Christmas Feasting at Goodwood Park Hotel 

Looking for a place to celebrate the festive season? Sassy Mama Priyanka discovers a holiday wonderland of tasty delights at Goodwood Park Hotel

Christmas is less than a month away and if you’re still thinking about where to get all your gorgeous yuletide treats and sumptuous take-aways for your Christmas feast, we can help!

Forget about slaving in the kitchen, mama! This year, the highly talented culinary team at the Goodwood Park Hotel has once again launched their mouthwatering range of both sweet and savoury festive delights available at the Deli, including the new and succulent Goodwood Portuguese-style Curry Turkey ($218, serves 10-12 people) and the Turkey ‘Kueh Pie Tee’ with homemade chilli sauce ($18/10 pieces or $32/20 pieces). Sounds interesting right?

I’m not great in the kitchen on any given day and with all the pressure on for the perfect Christmas feast, I mentally checked off the menu that was going to be served at my house this year! Where else can you boast about having the Portuguese-style curry turkey? Forget stuffing and traditional cranberry sauce this year – this gorgeous creation was so succulent and moist, it felt like the perfect East-meets-West marriage. And it’s served with fresh, warm baguettes – all the better to mop up that delicious curry gravy with!

Having said that, I have to admit I’m a bigger fan of porky pig than turkey, so the other must-haves on my dinner table will include the Boneless gammon ham with vanilla-pineapple sauce ($208 for 12 – 15 persons) and the Slow roasted Ibérico pork belly with crackling, pickled cabbage, apple sauce and pork jus ($320 for six to eight persons). Yes, this decadently rich pork belly (it takes over three hours to roast!) won’t do anything for my waistline, but it’s Christmas! The crackling was so crisp and flavourful, this pork belly is totally worth all those calories.

Or decorate your dinner table with exquisite sweet treats such as the Caramel Chocolate Tart ($36 for 500g) or the Manjari Chocolate & Cassis Mousse Log Cake ($76 for 1kg). In my book, you can’t go wrong with chocolate. Luscious, dark chocolate mousse layered with tangy blackcurrant mousse, and a centre of poached apples and pears wrapped within the hazelnut genoise, all on a crunchy sablé feuilleté base – you’re drooling just as you read this, aren’t you?? I also really liked the Salted Caramel Nuts Cake ($38 for 500g), for its different textures and sweet-salty combination – there’s no chance anything this elegant could be created with my baking skills!

Durian lovers must get their hands on the signature D24 Durian Christmas Log Cake ($69 for 1kg) or the uber-cute D24 Durian Snowman ($38/pair). I don’t particularly care for durian, but it’s hard to give up on these cute little choux paste guys without giving them a try. Yes, there is a definite durian taste, but nothing that you could possibly dislike – it’s covered in butter, sugar and cream, remember? I tried it, and strongly recommend that you do too.

Keen to create your own edible Christmas Tree, mama? Pick up the DIY Christmas Rainbow Tree ($32 per set), and get some melt-in-your-mouth Almond Sable Cookies ($16/pair) to hang on a real Christmas tree. And they’re the perfect red-green combo too! Now you can really have your cake (ok fine, cookie) and eat it too! I think the DIY rainbow tree make for great Christmas pressies too – it’s the ideal Christmas family-bonding activity and it’s not something available at any store in town! Did I mention they even throw in a piping bag of icing and a box of mini-chocolate balls to get you started with the decorating? As for the giant almond cookies… I totally understand if you end up eating a cookie or two while you’re decorating your tree – I know I will!

Not sure what to get? If you aren’t feeling too adventurous, I recommend getting the takeaway The Traditional Christmas Combo ($328, U.P. $413), for it includes turkey with stuffing, giblet gravy and cranberry sauce, honey-glazed boneless ham with vanilla-pineapple sauce, a chocolate log cake and the DIY Christmas rainbow tree. For Christmas with a twist, The Local Christmas Combo ($278, U.P. $351) gets you the lovely Portuguese-style curry turkey, Turkey ‘kueh pie tee’, D24 durian Christmas log cake and the DIY Christmas rainbow tree.

And if you’re looking for an elegant, intimate venue to host cocktails or a small gathering, check out the recently opened Tudor Courtyard at the Goodwood Park Hotel – it’s gorgeous! It’s also quite perfect for weddings and solemnisations, especially since the Courtyard can be covered and can comfortably accommodate 100 people. Think extravagant flower arrangements and candles on each table, and buffet tables marking the perimeter of the ‘room’. While it’s already beautiful during the day, soft lighting and music transform this courtyard into something really special in the evening – something that your guests will remember for a long time!

Goodwood Park Hotel, 22 Scotts Road, Singapore 228221, Tel: (+65) 6737 7411

www.goodwoodparkhotel.com