 Hutong's signature crispy deboned lamb ribs For those that celebrate it, Chinese New Year revolves around two things – family and food. Will Roberts shares his five world favourite feasts from the east. In China people will speak of six-hour long banquets with loved ones where the participants make their way through course after course of glorious celebratory cuisine. If you’re not lucky enough to find a hospitable Chinese family to show you the best way to welcome in the year of the tiger, you could do worse than pay a visit to any one of these top restaurants.
Set on the 28th floor of the One Peking building, Hutong mixes ancient and modern Chinese culture in a way that Hong Kong does so well. The interior is all traditional, dark, carved wood and deep red curtains while out of the window the 21st century skyline of downtown Hong Kong glimmers at you from across the water.
But don’t just come here for the view, the food is equally smart. There’s salty belly pork with Chinese chives; spicy frogs legs and sugar cane prawns in lemongrass-chilli sauce.
There's nothing particularly fancy about the four DinTaiFung restaurants in Taipei. The restaurant on the busy Xinyi Road looks like any other run-of-the-mill Chinese cafe across the world. That said, you won't find more authentic Chinese food than at DinTaiFung, which was founded in the late fifties and has since expanded to China, Korea, Malaysia and even Los Angeles.
People from Taipei will talk about the little delicate steamed dumplings - they come in variety of flavours but the shrimp and pork variety are particularly good. Try the soups and the steamed buns too. You won't get a more down-to-earth taste of Chinese cuisine.
Kai, London
Don't come to Kai for the elaborate decadence that you associate with Chinese interior design, bar the odd Oriental artwork, you wouldn't be able to tell what part of the world the restaurant's excellent menu finds its inspiration and soul.
But this Michelin-starred restaurant is very much worth a visit, over Chinese New Year, or, indeed at any time. There are a good array of Chinese staples - hot and sour soup with scallops and king prawns, crispy duck and Szechuan chicken with cashews.
But perhaps some of the more unusual items are what really catch the imagination. The Chilean sea bass fillet with chopped snow leaf topped with shrimp crumble reflects the modern take on Chinese cooking.
Those with inquisitive minds and deeps pockets may wish to try the £108 Buddha Jumps Over the Wall, surely the most expensive soup in London with A-list ingredients including abalone, shark’s fin and sea cucumber.
In a city with a vibrant Chinese community, there are plenty of restaurants to choose from, though many have lost grip of their Eastern roots. But Ocean Star is popular with Chinese, Americans and tourists alike.
Come the weekends and you'll have to queue for a table - of which there are plenty. Ocean Star is unassuming and welcoming. The decor is a little chintzy and dated, but the Hong Kong-inspired seafood is as fresh as you'll find anywhere in LA.
The menu is as expansive as the main dining area. Much of the seafood is still enjoying life in a fish tank when you arrive - as is the fashion in Asia. The scallop, crab and clay pot dishes won't let you down.
It may seem an obvious choice, but the restaurant belonging Australia's most famous Chinese TV chef lives up to its reputation. The little restaurant is far from exclusive, with a no-bookings policy. All the ingredients are sourced with sustainability and ethics in mind and Billy Kwong's proudly claims to be the first carbon-neutral restaurant in New South Wales.
Eco-points don't always equate to good food, but here the meals are refreshingly intriguing. The highlights include a salad of caramelised pork with smoked oysters and pickled cucumber and stir-fried mussels with chilli sauce and black beans.
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