To kick off the start of the Chinese New Year, my guest and I headed to the The Galleria on Al Maryah for dinner at the Royal Orchid restaurant to experience some lunar new year festivities. Heading into the Galleria from the main front entrance, we immediately noticed how nicely decorated things were with red lanterns hanging from the ceiling. It was a nice touch to kick off the festival holiday.
Once at the Royal Orchid, we were offered chicken spring rolls and dim sum dumplings for appetisers. Chicken, chive, and vegetable were the options available. While they were tasty, they probably would have tasted better if they were warmed up a bit more. Next up were gailan with oyster sauce and black pepper chicken wings which we both loved. Another popular dish with my guest was the Spicy Lan Ching Chicken. We also sampled the prawn Hunan style which was very nice.
Once our meal was over, we headed to the waterfront promenade which was also decorated with red lanterns. We walked around the promenade and took notice of a stage set up and waited for the show to begin. Playing traditional Chinese music, performers came out to entertain the crowd. They were dressed in traditional Chinese garb while Chinese acrobats spun plates on sticks and there was even a dragon dance. Once the performance was over, a screen dropped down and a laser show began. With coloured lasers hovering over the crowd and onto the screen, it ended a lovely evening that signalled the start of the new lunar year.
