Bong Su's Tết Dragon
While most folks have already packed up their champagne glasses and New Year's duds, the Bay Area Asian community is gearing up for its own New Year celebrations. Both the Chinese New Year and Tết (the Vietnamese New Year) begin on February 7th. And of course, food is a big part of the festivities, with symbolic items that must be eaten to ensure wealth, health and longevity.
Many traditional Chinese restaurants such as R & G Lounge, Shanghai 1930 and Koi Palace will be hosting special New Year's banquets. In addition, here are some other restaurants that will be preparing festive meals.
At San Jose's Sino Restaurant & Lounge, chef Chris Yeo is putting forth a special à la carte menu throughout the month of February. Previous offerings have included the likes of seared scallops with edamame hummus and chile-cilantro vinaigrette (377 Santana Row, San Jose; 408-247-8880).
Over at Redwood City's Red Lantern, chef Daniel Sudar will offer some symbolic à la carte additions to his Southeast Asian menu from February 7th–13th. Highlights include red-cooked kurobuta pork belly with garlic baby bok choy, beef tripe with chile, cilantro, scallions, soy and sizzling oil. In case you were curious, red cooking is an ancient slow-braising method whose coloration symbolizes good luck (808 Winslow St.; 650-369-5483).
Don't forget about the Vietnamese New Year. San Francisco's Bong Su will have a Tết festival on February 8th, and its sister Palo Alto restaurant Tamarine will have one on February 6th. Both will feature fortune-tellers, a dragon dance and special dinner dishes laced with good-luck foods for the year to come. In addition to the regular dinner menu, expect a dang beef roll made of fresh rice-noodle sheet rolled with grilled Kobe beef, cilantro, basil and mint, and a "Long Life" salmon served with spinach, shredded scallions, ginger and gingko nuts. The main festivities will kick off at about 7 PM at the front door, with the feeding of lettuce (which symbolizes money) to the dragon. The staff will also pass out red envelopes to the guests so they can "feed the dragon" as it wends its way through the dining room, in the hopes of bringing their own good luck.
– Meesha Halm