CaranaBeach Celebrates Chinese New Year with Traditional Feast, Lion Dancers

The CaranaBeach Hotel welcomed the Year of the Dog in style last Friday, with a sumptuous buffet of cuisines from the Far East to celebrate Chinese New Year.

This first-time event saw a blend of both Seychelles residents and foreign tourists in attendance to enjoy not only the food but also a Lion Dance performance by a local young troupe trained by Chinese instructors.

The banquet kicked off with a starter buffet featuring a fresh sushi station as well as traditional Spring Festival favourites like steamed pork buns and spring rolls. Main courses included Hangchow steamed fish, chicken with cashew nuts, hoisin marinated pork ribs and several other dishes, while an elegantly presented dessert of matcha mousse and yuzu curd was brought out to the diners’ tables.

The dance troupe, comprised of teenagers from Mont Fleuri school, was formed in 2013 when they took part in a cultural exchange organised by the Chinese Embassy and the Seychelles Ministry for Culture.

“The feedback from the evening was terrific,” CaranaBeach PR, Branding and Communications Manager Nicole Saint Ange said. “It’s of course a great attraction for our guests, and at the same time provides a platform for local talent from the community, as well as for our chefs to showcase their diversity and skill.”

She added that the Spring Festival dinner will form part of CaranaBeach’s yearly calendar of events and special dining occasions, alongside other new entries to be announced this year.