Mei Ume at Four Seasons Hotel London at Ten Trinity Square Welcomes Chinese New Year with Paper Art Installation

This January Mei Ume will kick off the Chinese New Year at Four Seasons Hotel London at Ten Trinity Square with a specially-crafted menu from Head Chef Tony Truong available from January 23 to February 6, 2020. To celebrate, Mei Ume has teamed up with paper florist Karen Hsu from Pom Pom Factory, who will adorn the restaurant with bespoke lanterns, gossamer peonies and chrysanthemums.

Upon arrival, diners will be greeted by a sea of traditional origami red lanterns hanging overhead and snaking their way through the restaurant, transporting them to the streets of Beijing and Shanghai. In the spirit of generosity and giving, guests will also be able to take miniature versions of the hand-crafted paper floral bouquets home with them.

In addition to the décor, Mei Ume will be serving a special Chinese New Year menu that begins with lo hei, a traditional Cantonese salad of raw fish including salmon and yellowtail on a bed of dressed crispy daikon radish, pickled spring onions, seaweed and ginger. This tangy dish is also called the “prosperity toss” salad as it is traditionally eaten while standing and tossed with chopsticks - the higher you toss, the better your luck in the New Year. To follow there will be yin yang soup with poached scallop and sweet crab meat, and classic Peking duck served table-side. Dishes of wok-fried tender wagyu beef with ginger and spring onions, and sticky, honey-glazed Chinese roasted pork served with jellyfish salad, a Southeast Asian delicacy, will take centre stage.

To drink, Mei Ume has teamed up with Fenjiu, a premium Chinese baijiu spirit, providing diners with a complimentary neat drink of 30-year aged Fenjiu on arrival. Director of Mixology Harry Nikolaou has created Longevity, with five-year old Zhu Ye Qing Fenjiu, pomegranate and lotus. For dessert, Tony will reveal his showstopper Chinese New Year dessert and nian gao, made with red beans and lotus seeds to symbolise the promise of a better year.

For guests looking to celebrate with friends and family, the private dining room can be booked for up to 13 people with a special feasting menu inspired by the Manchu Han imperial feast, one of the grandest meals ever documented in Chinese cuisine, which included more than 100 different dishes served on an exclusive set of china.

“Chinese New Year is the longest and most auspicious holiday of the Chinese calendar, marking the start of spring. The celebration represents prosperity and new beginnings so at Mei Ume we wanted to begin the new year with a beautiful installation that transports guests to China and gives guests an authentic taste of traditional Chinese New Year celebrations in London,” says Head Chef Tony Truong.

The Chinese New Year menu will be available at Mei Ume from January 23 to February 6, 2020 for GBP 98 per person. The Private Dining Room with special set-up is available from GBP 138 per person.

Reservations can be made online or by emailing diningreservations.tri@fourseasons.com

The à la carte menu will also be available.

About Fenjiu

Fenjiu is the oldest Chinese baijiu, with 6,000 years of history and is still made today according to traditional methods in the Shanxi province of north China using organic sorghum and pure water from the Gouzhuang spring. Double fermentation and double distillation followed by careful blending take place to achieve the highest quality liquor and its distinctive light, delicate style. Fenjiu is matured for between five and 30 years before bottling.

About Pom Pom Factory

Karen Hsu was born in Hong Kong and educated in Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design in London. She first came up with the idea of Pom Pom Factory when she was working at Mercantile store in Shoreditch. It was there where she was recognised by bloggers, stylists and photographers who saw her unique window displays.

Pom Pom Factory has more than 10 years’ experience working with internationally renowned partners such as Soho House, Selfridges, Sketch London and Merci Paris, as well as designing striking installations for weddings and events across the globe. From large retail installations to small residential displays, every project is developed with the client, resulting in a unique and distinctive design, made by hand in London.