Sydney Eat Street: Lunar New Year 2021 sweets and treats
Bring on wealth and good fortune in the Year of the Ox with some great Asian food and delicious desserts like black sesame money bags and lantern macarons.
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It’s timely we are in the Year of the Ox, the second animal of the Zodiac calendar that represents hard work and honesty — traits we’ll need to get back on track — but not without some great food.
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KOI DESSERT BAR
Starting off in their garage back in 2012, the “Kids of Ike” have been bringing KOI to the forefront of the creative dessert and dining scene.
Brothers Ronald, Arnold, and Reynold Poernomo are the namesake of the business (KOI is an abbreviation) and along with KOI’s matriarch Ike Malada, have gone all out for any opportunity to create stunning, tasty and inventive treats for holidays and other celebrations.
For this Lunar New Year, it’s the “88”.
“It’s one of the luckiest numbers in the Chinese culture,” Reynold says.
Eight symbolises wealth and good fortune, as the number sounds similar to the word “wealth”.
88 is an elegant dessert, centred within a ruby-red chocolate ring and features hazelnut, Frangelico, salted caramel, passionfruit and dark chocolate.
It’s available via Click & Collect for pick-up from 12pm at their Chippendale, Ryde and Macquarie Centre locations.
FATCARON
These aren’t your regular macarons as their name suggests – Fatcaron. Larger than your standard options, Fatcaron macarons follow the French method which uses less sugar by substituting naturally sweet premium almond powder.
The result is a moist and chewy macaron compared to the more crumbly Italian version.
Fatcaron started at Glebe Markets, and lead to pop-up outlets in shopping centres around Sydney — until COVID.
Co-founders Hera Lee and Kirk Canda shifted the business online (it was hard work), built a following and now have four locations with plans to expand.
There are more than 50 flavours, classics such as chocolate, passionfruit and lychee or more novel ones such as those for Lunar New Year, including black sesame money bags and lanterns.
There’s also a rather boutique range that Hera paints herself such as this year’s Hello Kitty or an adorable panda with a watermelon centre.
The whole process takes three days but the taste and artistry make them well worth a visit.
Pick them up at their pop-up carts in Market City, World Square, Macquarie Centre and Burwood or, in collaboration with IIKO Mazesoba in Darling Square from February 12-14 where you can grab one for dessert.
— facebook.com/fatcaronofficial
NANYANG TEA CLUB
Nanyang Tea Club takes its inspiration from the world-famous Raffles Hotel in Singapore.
The British colonial design features such recognisable elements as muted tropical-wallpaper, wooden daybeds with bright teal and yellow cushions, bespoke brass trim and even a rickshaw in front.
Owners Billy Chong (from Ipoh Town) and Kaisern Ching (from Chef’s Gallery) have brought in Chef Yin Pin Lin, who was raised in Ipoh, to deliver Malaysian and Singaporean favourites, including traditional chilli crab, Hainanese chicken rice, pipis and laksas, dishes he remembers from his childhood.
On the sweet side, chef Scott Gong prepares delicious and creative desserts, including a durian tart.
For Lunar New Year they are putting on a High Tea for $65 that is loaded with elegantly designed macarons from local bakery mak mak macarons, as well as other petite desserts, churros with chocolate sauce and one a pot of artisanal tea.
If you’re looking for some savoury decadence, you can’t go past their Yee Sang (Prosperity Salad); it includes a whole lobster for a very reasonable $88 (through February 28). And of course, no meal would be complete without a Singapore Sling, a gin-based cocktail created at Raffles back to 1915.
— Shop 3.11, 1909 Dining Precinct, Market City Shopping Centre; 9-13 Hay St, Haymarket; nanyangteaclub.com.au
DIN TAI FUNG
Masters of the meticulously made dumplings have once again crafted some clever creations to celebrate Lunar New Year.
They’ve brought back their cherry-red Wagyu beef dumplings ($8.80 for three pieces, $18.80 for six pieces) which, coincidentally are made with precisely 18 folds — again with the lucky number eight.
There’re also delightful, and rather poignant, “masked” chocolate filled oxen (two for $8.80).
Should you visit the World Square restaurant, check out all the other festivities as part of centre’s Oxapalooza, including electronic art, lion dances, hip hop artists and runs through February 28.
— dintaifung.com.au; worldsquare.com.au
KOKO BLACK
The artisanal chocolatiers at Koko Black celebrate the Year of Ox with a selection of chocolates reflective of Lunar New Year’s flavours such as mandarin & yuzu.
Mandarins are considered a symbol of wealth and prosperity, not only because they have a slightly golden hue but the Cantonese word for them, “song tam” translates to “giving gold.
In the elegant Lucky Lunar Collection box, you’ll also get the matcha, passion [sic], chilli & mango, and vanilla & mango pralines ($22.90 for eight pieces, $39.90 for 16 pieces; and $125 for 64 pieces).
— QVB, Town Hall and Strand Arcade; kokoblack.com
BODHI RESTAURANT BAR
Go ahead. Put a fork in it. These golden yellow coconut koi fish are almost too cute to eat but one bite and you’ll question your hesitation.
Made with coconut milk, not only are they delicious but they also foretell a year of prosperity as their name rhymes with “leftovers”, which implies having a surplus.
These treats are part of Bodhi Restaurant’s Chinese New Year menu and are available for lunch from February 15-28.
For an extra special celebration, on February 16 at 6pm, they’ll have their annual lion dance which each dinner booking receiving a lucky red envelope.
— 2/4 College St, Sydney; bodhirestaurant.com.au
KITKAT CHOCOLATORY
Break open these crispy chocolate wafers for two different Asian-inspired flavours: black sesame and durian.
The eight-finger 130g KitKats both have a creamy white chocolate base mixed with either dried durian or a black sesame powder and then topped with 24k gold leaf ($18).
They’re only available at the KitKat chocolatory or online so be quick, you don’t want to miss out one these lucky
— MidCity Shopping Centre, Ground Floor, 197 Pitt St, Sydney; KitKat.com.au
LYRE’S
For those still nursing a festive-season hangover or just wanting an alcohol-free alternative, Lyre’s is unique in that they’re made to replicate actual spirits and pre-mixed cocktails, unlike other non-alcoholic options that taste watered down or saccharin sweet.
Their range isn’t limited to just basic spirits rather Lyre’s range includes variants on Absinthe, triple sec and a coffee liqueur. If it seems too good to be true, try your hand at mixing up some cocktails as “Jade”, a vibrant green drink made with “Absinthe” or “Be You” which uses Aperitif Rosso and was created as a nod to the always-elegant fashion icon, Coco Chanel (not that this has a specific Lunar New Year reference except one of her most famous quotes, “The best colour in the world is the one that looks good on you”, which of course include red, the luckiest of colours.
If however, you are looking for a tipple, you can always add some sort of alcohol to the creation – the options are limitless.
— lyres.com.au/happy-new-lunar-year for stockists
DOPA BY DEVON
The gents at Devon are renowned for adding unconventional items to their menu and for Lunar New Year they’ve concocted a dessert made up of black sesame mochi cake creamy salted yolk custard.
While you’re down that way, check out Darling Square’s celebratory installations and entertainment including DJs and lion dances. Available through February 21.
— Darling Square, 2 Hay St, Haymarket; facebook.com/dopabydevon
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Everyone is happy to see the sun peeking through the clouds, but winter’s not all bad. Bid farewell to the colder days with one last hurrah of warming fare.
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