Chinese New Year 2022 is here and it is the Year of the Tiger: a year of big decisions, wild emotions and excitement.

One story behind the Tiger’s place in the Chinese zodiac begins in ancient times. It is said that in the beginning there was no tiger in the twelve zodiac animals; in its place was the Lion. The Lion used to be the most ferocious of all the animals, leaving the others in a state of no rest.

The Jade Emperor, who was in charge of the Chinese zodiac, was at a loss with what to do with the chaotic situation. Thankfully, the host of the mortals recommended the Guard Tiger of the Heavenly Palace to take the place of the aggressive Lion in the zodiac, thus forcing the Lion out and restoring peace. The Tiger diligently defeated the Lion, eventually becoming known as the king of all beasts, granting recognition for its power and daring nature.

The Year of the Tiger runs from 1st February 2022 to 31st January 2023.

In celebration, we have created an exclusive, signature menu offered at both Yauatcha City and Yauatcha Soho, as well as limited edition pineapple pastries available for guests to purchase from retail or order online for nationwide delivery.

We have also transformed the restaurants to pay homage to the fierce Tiger. The exterior of Yauatcha Soho displays a beautifully vivid tiger vinyl with gold embossed writing wishing everyone Gong Hei Fat Choy, translating to Happy New Year in Chinese. The restaurant also has a ceiling installation with glimpses of tigers hiding amongst the rafters.

Yauatcha City displays a life-sized tiger lantern, designed and created in China, which greets guests as they enter the restaurant.

On the exclusive menu, guests can enjoy small plates of our Hao yùn lucky dim sum: smoked duck shui mai, Chilean sea bass dumplings and black pepper chicken puffs, as well as the Drunken chicken and prawn wonton with sesame and cashew nut. For the larger sharing plates, there is the Szechuan style rib eye beef, pan-seared with green chilli pepper, Vinaigrette soy steamed prawn and scallop with tofu and preserved vegetable, Wok-fry long bean with spicy ginger, garlic and black bean, and Crab meat pineapple fried rice with yam bean and cucumber. For dessert, we have our new petit gateau named the Lucky Coin, made with mandarin curd compote, ginger cream, cheese and orange mousse and crumble. Our patisserie team have also created a limited edition Year of the Tiger macaron filled with mandarin puree and orange ganache whilst our mixologists have curated a new signature cocktail: the Hŭ Highball, made from Roku gin, kumquat, jasmine tea and passion fruit.

From retail, guests can gift our Taiwanese Pineapple pastries which are thought to hold the key to prosperity and good fortune. The word for pineapple in Hokkien is pronounced in a similar way to the phrase prosperity has arrived, and because of this the pineapple has become a symbol of wealth, fortune and prosperity. These pastries are the ideal gift for loved ones in celebration of the new year and are made using caramelised pineapple jam, encased in a buttery, crumbly pastry. Guests can purchase online or collect from one of our restaurants.