Food Picks: Charcoal-grilled love letters from Goodwood Park Hotel

Crimes against love letters – that Chinese New Year tuile rolled up like, well, a love letter of yore – are many. Some places do not bother to roll them up. They just fold the tuiles into quarters. Others stuff those folded quarters with all manner of sweet fillings. Peanut butter? Really?

So, I am very glad Goodwood Park Hotel brought back its Traditional Charcoal-Grilled Love Letters ($38.80 a tin). They debuted in 2024 and are made by its in-house team the old-fashioned way. The batter is spread on an iron mould press and each one is grilled over charcoal using custom-made stoves and then rolled up.

The recipe, which is more than 80 years old, comes from Carmelite nuns, a hotel spokesperson says. A relative of one of the nuns taught the hotel’s team to make the love letters.

All the care shows. Nothing beats the smokiness of food cooked over a charcoal fire and you get hints of it when you bite into a love letter. It is crisp, just sweet enough and just rich enough from fresh coconut.

How can you tell they are handmade? Some love letters are a little thicker, some thinner. When so many Chinese New Year cookies are factory-made, I appreciate that not every love letter is uniform.

In 2024, I hesitated and lost out big time. By the time I got round to re-ordering more, they were sold out. In 2025, I have already placed an order for what will seem to you like a lot of love letters. They will certainly not be enough.

Where: Goodwood Park Hotel, 22 Scotts Road
Info: Go to

goodwoodparkfestive.oddle.me

to order for delivery or self-collection, or call The Deli on 6730-1786 to place orders for self-collection only. Order at least five days in advance, and the last pre-order date is Feb 7