SINGAPORE, Jan 21 — The Lunar New Year will be upon us in less than two weeks, and that means one thing: It’s time for the all-important tradition of the reunion dinner.

If you have decided to forego the fuss-free experience of gathering with your relatives at a restaurant and have instead decided to undertake the mammoth task of whipping up enough food to feed a village at your own home, we salute you.

But before you start panicking, throwing a reunion dinner does not need to be that daunting. Here are our tips on how to impress.

1) De-clutter and organise your home

This is probably the least favourite thing on anybody’s list this festive season, but somebody’s got to do it. If you have not started yet — no need to feel guilty. Decluttering can be fairly easy.

For those with messes lying everywhere around your home, try its RASKOG trolley, which can double up as a practical storage space, said IKEA Tampines Singapore’s interior design manager Ping Ng. He added that CNY goodies can also be kept on the upper rack so they are easily within reach. As for parents, store your children’s toys and knick knacks in the BOSNAS footstool that contains a concealed storage under its seat.

Or, you can take that one-size-too-small pair of jeans or that sweater you haven’t worn in two years and list them on Carousell. You get to prolong their lifespan and reduce waste at the same time — a neat solution, don’t you think?

2) Add some decorative touches

Next, add some Lunar New Year vibes to the dining table with IKEA’s new LYCKSALIG collection. Bright red in colour and sporting cherry blossom flower motifs with subtle hints of gold, the items, which includes tins, plates and mugs, are perfect for a reunion dinner set-up. Stock up your CNY snacks and goodies in the tins which come in three shapes and sizes, and stack them up to save space. Lay out the collection’s red paper napkins and then place the LYCKSALIG mugs and plates on your place mats to complete the look. The best part? The pieces all cost below S$20 (RM62.40) each, so you don’t have to worry about breaking the bank.

3) Food food food

Now it’s time for what everyone is most looking forward to — the scrumptious food, of course. First, treat your guests to these sweet and savoury delights — a healthier version of Salted Egg Yolk Biscuits — that consist of organic coconut oil which you can prepare easily at home with subscription service Batterful’s new baking kit. Each kit is priced at S$20 and can make up to 18 biscuits. Order it on their online website. (https://www.batterful.com/)

For mains, grab Eu Yan Sang’s DIY ‘Peng Cai’ set (royal supreme abalone treasure pot) (S$128) that comes with a complimentary fortune pot worth S$109. This fuss-free pot of goodness — which contains ingredients such as whole abalones, dried mushrooms, abalone mushroom slices and dried scallops in supreme broth — requires only that you heat up the contents until they start to bubble in the pot. It is available at all their retail stores (www.euyansang.com.sg/stores).

To supplement the dish, grab some juicy meats from Kam’s Roast, such as Roast Suckling Pig and Roast Duck. The famed Michelin-starred restaurant from Hong Kong has partnered with online reservation service The Chope Group for a new online takeaway service (https://shop.chope.co/pages/kams-roast-cny). Order between now and Jan 22nd and collect your dishes on Jan 27 or Feb 4. Alternatively, you can also choose to collect the dishes earlier or later.

If you’re having a traditional steamboat, save yourself the trouble by ordering an eight-piece Jumbo Shrimp Wonton (S$6.80) and a Clear Chicken Broth concentrate (S$2.50) from CP Foods’ new e-commerce platform (cpshopz.sg), and get your food delivered straight to your home.

Your CNY feast will not be complete without the traditional Lo Hei to round up the night. Similar to last year, IKEA will be offering its Salmon Yu Sheng (S$13.80) that is available for pick-up at the Swedish Food Market. You can also get Yu Sheng from family-friendly restaurant Swensen’s and Chinese restaurant Paradise Classic. Swensen’s Fortune 18 Yu Sheng box (S$23.80 for eight pax) is made up of smoked salmon pieces and 18 ingredients such as shimeji mushrooms and crispy wanton skins, while Paradise Classic’s Prosperity Abalone Yu Sheng (S$45.80 for eight pax) will include a can of eight-head to 10-head abalone with each purchase. The Fortune 18 Yu Sheng box will be available at all Swensen’s outlet whereas Paradise Classic’s Yu Sheng will be available only at their City Square mall outlet, #B2-01/02.

4) Bottoms up

No need to queue; get alcohol delivered to your doorstep with online delivery service Alcohol Delivery. Helmed by siblings Travis and Suzanne Chia, the service offers everything from beer kegs to soju, craft beers and sake. The drinks appear chilled, and can be delivered within an hour of booking (between 12pm to 10.30pm). They are also having a promotion for CNY where a bottle of Martell Cognac is priced at S$88.80 instead of the usual price of S$115. The promotion will end on Feb 11.

You can also complement your CNY dishes with Wolf Bass’ President’s Selection Gold Label Cabernet Sauvignon 2013 and President’s Selection Gold Label Shiraz 2015 — the bottles feature a limited edition Year of the Rooster labels on striking golden bottles to mark the Year of the Rooster. The Shiraz is rich and full-bodied with dominant blueberries and blackberries on the nose, so pair this with sweet dishes such as sweet and sour pork. The Cabernet Sauvignon on the other hand, gives off hints of eucalypt that helps refresh the palate, so sip on this after supping on strong meat dishes such as stir-fried beef with peppers. Both bottles are priced at S$37.90 and are available at selected FairPrice supermarkets. ― TODAY