Michele StuevenToday is the first day of the Lunar New Year and it promises to be a year of fortune and luck. It’s the Year of the Pig, which occupies the 12th position in the Chinese zodiac. If you were born in 1935, 1947, 1959, 1971, 1983, 1995, 2007 and 2019, this is your year, and it promises to bring success. Here are six spots to celebrate your good fortune.
Tonight only, Lukshon will be celebrating with a Lunar New Year dinner. The menu of both classic Chinese dishes and Chinese-American takeout favorites with chef Sang Yoon’s signature approach include “Orange Chicken”–style sweetbreads with scallion, ginger and pickled celtuce, beef & broccoli, and a nod to Chinois' Chinese chicken salad.
Guests also may enjoy a bubbles pairing from Chef Yoon’s personal collection of over 5,000 bottles. Additional beverage pairing options include a “Whisk(e)ys From Around the World” pairing ($55) and a Japanese whisky pairing ($70). Tickets are available for reservations from 5:30 to 9:30 p.m., priced at $75 per person.
Also this evening, TAO Los Angeles offers a special one-night-only, pig-centric menu from new chef Yoshi Kojima. The four-course specialty dinner includes sesame scallion bread topped with glazed pork belly, black truffle and spicy pork soup dumplings, caramelized pork chops with blood orange chow fun, and a Mandarin cheesecake.
Lunar New Year Celebration at the Original Farmers Market; Credit: The Original Farmers Market
On Sunday, Feb. 17, the Original Farmers Market and the Grove will have a full-day program of live musical performances with traditional Chinese instruments — guzheng, pipa and flute — as well as dumpling classes Limited dumpling samples from Farmers Market Chinese restaurants China Depot and Peking Kitchen will be available after the demo. Color and movement take the stage with a kung fu demonstration, as well as traditional acrobatics such as foot juggling and hand balancing.
Entertainment includes Dragon Dance, K-Pop Dance Group, Korean Fan Dance, Lion Dance and Magician Joseph Tran’s magic show. There will be crafts in the plaza with a Chinese calligraphy demo, the art of fan-making, and pig lantern-making with Art 2 Go.
Lobster dinner at Barton G. Los Angeles; Credit: Barton G.
Barton G. L.A., the whimsical destination offering a multisensory dining experience with over-the-top culinary comfort food creations from around the globe, is offering an auspicious lobster Chinese New Year special for two, accented by giant chopsticks.
Eating lobster on the holiday is known to symbolize a prosperous year ahead and the one-of-a-kind dish features a 2-pound crispy Maine lobster (2lb) with Chinese fried rice, house-made lap cheong (sausage), and shiso chili vinegar served with 4-foot-long chopsticks. The special will be available for the entire week of the Lunar New Year.
8-Hour Massaged Suckling Pig at Crustacean Beverly Hills; Credit: Crustacean Beverly Hills
Crustacean Beverly Hills, from House of AN’s master chef Helene An, will introduce its first Lunar New Year menu available from Feb. 5-8, featuring traditional dishes that represent good luck and prosperity, including an eight-hour massaged suckling pig.
Crustacean also incorporates colors and other food that have symbolic meaning into the Lunar New Year celebration, including red for good fortune or luck; gold for wealth; sticky rice and noodles for longevity; pork for land; squab and quail for heaven; seafood for sea; and more. The menus are $198 or $88, excluding tax and gratuity.
Lunar New Year Celebration at The Original Farmers Market; Credit: The Original Farmers Market
One of L.A.'s oldest traditions, the 120th Golden Dragon Parade, takes place on Saturday, Feb. 9, down North Broadway in Chinatown, starting at 10 a.m. It will feature two dozen floats, marching bands, local vendors and dignitaries in a colorful display.
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