Chinese New Year Celebration
Ring in the Year of the Rat with a high-flying feed at one of Sydney's top restaurants.
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Overview
Lunar New Year is just around the corner, running from January 25–February 8. Ring in the Year of the Rat and celebrate Chinese culture by hitting up a street party in Haymarket, watching dragon boat racing in Darling Harbour and gawking at large-scale lanterns of the 12 lunar zodiac animals, plus a gold tower of nine 2.8m-tall robotic rats in Circular Quay.
After your cultural fix, it's time to tuck into a feast. For those looking to ring in the New Year in style, you can head to one of the city's best restaurants — Aria — which is serving up Chinese-inspired dishes in celebration. Executive Chef Joel Bickford's specialty menu will be on offer from January 22–29, so you can either start the festivities early or head there after a day of exploring the many lunar events around Sydney.
You'll be feasting on chilled lobster and potato salad topped with oyster emulsion and caviar; slow-cooked pork jowl, greenlip abalone, king oyster mushrooms and greens in XO sauce; steamed red emperor fish with creamed miso eggplant and shellfish oil; and cherry-glazed organic duck breast, aged in-house for seven days. Then, for dessert, a blood plum sorbet and a white chocolate, lychee and mango pudding. And, of course, it's all accompanied by sweeping Opera House and harbour views.
This decadent six-course menu will cost you a cool $260 per person, with additional wine pairings ranging from $128–328 (or opt for a non-alcoholic drinks pairing for $78). After all, the Year of the Rat is one of wealth and surplus.
Aria's Chinese New Year Celebration menu is available for lunch and dinner, from January 22–29. To book, head here.
Images: Cole Bennetts, Steven Woodburn and Kitti Gould.
