Celtic Manor Resort’s AA Rosette awarded Asian restaurant will mark the Lunar New Year with a remarkable two night celebration, uniting two of the UK’s most acclaimed chefs for an immersive dining experience that pays tribute to tradition, flavour and artistry.
In an exclusive collaboration, Larkin Cen (MasterChef Finalist 2013 and Welsh representative on The Great British Menu 2022 & 2024) joins forces with Ping Coombes (MasterChef Champion 2014 and MasterChef Champion of Champions 2022) to create a one-of-a-kind event inspired by the spirit and symbolism of the Lunar New Year.
Guests at the resort’s PAD restaurant will be guided through an evening where every detail tells a story – from the balance and depth of authentic dishes to the spellbinding energy of live lion dancers, performing throughout the night to bring good fortune, prosperity and joy to the celebrations.
Adding to the exclusivity of the event, diners will also enjoy a rare opportunity to meet Chef Ping Coombes during an intimate signing of her acclaimed new book, Rice, offering the perfect keepsake from an unforgettable occasion.
The specially curated set menu (£75 per person) is designed to celebrate abundance and prosperity. The evening begins with refined canapés including mouth-watering salmon with nori and caviar, and crispy pork and prawn balls with mala cream – each bite symbolising good fortune for the year ahead.
The feast continues with a vibrant spread of sharing dishes that blend tradition with modern flair, such as tuna lou sang, hot oil seared seabass with soy dashi, Hong Kong-style crispy pork belly with truffle hoisin, and eight-treasure fried rice finished with Szechuan chilli oil.
To conclude, guests will indulge in a decadent coconut sundae layered with sticky rice, mochi, mango, grass jelly and peanuts – a sweet and celebratory finale to the Lunar New Year experience.
Speaking on joining fellow MasterChef contestant Larkin Cen for this exclusive celebratory collaboration, Ping Coombes says: “It’s been a dream to create this menu alongside Larkin. Passion for food is so firmly embedded in both of our upbringings and cultures that creating this to celebrate the Lunar New Year felt like a perfect fit. We have really poured our hearts into curating a menu that brings the excitement of East and South East Asian food to the UK with some showstopper dishes that are certainly not to be missed, and a few other dishes that people will be able to re-create themselves at home which I’ve put in my new book. We can’t wait to celebrate with everyone.”
Larkin Cen, who returned to a permanent residency at PAD last year, comments on this new collaboration: “Ping is such a force of nature when it comes to cooking that I jumped at the chance of working with her on this project. I knew the flavours and dishes we could create together would be something incredibly special. I take great pride that PAD at Celtic Manor Resort, has been a cornerstone of celebrating Asian flavours within Wales’ hospitality scene and that we can continue to create such diverse, delicious menus that we know the public are going to love.”
This Lunar New Year celebration promises to be a vibrant fusion of culture, cuisine and performance, offering guests a truly memorable way to welcome the year ahead.
The Lunar New Year set menu will be available exclusively on 27th and 28th February 2026 for dinner service only. View the menu and book online here.
