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Dinner out is on the menu for the big night

China Daily, January 13, 2012

• The growing popularity of dining out on the Lunar New Year's Eve, which falls this year on Jan 22, is fattening restaurants' reservation books.

  "Sales of the Chinese New Year Eve dinner have surged 15 percent compared with last year," said Zhang Jianyi, branding executive at the Grand Mansion Restaurant Management Co Ltd.

  Zhang said that all of the tables his company had to offer, with meals priced at 2,680 yuan ($425) to 8,880 yuan, were fully booked.

  The Spring Festival is a golden season for restaurants offering Chinese food, he said. "People think of Western food on Christmas or Valentine's Day. They come to us at the Lunar New Year for the Chinese flavor."

  It's long been a tradition for Chinese people to eat at home on this special night as family members prepare dinner together. Asked what's been getting people to leave home, Zhang cited a better economy and an appetite for quality food.

  "Some dishes cannot be cooked well at home. With a big bonus at the end of the year, people simply want their parents and children to try some nice food," Zhang said.

  "Also, it is not easy for relatives to get together every year," he said. "They want to spend the precious time learning more about each other rather than washing dishes in the kitchen."

  The Quanjude chain, the capital's top Peking Duck restaurant, is almost fully booked for the big night. A banquet for 10 people costs at least 2,680 yuan.

  "All of our three rounds of dinner have been booked so far," said Gu Hong, public relations manager of the Qianmen branch of the China Quanjude Co Ltd. "We serve banquets at lunchtime as well."

  The restaurant offers guests a feeling of nian, which means "new year" in Chinese, with Peking Duck, a dumpling-making competition, performances by folk artists and a visit from the "God of Wealth" to wish guests a year of happiness and fortune, Gu said.

  "A great recipe for dinner on Chinese New Year's Eve is not only good food," she said, "but also a taste of tradition and nostalgia." Eating at a restaurant creates a festive mood, Gu said.

  Restaurants at top-end hotels also offer a dinner on the New Year's Eve.

  "Dinner at a hotel guarantees guests privacy and time to eat," said Cindy Zhu, marketing communications manager the InterContinental Beijing Beichen Hotel, which will offer banquets for a fourth consecutive year.

  Customized menus and healthy ingredients are highlights at the hotel's Chinese restaurant, she said.

  Simon Leung, head chef at the restaurant, said a menu that symbolizes good fortune in Chinese culture is crucial. "The banquet is a blessing to people in a brand new year," Leung said.

  For example, the banquet often contains 12 courses, or double the number six, which connotes smooth and good fortune.

  Fish is a must because its Chinese character sounds similar to the one for "affluence", he said.

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