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The Chinese fine dining spot from the Hakkasan proprietors is oddly situated in Kolkata’s most luxurious Quest Mall. However, it shouldn't stop you from booking your reservations because Yauatcha isn't your typical Chinese restaurant. Since it's a tea house, it welcomes you to join in on the Hong Kong custom of friends and family getting together to share food, tea, and gossip. The restaurant has a long bar, low seating, dark wood, muted lighting, and a large open kitchen that is immaculately clean and organised. Its aesthetic is much more modern and neutral, with the only obvious allusion to the Lunar Year celebrations for this year. Yauatcha unveils a limited-edition Year of the Fire Horse menu that draws inspiration from forward motion, balance, and vitality. The menu combines flavour-driven main courses and distinctive dim sums and cocktails to create a communal dining experience that captures the essence of Chinese New Year.
Image Credit: Rajlakshmi Dastidar
The Chinese New Year, which falls on February 17, 2026, marks the beginning of the Year of the Fire Horse. During the Chinese Lunar Year, several outer planets move from slow and steady, emotionally focused earth and water signs to impulsive, action-oriented, social fire and air signs. The Fire Horse will create an intense atmosphere that inspires big changes, quick decisions, and rebellious energy for a full year. It is easy to understand how the chefs at Yauatcha managed to earn a Michelin star in just one year for the London location of the restaurant. Yauatcha's limited 'Gong Hei Fat Choy' menu has a parade of dishes to explore Lunar New Year flavours.
The core of Yauatcha's food and service is urban freshness. It draws subtly from the customs of the past while being grounded in history and free from nostalgia, interpreting them with an eye toward the present. Instead of trying to recreate the past, the restaurant aims to reinvent it in a modern setting that is dynamic, ever-changing, and constantly changing. The result is Cantonese cuisine that is both authentic and sophisticated, where delicateness and subdued passion coexist, and each dish is prepared with a clear respect for the best ingredients.
Image Credit: Rajlakshmi Dastidar
A Feast Of Textures, Colours & Celebrations
From delicate steamed shrimp and carrot dumplings, filled with succulent shrimp, sweet carrots, and lotus root, to steamed leek and corn rolls in a sweet black pepper sauce, layered with tender leeks, cream cheese, and sweet corn, the menu begins with sophisticated appetisers that are both comforting and subtly decadent.
The colourful kumquat butterfly prawns, glazed in a bright, citrus-forward sauce, provide a lively, festive lift to the table, while the crispy golden chicken rolls, filled with succulent chicken, fresh celery, and Chinese cabbage, lend that beloved crunch. Fragrant fried chicken with almond flakes in Sha Cha sauce rounds things off with warmth, spice, and a gentle nutty richness. Yauatcha redefines Cantonese cuisine in India by upholding its Michelin standards for food quality and service.
The main courses, which include steamed Indian salmon in black bean sauce with pak choy, known for its rich, savoury flavours and buttery texture, bring the celebration to a head. While vegetarian dishes like stir-fried lotus root with broccoli and black pepper and the coloured beetroot fried rice with mock meat add balance, colour, and a sense of effortless abundance to the spread, the twice-cooked pork belly with tofu in Toban chilli makes a strong case for those who prefer a little bolder flavours.
Image Credit: Rajlakshmi Dastidar
With the Lucky Horse taking centre stage, the desserts reflect the riches and good fortune that accompany the Year of the Fire Horse. A cool mandarin sorbet on the side balances the layers of orange sponge with a delicate ginger inlay, mandarin crémeux, mandarin compote, and caramelised mousse. The spicy mandarin macarons, which are topped with mandarin compote and spiced chocolate ganache, provide a light-hearted, festive ending that isn't over the top.
In these kinds of events, cocktails are equally crucial because they establish the tone and heighten the atmosphere at the table. Zero-ABV cocktails have particularly flourished in recent years, providing flavourful, inclusive options for individuals who would rather forego alcohol. These beverages, which are now on the limited menu, add the same festive flair without the buzz alongside the spirit-forward drinks that bring the festival for you to sip in a glass.
Image Credit: Rajlakshmi Dastidar
A Toast To The Lunar Year With Yauatcha’s Cocktail Edit
The cocktail menu really ties the whole festive experience together, and honestly, it’s where things get unexpectedly exciting. Fire And Ice is a total crowd-pleaser, balancing Ballantine’s Finest with yakitori liqueurs and a soft cinnamon foam, while Daredevil goes bold with truffle-washed Ballantine’s whisky, Campari, and C3 liqueur. The Catalyst feels bright and refreshing with Beefeater gin, umeshu, and yuzu juice, and The Red Stallion is easily one of the most striking, layering Absolut vodka with lavender liqueur, cranberry juice, raspberry purée, and lime for a vibrant, almost celebratory sip. Even the zero-ABV cocktails shine, Flavour of Tibet with cucumber and yuzu, and the berry-forward Red Berry Collins with elderflower are surprisingly flavour-packed and perfect for the festive mood.
Address: 5th Floor, Quest Mall, Syed Amir Ali Avenue, Park Circus, Beck Bagan,
Ballygunge, Kolkata, West Bengal 700017
Timing: Till March 15, 2026
Price: ₹3,750+ taxes for two
