Victor Liong loves celebrating Lunar New Year, but he rarely gets the chance to go all out. It’s his own fault really because, by running one of Melbourne’s most popular and lauded Chinese restaurants Lee Ho Fook, it means he’s busy helping other people have a good time. Still, he gets to celebrate by osmosis as “people get together to recap the year that’s just passed, see in the new year and do that with a lot of convivial drinking and feasting”.
“Lunar New Year is a little more significant for Chinese people outside of China,” he says. “They hold onto the traditions tighter because it’s a tie to the culture they’ve left behind. When I do celebrate in Australia, it’s all about what would Mum cook. It’s special because any other day I don’t feel I need to be more Chinese but Lunar New Year makes me connect with the heritage and culture.”
For Liong, there are some non-negotiables for any Lunar New Year feast worthy of the name. In these recipes, all of those ingredients are accounted for.
“There has to be a whole fish,” he says. “There also must be prawns or lobster because eating prawns is a happiness thing (a lobster is known as a dragon prawn). There must also be noodles, because they symbolise longevity and then something red for luck. Each family has their own thing and ours is a whole roast chicken, which is why I’ve added the spatchcock recipe, as a nod to my dad.”
The recipes have been designed as a banquet and while Liong isn’t expecting everyone to attempt all of them, he’s included shortcuts – like buying a roast duck from Chinatown – to make banquet life easier. Even if you just select a few recipes “you’ll still have a very nice lunch and get the
