.

Tam Kah’s Prosperity Pen Cai (from $168) represents the sweet spot for budget-conscious families seeking fresh preparation. As a seafood wholesaler, they leverage supply chain advantages to offer 6-head abalone, sea cucumber, and premium seafood at competitive prices. The dual sizing (5-pax and 10-pax) provides flexibility for different gathering sizes.

Mid-Range Excellence ($318-$428)

Crowne Plaza Changi Airport’s Bountiful Treasures ($318) innovates with pumpkin gravy—a departure from traditional abalone-based stocks. This collagen-rich base suggests a softer, slightly sweeter flavor profile that may appeal to those who find conventional pen cai too intensely savory. The six-person portion size suits smaller modern families.

Holiday Inn Atrium’s Xin Traditional Pen Cai ($398) embodies authenticity without pretension. The ingredient list reads like a pen cai textbook: whole abalone, sea cucumber, roast meat, and fresh scallops. The 15% discount sweetens an already reasonable proposition. Their upgrade option ($428) adds lobster—a worthwhile splurge for special occasions.

Premium Indulgence ($468-$788)

Madame Fan’s Prosperity Poon Choi (from $468) introduces a modern refinement to traditional preparations. The slow-braising with premium yam in homemade abalone broth suggests a velvety, umami-rich gravy that coats each ingredient. At $468 for five persons, the per-person cost approaches $94—luxury territory that promises restaurant-quality execution.

Wan Hao’s Imperial Pot of Prosperity (from $588) commands attention through sheer ingredient diversity. Fourteen components include rarities like goose feet and Chinese wine-marinated free-range chicken. The week-long construction period ensures each element reaches optimal flavor before assembly. The 3-head Australian abalone alone justifies a significant portion of the cost.

Shangri-La’s Abundance Treasure Pot ($538) targets the serious pen cai enthusiast. Six hours of preparation for eight diners translates to meticulous attention to texture and flavor development. The whole dace fish inclusion—uncommon in many competitors—adds a traditional element often sacrificed in modern interpretations.

Ingredient Deep Dive

The Abalone Question

Abalone dominates these offerings, appearing in various grades from whole pieces to braised preparations. The head count matters significantly:

• 3-head abalone (Wan Hao): Approximately 800-900g per piece, incredibly tender
• 6-head abalone (Tam Kah): Around 400-500g per piece, excellent balance of size and affordability
• 8-head abalone (Hai Tien Lo, Pan Pacific): Roughly 300-400g per piece, standard for quality pen cai
• 10-head abalone (Ming Kitchen, New Moon): About 250-300g per piece, still premium but more accessible

The larger the abalone (lower head count), the more tender and prized the meat. However, well-prepared smaller abalone can deliver excellent flavor and texture at better value.

Sea Cucumber and Fish Maw: The Texture Players

These ingredients rarely contribute bold flavors but transform pen cai texture. Sea cucumber provides satisfying chew and absorbs surrounding flavors like a culinary sponge. Fish maw (dried swim bladder) offers collagen-rich silkiness that enriches the gravy.

Carlton Hotel’s Wah Lok specifically highlights these elements in their three-layer construction, suggesting they understand the textural symphony great pen cai requires.

The Texture Symphony: Why Mouthfeel Matters

A truly exceptional pen cai delivers a complex textural experience with every spoonful. Understanding these texture elements separates mediocre from memorable versions:

The Foundational Textures

Silky-Gelatinous (Collagen-Rich Components)

Fish maw, braised pork knuckle, and sea cucumber create luxurious, mouth-coating sensations. When properly prepared, fish maw should yield a soft, almost custardy texture that dissolves gently on the tongue. Pork knuckle contributes sticky, unctuous gelatin that clings to other ingredients and enriches the gravy into a lip-smacking consistency.

Wan Hao’s week-long preparation and Shangri-La’s six-hour cooking process specifically target this textural development. Rushing this step results in rubbery fish maw and tough collagen instead of the desired velvety mouthfeel.

Firm-Tender (Premium Proteins)

Abalone exemplifies this category when done right. Properly braised abalone should resist initial bite, then yield to gentle chewing with a springy, almost bouncy quality. Overcooked abalone becomes tough and rubbery; undercooked feels slimy. The head count matters here—larger 3-head abalones generally achieve superior tenderness through longer, slower cooking.

Fresh scallops (appearing in Xin Cuisine and Madame Fan’s versions) provide sweet, buttery tenderness that contrasts beautifully with chewier elements. Sea cucumber, when properly rehydrated and braised, offers a unique springy-soft texture unlike anything else in the pot.

Crispy-Crunchy (Textural Highlights)

These elements prevent monotonous softness. Fried bean curd skin provides delicate crispness that gradually softens in the gravy, creating textural evolution throughout the meal. Wan Hao’s Crispy ‘Sha-Jing’ Oyster specifically calls out this quality, suggesting they fry the oysters before braising to maintain some textural contrast.

Vegetables like broccoli, Chinese cabbage, and lotus root (in Eu Yan Sang’s version) contribute essential crunch. However, timing is critical—vegetables added too early turn mushy; too late and they remain undercooked in the thick gravy.

Soft-Pillowy (Comfort Elements)

Braised mushrooms (shiitake, button, or the premium white flower mushrooms in Eu Yan Sang’s Heritage Pot) absorb surrounding flavors while maintaining a tender, yielding texture. They act as flavor sponges, providing umami-rich bites throughout.

Bean curd skin bags, wontons (Hai Tien Lo), and fish balls offer soft, comforting textures that balance the premium ingredients. These elements make pen cai feel substantial rather than just luxurious.

The Gravy Component: Liquid Gold

The gravy’s viscosity fundamentally affects the entire textural experience:

Thin-Clear Gravies: Traditional Cantonese preparation yields a lighter, more refined sauce that coats ingredients without overwhelming. This style highlights individual ingredient textures but may feel less indulgent.

Thick-Rich Gravies: Extended braising with collagen-rich ingredients (pork trotters, chicken feet, fish maw) creates viscous, lip-smacking gravies. Crowne Plaza’s pumpkin-based gravy likely falls into this category, offering natural sweetness and body.

The superior stocks mentioned by Wah Lok and the homemade abalone broth from Madame Fan suggest concentrated, intensely flavored bases that cling to every ingredient, creating a cohesive textural experience.

Layering Strategy and Texture Flow

Traditional pen cai construction follows deliberate logic:

Bottom Layer: Sturdy vegetables (radish, cabbage, taro) provide structure while absorbing gravy. They soften but shouldn’t disintegrate, offering sweet, tender bites at meal’s end. Pan Pacific’s yam layer exemplifies this foundation.

Middle Layers: Meats and more robust ingredients (pork belly, roast duck, mushrooms) sit here, allowing their fats and flavors to permeate downward while staying accessible.

Top Layer: Premium showpieces (whole abalone, lobster, large prawns) crown the pot, visible and easily served first. These maintain their distinct textures by spending less time submerged in hot gravy.

Wah Lok’s three-layer construction and Madame Fan’s “treasure trove” description suggest careful attention to this architectural principle.

Temperature’s Role in Texture

Pen cai’s communal serving style means texture evolves throughout the meal:

First Servings: Top ingredients remain distinct with clear textural boundaries. Abalone feels springy, prawns snap cleanly, roast meat retains some exterior texture.

Middle Servings: Everything begins melding as ingredients continue cooking in residual heat. Textures soften, flavors intensify, and the gravy thickens from released starches and proteins.

Final Servings: Bottom vegetables achieve peak tenderness, fully saturated with gravy. Some diners prefer these deeply flavored, ultra-soft bites over the premium top-layer ingredients.

Dine-in service maintains optimal temperature control, while takeaway options require careful reheating to avoid overcooking delicate ingredients like prawns and scallops.

Textural Red Flags

Rubbery Abalone: Indicates rushed preparation or poor-quality ingredient. Properly braised abalone should never feel like rubber bands.

Mushy Vegetables: Suggests poor timing or extended holding. Fresh, properly cooked vegetables should retain some structure even after braising.

Separated Gravy: When liquid pools separately instead of clinging to ingredients, collagen extraction was insufficient or the pot was reheated incorrectly.

Uniform Softness: If everything feels the same in the mouth, the pen cai lacks textural diversity—a sign of mediocre execution.

Enhancing Texture at Home

For takeaway orders like Tam Kah’s or Ming Kitchen’s:

Reheating Method: Use gentle heat over stovetop rather than microwave. Add liquid if gravy seems too thick. Bring to simmer, then reduce heat immediately.

Vegetable Timing: If your pen cai includes raw vegetables separately, add them only for the final 3-5 minutes of reheating to maintain crunch.

Resting Period: Let the pot rest 2-3 minutes after heating before serving. This allows textures to settle and prevents scalding.

Sequential Serving: Serve top-layer ingredients first while they maintain optimal texture, progressing downward as the meal continues.

The Ultimate Texture Experience

The best pen cai—whether Wan Hao’s $588 Imperial Pot or Tam Kah’s $218 Superior option—delivers a complete textural journey: the initial snap of fresh prawn, the yielding tenderness of braised abalone, the satisfying chew of sea cucumber, the silky richness of fish maw, the crispy-soft transformation of bean curd skin, and the sweet, gravy-soaked vegetables at the finale.

This textural complexity distinguishes pen cai from simple stews or hotpots. It’s orchestrated eating, where each layer reveals new sensations and the communal nature ensures everyone experiences the full textural spectrum from first bite to last.

The Meat Factor

Traditional pen cai balances seafood with succulent meats:

• Pork knuckle/trotter: Collagen bombs that enrich gravy and provide sticky, tender meat
• Roast duck/pork belly: Adds smoky, fatty richness to contrast delicate seafood
• Chicken: Often marinated or slow-cooked, contributes depth without overwhelming

Eu Yan Sang’s plant-based protein option signals changing times, though purists may prefer traditional preparations.

Value Proposition Analysis

Calculating value requires examining ingredient quality, portion size, and convenience factors:

Best Overall Value: Tam Kah’s Superior option at $218 for 10 persons equals $21.80 per head while delivering premium seafood from a specialist supplier.

Best Luxury Value: Holiday Inn Atrium’s traditional pen cai at $398 (with 15% discount = $338.30) offers restaurant-quality preparation with premium ingredients at a price point below most hotel competitors.

Best Convenience: New Moon’s canned option eliminates scheduling stress and still delivers respectable quality, though it sacrifices the “wow factor” of fresh preparation.

The Dine-In vs. Takeaway Debate

Several establishments offer both options, but the experience differs dramatically:

Dine-In Advantages:

• Professional presentation and table-side service
• Optimal serving temperature throughout the meal
• No reheating concerns
• Complete CNY ambiance

Takeaway Benefits:

• Comfort and privacy of home
• No time constraints or table turnover pressure
• Often more affordable
• Can combine with other dishes more easily

Madame Fan, Wan Hao, and Shang Palace excel at dine-in experiences, while Tam Kah and Ming Kitchen optimize for takeaway convenience.

Red Flags and Considerations

Reheating Requirements: Eu Yan Sang’s note about pouring ingredients into a pot for heating suggests their pen cai arrives in storage format rather than serving-ready condition. This extra step may disappoint those expecting lift-and-serve convenience.

Collection-Only Restrictions: Ming Kitchen’s self-collection requirement, while offset by multiple locations, may challenge those without transport or dealing with bulky orders for large gatherings.

Advance Booking Urgency: Popular restaurants like Wan Hao and Shang Palace typically sell out weeks before CNY. The article wisely advises early reservation, but this timeline pressure adds stress to already hectic holiday planning.

Standout Performers

Most Innovative: Crowne Plaza Changi’s pumpkin gravy base reimagines tradition while maintaining respect for the dish’s essence.

Most Authentic: Wah Lok’s unchanged recipe over multiple years signals confidence and consistency that loyal customers appreciate.

Best for Large Gatherings: Tung Lok’s 10-person portion with free claypot, walnut cream, and nian gao provides complete CNY value beyond just the pen cai.

Most Health-Conscious: Eu Yan Sang integrates wellness principles into tradition, appealing to health-aware families without completely abandoning cultural expectations.

Final Verdict

The Singapore pen cai market in 2026 offers something for every budget and preference. The key lies in matching your priorities to the right offering:

Choose Tam Kah for unbeatable seafood value and quality ingredients without hotel markups.

Choose Holiday Inn Atrium (Xin Cuisine) for authentic, restaurant-quality pen cai at mid-premium pricing with excellent ingredient selection.

Choose Wan Hao or Shangri-La when celebrating a milestone occasion that justifies luxury pricing and meticulously prepared premium ingredients.

Choose New Moon when convenience and reliability matter more than peak freshness or presentation.

Choose Ming Kitchen for heartland accessibility and solid quality without traveling to town or making advance commitments.

The beauty of pen cai lies not just in its ingredients but in the gathering it facilitates. Whether you spend $118 or $788, the true value emerges when family and friends share the meal together—exactly as this Cantonese tradition intended. This Year of the Horse, may your pen cai overflow with prosperity, harmony, and delicious abundance.