The new moon Tuesday brings the start of the Lunar New Year, according to the traditional Chinese calendar.
A number of Asian cultures — Chinese, Korean, Vietnamese and more — celebrate the occasion with firecrackers, parades, dancing and gift giving. It’s also a time for friends and family to gather to catch up and enjoy food meant to bring them health and fortune in the year to come.
Restaurants throughout the Chicago area are embracing the tradition welcoming the Year of the Tiger with festive specials and events, giving everyone a taste of the fun. Here are eight restaurants and bars with specials to mark Lunar New Year, listed alphabetically.
Looking for more suggestions? The Tribune Food team has combed the city over the years for the best offerings, so be sure to look at our pre-pandemic essential guide to Chinatown, our 2019 look at the city’s New Koreatown, a guide to 88 Marketplace, plus Food critic Nick Kindelsperger’s most recent review of Holu steakhouse, and his visits to recently opened spots bordering Chinatown, Mr. Deng’s Buns and Monkey King Jianbing.
Have an upcoming holiday special at your Chicago-area restaurant or bar? Email Food editor Ariel Cheung at archeung@chicagotribune.com.
Adorn Bar & Restaurant
Pastry chef Juan Gutierrez bases his desserts on his travels around the world, with sweets inspired by Turkey, India and Colombia. He’s celebrating the Lunar New Year by rolling out the China-themed dessert ($14), a sesame ball filled with taro, black sesame praline and rice ice cream. 120 E. Delaware Place, 312-280-8800, adornrestaurant.com
Ben Pao
On Feb. 1, you can order a family meal featuring egg rolls, cool peanut noodles, sesame chicken, Szechuan green beans and vegetable fried rice for $50 for two people or $89 for four. 51 W. Hubbard St., 312-828-0051, therealbenpao.com
Big Bowl
Celebrate Feb. 1-10 with specials meant to provide longevity and sweetness to the new year, such as blood orange sangria, crispy ginger cod, Chinese five-spice cake and banana cheesecake. Locations vary, bigbowl.com
The Peninsula Chicago
Mark Lunar New Year with an all-out feast at the Shanghai Terrace, which will be offering a $168 six-course meal through Feb. 5 that includes steamed Chilean sea bass, lobster, Szechuan chicken and beef tenderloin with wild mushrooms. Start your dinner with a $25 gold-topped, Lunar New Year-inspired cocktail featuring tangerine-infused vodka, lychee, green tea syrup and cherry wood smoke. 108 E. Superior St., 312-337-2888, peninsula.com/chicago
RPM Steak
Pick up a $165 dinner for two Wednesday that includes hand-cut hamachi, spiced duck with bao buns, duck confit fried rice and cheesecake with sour cherry. You can also add a wine pairing chosen by the River North restaurant’s sommelier. Orders must be placed by 5 p.m. Monday and reheating instructions will be provided. 66 W. Kinzie St., 312-284-4990, rpmrestaurants.com
Sunda New Asian
The Chinese word for orange closely resembles the words for luck and wealth, making the fruit a popular Lunar New Year gift. Enjoy some oranges accompanied by an assortment of cookies with the Luck and Wealth special offered throughout February at this River North restaurant. Other specials include cumin lamb dumplings, seafood lo mein, and pan-seared rainbow trout. 110 W. Illinois St., 312-644-0500, sundanewasian.com
TAO Chicago
The restaurant half of this nightlife behemoth is transforming its giant fortune cookie dessert for the Year of the Tiger, adding stripes on the outside and serving it with a hongbao, a red envelope traditionally given as a New Year gift. Available Feb. 1-11, the $18 dish features white and dark chocolate mousse inside and an assortment of fruit outside. 632 N. Dearborn St., 224-888-0388, taogroup.com
Wow Bao
Dumplings symbolize wealth and prosperity, while pork represents strength and blessings. You can try both traditional foods in one order with hoisin-glazed, slow-braised pork belly pot stickers. If you were born during the Year of the Tiger (the 12-year cycle includes 1938, 1950, 1962, 1974, 1986, 1998 and 2010), you can show your ID Feb. 1 to 15 to receive $10 off your order. Order $20 worth of food from the chain through DoorDash or Grubhub and you’ll get $4 off. Locations vary, wowbao.com
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