Channel NewsAsia 30 Dec 07;
SINGAPORE: 2008 is just two days away and some Singaporeans are celebrating the start of a new year in extravagance.
While some are contented with the usual highlights of a New Year's party, others prefer to make it an event to remember, spending up to S$1,000 per person for a New Year's Eve dinner package.
The restaurant, Le Saint Julien, is preparing an eight-course dinner with high-end produce like oysters and caviar, specially flown in from France.
Paying more than S$500 per person, customers will also enjoy scallops from Japan as well as champagne.
The package comes with a front-row view of the fireworks at Marina Bay.
Julien Bompard, owner of Le Saint Julien, said: "We really have a lot of Singaporeans on tables for two. We've noticed that on some of the bigger tables, the host is Singaporean and he has invited his friends from abroad to celebrate the new year in Singapore. We think Singaporeans want to reward themselves as it has been a good year for them."
The restaurant said their guests are mainly regulars - well-travelled executives, bankers and brokers, mostly in their 40s.
Raffles Hotel is also expecting a full house of 200 guests during the countdown.
Their traditional gala ball takes place at the hotel's lobby and is annually packed with members from Singapore's high society, as well as tourists from Europe.
Raffles Hotel said some of their overseas guests even plan their holidays around the year-end gala ball.
Guests pay a minimum of S$620 each for a six-course dinner, which includes items that are specially flown in.
But hotels and restaurants do not just count on these dinners to make a profit.
Eric Teo, president of the Singapore Chefs' Association, said: "It is the best revenue throughout the whole year, but it's not supporting the biggest revenue throughout the entire F&B industry.
"We cannot depend just on New Year's Eve itself because it is so competitive, so challenging. It has to be everyday consistency."
In general, a New Year's Eve dinner package at a hotel or high-end restaurant will set you back S$100 and above per person.
The cheaper alternative is to join 160,000 others at the Esplanade waterfront to usher in the new year for free.
The skies will come alive at the stroke of midnight with fireworks launched straight from the water, along with specially choreographed music.- CNA/so
