Sauteed broccoli with dried scallop. [Photo by Fan Zhen /China Daily]

"Pen", or the basin, is filled to the brim with whole abalones, chunky mushroom, hefty tenderloin cuts and solid meatballs braised in sauce. Traditionally, the hearty pot caters to a happy family clan or sometimes a village. The oversized heap represents a bountiful year ahead.

There is a full-fat dish from the north, too, which also augurs well for the year's prosperity. This is the braised pig trotter, trimmed to a barrel shaped roundness that represents family's reunion. In the north, there are also plenty of silver ingots in the house, in the guise of dumplings.

And that's why jiaozi also appears on Chef Sham's menus, a nod to the northern fondness for ingots in abundance.

But both north and south demand a fish on the table. Fish, rhyming with "more", is believed to bring an excess of blessings.

And then there is the special steamed sugared glutinous cake, or nian gao. Again, nian gao is homophonic with "higher every year", reflecting the collective ambitions of the diners.

At Chef Sham's table, the golden slices are coated in an egg batter and fried to a tender sweetness inside with a crisp coating outside.

Finally, the meal ends with fresh kumquats, little golden fruits that represent good luck and auspicious good fortune. And that is the perfect happy ending.

sunye@chinadaily.com.cn