London's Chinese restaurants are getting ready to welcome the Year of the Dog. We pick out five of the best dishes for you to try during the Chinese New Year celebrations.
Wok-fry native lobster at Hakkasan
Bruton Street and Hanway Place
Both Hakkasan restaurants are putting on a limited edition menu for CNY created from Hakkasan chefs from London, USA, the Middle East and Asia. Dishes on the £88 menu will include wok-fry native lobster in superior stock with edamame and caviar and abalone fried rice in bean curd wrap with Chinese sausage and shiitake mushroom. And if you want to catch the traditional Chinese dancers, book Hakkasan Hanway Place for 18 February or Hakkasan Mayfair on 25 February.
Spicy Yunnan style pineapple rice at Lucky & Joy
299 Railway Arches, Cambridge Heath Road, E2 9HA
You've got to love the presentation of this pineapple rice, with ginger, garlic, lemongrass and bags of chilli.It's on the special CNY menu which runs until 17 February at Lucky & Joy's popup at Hurwundeki. The feasting menu is £25 and the Banquet Menu is £38.
Lantern gateau at Yauatcha
Broadgate Circle and Broadwick Street
Yauatcha's two London locations have a special menu which includes salted egg yolk custard sesame ball (representing togetherness) and this incredibly pretty Haoyun Lantern petit gâteau dessert with soy caramel and mandarin (eating citrus is believed to bring luck whilst ‘haoyun’ translates as ‘lucky’).
Red lantern crispy soft-shell crab at Hutong
33, The Shard, 31 St Thomas St, London SE1 9RY
Running until 25 February the CNY menu at high rise restaurant Hutong also features dishes like auspicious sambo - a selection of lightly fried ma la beef tenderloin, hot and sour konnyku, a Chinese-style potato, and steamed, sweet and spicy yam. It'll cost £88.
Blood Orange & Ginger Sorbet in Plum Wine at Wander
214 Stoke Newington High St, London N16 7HU
Stoke Newington restaurant Wander is serving a week of Chinese-influenced food and drinks until 17 February. The menu will be designed to share, or you can pick the special Chef's banquet at £30. This dessert looks great but we also fancy trying the Typhoon Shelter Crab with heaps of fried Garlic, Chilli and Spring Onion.
Most Chinatown restaurants will also offer a special Chinese New Year menu too so check out our guide to Chinatown for even more recommendations.
