With Chinese New Year just around the corner (Friday, 12 February), it’s time to get your puddings in order – and ordered, for that matter. Even if you’re not a huge fan of the jiggly stuff, leen goh is a traditional and essential CNY staple that symbolises togetherness, good luck and prosperity.
Quickly selling out all over town, we’ve put together a list of our top eight Chinese New Year puddings – both savoury and sweet – in Hong Kong to order now:
Lung King Heen at the Four Seasons
Three Michelin-starred Lung King Heen has four handmade pudding options this year. There are three fairly classic ones: classic pudding with coconut milk (HK$488), abalone and turnip pudding with conpoy (HK$558), and taro pudding with black truffle and air-dried meat (HK$558). There is also a new flavour – silver fish potato pudding with conpoy and salted egg yolk (HK$488).
The culinary team notes that the crumbly salted egg yolks add texture and savoury richness to the rich, umami marine flavours. These are going fast, and there’s a 15% discount for purchases made before 29 January.
Place your orders at the Four Seasons eShop
Tin Lung Heen at The Ritz-Carlton
Michelin-starred Tin Lung Heen at The Ritz-Carlton has a little something extra with their puddings in celebration of the Year of the Ox. There are the classic coconut pudding (HK$365) and conpoy turnip pudding (HK$365), which are also available as gift sets.
What might be more interesting is the premium Tin Lung Heen red dates and bird’s nest coconut pudding gift set (HK$788). This pudding flavour is only available as a gift set, which also comes with their X.O. Sauce and vintage Pu’er tea.
Place your orders at The Ritz-Carlton Hong Kong e-shop
Summer Palace at Island Shangri-La
Now, here’s an opulent pudding: Michelin-starred Summer Palace’s turnip pudding with 88-month Iberico ham, Emmental cheese and morel mushroom (HK$528), which even comes packaged in a unique velvety box. If that sounds just a bit too out there for you, they do offer more traditional puddings: the classic coconut Chinese New Year pudding (HK$308), the turnip pudding (HK$308), and for those who prefer the texture and taste of taro over turnip, the taro pudding (HK$308).
Place your orders in person at Island Shangri-La or online
Ying Jee Club
Two Michelin starred Cantonese fine-dining restaurant Ying Jee Club have a “not-too-sweet” coconut milk and Ceylon tea pudding (HK$238), a contemporary twist on the traditional pudding; and a luxurious turnip pudding with conpoy and air-dried meat (HK$298). Their handcrafted, preservatives-free puddings are presented in gift-ready, bright red boxes that symbolise luck, fortune and prosperity.
Place your orders in person, call +852 2801 6882 or email [email protected]
The Peninsula
The Peninsula has paired their original Chinese New Year pudding (HK$198) – made with hand-ground Thai glutinous rice flour – with a zesty and refreshing zesty citron pudding with ginger (HK$198) that has ginger juice from China, citron paste from Korea and preserved yuzu peel from Japan. Both come wrapped in red and gold packaging which is inspired by the Chinese lucky knot – a symbol of prosperity and good luck charm. If you like the sound of both of them, you can opt for a gift box with both flavours for HK$388.
Place your orders at The Peninsula Boutique online or in person
Yung Kee
Yung Kee has a wide assortment of Chinese New Year delicacies ideal for gifting in the Year of the Ox, including their organic turnip cakes, organic coconut rice cakes and water chestnut cakes for a crisp and refreshing change. Other popular gifts include preserved egg and cured goose liver/pork sausages and supreme XO chilli sauce.
Place your orders in person at Yung Kee or by phone +852 2522 1624
Grand Hyatt Hong Kong
Grand Hyatt’s is sticking with elevated versions of traditional pudding offerings this year. They have taken the coconut rice pudding to a new level by making it from refined black sugar cane (HK$258) and similarly, they are using premium dried shrimp, cured meat and Chinese sausage for their turnip pudding (HK$258). It’s not a problem if you can’t decide between the two – you can get a gift set that has both flavours (HK$488).
Place your orders online, by phone at +852 2584 7744 or email [email protected]
Rosewood
Rosewood has two limited-edition puddings handmade by their in-house restaurant, The Legacy House. The puddings feature traditional flavours: sweet coconut pudding (HK$288) and savoury conpoy turnip cake (HK$288). Under their CNY theme of “New Year- A Vision of Hope”, the luxury hotel has partnered with Sowers Action to donate a Chinese New Year care package to underprivileged families for every one of their JOY, LUCK and FORTUNE hampers sold.
Place your orders online
