If there's a single Chinese New Year meal you're going to try this year in Abu Dhabi, make it the one at Hakkasan, which includes dishes from the recipe book of executive chef Lee Kok Hua and runs until February 24. The thoughtfully curated meal begins with a bowl of Superior soup, featuring Chilean seabass and bamboo pith for a fun mix of textures and flavours.
The initial course also includes a dim sum duo, which will leave you wanting more, especially the Shacha chicken puff, a flaky pastry mixed with beetroot, which gives it a dark orange colouring, and the Peking duck salad with slices of mango, and piled high with greens and drizzled with a sesame dressing. Dig deep – there are succulent bites of duck underneath it all.
The main course includes a wok-fried lobster that is both flavourful and pretty with a striking green colouring, cooked as it is in a chive paste. There is also a melt-in-your-mouth roasted jasmine chicken with crispy skin, a generous bowl of sticky rice, crunchy pak choi with two types of mushrooms – eryngii and pioppini – and a serving of wok-fried lamb tenderloin with shiitake. The sharing plates just keep coming and the flavours complement each other nicely.
Try to save room for the Wealth Pot, a Valrhona chocolate sphere filled with chocolate chantilly, mandarin ice, fresh mandarin, soya caramel and a biscuity bottom. The dish is colourful in red and purple, and the sphere is topped with a golden fortune coin. It is meant to bring good luck, but before that, good luck finishing the meal. It's an indulgent treat.
And don’t forget the fortune macaron that comes at the end, along with a pencil and slip of red and gold paper to write your wish for the new year. It’s got a string on the end and guests are encouraged to hang their wishes around the restaurant, creating walls of red and gold wishes fluttering in the air.
Details: January 28 to February 24, 6pm to midnight, from Dh498, Hakkasan Abu Dhabi, Emirates Palace, 02 690 7739, hakkasan@emiratespalace.ae
In Dubai, head to Bluewaters off the JBR beach for a wander around the island and a decadent six-course meal followed by a fortune cookie at Zhen Wei, at the recently opened Caesars Palace. Here's what's on the menu: osmanthus lotus with glutinous rice, Sichuan-style steamed yellow corn-fed chicken, and a New Year lao yu sheng, which is raw salmon with cucumber, carrots, purple cabbage, Beijing onion, iceberg and sweet orange palm dressing. And that's just course one, so perhaps it's best to save that wander for after the meal.
The next course is a hot and sour seafood soup, with shrimp, squid and wood ear mushrooms. Course three includes options such as crispy shredded turnip puff, kung pao prawns and boiled seafood dumplings, each served with tangy sauces. Course four has hand-pulled noodles with beef consomme, braised beef scallion and sesame seeds coriander; and carved Peking duck pancakes.
The penultimate course includes Cantonese steamed seabass with toasted sesame oil; smoke-spiced barbecued short ribs; wok-tossed wild mushrooms with dry smoked chilli; and seafood fried rice. Dessert is a trio of chocolate xiao long bao, sweet black sesame tang yuan and a New Year-themed fried cake.
The restaurant will be decked out in Chinese lanterns and kids will enjoy creating pots of gold using chocolate coins.
Details: January 27 to February 9, 6pm to 10.30pm, Dh350, Zhen Wei, Caesars Palace Bluewaters Dubai, 04 556 6666
Here are some other Chinese New Year meal deals to sample in Abu Dhabi and Dubai.
ABU DHABI
Shang Palace
Shang Palace hosts the Chinese New Year celebration with an eight-course set menu of Cantonese dishes in a setting that recreates a family reunion experience. The meal includes dumplings, roasted duck, plum sauce chicken thigh roll, honey beef short ribs, lobster with crispy egg noodles, pan-fried crispy tofu with minced chicken and a special dessert created by celebrity chef Hala Ayash. Mahjong tables will be set up so friends and family can play. A lion dance performance will take place on February 5 from 11.10am.
Details: February 4 to February 19, noon to 3pm for the Cantonese set menu lunch; 7pm to 11pm for the Cantonese eight-course dinner; from Dh388, Shangri-La Hotel, Qaryat Al Beri, 02 509 8888, reservations.slad@shangri-la.com
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Coya
Coya brings families together with a fusion meal that features Peruvian delicacies with a modern twist, melding Japanese, Chinese and Spanish influences. Guests will receive a fortune cookie especially created for the occasion, with an edible fortune and and timeless quotes from Confucius, to spread good luck and prosperity among family and friends.
Details: February 4 and February 5, noon to 6pm for lunch; 7pm to 11pm for dinner, Coya, The Galleria, Al Maryah Island, 02 306 7000, reservations.ad@coyarestaurant.ae
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Dai Pai Dong at Rosewood Abu Dhabi
Dai Pai Dong hosts a culinary experience beginning with grill and roast stations and a selection of dim sums from 7pm on February 1, when there will be fireworks at Al Maryah island, as well as February 4 and 5. There will be a Good Fortune New Year Saturday brunch on February 2, 9 and 16. During the Lantern Festival from February 10 to 19, enjoy a lantern-lit ambience for lunch and dinner with an eight-course special set menu featuring crispy chicken with mango sauce, lettuce wrap with scallops, wok-fried prawns and braised sea bass.
Details: February 1, 2, 4, 5, and from February 9 to 19. From 7pm to 11pm on February 1, 4 and 5, from Dh388; noon to 4pm, from Dh268 for the brunches on February 2,9 and 16; noon to 3pm for lunch; 6pm to 11pm for dinner, Saturdays to Wednesdays; 6pm to midnight on Thursdays and Fridays, from Dh288 for the lantern festival; Dai Pai Dong, Rosewood, Al Maryah Island, 02 813 5588, abudhabi.daipaidong@rosewoodhotels.com
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DUBAI
Ba Restaurant and Lounge
Enjoy a three-course speciality menu of Asian cuisine to celebrate the Chinese New Year at Ba Restaurant and Lounge, including wagyu beef tartare, a crispy duck bun with kimchi, black pepper beef, sweet and sour prawns and kung pao chicken, as well as yuzu citrus tart and coconut sticky rice for dessert. The variety of modern dishes is designed to treat the taste buds as you enjoy the views of Dubai Marina.
Details: February 4 to February 11, 6pm to 11.30pm, from Dh288, Ba Restaurant and Lounge, Fairmont The Palm, Palm Jumeirah, 04 457 3457, www.palmdining.com
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Mazina
Mazina at Address Dubai Marina will host a dinner buffet and a Chinese New Year-themed brunch. Enjoy traditional favourites including dumplings, Peking duck and more, along with an international spread. The dining experience will be complemented by the red-and-gold decor of the restaurant.
Details: February 5 to February 8, 7pm to 11pm daily for dinner; noon to 3pm on February 8 for brunch, from Dh179 for dinner; from Dh325 for brunch, Mazina, Address Dubai Marina, 04 888 3444, dine@emaar.com
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Hakkasan Dubai
Hakkasan Dubai will host a Cantonese-style celebration featuring a special a la carte menu, which include Chinese favourites including Peking duck, wok-fried lobster, jasmine chicken and fortune macarons (pictured). The menu also offers a welcome beverage and visitors are invited to write their wishes on red ribbons that will be hung around the dining areas. Themed music will play every evening, and a DJ performs from Tuesdays to Saturdays. The menu will not be available on February 14.
Details: January 28 to February 24, 6pm to 11.30pm, from Dh498, Hakkasan Dubai, Atlantis The Palm, Palm Jumeirah, 04 426 2626, www.hakkasan.com
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Saffron
Saffron at Atlantis The Palm features a contemporary dinner featuring a selection of Cantonese, Szechuan, Shandong and Anhui dishes, as well as steamed dim sum and a Peking duck station. There will be themed music and a lion dance at 7.30pm, from February 4 to 6, as well as a fireworks display on February 4.
Details: February 4 to February 10, 6pm to 11pm, from Dh265, Saffron, Atlantis The Palm, Palm Jumeirah, 04 426 1166, atlantisthepalm.com
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Kaleidoscope
Kaleidoscope at Atlantis The Palm offers its international buffet for the Chinese New Year, serving popular dishes from Asian cuisine, as well as the Mediterranean, North Africa and Arabia. Enjoy steamed dory fillets with ginger soya, peppered chicken with pak choy and char siu beef rib, and have your fill from the stations serving Asian noodle soup and a dim sum carousel. There will be a lion dance at 7.25pm from February 4 to February 6.
Details: February 4 to February 10, 6pm to 11pm, from Dh195, Sundays to Thursday; 230 on Friday and Saturday, Kaleidoscope, Atlantis The Palm, Palm Jumeirah, 04 426 1166, atlantisthepalm.com
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Shang Palace
Shang Palace at Shangri-La celebrates Chinese New Year with two bespoke traditional set menus featuring dishes such as Peking duck, Hong Kong-style barbecue duck (pictured), dim sum platters and traditional rice balls with sesame paste. The restaurant will be decorated with lanterns with Chinese music in the background. Guests who dine at Shang Palace can enter a draw for a chance to win a stay at Kerry Hotel in Beijing.
Details: February 4 to February 19, noon to 3pm; 7pm to midnight, from Dh358, Shang Palace, Shangri-La Hotel, 04 405 2703, f&breservations@shangri-la.com
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Palace Downtown
Palace Downtown offers a variety of celebration options at restaurants Ewaan, Thiptara and Al Bayt. Enjoy a seafood buffet at Ewaan (pictured) with Chinese delicacies and lunar New Year puddings, as well as noodle and dim sum stations and a special dragon dance. At Thiptara, indulge in a four-course set menu of Chinese-inspired dishes including vegetable dim sum, duck spring rolls and black pepper lobster. Visit Al Bayt for a relaxed and themed afternoon tea with a variety of teas and coffees as well as Chinese cake, matha azuki roll and fortune cookies.
Details: February 1 to February 10, 12.30pm to 3.30pm and 7pm to 11.30pm, from Dh188, Ewaan; 6pm to 11.30pm, from Dh288, Thiptara; 2pm to 6pm, from Dh188, Al Bayt, Palace Downtown, 04 888 3444, dine@emaar.com
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Al Forsan
Al Forsan restaurant at Bab Al Shams Desert Resort & Spa offers authentic Szechuan and Cantonese dishes as part of its dinner buffet to celebrate the Chinese New Year. Indulge in a range that includes crispy duck with hoisin sauce, with fried banana with ice cream for dessert. There will be Chinese music playing for added enjoyment.
Details: January 31 to February 13, Al Forsan restaurant, Bab Al Shams Desert Resort & Spa, 04 809 6194, or book online at babalshams.com/chinese-new-year
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Pure Sky Lounge and Dining
Pure Sky Lounge and Dining at Hilton starts off the Chinese New Year with a classic yee sang salad and special sharing platters of items selected by the chefs, including dumplings with ginger soy and braised beef ribs, egg noodles, stir-fried vegetables with creamy tofu or seabass in tomato and sweet soy salsa.
Details: February 5 to February 19, 5pm to 2am, Pure Sky Lounge and Dining, Hilton Dubai The Walk, JBR, 04 374 7888
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Peppercrab
Peppercrab at Grand Hyatt Dubai will host a traditional prosperity dinner, featuring yee sang, a Chinese salad tossed with the diners' chopsticks for good luck. There will also be authentic Cantonese dishes that are believed to bring health, wealth and happiness for the next 12 months.
Details: February 3 to February 9, 7pm to 11.30pm, Saturdays to Wednesdays; 7pm to midnight on Thursdays and Fridays, from Dh118 for sharing platters; from Dh68 for main dishes, Peppercrab, Grand Hyatt, 04 317 2222, reservations.grandhyatt@hyatt.com
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The Noodle House
The Noodle House has created three specials, including ingot-shaped chicken wontons cooked in duck-chili broth, which is inspired by the gold ingot, a pre-20th century Chinese currency; stir-fried tangerine beef flavoured with chili, garlic and chives, as tangerines and oranges are believed to bring good luck; and steamed Lotus buns served with a sweet flower called Osmanthus. There is also a menu of traditional dishes from China, Philippines, Taiwan, India, Malaysia and South Korea.
Details: January 28 to February 28, The Noodle House, various locations across Dubai, 800 666353, www.thenoodlehouse.com
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Coya
Coya brings families together with a fusion meal that features Peruvian delicacies with a modern twist, melding Japanese, Chinese and Spanish influences. Guests will receive a fortune cookie especially created for the occasion, with an edible fortune and and timeless quotes from Confucius, to spread good luck and prosperity among family and friends.
Details: February 4 and February 5, 12.30pm to 3.30pm for lunch; 7pm to midnight for dinner, Coya Dubai, Four Seasons Resort, Jumeirah Beach, 04 316 9600, www.coyarestaurant.com/dubai
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Zheng He’s
Zheng He's invites guests to ring in the festivities in an authentic setting with a selection of traditional dishes and entertainment. The Spring Festival starts on February 1 with a brunch that combines dishes from Zheng He's and its neighbouring restaurant Hanaaya featuring Beijing duck, dim sum, a Chinese tea ceremony and calligraphy demonstrations. On February 4, the eve of the new year, and then until February 7, enjoy a set menu served in a theatrical style with Chinese rituals to bring prosperity as you tuck into yee sang salad, seafood pumpkin soup, steamed cod and chilled mango sago cream with pomelo for dessert. There will be a lion dance, fortune-telling, a tea ceremony and gifts and mementos at every table.
Details: February 1, and February 4 to 7, 12.30pm to 4pm for brunch on February 1, from Dh475; 6.30pm to 11.30pm on February 4, from Dh388; noon to 2.30pm for lunch and 6.30pm to 11.30pm for dinner on February 5-7, from Dh388, Zheng He's, Jumeirah Mina A'Salam, 04 432 3232, www.jumeirah.com
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RAS AL KHAIMAH
Chinese New Year at Sanchaya Terrace
Tuesday, February 5
For one night only, Sanchaya Terrace will celebrate Chinese New Year with a special set menu and live music. Enjoy a variety of traditional flavours including lemongrass duck dumplings, hot and sour soup, wok-fried snapper, Mongolian sesame beef and crispy wonton strips.
From Dh180, Sanchaya Terrace, DoubleTree by Hilton Resort & Spa Marjan Island, Ras Al Khaimah, 07 203 0104, f&breservations.marjan@hilton.com
