Chinese Lunar New Year in London 2023

Delicate Cantonese cooking, fiery Sichuan delights and high-end banquet-style dishes are all in our round-up of London’s best Chinese food.

Famous for its perfect creamy-white closed Cantonese steamed buns prettily stamped with a Chinese character, Bun House is giving its speciality the Year of the Rabbit treatment. Its Lunar New Year bun trio features one of the pillowy soft creations shaped like a ‘Lunar Bunny’, with floppy ears, a fluffy tail and filled with Cantonese childhood favourite ‘White Rabbit’ candy cream. Scoff it down alongside a ‘Faat Choi’ Bun of Fortune oozing with black sesame lava and the ‘Dai Gut’ Bun of Luck packed with decadent dark chocolate and mandarin. 

Available to pre-order for delivery from January 3. Eat-in sets (Lunar New Year bun trio only) available from January 13.

China Town dim sum joint Plum Valley has created some limited edition custard buns for the Lunar New Year. The treats resemble tangerines, an auspicious symbol of luck and a better year ahead in China. The words for tangerine and orange in Chinese resemble the words for luck and success. 

Available from January 8 while stocks last.

Peking duck, special fried rice and unctuous noodles are all delicious, but sometimes Chinese food is best eaten in exquisitely crafted bite-sized packets. London’s best restaurants for dim sum offer traditional buns, dumplings and rolls as well as renegade riffs on the old classics. And not just in Chinatown: you can sample London’s yum cha scene across the city, from a luxe west London hotel to a hip East End joint. All you need are a pair of chopsticks and a pair of elasticated trousers.

Eat your way around the pan-Asian epicentre and discover London’s incredible East and Southeast Asian culinary scene. From Cantonese roast meats at Four Seasons to hotpot at Shu Xingge and Sichuan sizzlers at Food House.

If you miss the hawker (street) food from the Straits, this will take you straight to Penang. To mark the new lunar year it’s cooking up Yu Sheng – a dish served throughout Singapore and Malaysia to promote good luck and prosperity for the New Year. Each of its many ingredients carries its own special and auspicious significance. The slices of salmon, for example, represent abundance throughout the year, crispy wonton skin signifies gold, and carrots bring luck into your life. While your tucking in, don’t forget the unique Yu Sheng celebration called Lo Hei (toss high) where diners toss the ingredients into the air with chopsticks, whilst shouting out auspicious wishes to usher in prosperity for the New Year. 

Available from January 14 to February 5. £33-£52 (add £2 for takeaway).