Chinese New Year is just three weeks away - it’s time to plan the location to celebrate! It is such an important holiday not only in Hong Kong but around the world. Ideally, you want great food and impeccable ambience for you and your family to come together welcoming the year of the rat, so this week we did some digging and found 5 restaurants we think are the best to celebrate CNY at - from decadent to relaxed, traditional to contemporary, fine dining or casual dim sum, there has to be something for you.
Man Wah
Located on the 25th floor of one of the most luxurious hotels in Hong Kong, Mandarin Oriental, Man Wah is one of the most exquisite places you can think of. Its old world Chinese glamour décor and panoramic views of Victoria Harbour and the city skyline provide the perfect setting for its diners. The one Michelin-starred restaurant offers a Cantonese menu of traditional favourites and seasonal specialities interpreted with a hint of modern flair, such as deep-fried sea urchin pudding, Peking duck, and wok-fried Dover sole with black bean sauce. Definitely channeling your inner royalty when visiting this imperial gem.
Address: 5 Connaught Road Central, Hong Kong, +852 2825 4003
Dress Code: Smart Casual Attire
Social Place
If you are looking for a more laid-back small gathering with just your closest ones, look no further than Social Place. The concept of Social Place aims to provide diners with a stylish, energetic and cozy dining venue serving contemporary dim sum. With a large ping pong table as a centerpiece, diners can have a game or two in hip music while waiting for food. Their signature dishes includes the infamous Instagrammable jiggly Piggy Panna Cotta and charcoal custard bun - satisfying both your taste buds and your eyes!
Address: 2/F The L. Place, 139 Queen's Road Central, Central, +852 3568 9666
Mott 32
If you are a fan of fine Chinese cuisine, Mott 32 will be no stranger to you. This international brand set foot and opened its first restaurant in Hong Kong in 2014. With branches in Vancouver and Las Vegas, this brand is now expanding rapidly in Singapore and Bangkok. Named after 32 Mott Street in New York, where the city’s first Chinese grocery store opened in 1851, Mott 32 is a celebration of Hong Kong culture and culinary tradition, and represents a modern Chinese city. Their famous dishes include Apple Wood-smoked Peking Duck, Barbeque Pluma Iberico Pork, and Soft-boiled Quail Egg Pork Siu Mai with Black Truffle. With a luxurious interior and dishes influenced by Beijing and Szechuan, the restaurant gives its diners a full and lavish dining experience.
Address: Standard Chartered Bank Building, 4-4a Des Voeux Road, Central, Hong Kong, +852 2898 3788
Cheung Kung Koon
Cheung Kung Koon has to be one of the hidden local gems. Although not widely known by international diners, this restaurant delivers modern Cantonese cuisine on an international level. Their innovative dim sum selection - including Truffle Shrimp Dumplings, Turnip Cake with Sakura Shrimps, and Deep Fried Seafood Rolls with Carbonara Sauce just to name a few, has successfully captured a lot of local diners’ attention. Their Instagram-famous Assorted 9-Grid or 6-Grid Appetizer (on the left) includes okra, century egg and cha siu (barbecued pork) with honey peas. The interior design is clean and simple, with cream and mahogany furnishing exuding an elegant feel. Nothing too extravagant - let their food speak for itself.
Address: 29/F, V Point, 18 Tang Lung St, Causeway Bay, +852 8118 1177
Madame Fu Grand Cafe Chinois
Who is Madame Fù, you might ask? Madame Fù is elegant, classy and we have yet to find anything quite comparable to what she offers – with Eastern and Western influences in equal measure, she is befittingly set in the recently revived and very popular Tai Kwun complex, a symbol of Hong Kong’s bygone colonial era. Some critics have branded her “Hong Kong’s most Instagrammable new restaurant”, but beyond her good looks and 1920s charm, Madame Fù has a diverse offering ranging from Chinese dim sum to western desserts and afternoon teas. Celebrating Chinese New Year here will not just be a meal – but an all-round sensory experience, guaranteed to leave you wanting to come back for more. Madame Fù has six delicately set-out dining rooms of varying themes and ambience, pick your poison for whatever you fancy – we particularly recommend her fantastic truffle chicken.
Address: 3/F, Block Three, Tai Kwun, No. 10 Hollywood Road, Central, Hong Kong, +852 2114 2118
Whether you decide to eat out or stay home and eat in this Chinese New Year, remember to spend it with the people you love because this holiday is all about reuniting with your loved ones, and celebrating a year of your hard work. Happy Chinese New Year and we wish you good health and prosperity this coming year!
