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Lunar New Year: meet the Hongkonger connecting strangers in Dubai, one halal Chinese dumpling at a time
- Lisa Vo’s Chinese-themed supper-club in the Middle Eastern emirate is serving up authentic dishes while being mindful of local Muslim diets
- The Chinese-Vietnamese-German sees an affinity between Dubai and Hong Kong as fellow humble fishing villages that have grown into regional power houses
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A curious thing has been happening in Dubai over the past few weeks.
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Each week, eight strangers gather for an eight-course meal. But before they tuck in, they first learn how to wrap Chinese dumplings. Later, they will polish these off alongside fried spring rolls, steamed scallops, and rice wrapped in lotus leaf.
It’s the sort of meal that many Chinese families will be tucking into this Lunar New Year, though with this being Dubai the meal comes with a twist – there is none of the traditional pork or alcohol so it is halal, or permitted, for Muslims, who account for the majority of the emirate’s population
The meal has been organised by Lisa Vo, a Hongkonger who has started a supper-club in the Middle Eastern emirate, which is part of the UAE.
Vo has worked with a tea sommelier to come up with non-alcoholic beverages that complement her menu.
Vo started the supper club in October because she felt it was her mission to connect people over good food. She also wanted to bring Asian cuisine to the Middle East. She has since run 21 such sessions hosting 160 people and says the menu has been “well-received” so far.
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