Year of the Tiger promotions kick into high gear as restaurateurs face chicken-less festivities marked by currency worries, wild stock market swings and fireworks fatigue. That does not, however, appear to have deterred a few upper-crust venues from putting on $1,000-a-head fireworks dinners from yesteryear and hoping for the best.
The Peninsula says it still anticipates being very busy. The effect of the economic downturn has been a cap on price increases, which the hotel says have been nominal.
Most expensive are the Western menus. The New World Hotel's harbourside Panorama dining room is offering dinner for $1,068. At the Island Shangri-La's Petrus, the special fireworks dinner is $988 per person. The Regent's Plume is charging $928 for a five-course set menu on fireworks night. All exclude 10 per cent service charge.
With a few exceptions, Chinese banquets appear to be better value and cost a little less. At The Peninsula's Spring Moon Chinese restaurant, the Longevity dinner costs $7,880 for a table of 12, which works out at $713 a head including 10 per cent service. The Wealth dinner is $6,880 per table, and the Fortune dinner $5,880.
Depending on the choice of set menu, dinner at the Grand Stanford Harbour View is either $4,880 or $5,680 for a table of 12.
The Regent's Lai Ching Heen is serving an eight-course set menu at $860 per person, for a minimum of two people. The Kung Hei Fat Choi menu is $11,800 for a table of 10 to 12.