Do you want (dim) some? Photograph: Yauatcha

The Chinese new year is almost upon us, this year it’s the year of the monkey, which is also considered to be one of the most unlucky years in the Chinese calendar. Yauatcha – the wonderful Michelin starred dim sum teahouse from the Hakkasan group aren’t letting that hold them back. They’ve collaborated with Monkey 47 gin (get it?) to create a limited edition menu inspired by the 47 botanicals used in the gin. The menu created by executive head chef Tong Chee Hwee features four new dim sum dishes, including Foie gras roast duck puff, Caviar siew long bun, Caviar taro dumpling and Black truffle edamame sesame ball.

Hakka fortune pot. Photograph: Yauatcha

The traditional dishes include the Hakka fortune pot – a large clay pot containing a mixture of meat and seafood symbolising a happy reunion, and the Yauatcha scallop yusheng – a raw fish salad of Japanese seaweed, grapefruit, pomegranate, pumpkin and mushrooms.

Pretty in pink. Photograph: Yauatcha

These limited edition dishes will be paired with a gin cocktail flight (now we’re talking) by the Hakkasan group’s senior bar manager Eder Neto. Choose from a Saffron G&T, the Pomelo Fortune –  grapefruit, cranberry and mandarin bitters, and Pink Kumquat using sloe gin and ginger liqueur.

A stunning selection of macarons. Photograph: Yauatcha

Yauatcha’s head pastry chef, Sarah Frankland has created some amazing sounding macarons. Think Juniper berry, Bitter orange and almond, Elderflower and ginger, Rose and rosehip, Camomile, and Gin and tonic with grapefruit.

Both restaurants in Soho and Broadgate Circle will be transformed with hand-folded red paper origami monkeys and glowing Chinese lanterns. And if you really want to get involved, the Yauatcha City branch will be hosting cocktail masterclasses on 6th and 20th February (£60 per person), where you will be able to learn how to create the exclusive cocktails. Following the class, you get to dine from the Supreme Saturday’s menu – we’ve tried it, it’s amazing. Tickets will be available to purchase through Yauatcha City reservations.

OUR VERDICT: I popped along to Yauatcha to try out the Chinese New Year menu this week with my good friend Alexandra Wenman, well, when I say popped, we were there for quite some time, there’s a lot of food to get through and it’s not food to be rushed. The gin cocktail flight was brilliant, the Saffron G&T (with fresh Saffron) was the best I ever had. To be honest, neither of us are big on foie gras or caviar but the dim sum dishes were fab, the punchy Caviar siew long bun was bursting with a delicious soupy broth.

Our favourite course by far was the Yauatcha scallop yusheng raw fish salad that you mix together yourself, it tasted amazing and most importantly, the dish symbolises abundance, prosperity and vigour. We could certainly do with some of that. Alex being a spiritual type, even blessed the dish before we began, probably the closest I’ve ever been to saying grace. The Hakka fortune pot with Dried oyster fried sticky rice with dried shrimp is such an interesting dish, full of every texture you could imagine. unfortunately it was impossible to finish, we had the too-beautiful-to-eat macarons to get through yet.

This was my third Yauatcha visit and hopefully not my last, it’s such a special place where food is so much more than just a meal, it’s a ritual. The staff treat you with respect, whether you’re suited and booted or not, they so deserve that Michelin star.

yauatcha.com/city
Broadgate Circle, London, EC2M 2QS
Email: reservations@yauatchacity.com
Telephone: 020 3817 9888
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Nearest station: Liverpool Street Station (3 mins walk) Moorgate (7 mins walk)

yauatcha.com/soho
15-17 Broadwick Street, Soho, London, W1F 0DL
Email: reservations@yauatcha.com
Telephone: 020 3817 9888
Find them on Facebook
Follow them on Twitter
Follow them on Instagram
Book a table online
Nearest station: Tottenham Court Road or Oxford Circus (7 mins walk)