A beloved nearly 30-year-old Cantonese restaurant in Shek Kip Mei, Stonecutters Palace (多彩皇宮酒樓), is honoring Hong Kong’s culinary heritage this Lunar New Year by launching a limited-edition menu featuring elaborate, meticulously handcrafted dim sum and auspicious celebratory cuisine, available from February 15 to 23, 2026. This festive push underscores the establishment’s commitment to traditional techniques, including creating unique “Year of the Horse” themed dumplings and offering significant discounts on reunion dinners and poon choi (basin feast) for early reservations, drawing food enthusiasts to the MTR-accessible location.
Preserving Hong Kong’s Dim Sum Craftsmanship
Stonecutters Palace, which opened its doors in 1998, has long been a fixture in Shek Kip Mei, known for maintaining the authenticity and quality of “Old Hong Kong” style dim sum. The kitchen’s dedication to craft is exemplified by veteran Dim Sum Master, “Brother Fai,” who, since entering the trade in 1989, begins his day at 3:00 AM. This early start ensures that all offerings adhere to a strict “zero pre-made” policy. Master Fai insists on time-honored methods, such as the specialized “pat-pei” (clapping skin) technique used for creating the translucent, thin wrappers of the restaurant’s signature Crystal Prawn Dumplings.
“The delicate touch of the human hand cannot be replicated by machinery, especially when it comes to the elasticity and texture of the dumpling skin,” explains a representative from the restaurant, highlighting the skill required to produce the daily quota of over a thousand shrimp dumplings. Each dumpling is meticulously folded with at least 13 creases and contains five fresh, succulent prawns.
Auspicious Delights for the Festive Season
For the upcoming 2026 Lunar New Year, the restaurant has introduced a specialty menu that leans heavily on symbolic ingredients and playful designs:
- Year of the Horse Commemoration: A limited-time dim sum series celebrating the year’s zodiac includes the multi-layered Thousand Layer Sponge Cake, marked with a symbolic horse stencil, and the Jinhua Ham “Little Horse” Dumplings, alongside refreshing Water Chestnut Cake.
- Symbolic Treats: Other festive creations include the charming Prosperity Pig’s Head Bun, a soft bun concealing a sweet, flowing custard filling that symbolizes good fortune. For a luxurious touch, the Golden Oyster and Fat Choy Siu Mai (pork dumpling) incorporates generous servings of dried oyster and black moss, signifying wealth and great profit.
Beyond dim sum, two other signature favorites anchor the restaurant’s reputation: the Whole Crispy Roasted Pig, a labor-intensive dish marinated for eight hours and slow-roasted in a specialized oven for ultra-crispy skin, and the Double-Boiled Milk in Whole Coconut, a rich and fragrant dessert.
Lunar New Year Reunion Feasting Offers
Stonecutters Palace extends its festive offerings to large family gatherings with competitive pricing on traditional celebratory meals.
For communal dining, the Prosperity Abalone Poon Choi (basin feast) is available, priced competitively at HK$888 for six people. This lavish assembly includes 19 delicacies such as whole abalone, large dried oysters, crispy roast duck, and Hakka braised pork belly, all simmered in a rich abalone sauce.
Families seeking a full banquet experience can opt for the Fortune Star Banquet, featuring eight courses, including whole suckling pig, lobster in supreme broth with e-fu noodles, and steamed garoupa. An appealing early bird incentive offers a deduction of HK$300 per table (HK$150 for half a table) for reservations made one day in advance of the dinner. Furthermore, purchases of the restaurant’s various seasonal puddings (rice, turnip, taro, and water chestnut cakes) at HK$178 for two boxes include HKD$100 in dining vouchers, encouraging return visits.
The commitment of veterans like Master Fai ensures that this Shek Kip Mei institution remains a vital link to authentic Cantonese cuisine, offering discerning Hong Kong diners a taste of tradition amidst rapid culinary modernization.