This week marks Lunar New Year, a holiday celebrated by millions across Asia and the rest of the world. This time around, it’s The Year of the Snake – so if you were born in a ‘snake’ year, 2025 could be a year of rebirth and regeneration. Luckily enough, there’s lots happening in the capital right on our doorstep, including the best Lunar New Year dishes to get your teeth stuck into – including Hakkasan’s snake fruit, persimmon and avocado salad and Mr Bao’s even-better-than-bossman’s fried chicken.

We’re also not done with Veganuary just yet – with a review of Portobello Road’s Holy Carrot, the kind of place you go when you want to impress. See you next week!. Read on for a whole range of recommendations for February 1 and 2, handpicked as always by The Slice. The Slice is your weekly guide to what’s happening in London, so if you’re looking for restaurant reviews, drinks deals or just a great new exhibition to visit on a rainy Saturday in the capital, we’ve got you covered.

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A post shared by Mr Bao 🇹🇼 (@mrbaouk). By Sophie Laughton. It’s a typical Saturday night in south London: I’m eating fried chicken outside Peckham Morley’s. Except I’m actually across the road, in a Taiwanese restaurant, devouring crispy wings dipped in ultra-savoury miso mayo so good that bossman’s have paled permanently in comparison. ‘Doesn’t it feel like we’re cheating?’ I ask my boyfriend. He doesn’t care, he’s already scribbling on the paper order form for another portion.

The arrival of the Year of the Snake had the Slice team thinking about our favourite neighbourhood Chinese and East Asian restaurants, and I had to put forward Mr Bao (they’ve got other branches in Tooting and Westfield, but this one’s the OG). It’s a tiny, proper Peckham joint, with paper lanterns, dried flowers, and a couple kitschy souvenirs. On the menu you’ll find a mix of traditional Taiwanese buns and kick-ass twists on favourites from smacked cucumber to hash brown baos at brunchtime (two baos and a couple small plates between two should do it), while the drinks selection includes Asian beers, sake, and a powerful Plum Wine Negroni. Put it this way – I’ll be slithering back as soon as I can get a table.

Bao from £4.80, small plates from £3.50. 293 Rye Lane, Peckham, SE15 4UA. Book here. By Lola Christina Alao. There’s a vegan restaurant for every occasion (a huge improvement on ten years ago). But Holy Carrot is the kind of place you go when you want to impress. The smoked Mushroom Chilli Ragu delivered on a moreishness I thought you could only get from beef lasagne, soaked up with fresh, soft in the middle, crisp on the outside koji bread. And if there’s one dish you’d be mad to skip, it’s the flawlessly crunchy hen of the woods mushroom with roasted koji mole.

Koji is the same mould used for miso and soy sauce, and the result is a well balanced sweet, tangy sauce with that umami taste we all crave. While some dishes had me wishing for more dimension – the Foraged Mushroom Cassoulet with Smoked Tofu faded into the shadow of the other dishes – I appreciated their simplicity. The dessert menu is free of all refined sugars, but sweetness-wise, the sticky toffee pudding with carob caramel and cream is still pretty high on the scale, so have your water at the ready. Don’t forget to drizzle some of the cream on top – the absence of dairy makes it deliciously light.t.

Smalls from £11; larges from £13.50. 156 Portobello Rd, Notting Hill, W11 2EB. Book here. Best for: a sumptuous Chinese feast. Celebrate the year of the snake in style with Hakkasan’s specially-crafted Chinese New Year menu. Featuring dishes like the snake fruit, persimmon and avocado salad or the sauteed eight treasure vegetables (including snake gourd, of course) every single flavour packs a punch. The Chilean sea bass and plum-braised beef short ribs are particularly melt-in-your-mouth spectacular. But it’s not just about the food – Hakkasan is a full dining experience.

There’s a lavish golden, handcrafted wishing tree where you can hang your wishes for the year to come, plus dry ice smokeshows with exclusive Hennessy cocktails. You’ve never had Chinese like this before. Year of the Snake menu, £98pp, Hanway Place or Mayfair, London. Book here. Best for: if you’re feeling lucky. It’s the return of the golden ticket! At Mambow, in honour of Lunar New Year and the Year of the Snake, guests are in with the chance to win a free meal for two. So how does it work? You’ll be handed a red envelope when it’s time to pay and if you’re lucky you’ll get a free meal on your next visit. What are the specials? Prosperity Yam Basket – a deep-fried five spice yam ring, filled with classic Chinese Kung Pao Chicken and peanuts; Chilli Crab Kueh Pie Tee – thin and crispy pastry tart shells, filled with spicy crab and served alongside stir fried yam bean; and Adam Peas Daging – a hot and sour beef short rib curry with okra, torch ginger flower.