ONE of my favourite things to eat during the Chinese New Year season is pen chai, or poon choi in Cantonese. Literally, it means pot of dishes, and it originated in Hong Kong. One legend has it that poor villagers from fishing villages would gather during the festive season.

Each household would be armed with the best ingredients they could find - whether it be fresh vegetables, pork, fish and chicken. Everything would then be thrown into a wooden pot and cooked, and this meal-in-a-dish would be the centrepiece of a Chinese New Year feast.

Today, it is a totally luxe dish. Whole abalones are mixed in, with oysters, fish maw and other pricey ingredients.

COMMUNITY

It doesn't matter if this version is the true version because the idea of sharing as a community is always welcome.

Anyway, over the past three years or so, the popularity of pen chai has soared.

Almost everywhere you go, you'll find a restaurant offering its own version. If you have a small family, ordering one pot is good enough to last at least three days. On the first day, finish up the expensive stuff as these do not take too well to reheating.

Then, heat the leftovers in a slow fire and you'll have a a great dish to eat with your rice. The pork and chicken hold up well to reheating, just throw in vegetables (lettuce works best for me) and a glass of water to re-moisten it.

By the end of the week, the sauce is fragrant and you'll devour every last bit. Of course by then, your pot will need a few days of soaking to get the burnt bits out. It?s troublesome but worth the effort.

With such a variety of pen chai available, you must bear in mind that there is no such thing as equality.

I've tasted wonderful pen chais that are bursting with flavours and the ingredients were fresh. And I've tasted pen chais so tepid, I might as well drink tap water. I was lucky this season to taste more good than bad pen chais, though my one glaringly bad experience remained with me till this day.

Here are two of my favourites:

Hai Xiang Restaurant
Parkroyal on Kitchener Road

When you're there, ask them about the pen chai. Created by Chef Poon Dor Kou, Hai Xiang's version is layered with 18 ingredients, such as pork knuckle, fish maw, abalone, dried scallops and black moss rolls. The items are first individually cooked on its own, then reassembled inside the pot.

I love how everything blends together, and I loved the surprise of a gigantic pork knuckle lurking in there somewhere. It's priced at $188 for six and you can order this for dine-in or takeaway.

To make a reservation, call 6428 3012.

Wan Hao Chinese Restaurant
Singapore Marriott Hotel

This is one of those restaurants where you can expect to pay more than others, but you know it'll be worth the money.

Wan Hao's pen chai contains South African abalone conpoy, dried oysters and fish maw, among other luxe ingredients. The price might scare - $428 for six. And it's $70 per additional order. But remember that sometimes, you'll have to pay for quality.

Call the hotel's hotline at 6831 4708 for information.