Quick answer: The treasure pot (pen cai) is centrepiece eating — layers of abalone, scallops, prawns and braised meats in a single deep vessel, meant to be shared. For 2026, Jiang Nan Chun and Shang Palace lead with Michelin-starred precision; Tung Lok throws in extras like claypot and nian gao; Jumbo Seafood keeps it seafood-clear and sells it vacuum-packed for home. Each has a different idea of abundance, so the right call depends on who is at the table and what the occasion asks for.
Pen cai looks straightforward — one big pot, everyone digs in — but the craft sits in how the stock is built and the order the ingredients go in, so each layer steams the one above it. These seven names have been doing it long enough that you taste the difference, whether you are ordering for reunion dinner or just because the family has been hinting they want something grand this year.
Peach Garden
Peach Garden at Thomson Plaza does a pen cai that thinks about the whole table — including the vegetarian auntie who usually gets a separate, sad-looking plate. Their treasure pot comes in variants: one in shark bone cartilage broth with lobster and six-head abalone, another built entirely without meat but still layered enough to feel like the main event. That range alone puts Peach Garden on the shortlist for multi-diet reunions.
The brand has picked up multiple awards for Chinese dining, and the portions are known to be generous — the kind where the leftovers become a very shiok lunch the next day. The Thomson Plaza outlet is handy if you are picking up a takeaway pot before heading to a relative’s place in the north.
- Address: 301 Upper Thomson Road, #01-88, Thomson Plaza, Singapore 574408
- Phone: +65 6254 3383
- Hours: Mon–Fri 11:30am – 2:30pm, 6:00pm – 10:00pm; Weekends & PH 11:00am – 3:00pm, 6:00pm – 10:00pm
Details at Peach Garden.
For other large-format feasting, some friends swear by Local Breakfast Spots in Singapore for a very different kind of abundance — soft eggs, kaya toast, kopi, and zero pretence.
Jumbo Seafood
Jumbo Seafood made its name on chilli crab, but the treasure pot is where the kitchen shows a different kind of patience. Braised in superior stock with abalone, prawns and scallops, it leans heavily on the clarity of the seafood rather than a heavy-handed sauce. The smart move is the vacuum-packed option — you collect it, reheat it at home, and suddenly your own dining table is the restaurant.
Good for the family that cannot agree on a date to eat out, or the one that just prefers eating pen cai in air-con shorts with no parking to worry about. The East Coast outlet is the most well-known, but there are branches scattered around the island.
- Address: Block 1206 East Coast Parkway, #01-07/08 East Coast Seafood Centre, Singapore 449883 (more outlets here)
- Phone: +65 6442 3435
- Hours: Daily 11:30am – 10:00pm
Order via WhatsApp.
This list is editorial, not advertising. Run something similar? Tell us what you do and we will take a look.
Maybe the occasion calls for sizzling meat instead — some groups go for Korean BBQ Restaurants in Singapore when sharing a pot of abalone feels too formal and they just want to grill and talk.
Crystal Jade
Crystal Jade has been feeding Singapore for so long it is practically part of the national furniture. Their Abundance Treasure Pot packs over 18 ingredients — abalone, sea cucumber, fish maw, scallops — into a single vessel for 6 to 8 people, with a broth that stays balanced even after you have picked through three layers. You are not hunting for flavour here; it is built into every spoonful.
Between 2016 and 2018 the brand held a Michelin One Star at one of its outlets, and the Bib Gourmand and AsiaOne People’s Choice awards that followed tell you they know how to keep quality consistent across branches. Ideal for the friend group that argues over Chinese restaurant rankings at the dinner table — you can settle it right there with the pen cai.
- Address: #05-22, The Paragon, 290 Orchard Road, Singapore 238859 (check here for more branches)
- Phone: +65 9177 2091
- Hours: Mon–Fri Lunch 11:00am – 3:00pm (LO 2:30pm), Dinner 6:00pm – 10:30pm (LO 10:00pm); Weekends & PH Lunch 10:30am – 3:30pm (LO 3:00pm), Dinner 6:00pm – 10:30pm (LO 10:00pm)
Book through Crystal Jade.
If a full-on feast feels like a lot, some prefer the pace of a Sunday Brunch in Singapore — same celebratory mood, just spread out over a long afternoon.
Shang Palace
Walk into Shang Palace at the Shangri-La and the quiet sets the tone — carpeted floors, soft service, the kind of room where you instinctively lower your voice. Their pen cai is called the Abundance Treasure Pot. The kitchen slow-braises the stock for six hours before any of the 18-plus ingredients — abalone, fish maw, roasted pork, sea cucumber — go in, and you can tell. Nothing shouts; everything settles, rich and clear.
Michelin recognition sits behind the name, earned across multiple guides for Cantonese execution that does not mess with tradition. It is the pot to pick when you want a hotel lunch that feels like an occasion, the kind where someone else pours the tea and you just focus on the food.
- Address: 22 Orange Grove Road, Tower Wing, Lobby Level, Shangri-La Singapore, Singapore 258350
- Phone: +65 6213 4398
- Hours: Lunch (Mon–Fri) 12:00pm – 2:30pm; Lunch (Weekends & PH) 11:00am – 3:00pm; Dinner (Daily) 6:00pm – 10:00pm
More details at Shang Palace.
Man Fu Yuan
Man Fu Yuan sits on the second floor of the InterContinental Singapore, and the setting already tells you what kind of meal this is going to be — heavy napery, practised service, a room that has hosted its share of big family milestones. Their Abundance Treasure Pot goes large: five-head abalone, rock lobster, goose web, more than 18 items in total, layered with the sort of precision that comes from kitchens that hold Michelin stars.
This is the pot for the relative who inspects the quality of the abalone before anything else, the one who can tell you whether the dried scallops are whole conpoy or pieces. Everything in here is a flex, but a quiet one — the broth ties it all together without shouting over the individual ingredients.
- Address: 80 Middle Road, Level 2 InterContinental Singapore, Singapore 188966
- Phone: +65 6825 1008/1062
- Hours: Lunch (Weekdays) 12:00pm – 3:00pm; Lunch (Weekends & PH) 11:30am – 3:00pm; Dinner (Daily) 6:00pm – 10:00pm
Check Man Fu Yuan for bookings.
This list is editorial, not advertising. Run something similar? Tell us what you do and we will take a look.
Jiang Nan Chun
Inside the Four Seasons on Orchard Boulevard, Jiang Nan Chun does the thing where everything on the table looks like it belongs in a magazine but still eats like a family meal. Their pen cai runs deep — abalone, sea cucumber, fish maw, whole conpoy, roast pork, prawns, Chinese mushrooms — and then they slip in house-made Impossible meatballs. A Michelin-starred kitchen putting plant-based protein next to roast pork in a traditional treasure pot is not something you see every day.
The thinking is practical: one pot that feeds the whole family exactly as they eat, no side negotiations about who does not take what. Book it when you have a mixed table of vegetarians and carnivores and you want everyone to feel like the meal was built for them.
- Address: 190 Orchard Boulevard, Four Seasons Hotel Singapore, Level 2, Singapore 248646
- Phone: +65 6831 7220
- Hours: Lunch 11:30am – 2:30pm; Dinner 6:00pm – 10:30pm
Visit Jiang Nan Chun to check seasonal availability.
Tung Lok
Tung Lok’s Prosperity Pen Cai is the one you order when there are ten mouths to feed and you do not want anyone leaving hungry. Abalone, prawns, roasted pork belly — the usual heavy hitters are all in there — and they throw in a claypot and a box of nian gao with the order. The complimentary items are not an afterthought; the claypot is yours to keep, great for reheating the second round.
The group has been in Singapore’s restaurant game long enough to know that value matters as much as taste, especially during Chinese New Year when the bills stack up. With branches islandwide, it is also one of the easier pots to collect no matter where your gathering is. Perfect for the big, noisy table that treats reunion dinner as a sport.
- Address: 26 Tai Seng Street, #02-01, J’Forte, Singapore 534057 (check more branches here)
- Phone: +65 6270 7998
- Hours: Varies by outlet; generally Lunch 11:30am – 3:00pm, Dinner 6:00pm – 10:30pm
Visit Tung Lok to check branch hours and order deadlines.
How to choose
First, count heads. Most pen cai are built for six to ten people, but the generous ones leave you with lunch the next day — not a small consideration when you are paying north of $300 for a good pot. Second, check what the stock is. Some lean on superior broth reduced for hours, others on a shark bone cartilage or seafood base that changes the whole direction of the dish. Third, look at the extras: does the order come with a claypot you keep, a vacuum pack you reheat at your own pace, or a box of nian gao to finish the meal? Small things, but they shift the value.
Price ranges run wide. You can find takeaway pots around $200, but the hotel heavyweights with six-head abalone and lobster climb past $500. For a ballpark, budget $50 to $80 a head for a restaurant-grade pen cai with premium seafood; anything less and you may be eating more mushroom and radish than abalone. Book early. The Michelin-starred kitchens start taking orders weeks before Chinese New Year, and the popular ones sell out fast.
Also think about logistics. If your reunion is at a relative’s flat in Ang Mo Kio, a takeaway pot from Peach Garden at Thomson Plaza saves you a cross-island drive. If half your table is vegetarian, Jiang Nan Chun or Peach Garden remove the need for a separate dish. And if the group chat is still arguing about timing, Jumbo’s vacuum pack sits patiently in the fridge until everyone is ready.
Quick comparison
| Restaurant | Standout ingredient | Serves | Price signal | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Peach Garden | Lobster, six-head abalone | Check with the business | Premium | Families who want a lighter or vegetarian option too |
| Jumbo Seafood | Abalone, prawns, scallops | Check with the business | Mid-to-upper | Home dining — comes vacuum-packed |
| Crystal Jade | 18+ ingredients, sea cucumber, fish maw | 6–8 persons | Mid-to-upper | A crowd that tracks Michelin and Bib Gourmand |
| Shang Palace | Abalone, fish maw, roasted pork | Check with the business | Premium | A slow six-hour braise, hotel dining |
| Man Fu Yuan | Five-head abalone, rock lobster, goose web | 6–8 persons | Premium | Old-money luxury, intricate layering |
| Jiang Nan Chun | Whole conpoy, Impossible meatballs | Check with the business | Premium-plus | Gatherings with a vegetarian — plant-based option built in |
| Tung Lok | Abalone, roasted pork belly | 10 persons | Mid-range | Large tables, free claypot and nian gao |
Summary
Seven very different treasure pots, one shared idea: gather people you care about around something that took hours to make. Jiang Nan Chun and Man Fu Yuan go deep on luxury, Tung Lok and Jumbo Seafood make it easy to eat at home, and Peach Garden and Crystal Jade give you the breadth to handle mixed-diet tables without extra work. Shang Palace stays the classic hotel choice when you want the occasion to feel polished from start to finish.
Disclaimer: Details, prices and availability may change. Confirm directly with the restaurant before you order, especially around festive seasons when cutoff dates shift.
If date night is next on the calendar, some couples prefer the quieter corners at Date Night Restaurants in Singapore — same attention to food, just a table for two.
Frequently asked questions
What is a treasure pot or pen cai?
A layered one-pot dish of premium ingredients — typically abalone, scallops, prawns, fish maw, sea cucumber and braised meats — slowly cooked in a rich stock. It is a centrepiece dish, especially during Lunar New Year, meant for sharing.
When should I order one?
Most restaurants start taking orders weeks before Chinese New Year, and the popular ones sell out. Book at least two to three weeks ahead of your planned meal date if you want a specific collection slot.
How many people does one pot feed?
Most pots serve six to ten people. Crystal Jade’s is built for 6–8, Tung Lok’s for 10. If you have a smaller group, expect leftovers — most pen cai reheat well.
Can I get a vegetarian treasure pot?
Yes. Peach Garden offers a vegetarian option, and Jiang Nan Chun includes house-made Impossible meatballs in its pen cai, making it suitable for mixed-diet tables.
Do any of these come as a takeaway?
Jumbo Seafood sells theirs vacuum-packed for home reheating. Tung Lok includes a claypot with its Prosperity Pen Cai order. Most restaurants offer takeaway during the festive season — check when ordering.
What should I expect to pay?
Prices range roughly from $200 for simpler takeaway pots to over $500 for the hotel restaurants using five- or six-head abalone and rock lobster. Budget around $50 to $80 per person for a premium pot.