(Big Way Hot Pot)
25 ways to eat, drink and celebrate the Lunar New Year in Los Angeles
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Across East and Southeast Asia, and throughout diaspora communities in Los Angeles, Lunar New Year marks a season of renewal. It’s a time of deep reflection and collective gathering, as homes are refreshed, elders are honored and streets fill with lion and dragon dances.
Food is central to the celebrations, with dishes chosen as much for what they represent — abundance, unity and good fortune in the year ahead — as for how they taste.
This year ushers in the Year of the Horse — and not just any Horse, but the Fire Horse, a particularly dynamic pairing in the lunar calendar. The timing couldn’t be better. The horse is traditionally associated with energy, momentum and reinvention, and when paired with the fire element, which amplifies passion and action, this year speaks to our desire to move, create and reclaim a sense of possibility — even in the wake of devastating wildfires, immigration raids and widespread uncertainty.
While Lunar New Year officially kicks off on Feb. 17, celebrations in Los Angeles will take place all month and into the next, with banquet-style feasts, limited-time collaborations and cultural performances. Whether you’re seeking a symbolic meal or a lively street celebration, here are 25 festive ways to ring in Lunar New Year across L.A.
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Alhambra Lunar New Year Festival
Alhambra Festival
(Gary Coronado/Los Angeles Times)
The Alhambra Lunar New Year Festival returns to Main Street on Feb. 28, bringing an all-day celebration to one of Southern California’s most culturally rich Asian American communities. From 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., family-friendly festivities will fill the street with cultural performances and hands-on fun, from dragon dances and live candy sculpting to cooking demonstrations, interactive booths and games. Guests can sample dishes from local food vendors, browse handcrafted goods in Artist Alley and take part in a Cultural Passport experience that introduces Lunar New Year traditions from across Asia.
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Benny Boy Brewing
Lincoln Heights Pub $$
(Kat Hanegraaf Photography)
This backyard-style craft brewery and cider house is hosting a free Shanghai Nights concert on Feb. 28 from 7–10 p.m., starring multilingual singer and accordionist Jessica Fichot. She’ll be crooning the swing-era sounds of her mother’s hometown of Shanghai and performing classic jazz tunes in Mandarin, iconic multilingual songs, Mandopop and Chinese New Year classics alongside her band and some special guests. In honor of the occasion, Benny Boy is bringing back its sparkling Green Tea Cider, made with California Newtown Pippin apples and steeped in specialty Darjeeling green tea. Food pop-ups will include Yakitori Cartel (12–6 p.m.), Zef BBQ (6–11 p.m.) and The Dumpling Dream (6–11 p.m.). The night closes with a lively drum and lion dance performance by the San Gabriel Valley Chinese Cultural Association — and if a lion approaches, guests are invited to offer a red envelope for an extra boost of New Year luck.
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Big Way Hot Pot
Rowland Heights Chinese $$
(Big Way Hot Pot)
A cult-favorite Canadian chain known for its DIY, pay-by-weight approach to hot pot, Big Way recently opened its first U.S. locations in Rowland Heights and Monterey Park. What sets it apart is the level of customization: Diners build their own bowls from a wide lineup of broths and dry mixes — including collagen bone, tomato and spicy Sichuan — then load up on more than 80 ingredients, from thinly sliced beef and lamb to seafood balls, noodles and vegetables. For Lunar New Year, they’re adding a playful twist with a “Hotpot of Fortune” giveaway. Starting Feb. 12, guests who spend $18.88 or more will receive a collectible set of Year of the Horse red envelopes, while those who spend $28.88 can take home a Year of the Horse key ring. The giveaway runs while supplies last through March 3.
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Bistro Na’s
Temple City Chinese $$$
(Ariel Ip)
It wouldn’t be a proper Lunar New Year celebration without Bistro Na’s showpiece: the Imperial Eight-Treasure Duck, available for a limited run from Feb. 16–22. A take on traditional Peking duck, the dish is built around a whole free-range duck, roasted until the skin is deeply crisp and lacquered, then stuffed with a mix of auspicious ingredients including abalone, fish maw, dried scallops, salted egg yolk, chestnuts, shiitake mushrooms, glutinous rice, dried shrimp and Chinese sausage. Designed for sharing, the $168 dish requires seven days’ advance reservation and is limited to just three per day. In addition to the duck, Bistro Na’s will offer Lunar New Year banquet menus from Feb. 16 through March 9, with options for six or ten guests priced from $500 to $1,688. The multi-course feasts spotlight Chef Tian’s seasonal cooking, with dishes such as chayote leaves salad and baked golden Dungeness crab with pumpkin. For reservations, call 626-286-1999 or email reservations@bistronas.com.
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Coconut & Co.
San Gabriel Valley Southeast Asian $
(Coconut & Co.)
Since opening Coconut & Co. in late 2023, best friends Carmen Seetho and Shelly Lin have built a loyal following drawn to the café’s focus on natural ingredients and Southeast Asian-inspired flavors. For Lunar New Year, the duo is offering thoughtfully crafted food and drink specials rooted in auspicious symbolism. Highlights include taro toast — taro is traditionally associated with positive momentum and good fortune — available plain, with butter or topped with pork sung. On the drinks side, they’re serving kumquat coconut shakes and fresh kumquat coconut water, inspired by Chinese New Year customs in Indonesia and Singapore, where kumquats are served to visiting guests as a gesture of hospitality and a symbol of wealth and prosperity.
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Crustacean
Beverly Hills Vietnamese European $$$
(Eden Dozier)
After 30 years at its iconic Beverly Hills address, Crustacean is entering a new chapter — making this Lunar New Year the last chance to celebrate the holiday at its current location before it closes in late May. The restaurant is leaning all the way in with an indulgent menu rich in symbolism, featuring à la carte dishes like the Golden Prosperity Money Pouch with 24K gold, black truffle, quail egg and caviar; Sichuan pepper crispy quail; dry-aged Peking duck; Golden Longevity uni noodles made with chef Helene An’s famed garlic noodles; and braised abalone in ginger brandy sauce. A special Prosperity prix-fixe menu runs Feb. 18–22, and on Feb. 19, dinner service comes with lion and dragon dances and live candy-making.
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Fashion Island Lunar New Year Celebration
Newport Beach Shopping Center
(Irvine Company Retail Properties)
Head south to check out Fashion Island’s epic Lunar New Year celebration. On Feb. 28, from noon to 3 p.m., the center will host a Fire Horse Wishing Workshop inside the Garden of Good Fortune, transforming the space near Nordstrom into a selfie-ready spot. Guests can watch live calligraphy demonstrations presented by the South Coast Chinese Cultural Center, take part in intention-setting crafts like bracelet-making and catch a traditional lion dance performance. The celebration also includes a special pop-up exhibition, “Chinese New Year: Discover Winter China,” presented by the China National Tourist Office Los Angeles.
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Firstborn
Chinatown Chinese American $$
(Kenzo Han)
While most restaurants are serving Lunar New Year dinners, Firstborn is taking a different approach with brunch. On Feb. 21 and 22, chef-owner Anthony Wang will offer a one-weekend-only menu of eight dishes that weave Chinese flavors into familiar brunch staples: mapo tofu over pommes rösti; smoked salmon with crème fraîche, cucumbers and herbs paired with a scallion pancake; and a cornmeal-and-mochi pancake finished with salted buckwheat cream. The most personal dish may be Wang’s twice-cooked pork belly, also served over pommes rösti — a nod to his college days when his mom would send food from home to share with his roommates. Her pork belly with leeks and cabbage was a favorite, especially eaten with Waffle House hash browns and a fried egg. Wang’s version features thin slices of poached pork belly finished in a sauce made from spicy broad bean paste and fermented black beans.
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Golden Dragon Parade
Chinatown Parade
(Gabriella Angotti-Jones/Los Angeles Times)
The Golden Dragon Parade draws thousands of spectators to the streets of Chinatown each year. With a history spanning more than a century, the beloved celebration features a vibrant procession of dragon and lion dancers, high school marching bands, drill teams, cultural performers and elaborately decorated floats. This year’s 127th parade takes place on Feb. 21 from 1 to 4 p.m., winding through the heart of Chinatown, beginning near Hill Street and Temple and continuing along Broadway. Attendance along the route is free, though grandstand seating with wristbands is available for those who want a closer view of one of the most anticipated — and photogenic — ways to ring in Lunar New Year in Los Angeles.
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Good Alley
Rosemead Chinese $$
(Ariel Ip)
This bright, buzzy Rosemead restaurant known for its modern takes on regional Chinese street food — think dumplings, steamed buns and all manner of noodles — is marking Lunar New Year with a collaboration alongside its nearby sister restaurant, Ji Rong. Available for just three days from Feb. 24–26, the crossover pairs Ji Rong’s famous roasted Peking duck with Good Alley’s signature flaky Chinese flatbread, commonly used for rou jia mo, often dubbed the Chinese hamburger. Offered in limited quantities, the $26.98 set features a duck rou jia mo layered with crisp skin, tender meat, aromatic duck sauce, scallions and shredded cucumber, plus a small bowl of rich duck soup for a hearty, flavor-packed Lunar New Year special.
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Hengry
Alhambra Chinese $$$
(Hengry)
Devoted to the distinctive cuisine of China’s Guizhou Province, this contemporary kitchen is the only West Coast destination for the region’s bold, sour-and-spicy flavors. In the early ‘90s, owner Chueling Au’s family opened a small restaurant in Guiyang, the provincial capital, specializing in Miao sour soup. Now, Au has brought his family’s legacy and signature dish — famous for its tantalizing balance of tartness and heat — to L.A. From Feb. 17 to 22, his restaurant will offer a Lunar New Year banquet-style feast for lunch and dinner, with two prix-fixe menus for groups of four to eight. The meal begins with appetizers like salted duck and crispy potato pancakes, before moving into celebratory entrées including Miao sour soup with fish or lobster, spicy chicken, Dungeness crab, braised pork belly with mustard greens, chile oil bullfrogs, and a range of other dishes meant to symbolize abundance and good fortune for the year ahead. Each feast concludes with sweet glutinous rice desserts and seasonal fruit, and guests will receive traditional red envelopes with small gifts and raffle prizes.
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Hop Woo
Chinatown Chinese
(Hop Woo)
This Cantonese restaurant in Chinatown has long been a mainstay for classic banquet dishes, live seafood and Chinese barbecue. Since opening in the early ‘90s, it’s served as an essential part of the neighborhood’s dining fabric, bringing in local families for Lunar New Year feasts, wedding banquets and other big celebrations. Tradition is the name of the game here, from roast duck and barbecue pork carved to order to lobster noodles, steamed whole fish, and clay-pot dishes. In addition to the usual (and always delicious) staples, Hop Woo is offering Lunar New Year specialties from Feb. 14-24: braised dried oyster with black moss, a dish tied to wealth and good fortune, and brushed pig feet with black moss and arrowhead root, whose Chinese name conveys the wish that prosperity comes easily for you in the year ahead.
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Ji Rong Peking Duck
Rosemead Chinese $$
(Ariel Ip)
Whenever Angelenos start debating the city’s best Peking duck, Ji Rong is always part of the conversation. For Lunar New Year, the restaurant is stepping outside its signature specialty to team up with sister spot Good Alley on a limited-time collaboration. Available only Feb. 24-26, the crossover features handcrafted guan tang bao, Wagyu soup dumplings, $24.98 for six. Drawing on Good Alley’s refined dumpling technique, the delicate wrappers are filled with rich Wagyu and a deeply savory broth sealed inside. Bonus? Soup dumplings are considered especially auspicious for Lunar New Year, symbolizing prosperity and unity — never a bad thing to have more of in the year ahead.
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Kato
Downtown L.A. Taiwanese $$$$
(Mariah Tauger/Los Angeles Times)
Over the past few years, Kato has made a tradition of celebrating Lunar New Year through collaborative dinners with standout restaurants from around the world. This year is no exception. From Feb. 17–19, the restaurant teams up with Valle de Guadalupe’s acclaimed Fauna, known for its ingredient-driven approach to modern Mexican cuisine. The series continues Feb. 24–26 with Copenhagen’s Michelin-starred Alouette, celebrated for its farm-focused tasting menus and sustainability-driven take on modern Nordic cooking. Both collaborations will feature jointly developed menus that blend Kato’s Californian perspective with each restaurant’s signature approach. Dinners are priced at $495 per person, including wine or alcohol-free pairings, with a portion of proceeds benefiting Restaurants Care, which provides financial assistance to displaced hospitality workers.
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Kith Treats
Beverly Hills Ice Cream Shop $$
(Kith Treats)
Kith makes desserts as coveted as its popular streetwear, with customizable ice cream swirls, cereal mix-ins, milkshakes and more. For Lunar New Year, the brand is spotlighting persimmons — popular during the holiday for their symbolism tied to luck and prosperity — in a limited-edition dessert aptly named the Horse. The treat features vanilla ice cream infused with persimmons, Cinnamon Toast Crunch and candied pecans, finished with gold sprinkles and dried persimmon. Along with an accompanying apparel capsule, it’s available as an ice cream swirl, milkshake or ice cream sandwich at Kith Treats locations in West Hollywood, Beverly Hills and Malibu through Feb. 22.
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L.A. Chinatown Firecracker
Chinatown Festival
(L.A. Chinatown Firecracker)
The L.A. Chinatown Firecracker returns for its 48th year, taking over the historic Chinatown Plaza from Feb. 28 to March 1 with one of the country’s largest and longest-running Lunar New Year celebrations. Part race weekend, part community festival, the event brings together 5K and 10K runs, a 1K kiddie run, a 2K PAW’er dog walk, and 20- and 50-mile bike rides — plus a free two-day festival open to the public. Registered race participants receive commemorative race bibs, medals and event T-shirts (yes, even kiddos and pups!), while spectators can enjoy lion and dragon dances, the ceremonial lighting of 100,000 firecrackers, live entertainment, food vendors, a beer garden and kids’ activities. The 5K route winds through iconic parts of the city, including past Dodger Stadium’s main entrance, while the challenging 10K takes you through the hills of Elysian Park with sweeping city views.
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Lady M
Sawtelle Confections $$
(Lady M )
If Lunar New Year gifting is on your to-do list, Lady M — with light, airy mille crêpes that have become a fixture at countless Asian holiday gatherings — has you covered. The spot is embracing the holiday with a collection of limited-edition sweets. Available at Lady M’s Sawtelle and Arcadia locations, the gift set arrives in a keepsake box filled with 32 mini-crêpe biscuits in coconut, chocolate hazelnut orange, vanilla, and raspberry, plus the brand’s signature confetti red envelopes and a collectible vegan leather bag charm created for the Year of the Horse. If you feel like going the extra mile, there’s also an online-exclusive special cake bundle that pairs the gift set with a full-size orange mille crêpes cake layered with cara cara orange cream, vanilla sponge and orange marmalade, then finished with dried orange zest and snow sugar.
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Larchmont Village Lunar New Year Celebration
Larchmont Festival
(Shelby Moore/For The Times)
Larchmont Village is getting its first-ever Lunar New Year celebration this February, as the American Born Chinese Foundation teams up with neighborhood favorites Suá Superette and Chevalier’s Books for a free, family-friendly festival. On Feb. 22 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., the event will take place alongside the Larchmont Farmers Market, transforming the village into a lively celebration of Asian culture and heritage. Expect lion dances, kung fu and drumming performances, along with calligraphy and hands-on arts-and-crafts stations from TeachAAPI, beginner-friendly mahjong tables, and an Asian food market hosted inside Suá. Kids can also catch readings of children’s books by AAPI authors at Chevalier’s Books. Throughout the day, a Larchmont Passport activation invites attendees to explore participating businesses, collecting stamps along the way to redeem for fun prizes.
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Level 8
Downtown L.A. Global Bar/Nightclub $$$
(Andrea d’Agosto / Maison Kasai)
For Lunar New Year, Level 8 will host a one-night-only, night-market-style experience that turns its entire floor into a roaming feast. On Feb. 26, the multi-concept dining and nightlife destination will team up with chef Jasper Lynn, founder of Rosalynn Supper Club, for an all-you-can-eat, chef-driven tasting where each of Level 8’s eight venues serves a single standout bite. Highlights include Wagyu with Sichuan chimichurri and fire-roasted Hokkaido scallops with white truffle chile crunch. Designed as a progressive experience, the night encourages guests to wander from concept to concept, sampling the food and taking in cultural activations like a mahjong lounge. Tickets are available for this 21+ event, which runs from 6 p.m. until late.
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Meet Fresh
Arcadia Taiwanese Desserts $
(Ariel Ip)
Holy Basil and Taiwanese dessert hotspot Meet Fresh are teaming up for a limited Lunar New Year collaboration that brings together Thai and Taiwanese flavors in support of the food community. From Feb. 17 to March 3, the menu features exclusive desserts inspired by Holy Basil’s signature flavor profiles, including a pandan coconut milk dessert, hibiscus agave green tea with mini-taro balls and boba and a salted egg meringue egg waffle that strikes a balance between savory and sweet. All net proceeds from the partnership will be donated to the Southern Smoke Foundation, which provides emergency relief, mental health services and financial assistance to food and beverage workers. The offerings are available at Holy Basil locations in Atwater Village and Santa Monica, as well as participating Meet Fresh locations across Southern California.
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Merois
West Hollywood Global $$$
(Glee Digital Media)
Perched atop the Sun Rose West Hollywood, Merois is going big for Lunar New Year with a special $65-per-person prix fixe menu available from Feb. 16–28. Known for chef Wolfgang Puck’s refined take on Japanese, Southeast Asian and French-California flavors, the stunning rooftop restaurant is offering a shareable feast for the occasion: crispy bluefin tuna over short-grain rice, ginger beef and spicy chicken dumplings, kurobuta pork shumai finished with black truffle and black vinegar soy, and lobster spring rolls. You’ll close out with a dessert of sweet rice sesame donuts filled with matcha cream and red bean paste. While the final lineup may evolve slightly, expect a generous spread perfect for enjoying while soaking in sweeping views over Sunset Boulevard.
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Paradise Dynasty
Glendale Singaporean $$
(Ron de Angelis)
After debuting its first U.S. location in Orange County several years ago, Paradise Dynasty recently made its L.A. debut at the Americana at Brand. From Feb. 2 through March 3, the Singapore-founded restaurant is ushering in the Year of the Horse with a menu of banquet-style dishes, traditionally enjoyed during the holiday for their symbolism of abundance, prosperity and togetherness. The spread includes imperial chicken broth with house-made wontons; scallops tossed in fragrant, crunchy garlic inspired by Hong Kong’s typhoon shelter style; whole braised lobster with silky vermicelli and golden garlic sauce; slow-braised pork knuckle with dried scallops; and chewy sweet rice mochi filled with matcha and black sesame. The restaurant is also debuting the Fire Horse, a Lunar New Year-inspired cognac cocktail with yuzu honey, green tea plum and fresh lemon that serves as a bright, floral counterpoint to the richness of the menu.
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SusieCakes
Desserts $$
(SusieCakes)
Eating sweet treats is said to symbolize a sweet start to the new year, and this longtime L.A. favorite is leaning into that tradition in a delicious way. Known for its classic buttercream layer cakes and cupcakes, SusieCakes is celebrating Lunar New Year with a show-stopping cherry blossom cake finished with a celebratory greeting, as well as a Year of the Horse cupcake box, which includes vanilla and chocolate treats decorated with symbols of luck and renewal, like an orange, cherry blossoms, and of course, this year’s zodiac animal. All items are available at the bakery’s multiple locations — including Pasadena, Mid-City, Woodland Hills and more — through Feb. 22 with 24-hour notice.
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The Huntington Lunar New Year Festival
San Marino Garden
(The Huntington)
The Huntington is welcoming the Year of the Horse with a family-friendly Lunar New Year festival open to both visitors and members on Feb. 21 and 22, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. The weekend features lion dancing, martial arts demonstrations, Chinese opera, Korean and Vietnamese traditional music and dance, calligraphy, brush painting, floral arts and live music, along with hands-on family activities and cultural displays throughout the gardens. Feeling hungry? Expect plenty of Asian food trucks and on-site dining — like boba and light fare at the Freshwater Pavilion — to round out the celebration. Reservations are required, and capacity is limited.
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Westfield Topanga Lunar New Year Celebration
Canoga Park Shopping Center
(Main Offender Productions)
Westfield Topanga is welcoming Lunar New Year with a festive, free celebration on Feb. 15. Starting at 1 p.m., the afternoon centers around a traditional lion and dragon dance procession winding through Level 1 of the center, beginning and ending at Topanga Social — the mall’s bustling food hall that’s home to 27 restaurants and bars. Along the way, guests can expect a lively finale performance, red envelope giveaways filled with surprises and other pop-up moments throughout the route. If you miss the main event, Lunar New Year decor and installations will be on display throughout February.
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