To families who typically roll out the steamboat set every reunion dinner, here’s dedicated guide just for you!

Up your steamboat game

It’s not a steamboat without our favourite items like cheese tofu, Fuzhou fishball and golden mushrooms. But for the annual reunion dinner, you may wish to beef it up a little. And by ‘beef’, we mean Blackwood Valley Black Angus beef. To the seafood lovers, we’ve got a treasure trove for you too! Here are some ideas:

1. Free-Range Shabu Shabu Meats

Whether or not anyone in your family has gluten restrictions, the premium selection of free-range meats at Ryan’s Grocery is a great addition to your reunion hot pot. Not only do they exclusively retail organic grass-fed Blackwood Valley Black Angus Beef Shabu-Shabu ($9.60/ 200g) from Perth, but an amazing range including Pork Belly Rolled Coin Shape ($9.60/ 200g), Kurobuta USA Pork Collar Shabu Shabu ($17.60/ 200g) as well. Special mention goes out to their house-made meatball platters, which are satisfyingly wholesome and chunky. For those looking to add-on roast meats to the table, Ryan’s Grocery does a mean gluten-free Roast Pork Loin Rolled ($88/ approx. 2kg before roasting) that is marinated in red wine and garlic. Free delivery is only available before 3 Feb for purchases above $150, otherwise, a $30 per trip charge is applicable. For details on order and collection dates, head over to www.ryansgrocery.com.

2. Seafood Pot of Abundance

This Chinese New Year, the purveyor of the freshest seafood in town, Oceans of Seafood from PasarBella tempts us all with their Pot of Abundance ($168, serves 6 to 8 pax, pictured), which comes with complimentary cheese baked oysters. It includes ingredients such as South African rock lobster, blue mussels, scallops, snapper and seabass, as well as a trio of miso, kimchi and shoyu sauces. Note: The seafood comes pre-cooked. Simply heat it up for 15-20 minutes before digging in. Need more alternatives? Visit iChef’s retail store at The Cathay. The Auspicious Steamboat Set ($188, serves up to 10 pax) comes with 3kg premium snow crab leg, 1kg clams, 2kg argentine red prawns and a chicken soup base. Home delivery is available for both Oceans of Seafood and iChef.

3. Pork and Chicken Gyozas

For hassle-free preparation, bring to your steamboat this year CP Foods’ array of steamboat-friendly bites. Add a subtle Japanese touch to the meal with Chicken Gyoza (2 for $8.95, 400g each) or Pork and Chicken Gyoza with Suki Sauce (2 for $9.90, 400g each). Or add to the richness of the broth by simmering their Chicken Cake (2 for $6.95, 350g each) – chicken meat wrapped with bean curd skin, which can alternatively be stir fried with noodles or made into mini burgers! These products are available in all major supermarkets at special festive prices as stated above.

Customise your own dips

Besides meats, you’ll also find a heap of gluten-free condiments piled on the shelves of Ryan’s Grocery. The selection includes chutneys and caramalised vinegars from Latasha’s Kitchen, as well as Triston Bay Dressings’ Chilli and Orange Ginger ($13.90 for 250 ml). Whip up your own dipping sauces with mix-and-match of various sauces and relishes. For stronger tasting meats such as lamb shabu-shabu, the owners recommend combining Ayam Fish Sauce ($3.90) with Ayam Honey and Soy Sauce ($3.90), Suma Peanut Butter ($10.90) and Jensen’s Crushed Chilli ($5.30) for the perfect accompaniment.

Try a new hot pot restaurant

Still find it to be too much of a hassle? Avoid all that cleaning up, take a break from the kitchen and try a new steamboat restaurant such as Fu Lin Men Dou Lao. The premium Macau-style hot pot joint at North Canal Road will be offering Chinese New Year set menus for groups of 4, 6, 10 or 12 ($168 to $598), inclusive of must-try dishes such as Beer Marinated Marbled Beef, Handcrafted Dou Lao Meat Balls and Freshly Cultured Sea Prawns with Marbled Beef. Each diner here gets his or her individual hot pot and private rooms catering to small groups of four or larger parties of 30 are also available. Read our full review here.

Written by Peh Yi Wen Images: Ryan's Grocery, Oceans of Seafood, CP Foods, Fu Lin Men Dou Lao