Chinese New Year is fast-approaching with celebrations kicking off in London’s Trafalgar Square and Chinatown on 22 February. Join in the fun by eating out at one of these Chinese restaurants.
Hakkasan Hanway Place
With its sumptuous decor and top-notch Cantonese fare from chef Tong Chee Hwee, this Michelin-starred restaurant is a sophisticated affair.
This eatery is the original Hakkasan; there’s another one in Mayfair and 11 more in far-flung spots across the globe, from Mumbai to Miami. Luxuriously decked out with sexy lighting, wooden screens and lashings of dark oak, there’s even an open-air kitchen to enable diners to gaze in awe at the talented chefs at work.
Stand-out dishes include Peking duck with caviar and grilled Wagyu beef with king soy sauce, which can be washed down with one of Hakkasan’s award-winning wines or signature cocktails. The restaurant is offering a limited edition menu for Chinese New Year, available to diners until 1 March.
Feng Shang Princess
Popular with celebrities, this handcrafted pagoda floating restaurant is tucked away from the crowds on the canal in picture-pretty Regent’s Park.
The first floating restaurant of its kind in London, signature dishes include the crispy aromatic duck which is served up with pancakes, spring onions, cucumber and plum sauce, along with a wide choice of lobster dishes.
Push the boat out by plumping for the crispy Peking duck which costs £65 and needs to be ordered 24 hours in advance.
Mr Kong
Expect to queue at this Chinatown institution which has been serving up affordable and tasty fare to hungry regulars, locals and visitors for 25 years.
The extensive menu features a gargantean choice of dishes, that range from crab claws to jelly fish, baked lobster to steamed duck, along with plenty of veggie options. There’s also a raft of set dinners to choose from that start from less than a tenner per person.
The eatery’s late-night opening make it popular with hungry post-party revellers.
Yauatcha
Graze on all-day dim sum at this chilled-out basement teahouse in the heart of Soho.
The interior is super-stylish: exposed brick walls are dotted with alcoves filled with flickering candles and an illuminated fish tank runs the length of the bar.
With a Michelin-star to its name, Yauatcha is widely considered to offer the best dim sum in town.
As well as succulent dumplings, larger mains are on the menu, as well as petits gateaux and a slew of exotic teas. As part of the Chinese New Year celebrations, Year of the Sheep-inspired macarons and petits gateaux have been added to the menu, and the windows have been plastered with Year of the Sheep pop art.
Hutong
Boasting a dramatic setting halfway up The Shard on the 33rd floor, this glitzy restaurant affords eye-popping views of London.
Based on the high-end restaurant of the same name in Hong Kong – also sited up a skyscraper – diners can expect a northern Chinese menu and an Old Beijing-style interior: think red lanterns and hand-carved wooden doors.
The restaurant specialises in Sichuan cooking, in which dishes are laced with mouth-numbing ma-la, a paste loaded with Sichuan peppercorns.
Top starters include Sichuan peppered cuttlefish; sliced scallops; and spiced razor clams. For a dish that oozes wow-factor, choose the red lantern soft shell crab which is served in a huge wooden lantern.
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