[Final Call] Last Minute Tickets to ALTER. NYE Party

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Alright, you've probably seen ALTER. x Social Supply's NYE flyers everywhere. We made our way down to the Thompson Hotel last night, where their NYE supper club and countdown party will be, and.... It's impressive. I've booked my tickets. This isn't going to be some long-winded ChatGPT advertorial (this is totally our take). Gonna keep it to the main points so you know what to expect, and if you're having second doubts on your NYE choice, this should be validation to switch.

The Dinner.

I'm gonna let Chef May talk about this part first, and then I'll throw in my two cents based on insights gleaned from the walking tour last night. Oh, and in case you didn't know, Chef May Chow has won numerous awards from Tatler, Time Magazine, World's 50 Best, and became the youngest recipient of Asia's Best Female Chef Award. If you are a foodie, drop all your other NYE plans.

Q&A with Chef May Chow

CNS: You've cooked all over the world, but Shanghai feels personal. What's your relationship with the city?

May: Actually, I'm Shanghainese. I grew up coming to Shanghai a lot. I've only worked here once before, so this is technically my second time cooking here–but I love Shanghai deeply. It's such a cultural city, and it's incredibly inspiring every time I'm here.

CNS: Your cooking has a very distinct point of view. How would you describe your style to someone experiencing it for the first time?

May: I think my cooking really represents Hong Kong. We naturally understand Western flavors and techniques, but we're also deeply rooted in Cantonese flavor. It's intuitive – it feels very natural rather than forced.

The flavors are bold and very distinctly Chinese, but always with a new perspective. We walk that East-meets-West line without being cheesy. And most importantly – anyone who knows me knows this – deliciousness always comes first, but fun is always injected.

CNS: This event isn't a seated dinner – it's a wandering supper club. How did that format influence what you created?

May: I love the idea of movement. Eating shouldn't feel static. I'll give some highlights from the 6 courses.

I'll give some highlights from the 6 courses. One is our iconic pork belly bao, but this time it's a special version, with morel mushrooms, mustard greens, really earthy and rich. The pork is fatty and indulgent, and we make our own bao from scratch, which is very much our Little Bao DNA.

From there, we move into a surf-and-turf rice inspired by my Shanghainese childhood. I grew up eating vegetable rice, but here we're adding cold Boston lobster. It's refreshing, subtle, with lots of textural contrast as you move through the dish.

Another course is with a more classic Cantonese rice bowl, barbecue flavors, traditional marinade, ginger and scallion. There's hot and cold, soft and crisp. It's about contrast and progression, just like the night itself.

CNS: You've collaborated with SOCIAL SUPPLY for this. What made this partnership click?

May: I've been a fan of SOCIAL SUPPLY for years – honestly, I've always admired the team behind it. We've talked about working together for a long time, but timing never aligned. We were always so busy that it stayed on the back burner.

I'm really excited. This is our first project together. Shanghai felt like the right place, and New Year's Eve felt like the right moment. I think it's going to be a blast – hopefully with some fireworks.

CNS: This is going to be a "who's who of Shanghai" crowd – people who know food, culture, and the city. Do you see this as the beginning of something longer-term in Shanghai?

May: I would absolutely love to do something more in Shanghai. There's nothing confirmed yet, but I do believe it will happen someday. We're very happy to put it out there that we want to be here more and hopefully do something really interesting here in the future.

CNS: Before we wrap up, what's something you wish more people knew about what you're working on right now?

May: My team would definitely want me to talk about the Chinese New Year. In Hong Kong, we've launched a retail brand focused on turnip cakes, a very classic Cantonese New Year dish.

We've given it a twist by using different root vegetables: beetroot, turnip cake, taro, salted egg pumpkin, and the original version. It's something we've been working on for over seven years. This is our second year launching it, and last year it sold out immediately, so yes, my team would be very happy you asked!

My Take:

Do the dinner, for sure. This is the first time Chef May has come to Shanghai, so this alone makes this NYE option stand out. There are six places spread across 3 floors with different stations where you get each of the 6 courses throughout the evening. Upon check-in, you'll be granted a "room card" envelope, that has individual cards with the recipes that you exchange for the dishes at each station. There is no clear "progression" of first course, second course, you're free to determine the order with dishes you want to enjoy.

Or one course, you'll be on the 20th floor overlooking the Huangpu river, another course takes place INSIDE a hotel suite (you will have access to the whole suite, meaning... if you wanted, you and your friends could grab a corner in the bedroom and... eat.)

The thing I like about this, is that there are so many nooks and crannies that you can claim. Dinner service check-in starts at 7pm, but you don't have to be there at exactly that time. If you intend to stay really late, you can come later, but service ends at 10pm, right when the countdown party starts.

ALTER's take over of Thompson: The hotel is gorgeous. As we wrote last week, this is an upper-upscale brand. The entire 20th floor is dedicated for the countdown party, and it's a huge space that will crowd out 1,000 people easily. There's also a covered outdoor cabana space good for around 60-100 people. Oh, and the cabanas aren't pre-reserved, so anyone can grab a seat with friends. Check out some of the spaces:

Overall, it is easier to imagine what the night is going to be like. Having spoke to a few people, this is the event that people from Shanghai will be flying in to (including two friends of mine from London).

Floor to ceiling windows, on the 20th floor overlooking the Huangpu River pulsating with the sounds of some of ALTER's best DJ selections. Lina K one of Shanghai's best home grown talents being one of them. Hi Lina!

So... if you're changing your NYE plans, or just a last-minute planner, get your tickets below, don't wait to get them at the door: