This weekend holds a variety of special occasions celebrating the Year of the Tiger 2022 in Philly, which officially kicks off on Feb. 1. The Lunar New Year is also called (by some) the Chinese New Year, although to others, the two hold different meanings: According to history.com, the Chinese New Year is based on the Chinese lunar calendar, and the lunar calendar is a calendar based on complete cycles of phases of the moon. In the easiest of terms, the Chinese New Year marks the start of a new lunar year, so although there is some debate it’s not completely out of left field to correlate the two.
Hello Vietnam Asian Bistro
In Northern Liberties, Philadelphians can head to Hello Vietnam Asian Bistro in the heart of Restaurant Row to indulge in their Year of the Tiger 2022 specials. To celebrate this spirit, guests will receive Hello Vietnam’s newest appetizer, “Lucky Golden ‘Tons” (deep fried golden Wontons, stuffed with ground pork and shrimp, garlic and onions, served with sweet chili sauce) with any entree all week long from Tuesday, Feb. 1 to Sunday, Feb. 6. Guests will also receive hot tea complimentary as an extra gift.
722 N. 2nd St., hellovietnamasianbistro.com
Luk Fu
Luk Fu at Live! Casino and Hotel will celebrate the Year of the Tiger with a limited Lucky 8 chef-driven menu and sake selections from Jan. 27 to Feb. 6. According to a news release, the menu is complete with eight authentic dishes known to bring good luck such as abalone herb soup, stir fried duck tongue, lobster and much more. The restaurant will be decorated with traditional, festive Lunar New Year decor, including hanging lights and red lanterns, glowing moon centerpieces and tiger sculptures to celebrate.
900 Packer Ave., philadelphia.livecasinohotel.com
Live! Casino & Hotel
After stopping at Luk Fu, Philadelphians can check out the rest of the Lunar New Year events that Live! Casino and Hotel will be showcasing. As a release states, Live! will host a Lunar New Year festival at the Center Bar on Friday, Feb. 4 from 7 p.m. to midnight and Saturday, Feb. 5 from 8:30 p.m. to midnight for all Live! Rewards Card members. Festivities will celebrate traditional Chinese culture and include a Lion Dance as well as performances by local artists, arts and crafts and special sweepstake promotions. Additionally, on Saturday at 8 p.m., the casino and hotel will also present a traditional Cai Qing ceremony, featuring the “picking of the greens” by the “Lion” to bless the New Year and bring prosperity. Following this, there will be a parade across the casino floor to hand out red envelopes and bring good luck to guests.
900 Packer Ave., philadelphia.livecasinohotel.com
SouthGate
The South Philly eatery is known for its Soju (a Korean delicacy) and Korean fried chicken, but for the Lunar New Year, they are offering a new favorite. The eatery will serve Duk Guk rice cake soup, a traditional Lunar New Year dish, now through Feb. 6.
1801 Lombard St., southgatephilly.com
Reading Terminal Market
On Feb. 5, Philadelphians who head to the city’s famous public market will be able to partake in their Lunar New Year celebration. Performers from the Philadelphia Suns will do a traditional Lion Dance through the Market’s aisles, making stops at Tambayan, Tea Leaf, Sang Kee Peking Duck, Four Seasons Juice Bar and Little Thai Market to enjoy a head of cabbage — which is customary for the lion during the dance as a symbol of wealth. The lion then shares that prosperity with the audience. The celebration will kick off this Saturday at noon.
51 N. 12th St., readingterminalmarket.org
Dim Sum House by Jane G’s
Both locations in Rittenhouse and University City will be celebrating the Lunar New Year the best way they know how — with food and drinks. For this year, Dim Sum House will host one of its largest celebrations ever at both locations with a special menu available now until Feb. 13. On Saturday, Feb. 5, however, guests can look out for special Chinese New Year events highlighted by firecrackers and the traditional lion dance. Festivities will be at 7 p.m. at Rittenhouse and 8 p.m. in University City that day. Menu items include lemon glaze chicken, Lion head meatballs, E-mian Longevity noodles, seafood Bird’s Nest soup and more with all-day dim sum and Chinese speciality dish menus available as well. Cocktails will include their Tiger Beer, Tiger Lily and Enchanted Tigress.
1930 Chestnut St. and 3939 Chestnut St., dimsum.house
The Fin
Fishtown’s newest restaurant and cocktail destination is offering cocktail and culinary features with special menus for Valentine’s Weekend and Lunar New Year. Come Valentine’s Weekend, the new establishment will offer a special fixed price menu of three courses for $75 with a complimentary glass of sparkling or rose wine on Friday, Feb. 11, and Saturday, Feb. 12. Then, on Monday, Feb. 14, Philadelphians can also celebrate Valentine’s Day itself with a special Asian twist with a special Chinese-inspired fixed price menu with specialty cocktails and a chance for prizes with a golden ticket cocktail. On this evening, customers can also indulge in cocktails a la carte and pair them with a special three course feast for $65 per person, a release states. The Fin will be decked out with Chinese lanterns, custom art and other themed decorations, and as an extra bonus, the Fin will pour an exclusive and limited edition Johnny Blue Lunar New Year edition.
1000 Frankford Ave #1, thefinusa.com
