Where to eat for Chinese New Year

Looking to book something for the Lunar New Year celebration meals already? David Ho rounds up some places you can celebrate the arrival of the Year of the Wood Dragon

Cuisine Cuisine

If it’s traditional Cantonese delicacies you are after, Cuisine Cuisine’s Chinese Executive Chef Edwin Tang has you covered. Their eight-course Golden Dragon Dance Chinese New Year Celebration set menu is available between 4 February and 25 February and priced at HK$4,288 / HK$6,388 / HK$12,688 for four / six / twelve guests respectively. One can expect seasonal delicacies such as the braised abalone with white radish, conpoy, and vegetables; braised crab meat soup with bird’s nest; steamed giant garoupa with chicken oil and soy sauce; tender golden-fried crispy chicken; and sweetened red bean soup with tangerine peel and lotus seeds. A time-limited Chinese New Year Festive Special a la carte menu is also available for dinner from 10 February to 25 February.

Where: G/F, The Mira Hong Kong, Mira Place, 118-130 Nathan Road, Tsim Sha Tsui, Hong Kong 

Chilli Fagara

If you want the Sichuan kick that Chilli Fagara is famous for, their Chinese New Year menu is available from 15 January to 24 February. The ma la braised pork knuckles (HK$498) is expertly braised in a peppery blend of Sichuan spices, while the ma la golden crispy chicken (HK$488) has a peppery edge thanks to a carefully curated spice rub. Vegetarians can enjoy the stir-fried pea sprouts with winter bamboo shoots (HK$398), while seafood lovers will delight in the Mandarin fish with golden soybeans (HK$428). 

Where: 7 Old Bailey Street, Central, Hong Kong

Mott 32

Mott 32’s Chinese New Year Menu will be available for both lunch and dinner from 10 to 24 February. Come here for the “Prosperity Toss” aka whole lobster and abalone lo hei with homemade sauce (HK$1380) to kick off a lucky, prosperous and delicious year for all.  Wealth and abundance are reflected in dishes like the steamed fourfinger threadfin cooked in chicken oil with hwa tiao (HK$880) and delicate bird’s nest in bamboo pith with a superior broth (HK$680). There is also poultry aplenty with the crispy duck with taro (HK$380) and the crispy fresh yellow chicken with coriander (HK$380 for half a chicken).

Where: Standard Chartered Bank Building, 4-4A Des Voeux Rd Central, Central, Hong Kong

Man Ho Chinese Restaurant

Man Ho Chinese Restaurant at JW Marriott Hotel Hong Kong serves its authentic Cantonese fare for that traditional taste of CNY family gatherings. The culinary team has made a myriad of festive classics with premium ingredients, including the abalone yusheng (aka lo hei) symbolising prosperity (HK$888); braised dried oysters with black moss and pea sprouts representing wealth (HK$688); sautéed tiger garoupa fillets with citrus honey sauce expressing auspiciousness (HK$788); and braised bamboo pith rolled with sliced abalone, black moss and pork tongue representing luck (HK$388 per person).

For larger gatherings, seasonal set menus are an option. The Ru Yi Chinese New Year Reunion Set will indulge gourmands with refined delicacies including baked crab shell stuffed with crab and lobster meat; sautéed lobster fillets with matsutake mushrooms; braised premium bird’s nest with crab meat and crab roe; braised whole 8-Head abalone with sea cucumber; deep-fried crispy chicken and more. The set menu is priced at HK$18,888 for ten guests.

Where: Level 3, JW Marriott Hotel Hong Kong, Pacific Place, 88 Queensway, Hong Kong

Also see: Japanese chefs on making it in Hong Kong