Chinese New Year 2014 celebrations at Hutong

Posted on February 7, 2014

For our first Chinese New Year at Hutong our aim was to make it ‘the place to be to celebrate Chinese New Year in London’, and judging from the many happy faces we saw and kind comments we have received, we think we may have achieved it!

Our celebrations began with four Chinese New Year cocktails being created for the bar. Taking as inspiration some of the wishes made at this time of year – for Fortune, Longevity, Happiness and Wealth – our bar team chose ingredients which are believed to bring these benefits and used them in their recipes. These cocktails will be available in the Shanghai Bar until 14th February.

On the Wednesday before New Year, Hutong was given an even-more-thorough-than-usual cleaning, as is traditional, with housekeeping taking great care to sweep in, not out.

Now ready to receive both guests and good blessings, on Thursday 30th January we launched our new Signature Menu, perfect for groups of friends and family to share, on the night on which families gather for the Reunion Dinner. Hutong was filled with families spanning many generations and the menu, with its whole Dover sole centrepiece, was a great success.

Staff at Hutong were delighted when the next morning, group Operations Director Mr Tony Geary visited the restaurant to hand out red pockets, gifts of money in lucky red envelopes!

The focus of the festivities was of course the evening of Friday 31st January, and it is safe to say, we think, that no-one outside The Shard, on Level 69 at The View from The Shard or, indeed, inside Hutong, was expecting to see a loud, colourful and at-times terrifying lion dance troupe! But that is exactly what happened and guests and passers-by were thrilled with this lively spectacle.

Guests on this night were the first to sample our delicious and unusual Lo Hei salad, and it was wonderful for us to see every table tossing their salad higher and higher to bring prosperity! The dish will remain on the menu as a special option until the end of Chinese New Year, 14th February – which is also Lantern Festival, when guests will be given riddles to solve. Their efforts will be rewarded with a treat from the candy box, although guests can just seek this out and help themselves if they wish!

We would like to thank all the guests, entertainers and staff who made our first Chinese New Year such a joyful and memorable occasion. We enter the New Year very happily!

Were you at Hutong for any of our New Year celebrations? What did you enjoy most – and were there any traditions we missed that you’d like to see us honour next year? Do let us know in the Comments!