Chinese New Year 2014 – Goodies Galore

I know I should be writing about Chinese New Year (CNY) but have been dragging my feet on it and now, the festival is less than a week away. As I have tried most of the CNY goodies from stalls at Takashimaya's CNY Festive Celebrations in previous years, I would just highlight the new participants this year – 3 Bites Full, Fresh Seafood House, Kuuki which offers cookies (I tried and like the hazelnut ones) in transparent bottles with metallic covers and brightly-coloured stickers or colourful metal tins, Kuo Yuan He from Taiwan, Serenity Spanish Restaurant that opened its 2nd branch on the 5th floor of the shopping mall after VivoCity, and Yi Lai.

Chinese New Year 2013 – Goodies Galore

Used to bask in Chinese New Year (CNY) atmosphere at Chinatown's Festive Street Bazaar every year but now prefer the CNY Festive Celebrations at air-conditioned Takashimaya Square (B2) with tamer crowds. A smaller affair with fewer stalls and none selling clothes, potted plants and pomelos meant customers get a bit of everything here and less of the same. No more dizzying choices with just one to three stalls each hawking dried and waxed products, canned abalone and frozen seafood as well as mandarin oranges, noodles and decorative items. Other than a few Japanese stalls, participants this year include Macau's Choi Heong Yuen and Taiwan's Isabelle. Interestingly, Hong Kong's Eat Drink Tea sells neither tea leaves nor tea bags but sachets of organic white, green, red and black tea essences in pretty boxes. The only traditional nuts and preserved fruits stall, by King of Melon Seeds, also has childhood munchies in sampler packs.