Weekly Nibble: Where To Celebrate The Year of The Pig

Kung Hei Fat Choy — that means Happy New Year! If you’re looking for a place to celebrate the upcoming Year of the Pig, here’s a list including five of my favorite restaurants to celebrate at, some with special menus and a Lion Dance. 

The Year of the Pig starts TUESDAY, February 5 and festivities last 2 weeks.  

So, what’s the significance of Chinese New Year?

Chinese New Year is a time to spend with family and friends and celebrate LIFE! My mom used to cook for days, there was one of everything — duck, beef, pork, shrimp. The whole table would be filled. It was our favorite time of the year, what a feast for the eyes and tummy. We got red packets filled with money when we visited our cousins or friends.

Chinese New Year gives you another chance to wipe the slate clean and start over if you’ve fallen off the wagon with your New Year resolution. It’s an opportunity to kick old habits and start new ways of doing things that bring you happiness.

If you’re superstitious like me and don’t want to chance it, here are a few things I do:
• No sweeping on New Year’s Day or you’ll sweep away good luck, great excuse for no housework.
• Wear red or gold or both and eat things like Dumplings, wontons or gyozas that resemble gold ingots. They signify Prosperity, Longevity, Good Luck and Happiness.

Find out Pig traits, compatibility, predictions of fame and fortune and celebrities who are Pigs. Pig is the twelfth in the 12-year cycle of Chinese zodiac sign. The Years of the Pig include 1923, 1935, 1947, 1959, 1971, 1983, 1995, 2007, and 2019.

Five Miami Restaurants Celebrating Chinese New Year:

Hakkasan
February 5- February 24, 7:30PM
$108 pp
Reserve here.

I took my Wok Star Supper Club for Chinese New Year Yum Cha a few years’ ago and it’s been the talk of the town ever since! Check it out here, you’ll understand why! It’s elegant, the food is exquisite and you get treated like royalty.

Hakkasan celebrates the Year of the Pig with a limited edition menu created by International Chef de Cuisine, Jian Loo alongside an exclusive cocktail and dessert. There’ll be a special lion dance on February 5 at 7:30PM only. Known for its modern take on authentic Cantonese cuisine, you’ll enjoy New Year dishes like Peking duck with crispy bean curd and mango, Fortune Macaron and Liáo liáo cocktail. Every dish features ingredients believed to bring good luck and prosperity in the New Year.

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No Name Chinese
February 5, 5:30-10pm
$45pp + $30 wine tasting
Call 786-577-0734 or on OpenTable

I have really enjoyed No Name Chinese for its interesting fusion and modern takes, check my review and video here. 

One-night-only 4-course tasting menu.  Chef Pablo Zitzmann will be serving dishes like “the Crudo Yusheng that is a really celebratory dish. We got a red braised pork belly that is eaten during Chinese New Year for wealth, long Lo Mein Noodles for longevity and whole roasted fish for a good start and end of the year.”

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OG Supper Club and 1-800-Lucky
February 6, 6:30-9:30pm
$55/pp
Tickets here.

1-800-Lucky is the only hip, Asian food hall in Miami with outdoor garden lounge and offers everyone’s favorite dishes like Dim Sum, Chinese roast duck, Thai, and ramen.

A Chinese New Year filled with Good Fortune and Good Food. Upon arrival, each guest will receive his or her own map to present to each of Lucky’s vendors to receive one of their signature dishes.

Throughout the evening, indulge on specialty, holiday cocktails, snap pics at the event’s pop-up photo booth, enjoy live entertainment and partake in a live karaoke competition held one night ONLY in the venue’s outdoor patio with special prizes for three selects winners and much more!

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Sugar at East
February 5, 8pm
Lion Dance and Chinese drummers
Check here.

This is a fabulous rooftop garden bar lounge with exquisite Asian accents.  Small bites and amazing panoramic skyline views make this one of the best venues.

It doesn’t look like there’s an extra charge for the Lion Dance, so just pay for drinks and eats.

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Tanuki
Monday, February 4 to Saturday, February 9
$45pp

This modern, zen Japanese restaurant also offers Chinese Dim Sum and South Asian cuisine. What a clever idea their Chinese New Year menu…

Tanuki is ringing in the Year of the Pig by offering a special 4-course menu (full of pig). Pork Belly Fuku Buns, Pork Gyoza, Pork Fried Rice ending with Miso Chocolate Mousse with Pork Crackling Crumble and Pink Peppercorn Ice Cream.

Other specials include: A whole Roasted Pig Porchetta for $26 (limited availability) and Korobuta Double Chop for $35.

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Restaurants not celebrating with special Chinese New Year menu but you can still enjoy without the fuss:

Black Brick

They’ll be celebrating Spring Lantern Festival, Feb.19. Check menu here. 

Komodo

They didn’t post anything special for Chinese New Year. Check their menu here. I went when they first opened and the ambiance, food and execution was excellent.

Novikov

I must say for a Russian owned Chinese restaurant, it was one of the best dining experience I’ve ever had, see my post here.

If you want to experience a Chinese New Year Festival with a Lion and Dragon Dance, Chinese food, with lots of activities for kids, The Chinese Foundation puts on an annual event at the Miami Dade Campus.  

You can catch me on Facebook Live talking Chinese New Year with Linda Gassenheimer on Food News & Views and get tips for a Simple Skirt Stir Fry! We continued with a radio interview on 880thebiz, hear it as a podcast!

KUNG HEI FAT CHOY everyone!
May your year bring you much happiness, good health and prosperity!