Dear Friends,

Wishing you all a very Happy New Year for 2010 and thank you for your continued support and friendship.

2010 is the Chinese Year of the Tiger – a year filled with strength, courage, bravery and luck. Incidently, this year’s Chinese New Year’s Day falls on 14th February 2010, Valentine’s Day. To celebrate we have created a wonderful menu for the month of February (click here and we will also serve the a la carte menu too ). We have two sittings every evening – one at 5/6pm, the second at 8.30pm. Please do book via lisa@sweetmandarin.com and we look forward to accomodating you.

Apparently, tigers are courageous, active, and self-assured. Optimistic, passionate and independent. Rebellious, dynamic, and unpredictable. Quick tempered but considerate. Affectionate but careless. The Tiger is a natural born leader and symbolizes power, passion and daring.

Interestingly, famous people born in the year of the tiger include Queen Elizabeth II, Demi Moore, Agatha Christie, Tom Cruise and Marilyn Monroe. Do they portray those attributes above? Tweet me your thoughts (follow me on Twitter @sweetmandarin)

Wishing you a very Happy New Year

All the best and see you soon.

Lisa, Helen and Janet
www.sweetmandarin.com

Dear Friends,

I don’t know where the year went but its nearly Christmas already. Wishing you and your families a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. We are closed on Christmas Day and Boxing Day – my only two days off in the whole year and I can’t wait :0)

Some dear customers have asked how do the Chinese celebrate Christmas…I guess in response, the Chinese like any other nationality celebrate with Family and Food.

Our family has always cooked two turkeys for Christmas. One British style with pork and sage stuffing, baby sausages wrapped in bacon, roast potatoes and Brussel sprouts, and the other braised in soy sauce and crammed with glutinous rice and mushroom. Both are delicious and typically represent my identity being British Born Chinese (‘BBC’).

At Christmas, we also remember our dearly beloved grandmother, Lily Kwok who passed away in 2007, aged 89. My grandmother had so much courage. Pop, thank you for your sacrifice and determination. I wish you were here.

Wishing you and your family a safe happy Christmas filled with love and good food.

Lisa, Helen and Janet