05There’s no need to travel to China to celebrate the Year Of The Rooster – let these venues take your tastebuds on a trip to Asia.

The action kicks off earlier than usual this year – on January 28 to be precise – and this is when Dubai’s Chinese restaurants will be awash with red and adorned with lanterns. Whether your interest in Chinese culture extends to the ancient Qing dynasty or simple admiration for dim sum, this is a celebration not to be missed.

1. Hakkasan

PREVIEWED: Hakkasan Dubai pays homage to the Chinese zodiac with a signature menu. The meal begins with the tossing of the traditional Chinese prosperity salad, the Fortune tale, which is prepared at the table, before diners are invited to up chopsticks and get involved – the higher the salad is tossed, the more prosperous your year ahead will be. A fitting accompaniment of the chicken and jellyfish-infused salad is a colourful steamed dim sum platter. The main fare is plate after plate of succulent seafood – steamed Dover sole, lemongrass and chilli tiger prawns, braised abalone and dried oysters – served with braised Chinese vegetables and golden fried rice. But the highlight of the entire experience is undoubtedly the ingenious dessert – a ginger panna cotta designed to resemble an egg resting in a nest. The meal is an all-encompassing experience, from the golden rooster-adorned fruity beverage, to the wishing tag diners fill out with their hopes and dreams for the year ahead, and hang on the walls of the restaurant before they leave.

Until February 11
Jumeirah Emirates Towers, Sheikh Zayed Road, Dubai, 7pm to 1am, Dhs498. Tel: (04) 3848484. Metro: Emirates Towers. hakkasan.com

2. Pepper Crab

Dubai’s top fine-dining Singaporean restaurant celebrates Chinese New Year with a selection of Chinese speciality a la carte dishes. Get your chopsticks out for the prosperity salad toss. Main courses feature fish and vegetarian options while desserts include Niangao glutinous rice cakes signifying the promise of a better year.

January 26 to February 4 
Grand Hyatt Dubai, Oud Metha, Dubai, Sun to Thur 7pm to 11.30pm, Fri and Sat 7pm to midnight. Tel: (04) 3172222. Taxi: Grand Hyatt. restaurants.dubai.hyatt.com

3. Brunch with a Chinese twist

International all-day dining spots are also getting in on the celebrations. Kitchen6 features an international buffet with Asian woks and an extended selection of Chinese favourites, together with a special welcome drink.

January 27 to 29
JW Marriott Marquis, Sheikh Zayed Road, Dubai, 7pm to 11pm. Dhs215. Tel: (04) 4140000. Taxi: JW Marriott Marquis. jwmarriottmarquisdubailife.com

4. Zheng He’s

From the  January to February 2, ring in the Year of the Rooster at Zheng He’s for a proper oriental feast at one of the city’s top Chinese restaurants. Aside for five-star food, expect dances and live calligraphy complementing each course.

January 27 to February 2
Mina A’Salam Hotel, Madinat Jumeirah, Dubai, noon to 2.30pm and 7pm to 11.30pm, Dhs350 (special three-course meal). Tel: (04) 3665866. Taxi: Mina A Salam. jumeirah.com

5. Royal China

This fine-dining Chinese restaurant in DIFC welcomes guests with a bespoke golden mocktail matching the colours of the rooster, to start the new year celebrations. A specially designed Chef’s Recommendations menu includes a baked golden bun with sesame, braised sea cucumber with mushrooms, roasted and poached chicken with garlic and sticky rice dumplings in red bean pastry soup. The evening rounds off with sweet osmanthus flower pudding. Guest will be gifted with symbolic red packets, bringing good fortune for the months ahead.

January 27 to February 2
DIFC, Building 4, Dubai, daily 11.30am to 11.30pm. Tel: (04) 3545543. Metro: Financial Centre. royalchinadubai.com

6. Long Yin

Chef George has prepared a special menu for Chinese New Year including Lung Fong Chicken soup, a variety of Long Yin’s special seafood dumplings and main course featuring steamed fillet hammour, sautéed prawns and tenderloin beef cubes . Deep fried chocolate and banana rolls and assorted Chinese candy, Mandarin fruit and traditional Red Envelopes on the table complete the  feast.

January 20 to 30
Le Méridien Dubai Hotel & Conference Centre, Airport Road, Dubai, 12.30pm to 5pm and 6pm to 11pm. Tel: (04) 7022325. Taxi: Le Méridien Dubai. longyin-dubai.com

7. Gaucho Dubai

A Chinese New Year celebration with a difference, Argentinean spot Gaucho Dubai is offering a special drinks menu from January 19 the 31. Mixologists will be crafting different signature drinks, over the course of two weeks, inspired by the 12 different zodiac signs of the Chinese calendar.

January 19 to 31
Gaucho Dubai, DIFC, Dhs38 per mocktail, Dhs78 per cocktail. Tel: (04) 4227898. Metro: DIFC. gauchorestaurants.com

MORE ON YEAR OF THE ROOSTER

1957, 1969, 1981, 1993, 2005, 2017

Personality People born in a Year Of The Rooster are typically believed to be active, amusing, and popular within a crowd. Roosters are talkative, outspoken, frank, open, honest, and loyal individuals. They like to be the center of attention and always appear attractive and beautiful.

Best-suited careers Newsreader, sales person, restaurant owner, hairdresser, public relations officer, farmer, athlete and teacher.

Lucky numbers 5, 7 and 8

Lucky colours Gold, brown and yellow

Lucky months August, November

Celebrity roosters Gloria Estefan, Dolly Parton, Michelle Pfeiffer, Goldie Hawn.

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