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Merry Christmas-At-Home DO you love throwing parties - especially for Christmas - but loathe the shopping, preparing, cooking and subsequent clean-up? Go ahead with the stylish party at home by taking advantage of the fact that countless restaurants are offering takeaways not just of bakery items but also hot courses, from turkey to ribs, as well as appetisers and canapes to whet your guests' appetites. Hilton, for example, does a complete Christmas at Home service. For $90++ per person (for a minimum of eight people), you get steamed langouste, mushroom consomme with duck liver ravioli, stuffed roasted turkey (with vegetables and cranberry in gravy), a Christmas log cake from Checkers Deli. And this includes bread and delivery to your doorstep. The menu can also be tailored to your request. Hilton also has six cold canapes, such as lobster medallion with caviar cream and duck liver with orange on walnut bread, and five hot canapes, such as escargot and mini scallop skewer.
Among the delectable savouries that you can order from the bakery are tandoori turkey with saffron rice ($148 for a 7kg turkey, enough for 10 to 12 servings), roasted turkey with apple and chestnut stuffing (same price and quantity), honey-glazed gammon ham with roasted potatoes and vegetables ($162 for a 3.5kg ham, 18 to 20 servings), and a prime rib of beef with roast potatoes and vegetables ($198 for 4kg piece with bone, eight to 12 servings). They also offer appetisers such as salmon, and two types of soup, clam chowder ($24 for 1 litre or five servings) and cream of roasted turkey and mushroom ($23 for same quantity). Ah Teng's doesn't do deliveries, but said the hotel's marketing communications assistant manager, Lynn Yeow: "For large orders, we can definitely make arrangements." Over at Marriot Hotel, you can pick up Christmas roasts such as turkey with chestnut stuffing and port wine sauce ($77.95++ for 4.5kg), $169++ for 5.5kg), and beef sirloin with port wine sauce and horseradish sauce ($82.90++ for 2.8kg). You can also buy side dishes such as seasonal vegetables ($36++ for six servings), herb mashed potatoes ($18++ for six servings) and pumpkin soup ($22.50++ for six). Many other hotels and restaurants have similar takeaway dishes and some are excellent for gifts, too. At Shangri-La Hotel, the roasted turkey with thyme and parsley stuffing comes in a hamper with roasted potatoes and pudding ($175 for 8kg turkey). It also has hampers for ham, and for Beef Wellington. The hotel delivers for $35. Some need to be ordered several days in advance or deliver only up to a certain date, so do start your planning early. And don't forget the Christmas desserts available at the various hotels and restaurants, from steamed English pudding with brandy sauce from Ah Teng's bakery ($28 for 500g) to Christmas tiramisu with cherry log cake from Shangri-La. This Is Christmas Magic. This Is The Card. |
Another
good place to pick up food for a party is Ah Teng's Bakery at Raffles
Hotel, which has more than just baked goods.