Chinese New Year in LA: 3 Feasts to Celebrate the Year of the Snake

Year of the Snake duck at WP24

By Lesley Balla

On Sunday, February 10, the Year of the Snake begins, but it doesn't matter what Chinese sign you were born under, the New Year is a time for feasting with family and friends. Of course, there are plenty of Chinese restaurants for dumplings and dim sum, but here are a few special offerings outside of the San Gabriel Valley and Chinatown for a delicious celebration.

Those crazy kids at Starry Kitchen are serving up a Chinese New Year's Eve feast on Saturday (Feb. 9) at Tiara Cafe, which includes dishes like steamed rice cake omelette with scallion and vinegar sauce; slow-roasted sesame spare ribs; salted duck egg cereal prawns; grilled turmeric fish with fresh dill; black sesame panna cotta and honey green tea-poached pears. You can get the signature tofu balls and Singaporean chili crab at an additional cost. Cost is $50 per person; make reservations here (127 E. 9th St.; 213-623-3663).

Staring this Sunday, WP24 will have a 10-course tasting menu with everything from crispy daikon cakes to whole roasted Peking duck with the traditional garnishes for $180 per person. There's also a Year of the Snake "Venom" cocktail (Pritchard's Tennessee corn whiskey, lemon, ginger, yuzu bitters and absinthe) from the bar. That will certainly make the skyline look bright. The Chinese New Year specials are available through Feb. 24 (900 W. Olympic Blvd.; 213-743-8824).

At Susan Feniger's Street, get a special vegetarian dim sum feast on Sunday from 11 AM to 3 PM. Dishes like Cantonese-style radish cakes, sesame fritters filled with red bean paste, mushroom shu mai, jackfruit bao, fried rice with vegetarian Chinese sausage, rice batter pancakes and more will be served a la carte (742 N. Highland Ave.; 323-203-0500).