Li Bai, the renowned Cantonese fine-dining restaurant at Sheraton Saigon Grand Opera Hotel, proudly introduces its special Tết menu named “Mã Khải Thập Nhị Phúc”, available from 26 January to 22 February 2026.
Inspired by the horse, a powerful symbol in Eastern aesthetics representing endurance, forward momentum, and smooth prosperity, “Mã Khải Thập Nhị Phúc” menu is a thoughtfully curated collection of 12 signature dishes, each corresponding to a New Year blessing. Carefully composed as a symbolic journey of auspicious beginnings, the menu unfolds from wealth attraction and fortune gathering to health, harmony, and fulfillment. Beyond celebrating the essence of Cantonese culinary heritage, the menu conveys heartfelt wishes for career success, family harmony, and abundant prosperity, all within Li Bai’s signature atmosphere of understated luxury and serene elegance that returns each spring.
Twelve Dishes – Twelve Blessings for the New Year
In keeping with Li Bai’s annual tradition, the restaurant presents a twelve-course Tết menu inspired by the art of homophonic wordplay in the Chinese language. From ingredient selection to cooking techniques and dish naming, every element is meticulously chosen to embody auspicious meanings, wishing for professional advancement, domestic harmony, financial abundance, and peace throughout the four seasons. True to the refined spirit of Cantonese cuisine, Li Bai embraces restraint and balance, allowing the purity of flavors and cultural depth to take center stage. Each dish is not merely a culinary creation, but a thoughtfully expressed wish, which is calm, enduring, and aligned with the promise of a new year unfolding.
Yee Sang – The Soul of the Tết Menu and the Auspicious “Prosperity Toss” Ritual
An indispensable highlight, which is also the signature centerpiece of Li Bai’s Tết offerings each year is Yee Sang, also known as Prosperity Toss Salad. Originating from Cantonese culinary traditions, Yee Sang has long become an iconic festive dish within the Chinese community, symbolizing abundance, prosperity, and rising fortune at the start of the year.
At Li Bai, Yee Sang transcends its role as a starter and is presented as a “miniature universe” of auspicious symbolism, where cuisine harmonizes with ancient wisdom. Each ingredient carries a distinct blessing:
- Fish (a homophone for “abundance”) represents surplus and prosperity
- Carrot symbolizes great luck and career advancement
- Pomelo evokes lasting wealth and elevated status
- Five-spice powder embodies the Five Blessings: longevity, wealth, health, virtue, and a peaceful end
The “Yee Sang tossing” ritual — lifting the salad high with chopsticks while sharing well-wishes is the most anticipated moment of the New Year feast. The higher the toss, the greater the fortune; the more participants involved, the more multiplied the blessings, symbolizing unity, shared success, and collective prosperity. “The higher you toss, the greater the fortune rises” Yee Sang thus becomes an indispensable ritual, marking the opening of a year filled with promise and abundance.
This festive season, Li Bai offers two carefully crafted Yee Sang options to suit refined palates:
- Yee Sang with Fresh Salmon – light, refreshing, and harmoniously balanced, symbolizing a smooth and auspicious beginning
- Yee Sang with Abalone – rich and luxurious, conveying wishes of wealth, prestige, and fulfillment
Whichever version is chosen, Li Bai’s Yee Sang remains true to its spirit: vibrant in color, balanced in flavor, and rich in symbolic meaning — setting the tone for a fortunate and prosperous New Year.
Li Bai – Where Cuisine Becomes an Enduring Blessing
Through the Mã Khải Thập Nhị Phúc Tết menu, Li Bai reaffirms its position as a premier destination for Cantonese fine dining, while contributing to the broader festive tapestry at Sheraton Saigon Grand Opera Hotel, a place where cherished traditions are preserved and reinterpreted within a setting of elegance, cultural depth, and timeless sophistication.
More than a culinary experience, Sheraton Saigon Grand Opera Hotel aspires to offer guests a truly complete Tết celebration, where every gathering and ritual becomes a meaningful moment of connection, emotion, and shared blessings for the year ahead. From its historically inspired architecture and internationally acclaimed hospitality to meticulously curated dining experiences, the hotel accompanies guests on their journey into a Year of the Horse defined by prosperity, serenity, and fulfillment.
