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Header image courtesy of Auor
As the year comes to an end, the city is gearing up for a series of festivities. Among the Christmas cheer and New Year’s Eve craze, there is another festival that Hongkongers routinely celebrate. Marking the twenty-second solar term in the lunar calendar, the Winter Solstice Festival is a time for reunion and togetherness. Typically, families in Hong Kong gather for a meal at home or eat out at restaurants. From traditional poon choi to comforting Cantonese fare, we have compiled a list of the best winter solstice menus to try in Hong Kong in 2023.
Savour across Veggie Kingdom’s vegetarian offerings this winter solstice! The poon choi is perfect for groups, each pot filled to the brim with delicious offerings such as vegetarian prawns, abalone, bamboo fungus, lotus root, and char siu. Alternatively, the Golden Winter “lamb stew” with shiitake mushroom and cordyceps flower claypot rice is a hearty and warming option for any family dinner.
Veggie Kingdom, 7/F, VIP Commercial Centre, 120 Canton Road, Tsim Sha Tsui
Hutong is offering a six-course winter solstice dinner menu for your celebrations this year. Featuring delicious items such as crispy mandarin fish in sweet and sour sauce and black peppered prawn with golden garlic, families can enjoy a panoramic view of Victoria Harbour during their celebration.
Hutong, 18/F, H Zentre, 15 Middle Road, Tsim Sha Tsui
Delight in elevated Chinese fare at The Chinese Library this winter solstice! Highlights of the special à la carte menu include braised fish maw with crab roe, crispy pork belly with fermented red bean cured and black garlic sauce, and Alaskan crab with glass noodles.
The Chinese Library, Police Headquarters Block 01, Tai Kwun, 10 Hollywood Road, Central
Treat your family to Michelin-starred Cantonese delicacies at Duddell’s! Available on 21 and 22 December, the winter solstice family sharing menu features an array of indulgent dishes, highlighting double-boiled fish maw, longan, walnut, and dried jujube, ancient steamed whole garoupa, concubine chicken with conpoy, and Yangzhou fried glutinous rice. The menu concludes with sweetened red bean cream tong yuen (glutinous rice balls) and Duddell’s dessert selection.
Duddell’s, 1 Duddell Street, Central
Enjoy a hearty eight-course Winter Solstice Festival set menu at Cuisine Cuisine! The menu is perfect for large group gatherings and features items such as braised six-head abalone and double-boiled conpoy soup with sliced conch and goji berries amongst other offerings. Families can also enjoy the meal in a private dining room.
Cuisine Cuisine, 3/F, The Mira Hong Kong, Mira Place, 118 Nathan Road, Tsim Sha Tsui
Indulge in exquisite offerings at The Legacy House this Winter Solstice! The Winter Solstice Festival set menu is available for one night only on 22 December and features delectable items such as braised lobster with crispy rice cracker in supreme broth, steamed chicken with sliced abalone, Yunnan ham, and vegetables, and fried glutinous rice with mushroom, dried shrimp, and preserved meat. Round off your feast with sweetened chestnut cream and sesame tong yuen and baked peach kernel puff pastry with lotus seed paste.
Alternatively, treat your loved ones to a selection of dishes crafted with coveted dried tangerine peel. Highlights include stewed local razor clams with bamboo shoots, slated lemon, and 15-year dried tangerine peel, braised fish maw soup with lamb and 50-year dried tangerine peel, and steamed rice complemented by chicken, conpoy, crabmeat, duck, mushroom, bamboo shoot, and aromatic eight-year dried tangerine peel sauce. Diners can also opt for the dried tangerine peel tasting menu for an elevated dining journey.
The Legacy House, 5/F, Rosewood Hong Kong, 18 Salisbury Road, Tsim Sha Tsui
Enjoy a homely feast at Nam Fong this winter solstice! The eight-course festive set menu features a curated selection of Cantonese classics, highlighting double-boiled chicken soup with Japanese sea cucumber and Chinese olive, crispy yellow chicken with a trio of scallions, and braised striped prawn with pumpkin and chicken sauce with Inaniwa udon. Learn more about the menu here.
Nam Fong, 3/F, Le Méridien Hong Kong Cyberport, 100 Cyberport Road, Cyberport
Elevate your family gatherings this winter solstice with the Grand Feast poon choi takeaway from Jade. Expect a hearty pot overflowing with lobster, abalone, fish maw, dried scallops, smoked chicken, and stuffed fried fish. You’ll have to place your order at least three days in advance here.
Alternatively, dine in at Jade to enjoy the winter solstice menu! The set menu begins with crispy roasted suckling pig and double-boiled sea whelk soup with snow lotus seed, before moving onto steamed whole spotted garoupa and crispy chicken with fermented red bean curd paste amongst other offerings. For mains, dig into the fried rice with French black truffle and assorted seafood. The menu concludes with Jade’s special dessert platter. Learn more about the menu here.
Jade, 2/F, The Fullerton Ocean Park Hotel Hong Kong, 3 Ocean Drive, Aberdeen
Try something different this winter solstice with Jiangsu Club’s Jiangnan-style poon choi! Highlights in the pot include Jiangnan lionhead meatballs, tiger prawns, Shanghai braised pork, and drunken braised pigeon amongst other things, all topped with a secret broth that elevates the abundant flavours. You can place your order on the phone three days in advance.
Jiangsu Club, 2/F, Alliance Building, 130–136 Connaught Road Central, Sheung Wan | (+852) 6230 8973
Change your winter solstice celebration up this year and try out Auor’s latest Six Rounds tasting menu or Winter Wonders four-course dinner. The tasting menu features dishes that showcase an innovative blend of French and Asian culinary techniques. Highlights include the Rain mud crab au gratin with Malabar pepper, the Diversity five-spice pigeon, and the Memory homemade glutinous rice roll served with peanut ice cream, peanut tuile, and sweet glutinous rice wine. Alternatively, the four-course dinner features delectable items such as Wagyu satay and Cantonese bouillon with acorn noodle, fish maw, and truffle.
Auor, 4/F, 88 Gloucester Road, Wan Chai
Enjoy Hoi King Heen’s eight-course degustation menu for your Winter Solstice Festival gathering! The Cantonese special menu is inclusive of pan-fried glutinous rice dumplings filled with peanuts and chicken, braised tomato filled with bird’s nest, assorted seafood, and cordyceps flower, and double-boiled Hawaiian papaya soup, fish maw, crab meat, chicken, roasted duck, and mushrooms.
Hoi King Heen, B2/F, InterContinental Grand Stanford Hong Kong, 70 Mody Road, Tsim Sha Tsui
Savour across Man Ho Chinese Restaurant’s elevated Cantonese fare this winter solstice. A new selection of dishes with complex flavour profiles is available, such as the premium bird’s nest in supreme soup, the braised crab claw with bamboo pith in chicken stock, and the deep-fried chicken wing stuffed with chicken liver and barbecued pork.
Man Ho Chinese Restaurant, 3/F, JW Marriot Hotel Hong Kong, Pacific Place, 88 Queensway, Admiralty
Born and raised in Hong Kong and educated in the UK, Celia is passionate about culture, food, and different happenings in the city. When she’s not busy writing, you can find her scouting for new and trendy restaurants, getting lost in a bookstore, or baking up a storm at home.
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