Chinese New Year celebrations & Launch

Finally some time to update you on our going ons over the last couple of weeks.

23 January heralded the start of the Year of the Dragon.  We can imagine a better way to start the year of this sybolically auspicious horoscope sign!

New Years' Day started off with all the usual pre new year supertitions, the burning of joss paper (and no cleaning up afterwards - cos we dont want to throw out any luck), and of course a lot of food.

 We have this amazing antique brass Buddha that is on display for the next couple of months.  This Buddha has been blessed in a temple, so if you pop in early in the evening, you might catch the lingering insense we'll have burning.

New year day was a flurry of excitement as we released our New Year Banquet

 And of course, the bar stocked up with Chinese Lucky Beer!

There HAS to be plenty of beer!!

And it was such a balmy summers' night, but that didn't seem to dampen the lion dancers enthusiasm one bit.

Being showered in lettuce signifies being showered with "green" so, yes, it means you gonna make loads of money in the new year.  If it didn't happen to you this year, make sure you grab a great seat and be there at the centre of the action next February for the Year of the Snake!

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No sooner had the drums and loud noises chased out all the bad vibes and brought in all the lucky ones, we started to get ready for our launch.

Our girl with the dragon tattoo.....around 3am on the Wednesday morning.

More decorations went up....

Including this amazing 70 year old miniature wild olive Bonsai, lovingly cultivated by Chef Ken.

And finally the big day arrived.  We had chosen the last day of Chinese New Year as our launch night as it commonly known as Chinese Valentines' Day - the only night of the year that young ladies in ancient China were allowed out of the house to view the flower stalls and lanterns that the street vendors set up for the first full moon of the year.  Nowadays in Asia, it is the last celebration day before everyone goes back to their work or farms for the year ahead.

 The crew started early with preparations,

 

The line went through the car park....stopping traffic.

How wonderful it is it to catch up with old friends!

Plenty of food and beer.....

And then, more lion dancing

by 7pm, we were chocablock

and then there was even more lion dancing......

Many thanks to our team for making it such a great night, and of course our VIP's, some who have supported us for over 30 years!

We hope everyone had a marvellous time and we look forward serving you plenty of fine food in the year to come!

Images by David Huang

Year of the Dragon!

Greetings from all of us here at the Fat Dragon!

Hope you all had a marvellously exciting and happy festive season with plenty to eat, drink and lots of lovely people to be merry with!

Us here at Fat D's had a couple of days off for Xmas (of which included the consuming of a rather large Turducken...amongst other things) and a few days off for New Years.  Back at work and we are busy preparing to reveal our new Top 10 for Jan & Feb for service.

Have you thought about what you're doing for Chinese New Year?

 2012 as you may know is the year of the Dragon which begins with the new moon on 23 January.

As the only mythological creature in the Chinese zodiac the dragon is sure to bring its super- natural powers to the year ahead (sybolised by the pearl it clutches in its claws)

We're celebrating the week with a the noisy lion dance - probably with more than just one lion - more lions, more luck!

and a multi course New Year banquet including the mouthwatering 'only eaten once a year dish' of  Salmon Lo Sang Salad.  I am drooling in anticipation as I write.... Mmmmmmm....

The menu and festivities are available this weekend and with the small kitchen we have, make sure you reserve your table before the food runs out!

Come and join us in the celebrations and find out what is in store for your horoscope (or find out what your horoscope is) for the YEAR OF THE DRAGON!!!    Whoooorrar!

The journey

The Lees have always been about food.  It's in our blood and completely inescapable.

Fat Dragon will be the start of the 4th generation foray into the food trade, starting in Canton (Guangzhou to be politically correct), China in 1850.

It's been a really interesting challenge to get the site ready with our vision of a local Chinese with a punch!
Big tasty flavours and mouth dropping textures we're going back to the good old school ways and loving it! 
A real retro Chinese revolution.

We're sharing the road trip with you.  Here's our last few months in pictures;

 researching the food trends in the Villages of China (yes....including snake)

Nick with big bro Cosimo taking down the first roof panels

Choosing a logo (thanks to friends on FB that gave us feedback!). 

to the massive turn out at the Beaufort Street Festival (pic courtesy of friends via facebook).  We'll be there next year, so look out for us!!

The bar went in.....yeah....we reckon that's pretty important!!

Kitchen and menu testing/ tasting.....we'll be advertising for our official Fat D guinea pigs soon, so stay posted!

 Revealing of the sign at the appropriate auspicious hour.

The customary launch blessing

See...... even cool rich people like John Woo have to do it (at the launch of filming)

No firecrackers cos of the fire ban in Perth??  No problem....

Popping 188 red balloons, sure sounds like firecrackers!

pic thanks to Liam via FB

We're finally open!!  

Are you ready to Enter the Fat Dragon??