In celebration of the Lunar New Year aka Chinese New Year, restaurants in Chinatown are offering special dishes to honour the Year of the Tiger. This is the best time of year to explore the streets of Chinatown, and here are Eating In London’s recommendations:
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Best Restaurants for Lunar New Year in Chinatown
1. Bun House – Afternoon Tea
This February, Bun House, the Cantonese-style steamed bun specialist in the heart of Chinatown, will celebrate Lunar New Year with the launch of their brand new ‘The Tiger Who Came For Tea’ menu.
Inspired by the Year of the Tiger, the Bun House takes on a classic afternoon tea that will include a selection of their much-loved themed buns alongside smaller sweet and savoury snacks and traditional Chinese teas.
‘The Tiger Who Came For Tea and Buns’ menu will run from 1st – 27th February and can be booked online.
Website: www.bun.house
The Bun House takes on a classic afternoon tea that will include a selection of their much-loved themed buns alongside smaller sweet and savoury snacks and traditional Chinese teas.
2. Rasa Sayang – Prosperity Toss Salad
Rasa Sayang, a Malaysian and Singaporean restaurant in Chinatown, will be serving the time-honoured Yu Sheng (Prosperity Toss salad), a unique “lucky” staple of the Malaysian celebrations of Lunar New Year.
Rasa Sayang has put their spin on the dish: a raw and crispy salad served with a fruit-based sauce and complete with shredded carrots, radish, pickled ginger, fried yam sticks, pomelo, jellyfish, coriander, sliced salmon, wonton skin, peanuts, and sesame.
Gather around one of the communal tables and toss the ingredients together to usher in luck, prosperity, and health for the new year.
Dine-in or takeaway, the Prosperity Toss Salad will be available from 26 January – 15 February.
Website: www.rasasayangfood.com
Gather around one of the communal tables and toss the ingredients together to usher in luck, prosperity, and health for the new year.
3. Plum Valley – Mandarin Custard Buns & Nian Gao
Upmarket Cantonese restaurant Plum Valley will be offering their striking limited-edition ‘Lucky Creamy Custard Buns’ for the Lunar New Year celebrations. In the shape of a mandarin, these auspicious fruits are said to bring wealth and good health, as the Chinese word for orange and gold sound similar, while the word for tangerine sounds like “luk”.
These will be served alongside Plum Valley’s homemade sweet coconut version of Nian Gao, a typical dish eaten on Lunar New Year representing opportunity and success. Or If you have a savoury tooth, why not try Plum Valley’s homemade Radish Cake – a must-try snack during the Chinese New Year celebrations, as the word for radish is a homophone for good fortune. Available for dine-in and takeaway.
Website: www.plumvalley.co.uk
Plum Valley will be offering their striking limited-edition ‘Lucky Creamy Custard Buns’ for the Lunar New Year celebrations.
4. Shanghai Modern – Chinese New Year Menu
Noodle and dumpling restaurant Shanghai Modern has taken the essence of 1930’s Shanghai design to craft an elegant dining space. With an open kitchen on the ground floor, diners and passers-by can enjoy watching fresh dumplings and noodles being artfully prepared. This Lunar New Year, the team has developed a special menu, treating guests to one-off delights. The special menu will feature dishes such as fried fish fillet in creamy sweetcorn sauce, yam and pork belly hot pot, as well as breadcrumb-coated butterfly king prawn
Website: www.shanghaimodern.co.uk
This Lunar New Year, the team has developed a special menu, treating guests to one-off delights.
5. Sakurado – Tiger Custard Choux Buns & Lunar New Year Cakes
Japanese-Franco patisserie shop Sakurado has developed some gorgeous Lunar New Year desserts to celebrate the occasion, such as a limited-edition Lunar New Year cake, Custard Choux Buns in the shape of a tiger, and Nian Gao, a sticky rice cake that is considered good luck to eat as it symbolises increasing prosperity each year. Available for takeaway and nationwide delivery.
Website: www.sakurado.co.uk
Sakurado has developed some gorgeous Lunar New Year desserts to celebrate the occasion.
6. Yolkin – Year of the Tiger Macaron Ice Cream Sandwich
Instagram sensation Yolkin is an ice-cream bakery known for its adorable seasonal and festive specials. Specialising in Southeast Asian Ice Cream Flavours and Macaron Ice Cream Sandwiches, founder Sammie Le has announced an exclusive design for 2022’s Lunar New Year in celebration of the Year of the Tiger. These wonderful bright orange Tiger Macarons will be filled with delicious mango mochi ice cream.
Website: www.instagram.com/yolkinmacice
Instagram sensation Yolkin is an ice-cream bakery known for its adorable seasonal and festive specials.
7. Opium London – Lunar New Year Cocktails and Dim Sum Sets
1920’s Shanghai-themed Cocktail Bar and Dim Sum Parlour Opium will be offering a cocktails specials menu consisting of 5 new and exciting cocktails inspired by the Lunar New Year celebrations. They will have special packages which start from £50 per person that include a Cocktail, a Dim Sum Platter, an Egg Custard Tart, a Lucky Red Envelope, and a Fortune Cookie.
Website: www.opiumchinatown.com
1920’s Shanghai-themed Cocktail Bar and Dim Sum Parlour Opium will be offering a cocktails special menu inspired by the Lunar New Year celebrations.
8. Viet Food – Chinese New Year Menu
Headed up by Chef/Proprietor Jeff Tan, Viet Food will be launching a selection of cocktail and menu specials for the Lunar New Year celebrations. Renowned for being the best place in Chinatown to experience modern Vietnamese cooking, Tan uses specialist cooking techniques, fresh ingredients, and beautiful presentations to celebrate Vietnam’s vibrant street food culture.
From 24th January to 15th February, Viet Food will be serving exclusive cocktails and special dishes including grilled giant prawns and grilled sea bass with tamarind sauce.
Website: www.vietnamfood.co.uk
Viet Food will be launching a selection of cocktail and menu specials for the Lunar New Year celebrations.
9. Taiyakiya – Chinese Rice Cake for Chinese New Year
As part of their celebrations Taiyakiya, a Japanese dessert shop offering instagrammable Japanese fish-shaped waffles (Taiyaki), will be serving up their own version of Nian Gao with black sesame and peanut Taiyaki, a sweet glutinous sticky rice cake that is enjoyed year-round, but often a must-have during Chinese New Year, as the name sheds light to give progress, promising a better year ahead.
Website: www.taiyakiya.co.uk
Taiyakiya, will be serving up their own version of Nian Gao with black sesame and peanut Taiyaki.
10. Cuppacha – Red Date and Longan Tea
Newport Court’s Cuppacha serves an eclectic and fun mix of authentic Taiwanese bubble tea. To celebrate Lunar New Year, Cuppacha will be adding a limited-edition Chinese red date and Longan bubble tea flavour to the menu. Red Date Longan Tea is a sweet and delicious drink that can be enjoyed hot, warm, at room temperature, and even cold. Available in-store.
Website: www.cuppacha.com
Cuppacha will be adding a limited-edition Chinese red date and Longan bubble tea flavour to the menu.
👨🍳 Our Expert: Snita Pandoria
