Kung Hei Fat Choy! Where to feast in London to celebrate Chinese New Year 2015

On Thursday February 19, the Chinese Year of the Sheep begins. Kate Lough shows you where to find the best of the feasting and say Kung Hei Fat Choy (Happy Chinese New Year)
Hoping for good fortune: Hakkasan's wishing tree and special dessert
Kate Lough18 February 2015

Horses are so 2014. This year, it's all about ewes and rams in China as the Year of the Sheep dawns — and London's restaurants are going full steam ahead with celebrations to signify the new start.

Want the full lion dancing, red lantern hanging shebang? Hutong (hutong.co.uk), a dizzying 32 floors up the Shard, will hold one of the hottest events in town for CNY. The Double Happiness menu, available on New Year's Day itself (Feb 19) costs £88 and includes dim sum, Hutong's signature Red Lantern soft shell crab, and mango cheesecake. The tradition of giving out lucky red envelopes will be followed, although in this case they won't contain money, but one table could win their entire bill for free.

Climb three floors up the Shard (or take the lift, let's be honest) and you'll find a special sky-high afternoon tea going on at TING (ting-shangri-la.com), Shangri-La hotel's restaurant (Feb 18-22). A glass of champagne, traditional CNY dumplings and vanilla-infused rice pudding with a raspberry and lychee fruit compote, as well as Chinese teas, will make up the decadent £62 package.

Asian twist: afternoon tea at TING at Shangri-La

Those looking to really test their appetites have a choice of tasting menus at their disposal. First up is a 10-course feat at Michelin-starred HKK (hkklondon.com), which promises 'A Journey Through China' for £98 per person (Jan 26-Feb 28). Taking its inspiration from different regions in China, the menu includes tongue-numbing Szechuan scampi and butter-soft King soy Wagyu beef. You'll even get to take home your hand-drawn one-off menu.

Regional favourite: Guandong, Cantonese dim sum at HKK

Are 10 courses just too much? Perhaps nine would suit better? Hakkasan's two London restaurants (hakkasan.com) are hosting a CNY festive feast (£88.88 per person) complete with a wishing tree (Feb 8-Mar 1). Guests will be invited to write their wishes on special ribbons, which will be hung around the restaurants. But on to the food: the nine-course feast will begin with small dishes such as spicy lamb wrap and a dim sum platter, before moving on to Chilean sea bass and black pepper rib eye, and finishing off with a kumquat wishing tree. Visit on February 22 and you'll be privy to a lion dance to welcome the Year of the Sheep.

Nine-course feast: Hakkasan's CNY offering

If you're more of a pudding type but afternoon tea doesn't float your boat, Soho's dim sum teahouse Yauatcha (yauatcha.com) is putting on a selection of limited edition cocktails and desserts themed around the Year of the Sheep (Feb 2-28). Think caramelised sheep's milk macaron coated with oat with a dulce de leche centre, or sheep's yoghurt mousse with lemon curd on a bed of lemon sponge and pandan buttercream. It would be rude not to try The Shepherd cocktail, a mix of Baiju, whisky, plum sake, rosemary and grapefruit juice.

For pudding: tea and macarons at Yauatcha

After something more intimate and alternative? Mama Wang's Kitchen (mamawangskitchen.com) is taking up residency in Islington for a Year of the Sheep-themed supper club on February 19-20 and Maida Hill on February 27-28 (£32 per person). The six-course sharing menu will include dishes such as lamb and chive dumplings, slow-braised beef shin and upside down clementine cake with ginger ice-cream. Mango bellinis and green tea whiskeys will be shaken up alongside the food.

London Live will be broadcasting live from London's Chinese New Year celebrations on Sun Feb 22 from 3-5pm, londonlive.co.uk

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