By: Lindsay Garbacik By: Lindsay Garbacik | January 17, 2023 | Food & Drink, Lifestyle, Feature, culture, Community,
Welcome the arrival of spring with the Lunar New Year, this year celebrating the ‘Year of the Rabbit’. The Lunar New Year lasts 15 days, beginning on Sunday, Jan. 22, and acts as a period for feasting, honoring ancestors, cleaning, and ushering in good energy for the upcoming year. Traditions vary amongst Eastern and Southeast Asian cultures, so there are truly a variety of ways to celebrate. We’ve rounded up the most fabulous Lunar New Year celebrations in the DMV area that you should explore for a prosperous start to the ‘Year of the Rabbit’.
See Also: The Ultimate Guide to The Wharf
Multiple Locations / Website
Date: Monday, Jan. 23
Head to the uber-popular Chinese Korean restaurant, CHIKO for a Lunar New Year feast, available at its locations and for delivery. The menu will serve two and feature highlights like garlicky chicken and rabbit dumplings, Chinese red braised short rib, and tangerine upside-down cake, among other tasty items. CHIKO will also have rotating daily Lunar New Year specials available a la carte from Jan. 23 to Jan. 29. The kick-off menu is priced at $80 and only available on Monday, Jan. 23. Pre Orders can be placed here.
418 7th Street NW / Website
Date: Sunday, Jan. 22 to Sunday, Jan. 29
Head to Jose Andres’ Peruvian Penn Quarter restaurant for a special a la carte menu crafted to pay homage to Peru’s native Criollo, Chinese Chifa and Japanese Nikkei cuisines. The exclusive menu will feature wonton soup, nian gao stir-fried rice cakes, whole fried fish, and tang yuan rice balls, among other hits. There will also be two specialty cocktails: the ‘liar’s dice’, made with Antagonia Peruvian gin, Fever-Tree aromatic tonic and butterfly pea and lemon verbena tea cubes, and the ‘tea service’ made with Pu’Er aged black tea, Ron Cartavio two-year-aged Peruvian rum, cinnamon and orange. Reservations can be made here.
Rosewood Hotel, 1050 31st Street NW / Website
Date: Tuesday, Feb. 7, 5 p.m. to 9 p.m.
Honor the start of the Lunar New Year with a special, one-night-only family-style dinner featuring Chinese cuisine. Guests will enjoy a three-course dinner including appetizers, a choice of main course, side dishes, and dessert.
In collaboration with CUT DC’s head chef Andrew Skala, chefs Scott Drewno, Danny Lee, Mei Lin, Henji Cheung and Trigg Brown will work together to craft the fine dining menu. Each chef is skilled in their craft, with chefs Drewno, Lee and Cheung operating successful Asian cuisine restaurants right here in DC, and chef Lin and Brown with restaurants in Los Angeles and New York City, respectively.
The Lunar New Year Dinner is priced at $165 per person. Reservations are required and can be made here.
Multiple Locations / Website
Date: Friday, Jan. 13 to Sunday, Feb. 12
What better way to kick off the year than with ice cream? To celebrate the New Year, DC-loved frozen treat brand Ice Cream Jubilee has crafted a limited edition pack of five Asian-inspired ice cream flavors. Try citrus Sichuan peppercorn, coconut lychee lime, red bean almond cookie, matcha green tea and roasted barley tea ice creams. Or, visit the store for an exclusive tasting of flavors miso caramel and peanut butter cookies, dan tat brulee, and pear plum wine sorbet. Tickets for the in-person tastings can be purchased here. The pints pack ships nationwide, or you can pick it up in person at one of Ice Cream Jubilee’s DMV locations.
6th & I Street NW / Website
Date: Sunday, Jan. 22 at 2 p.m.
Celebrate the “Year of the Rabbit” with a colorful and exciting parade downtown. The parade will start at 2 p.m. at 6th and I Streets NW and proceed to 6th and H Streets NW, with a staged celebratory ceremony at the end. With vibrant dancers, performances and a firecracker finale, this parade will surely be memorable for the whole family. Free tickets can be reserved here.
3400 11th Street NW / Website
Date: Saturday, Jan. 21 to Sunday, Jan. 22
Celebrate the start of the new year with a special a la carte menu of Malaysian favorites. The Lunar New Year menu will include yee sang, or prosperity salad, made with cured salmon, veggies, peanuts, sesame and plum sauce, as well as a steamed half chicken. Additionally, check out the hakka abacus seeds, made with taro root, pork, wood ear mushrooms and chilis, and the bak kwa, also known as Chinese pork jerky. Reservations can be made here.
1351 H Street NE / Website
Stop by this popular Cambodian-Taiwanese restaurant for a special a la carte Lunar New Year menu. Reservations can be made here.
101 MGM National Avenue, Oxon Hill MD / Website
Visit MGM National Harbor to experience the Lunar New Year through art, culture and cuisine. The resort’s conservatory will be decked in glam celebrating the ‘Year of the Rabbit’ featuring jade rock fountains, a money tree, and a 15-foot-tall animatronic rabbit, all on display from Friday, Jan. 20 to Saturday, March 18. Guests will be treated to a parade-like performance of the lion dance as it works its way from the casino valet to the conservatory, only on Sunday, Jan. 22 at 6 p.m. The performance is said to bring good luck and prosperity into the new year.
To dine, head to Ginger for an authentic pan-Asian new year menu and celebration, available Thursday, Jan. 19 to Sunday, Jan. 29. Menu highlights are set to include crispy fried crab claws, spicy beef tendon, golden egg yolk lobster, and fried crispy spring chicken with garlic. Reservations for Ginger can be made here.
801 Wharf Street SW / Website
Date: Monday, Jan. 23 - Saturday, Jan. 28
Head to the Wharf for Lunar New Year celebrations galore at Moon Rabbit. There will be a special menu, available for dine-in and takeout, featuring salt and pepper fried shrimp, wontons, rich rice cakes with white pepper, miso and parmesan, and the restaurant’s ever-popular ‘lucky chicken’. Takeout orders can be placed here and can be picked up between 5 p.m. to 7:15 p.m. at Moon Rabbit. Reservations for in-person dining can be made here.
But that’s not all! Celebrate the local AAPI community with a curated seated dinner featuring seven distinct courses from seven local chefs. The dinner will take place on Monday, Jan. 29 from 6:30 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. and will benefit chef Kevin Tien’s giving initiative, #ChefsStoppingAAPIHate. Join local chefs and restauranteurs, Masako Morshita, Erik Bruner-Yang, Yuan Tang, Paolo Dungca, Tim Ma, and pastry chef Susan Bae, in celebrating the Lunar New Year with this special dinner event. Reservations can be made here.
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1050 Independence Avenue SW / Website
Date: Saturday, Jan. 21
Head to the National Museum of Asian Art for a day packed with educational and fun-filled activities, while amongst the presence of breathtaking Asian art. Tour the galleries side-by-side with its curators at noon, then enjoy a cooking demonstration of classic new year dishes at 1 p.m. by local celebrity chefs Danny Lee and Scott Drewno of CHIKO. At 3 p.m. don’t miss a special lion dance performance from a team of talented dancers. There will be a hands-on arts and crafts station from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m., in addition to a special menu of snacks and beverages at the Smithsonian Castle Cafe. The celebration is entirely free to attend, learn more about its events here.
8th & G Street NW / Website
Date: Saturday, Jan. 28, 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Ring in the new year while learning about Chinese and Korean traditions through interactive activities, performances and kid-friendly crafts. Immerse yourself in the culture with a trip to the Courtyard Cafe, within the Kogod Courtyard, serving up a special menu in honor of the Lunar New Year. Registration is encouraged and can be done here.
2700 F Street NW / Website
Date: Saturday, Jan. 21 at 6 p.m.
Visit The Kennedy Center’s Millennium Stage for an energetic and artful Lunar New Year celebration. The special program will highlight the “Year of the Rabbit” and Chinese culture with a traditional lion dance performed by the Tai Yum Kung Fu School and vocal performances by The Concert Chorale of Washington.
This event is free, but guests are seated on a first come first served basis, so it’s best to arrive early. Check out their website to learn more.
1961 Chain Bridge Road, Tysons VA / Website
Date: Saturday, Jan. 28, 1 p.m. to 3 p.m.
Head to Tysons Corner Center, in the Fashion Court on the lower level Nordstrom Wing, for a fabulous afternoon of Lunar New Year celebrations. Hosted by the Asian American Chamber of Commerce and Tysons Corner Center, the event will include: a dragon dance by the Chinese Culture Institute, a Mongolian fashion show, magic show, performance of the Chinese instrument guzheng by the Alice Gu-Zheng Ensemble, an Indonesian dance by Santi Budaya Performing Arts, a Korean dance by the Korean Culture and Art of Maryland organization, a Chinese dance by the Fairfax Chinese Dance Troupe, a Vietnamese song performance, and a lion dance by Choy Wun Dance Troupe. The event is free to attend.
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8025 Galleria Drive, Tysons VA / Website
Dates: Fridays - Sundays through Sunday, Feb. 12. 5 p.m. to 10 p.m.
Get your cameras ready, this is an Insta-worthy event you won’t want to miss. The sky will be filled with over 1000 illuminated Chinese lanterns, all handcrafted by artisans. Explore the park’s wonderland of lights and displays, including colorful depictions of Chinese myths, legends, zodiacs, and interactive illuminated swings, see-saws and tunnels. This vibrant event is sure to offer something compelling for the whole family. Tickets start at $29.99 per adult and can be purchased here.
Looking for more luxe stops in the city? Check out our picks for All The Hottest Concerts Coming To Washington, DC This Winter.
Photography by: Eka P. Amdela / Unsplash