Where to eat in Sydney on Chinese New Year 2017

The clamour of the lion dance, the glow of red lanterns and of the thunder of firecrackers - Lunar New Year is nearly upon us and that means banquets of dumplings, bowls overflowing with noodles and colourful spreads of vegetables and seafood.

For two weeks from January 28, Sydney will be awash with celebrations to mark the year of the rooster. Don't be surprised to find queues snaking out the door for yum cha at Chinatown's Zilver and The Eight (last year the two restaurants served more than a tonne of live lobster, 220 kilograms of live barramundi and 10,000 dumplings between them). Or for something more relaxed, head to one of the street food festivals happening around town.

Here's a taste of what Sydney has to offer this Chinese New Year.

Street food atmosphere

Be taken in by the street food atmosphere at the Lunar Markets, held nightly until February 5. From Singapore chilli soft shell crab you can eat straight from your lap, to the charry aroma of barbecued skewers wafting from Hoy Pinoy's Filipino grill, it's the perfect place to experience new year festivities outside of Asia, chef Luke Nguyen says.

Pyrmont Bay Park, Pyrmont, sydney.lunarmarkets.com.au

An opera affair

Where else to usher in the year of the rooster but at Bennelong Point? Take in the glow of lunar lanterns from Opera Kitchen, where $80 will score you 12 dumplings and four Tsingtao beers to share (Jan 27-Feb12). Pacific or rock oysters dressed in black vinegar, ginger and shallot will be on the menu at Opera Bar ($24 for a half dozen from Jan 27-Feb 12) or indulge in a feast of silken chicken with shiitake, rice and daikon with coconut ice-cream and lychee jelly at Portside (Feb 2-12, $49). Time for a tipple? Duck into Bennelong to sip an "8 Lucky Chickadees" cocktail with strawberry, pomegranate, nectarine and white rum ($24).

Sydney Opera House, western broadwalk, Bennelong, sydneyoperahouse.com/lunarnewyear.aspx

Auspicious eating

For your fill on everything healthy, happy and prosperous, Neil Perry and head chef Andy Evans have put together an auspicious Spice Temple menu ($95pp) until February 5 including the likes of stir-fried spanner crab, stir-fried wagyu brisket with lucky money dumplings and "8 treasure" stir-fried vegetables. Each dish represents a theme such as "fortune", "harmony" and "money". What does the caramel ice-cream with praline symbolise then? Love, of course.

10 Bligh Street, Sydney, rockpool.com/spicetemplesydney​

Impress a crowd

Head to Sydney's Shanghai heart to sit under the parasols and enjoy street food favourites such as noodles and stir-fries at Wongs' Chinese street food, the latest venue to open at Wests Ashfield Leagues. A group to impress? Then snag a table at the club's Golden Times, one of the city's top yum cha spots, for one of two 13-dish banquets ($988 or $1238 for a table of 10-12), featuring lobster, crab meat with broccoli, braised dry oyster and steamed live fish. A lion dance will wind its way through both venues from 7.15pm on January 27 and 28.

115 Liverpool Road, Ashfield, westsashfield.com.au

For sweet tooths

This one gets the cute award. For the next few weeks, dumpling masters Din Tai Fung are selling celebratory rooster buns in a range of colours with - wait for it - sweet blueberry cream cheese filling. If your sweet tooth is already satisfied and you need something more substantial, their won't-bust-the-budget banquet includes hot and sour soup, steamed pork dumplings and kung pao chicken (choice of three menus $30, $35 and $45pp).

Various locations, dintaifung.com.au

Market celebrations

About a third of Chinese visitors to Australia stop by Sydney Fish Markets, so follow their lead on January 28 and pick up some ultra-fresh seafood from 7am while joining the crowd for a chance to "feed" red envelopes to dancing lions (from 9.30am) and crack open fortune cookies to find your own fishy pun.

Bank Street and Pyrmont Bridge Road, Pyrmont, sydneyfishmarket.com.au

Block party

Chippendale's Kensington Street precinct will come together on February 4 for an afternoon block party from 3pm of live music, market stalls, fortune telling and noodle-pulling demonstrations from the skilled hands from Chefs Gallery. When tummies start rumbling, devour a roast duck burger from newcomer Holy Duck! or take your pick of hawker dishes from any of the vendors in cosy-as-it-comes Spice Alley. For something just a tad special, hit Kensington Street Social and The Clare bar at the Old Clare Hotel and ask for "The Rooster" ($22), a special concoction of Tanqueray gin, lychee liquor, kings ginger and lemon juice.

Kensington Street, Chippendale, kensingtonstreet.com.au

Scratch to win

Welcome in the new year on January 28 with a special celebration menu including soups, buns and baos alongside lion dancers and celebratory scratch cards at New Shanghai in Westfield Sydney. Indulge in sweet and sour garlic-marinated fish with crispy rice cake, truffle-infused chicken stir-fry and red date pudding to finish off. The venue will be donating $2 from every cocktail sold to the Cure Brain Cancer Foundation.

Westfield Sydney, 188 Pitt Street, Sydney, newshanghai.com.au

Go the Galeries

If you like the sounds of wok-fried prawns with XO sauce, slow-cooked beef short ribs or crispy skin duck pancakes with sweet miso and cucumber, then wend your way to Lotus Galeries for your choice of three modern Chinese banquets until February 5 ($68, $98, $128pp), plus one of 12 zodiac animal cocktails including the snake, dragon and monkey (if you're game).

Level 1, 500 George Street, Sydney, lotusdining.com.au/restaurant/the-galeries/

Wok battle

Up for a bit more action? Head back to The Galeries on February 2, when chefs from restaurants within the precinct will meet at noon for the "battle of the woks", hosted by Adam Liaw. Kitchen masters from Lotus, Jimmy's Recipe, Chat Thai and Hotto Motto will create a unique snack for shoppers to taste and judge. The best contender will be awarded a people's choice award.

500 George Street, Sydney, thegaleries.com

Find your fortune

Just this once, skip the pork buns at Tim Ho Wan and try something different. The cult dim sum chain is unleashing four inventive dishes promising prosperity, from chewy "fortune cakes" (pineapple cakes coated with egg wash) to the "five fortunes" (a nest of scallop, prawn, pork, spinach and mushroom dumplings). Wonton money bags filled with prawn are dubbed – no surprises here - money bags, while gleaming "golden lucky ingots" made from pumpkin dumpling wrap look so decadent you'll think you've found your own personal fortune.

Various locations, timhowan.com.au

Casino action

Feeling lucky? Head to The Star – for the food of course. Tuck into whole grilled John Dory with white sesame and ginger at Sokyo or salmon yu sheng salad at Fat Noodle. Don't mind coughing up for "market price"? Black Bar & Grill has you covered with their wood-grilled southern rock lobster with wakame butter, while The Century's famous live seafood and authentic Cantonese fare is always popular.

80 Pyrmont Street, Pyrmont, star.com.au

Mmm Mr. Wong

Not for ordinary mortals is Mr. Wong's special abalone and morel mushroom dumpling (in flavour or in price - they come $15 a piece). Nor its caviar, sweetcorn and king crab puffs ($15). Need more than a bite? "Longevity" noodles with braised blacklip abalone, asparagus and shiitake ($88) are also on offer until February 2, while a steamed West Australian snowcrab with egg white, shaoxing and chicken oil sounds heavenly for those who don't blanch at market prices. Ms G's, est. and Enmore's new Queen Chow are among other Merivale venues also getting in on the new year action with special menus running through early February.

3 Bridge Street, Sydney, merivale.com.au