Chinese New Year is the longest and most important festivity in the Chinese lunar calendar. Regional customs and traditions concerning the celebration vary but most of them share the common theme of bringing luck to the family in the coming year, and wishing loved ones a prosperous year ahead. While many people today may not believe in the do's an don'ts of Chinese New year, these traditions and customs are still practiced by a lot of families. For example, the entire house should be cleaned before New Year's day. Sweeping or dusting must not be done on New Year's Day for fear that good fortune would be swept away!

In addition, on the eve of Chinese New Year, dinner is a family feast that sets the festive atmosphere. It is considered the most important meal of the year to be eaten as a family - although some believe Winter Solstice is more significant, especially in the rural areas - and food will include a wide variety of meats, seafoods and sweet delicacies to signify a good year. As such, many traditional Chinese New Year dishes have auspicious names that symbolise "good fortune", "happiness", "wealth", "good health" and "longevity". However, this does not mean there is no room for creativity and innovation. Here are a few suggestions that have been derived from the classics.

The most well-known and possibly most welcomed dish must be Heng Cai Jiu Shou (橫財就手), which is braised pork knuckles with sea moss and bean paste. It literally means "windfalls that are easily accessible". Chef Lo from The Chinese Restaurant at Hyatt Regency Hong Kong tells us that sea moss is not easy to prepare because it needs to be silky and slippery when picked up with chopsticks, and at the same time slightly crunchy when bitten into. The colour of the dish is a beautiful deep red, thanks to the bean paste made with fermented red beancurd. Business people are especially fond of this dish because of the meaning.

A more innovative interpretation of a traditional dish Lung Ma Jing Shen (龍馬精神), which means "wishing you an energetic year", is this lobster dish prepared with white asparagus and a green tea sauce. Chef Lo abandoned Chinese green tea in favour of Japanese green tea powder because of its intense flavour, so that a very small amount is used in the dish. This enhances the flavour of the lobster and leaves a very faint but lingering taste of the refreshing green tea in your mouth.

Everyone likes abundance in wealth and the following dish hits the mark. Jin Yin Man Zhang (金銀滿掌) offered at Regal Palace is a symbolic dish that consists of braised fish maw, goose web and Chinese mushroom, cooked in a casserole, and the name is translated as "palm full of gold and silver". Both the fish maw and goose web, full of collagen, are slow-cooked for an extended period of time to ensure the soft and plump texture. The mushrooms absorb all the flavours and are meaty and delicious.

For a lighter taste, Man Di Jin Qian (滿地金錢) is a good alternative. It is essentially braised fish maw with carrot and vegetables but the name is more elaborate than that; it means money everywhere. Who would say no to that? Scattered among the green (from the vegetables) and the white (fish maw) is carrot puree that has been sauteed until golden. The fish maw is bouncy and flavourful, and the sweetness from the carrot complements it nicely.

Puddings are not only for dessert; they are eaten throughout the day during Chinese New Year. Tired of traditional turnip cakes and water chestnut puddings? Here are some glamourous suggestions.

Osmanthus and coconut pudding topped with Bird's Nest and Gold Foil is a luxurious dessert from Cuisine Cuisine. Unlike traditional puddings, this is a pudding sandwich - a layer of coconut pudding in between two layers of golden osmanthus jelly with gold specks floating in it. To add a touch of elegance, bird's nest that has been cooked in water sweetened slightly with rock sugar candy is placed on top of this "sandwich", and gold foil is added on top to symbolise prosperity.

At Yan Toh Heen at the InterContinental Hong Kong, Chef Lau uses daikons from the Kagoshima prefecture in Japan to make the Savoury Kagoshima Thick Cut Daikon Pudding. These daikons are juicier and sweeter than the usual turnip used for turnip cakes, and fish broth is used, instead of water, to make the batter for the pudding. The combination of daikon and fish broth is unusual but works heavenly. Eaten with the XO sauce from Yan Toh Heen, it is a delightful snack.

Those who love white chocolate should hurry to Yue at the City Garden Hotel to try the Rosy White Chocolate Pudding with Bird's Nest. It is truly an east-meets-west dessert. Rosewater has been added to give it the lovely pink colour as well as a delightful aroma, while white chocolate and bird's nest give the pudding an interesting texture. The flavour of the white chocolate is enhanced even further after pan-frying.

We at WOM wish you a healthy and prosperous year of the dragon. Don't forget it is bad luck to buy shoes and books in the first fifteen days of Chinese New Year so do your shopping now!