#legendeats: Hampers, puddings and sweets for the Year of the Dragon

Ring in the Year of the Dragon with these auspicious treats. Haley Sengsavanh, Chae Eun Son and Stephenie Gee writes

Four Seasons Hotel Hong Kong

Chinese Executive Chef Chan Yan Tak at the Michelin-starred Lung King Heen continues to impress with innovative new takes on traditional Chinese New Year staples. Their Poon Choi feeds four people, and features a curated selection of 16 ingredients like South African abalone, dried fish maw, roasted goose, and dried scallop. It also comes with a pot of abalone juice for easy reheating at home. Five New Year puddings will be complementing the festivals this year. There are the favourites like the Lunar New Year Pudding with Coconut Milk, Abalone and Turnip Pudding with Conpoy, and Taro Pudding with Black Truffle and Air-dried Meat. As well as two new flavours: the Water Chesnut Pudding with Pink Guava, and Water Chestnut Pudding with Lotus Roots and Snow Dates.

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Rosewood Hong Kong

Rosewood Hong Kong is ringing in the Year of the Dragon with a delectable range of traditional desserts and gift hampers that showcase the customs and heritage of this festive season. Chinese executive chef Li Chi Wai has created an array of delicacies, including the Conpoy Turnip Cake, Chinese New Year Pudding, and a mixed Conpoy Turnip and Chinese New Year Pudding set. In addition, the Rosewood is offering three Chinese New Year hampers for gifting to friends and family: the Joy Hamper, Prosperity hamper, and Longevity Hamper.

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Regent Hong Kong

Lai Ching Heen is presenting an exclusive Savoury Turnip New Year Pudding and a Premium Chinese New Year Hamper, perfect for sharing the joy of the New Year with friends and family. The Premium Hamper caters to customers with a wide range of preferences, featuring the iconic Savoury Turnip New Year Pudding with air-dried preserved meat, crafted using timeless culinary traditions. The hamper also includes a bottle of Chateau Kirwan 2016, Sparkling Golden Oolong with Longan Honey, Lai Ching Heen Homemade X.O. Chilli Sauce, dried Chinese mushrooms, premium fish maw, and Japanese dried conpoy.

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JW Marriott Hong Kong

Man Ho Chinese Restaurant is taking us back to tradition this Lunar New Year with their time-honoured delicacies. First up is the Chinese New Year Pudding with Mashed Red Dates, crafted from top-end ingredients. For those looking for something savoury, the Turnip Pudding with Preserved Meats combines premium locally sourced ingredients of preserved sausages and Japanese dried scallops. Their Michelin-starred takeaway Poon Cho is back, served in a reusable cast iron pot and layered with 18 lavish ingredients like Australian sea cucumber, 33-head South African dried abalone, tea-smoked local Ping Yuen chicken, and add-on braised dried oysters. Other options include the Gift Hamper, featuring items like dried sliced conch and shiitake, 25-year aged tangerine peel, and a bottle of Martell VSOP cognac.

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St. Regis Hong Kong

Executive Chinese chef Hung Chi-Kwong of the Michelin-starred restaurant Rùn has created two types of traditional cakes this year. He offers a classic Turnip Cake and an innovative Taro Cake inspired by the “Braised Duck Leg with Taro” clay pot dish. These items are also available in gift sets that include his rich and aromatic Signature X.O. Sauce, and a Classic Ripe Pu-erh tea.

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The Peninsula Hong Kong

The Michelin-starred Spring Moon at The Peninsula Hong Kong has introduced an array of Chinese New Year delicacies, including Turnip Pudding, Taro Pudding, Water Chestnut Pudding, New Year Pudding, and Red Date Pudding. Their Divine Treasures Hamper is filled with abundant treats like Hokkaido conpoy and 18-head fish maw, all packaged in an art deco-inspired box. Lastly, their bountiful Poon Choi includes ingredients like minced carp balls, sea cucumber, and whole 5-head abalone, available for takeaway between 1 to 24 February.

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Island Shangri-La

This Chinese New Year, the Michelin-starred Summer Palace has created beautifully packaged hampers and puddings perfect for a decadent celebration. The all-new Fortune Dragon pudding even comes with a shadow puppetry DIY kit. Other offerings are a Turnip Pudding with 88-month Ibérico Ham and Black Truffle, a Chinese New Year duo-Pudding with 80-year Dried Tangerine Peel, and a Deluxe Prosperity Treasure Poon Choi featuring 2-head abalones, souya scallops, dried oysters with black moss, and Kanto sea cucumber. If you can’t choose, simply opt for the Golden Jubilation Hamper or the Diamond Hamper.

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The Ritz-Carlton, Hong Kong

The Ritz-Carlton, Hong Kong, is ringing in the New Year with two pudding sets: the sweet and fragrant Ginger Glutinous Pudding, and flavourful Radish Pudding with XO Sauce. The hotel is also offering two festive hampers for guests to gift or enjoy with their loved ones. Upstairs, the Ritz’s two-Michelin-starred Tin Lung Heen has also introduced a range of five puddings and gift sets for the occasion. Crafted by chef Paul Lau using opulent ingredients, it includes the Chinese Coconut Pudding; Turnip Pudding with Conpoy; Chinese Coconut Pudding Gift Set; Turnip Pudding with Conpoy Gift Set; and the Red Dates and Bird’s Nest Coconut Pudding Gift Set. In an effort to enliven Chinese New Year celebrations, the hotel has also brought back the popular poon choi this year. Prepared to serve one, two, six and eight people, the winter casseroles bring blessings of abundance with 18 premium delicacies, including five-head whole abalone, fish maw, sea cucumber, conpoy, dried oysters, king prawns and more.

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Conrad Hong Kong

Share the festive and joy and good fortune to your loved ones with Conrad Hong Kong’s two signature puddings, crafted with the finest ingredients. Prepared by Chinese chef Tony Wan from Golden Leaf, the Turnip Pudding conjures up a depth of umami with preserved sausage and dried shrimp, while the Chinese New Year Pudding is the product of a time-honoured recipe. Alongside, the hotel is offering three hampers – Elite, Deluxe and Classic – each filled to the brim with premium wines, dried seafood and traditional delicacies.

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Cordis Hong Kong

Ming Court of Cordis Hong Kong has a wide selection of casseroles and puddings for customers to choose from this Chinese New Year. All packaged in 100% recyclable eco-friendly containers, the Cordis location offers a beautiful Deluxe Hamper with items like sommelier-selected champagne, Coconut Chinese New Year Pudding, Premium Red Dates Pudding with Coconut, and an Abalone, Conpoy, Air-Dried Preserved Meat & Turnip Pudding made with local homegrown turnips. On the other side of the harbour, the Wanchai branch offers a Coconut Pudding with Okinawa Brown Sugar, a Deluxe Turnip Pudding with Conpoy & Preserved Meat, and a Water Chestnut Pudding with Osmanthus. Their casserole offerings also differ based on location, so be sure to check it out!

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Renaissance Harbour View Hotel Hong Kong

Dim Sum chef Chan Hon Chuen and the award-winning culinary team behind Dynasty have crafted delicious treats like an already sold-out Turnip Cake. Their Chinese New Year Pudding with delectable hints of coconut milk is still available though. The opulent Poon Choi has been curated by their award-winning culinary team, who selected ingredients like 25 heads-fish maw, whole abalone, sea moss, poached chicken, goose web, and more.

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Duddell’s

Duddell’s is spreading the festive spirit and the joy of reunion this Lunar New Year with their iconic New Year Pudding, as well as new flavours of Turnip Pudding and Taro Pudding, available from 30 January to 8 February. To fully embrace the spirit of festivity, Duddell’s is also presenting their Prosperous Chinese New Year Hamper, featuring a classic New Year pudding, walnut cookies, Duddell’s X.O. sauce, braised South African five-heads abalone, Veuve Clicquot Ponsardin Brut Champagne, and Fook Ming Tong’s 2018 Fuding white tea discs (24pcs). This meticulously crafted hamper is the perfect gift to share with loved ones, embodying the spirit of reunion during the Lunar New Year.

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The Merchants

The Merchants puts a modern spin on dishes from Shanghai and the surrounding provinces of Jiangsu and Zhejiang. For Chinese New Year, they’re celebrating with three indulgent and exclusive traditional puddings: an opulent Abalone Preserved Sausage Turnip Cake, a subtly sweet Rice Cake with Wolfberry, and a delectable Osmanthus Water Chestnut Cake. All of these delicious items are available for pre-order now.

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Ying Jee Club

Ying Jee Club celebrates the Year of the Dragon with a collection of preservative-free hand crafted Chinese New Year delicacies. Crafted by executive chef Siu Hin-chi, there is the Coconut Milk Pudding with Ceylon Tea. For those craving a savoury note, opt for Ying Jee Club’s best-seller, the Turnip Pudding with Conpoy and Air-dried Meat, which combines premium ingredients such as turnip, conpoy, dried shrimps, black mushrooms, preserved Chinese sausages and Chinese bacon.

Order at [email protected] or on WhatsApp at 5291 0503

The Baker & The Bottleman

The Baker & The Bottleman is putting their spin on the traditional candy box with a Sweet Treat Firecracker Set, featuring an assortment of traditional and modern delights. Boxed in a beautiful, red firecracker-inspired packaging, they include sesame cookies, coconut puffs, pineapple and strawberry jellies, candied walnuts, and soy Gianduja truffles.

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Little Bao

May Chow, the brains behind Little Bao and recognised as Asia’s 50 Best Female Chef, has created four exquisite cakes for the Year of the Dragon: the fan-favourite Beetroot Turnip Cake, visually striking Purple Taro Cake, harmonious Golden Pumpkin Cake (featuring a whopping seven salted egg yolks), and their new Daikon Turnip Cake. Each one features luxurious ingredients like Sam Hing Lung rose wine sausages, top-grade dried Japanese scallops, and all-natural sun-dried Thai shrimp, and is made without white sugar, MSG, additives and preservatives.

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Hong Kong Cuisine 1983

Hong Kong Cuisine 1983 is spreading luck and prosperity this Lunar New Year with their “Good Fortune Turnip Cake Gift Box”. These delectable cakes are the perfect representation of traditional craftsmanship, made from exclusive ingredients such as white turnip, Japanese dried conpoy, premium salted shrimps, and local Chinese preserved sausages and meats. The gift box includes two versions of the turnip cake: one featuring dried conpoy and preserved meat, and another crafted using dried conpoy and smoked preserved meats.

Order at [email protected] or on WhatsApp at 9029 2093

Tea WG

Tea WG is ushering in the New Year with the limited-edition Grand Dragon Tea. A blend of fortitude and fortune, it features a verdant emerald-green collectible tea tin adorned with a magnificent golden dragon, a sacred creature that brings an abundance of knowledge, wealth and life. Inside, an exuberant hand-blended green tea is accented by notes of fragrant mandarin orange, traditionally exchanged during Chinese New Year as a symbol of hospitality and abundance.

Where: All Tea WG Salons & Boutiques in Hong Kong

Venchi

Venchi is celebrating the start of the Lunar New Year through their two limited edition chocolate gift boxes: the Chinese New Year Medium Round Hamper, and the Chinese New Year Rectangular Double Layer Gift Box. Inspired by the Year of the Dragon, these collections symbolise prosperity and good fortune through their delicious chocolates. Perfect for family gatherings, these gift boxes include a wide selection of 18 different chocolate flavours, ensuring there’s something for everyone at the table to enjoy.

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See also: #legendeats: Chinese New Year menus