Food

Where to Find Lunar New Year Food and Drink Specials and Parties Around DC

Sumptuous feasts, celebratory cocktails, and—if you're super-lucky—a free trip to Vietnam.

Whole branzino, available at Chang Chang and NiHao. Photograph by Stacey Windsor.

Lunar New Year falls on Wednesday, January 29, and restaurants around DC are to celebrating the Year of the Snake by offering creative food and drink specials. Here are a few to check out:

 

Chang Chang and NiHao

1200 19th St., NW (Chang Chang); 1550 Crystal Dr. Arlington (NiHao)

Two of chef/restaurateur Peter Chang’s restaurants will offer Lunar New Year feasts to ring in the Year of the Snake. In Dupont, Chang Chang will hold a banquet dinner on Monday, February 10. Crystal City’s NiHao will serve its New Year dinner  on Tuesday, February 11. While each dinner will feature its own unique dishes, such as triple delight dumplings or spicy salt-and-pepper spare ribs, both will center around Chang’s Peking duck. Each dinner is $88 per person; make reservations on Chang Chang and NiHao’s Tock.

The two restaurants also have a few special menu items, including lion’s head meatballs, whole branzino, and black-sesame rice dumplings. They’re available now at Chang Chang and starting Saturday, February 1 at NiHao, and will run through the end of the month.

 

Nue

944 W. Broad St., Falls Church

Seafood spring rolls are on Nue’s Lunar New Year menu. Photo courtesy of Nue.

This mod-Vietnamese dining room’s special menu runs through Thursday, February 13. The four-course dinner—$325 for four—features dishes like “abundance” hamachi crudo; seafood cha gio rolls; “longevity” noodles with salt-and-pepper king prawns; and a two-pound whole fluke. Those who spend over $200 dining in will have a chance to win prizes ranging from a bottle of Hennessy V.S.O.P. to an all-expenses-paid trip for two to Vietnam. Make a reservation here.

 

Southeast Impression

9530 Fairfax Blvd., Fairfax

Photograph courtesy of Southeast Impression.

This Southeast Asian restaurant in Fairfax will offer up a super-sized prosperity salad from Wednesday, January 29 to Sunday, February 2, and from Saturday, February 8 to Sunday, February 9. The colorful dish draws from the traditional Southeast Asian raw-fish salad called yee sang, said to brings eaters good fortune and abundance. The salad features either raw salmon or fried soft shell crab, and includes fried taro, carrots, jicama, tangerine, and a plum sauce dressing. It’s $63 and feeds six to eight people.

 

Bar Providencia

1321 Linden Ct., NE

This chic bar off H Street, run by the folks behind nearby Maketto, will offer a Lunar New Year cocktail menu inspired by Taiwanese flavors from Wednesday, January 29 to Saturday, February 15. Each drink will come with a Taiwanese-style pineapple cake.

 

Queen’s English

3410 11th St., NW

Photograph by Hawkeye Johnson.

From Wednesday, January 29 to Saturday, February 1, this Hong Kong-inspired Columbia Heights dining room will offer two Lunar New Year specials: cumin lamb tartare and a cocktail with cognac, baijiu, lemon, and orgeat.

 

Tiger Fork

922 N St. NW

This bistro in Shaw’s Blagden Alley will host a variety of Lunar New Year celebrations. On Saturday, February 1, traditional lion dancers will perform at the restaurant, and on Friday, February 7 a Tiger vs. Snake DJ Party will rage on until late in the night. A Baijiu dinner ($125 per person), featuring over a dozen dishes highlighting the various aromas of the Chinese liquor, will cap off the celebrations on Wednesday, February 12.

 

Lost Generation Brewing Company

327 S St., NE

On Friday, January 31, this Eckington brewery will host a Lunar New Year celebration featuring a lion dancing ceremony, cocktails from Moon Rabbit’s Thi Nguyen, and a pop-up from Bun’d Up. The party is free to attend, with food and drinks for purchase.

 

Gordon Ramsay Street Pizza

507 Seventh St., NW

Photograph by Gordon Ramsay North America.

One unexpected Lunar New Year offering—a hoisin-and-mornay-based pizza with fried chicken, Asian pear, and shaved daikon radish—from Gordon Ramsay’s Penn Quarter pizzeria. It will be available through Friday, January 31.

 

Mecha

387 Morse St., NE

On Wednesday, January 29, the first 100 customers at this Union Market noodle bar will receive a lucky red envelope with a $7 gift card. A Hanoi Highball cocktail will also ring in the New Year. The drink features cognac, Grand Marnier, and fresh orange— a traditional Lunar New Year symbol of good fortune.

Lydia Wei
Editorial Fellow