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People in a lion costume dance in front of Chinatown’s arch with crowds in the background.
A Lunar New Year 2022 celebration in Boston’s Chinatown.
itsHarshad/Shutterstock

Where to Celebrate Lunar New Year In and Around Boston

Ring in the New Year with festive restaurant meals across the city

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A Lunar New Year 2022 celebration in Boston’s Chinatown.
| itsHarshad/Shutterstock

The Lunar New Year — observed by more than a billion people around the world — falls on January 22, which marks the start of the Year of the Water Rabbit, the fourth animal in the Chinese zodiac. The rabbit symbolizes elegance, beauty, and luck; but, most importantly, you’ll see shops and restaurants fully adorned in cute bunny-themed decorations.

Activity-wise, head over to Chinatown for the Lion Dance Parade on Sunday, January 29, where lion dancers go door to door to greet local businesses, or to the Museum of Fine Arts for a fun-filled day of artsy adventures on Thursday, February 2. The local Vietnamese American community gathered at Black Falcon Cruise Terminal on January 15 to ring in Tết, which is the Vietnamese Lunar New Year.

As food remains the centerpiece for cultures that observe the holiday, restaurants are eager to lure in customers with special menu items and promotions during this time of year. These menu offerings often give you a glimpse of what’s served at traditional Lunar New Year dinners so don’t miss out on this opportunity to explore.

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Việt Citron

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From January 20 to 22, this beloved Vietnamese restaurant in Burlington is bringing back Chè Trôi Nước, which are mung bean mochi balls served in a ginger and coconut sugar concoction as well as sticky rice, says owner Tran Lee. In addition to the traditional Tết specials, the restaurant is also featuring a lettuce wrap tray with an assortment of meats and toppings, “for those who want to try new things,” Lee says. 

District Kitchen

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Malden’s District Kitchen will feature a special Lunar New Year menu with traditional new year mainstays that include fish (the pronunciation of fish is similar to that of “surplus,” which is considered auspicious) and lobsters.

The classic Cantonese restaurant Red 8 inside Boston’s Encore Casino will be featuring a Lunar New Year special menu from January 19 to 28 and the set menu starts at $148 per guest. Some menu highlights include steamed lobster dumpling with cognac and lobster sauce, braised pork trotters, and roasted whole squab. 

An ornate dining room with chandeliers, mirrors, and red banquettes.
Inside Red 8.
Red 8

Maca Boston

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The tiny macaron shop inside Bow Market is gearing up for the new year with boxes of cute treats. Though the Lunar New Year presale has ended, you may still be able to grab a few extras starting January 18, which may include popular shapes such as bunnies, lanterns, and lucky kittens.

Sumiao Hunan Kitchen

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This Kendall Square mainstay is serving a Chinese New Year-themed menu along with cocktails infused with baijiu and other spirits for the month of January. The menu features Hunanese classics that often make an appearance at banquet tables, such as steamed whole fish with duo jiao (diced pepper) and Family Reunion Delight, a stew of homemade meatballs, sliced cured ham, bamboo shoots, sea cucumber, and more. Per Chinese tradition, “lucky money,” which is a red envelope filled with cash, is handed out to family and friends for good luck on New Year’s Eve (January 21). Sumiao is following the tradition and both dine-in patrons and take-out orders will receive a red envelope on that day.

A pile of red envelopes imprinted with designs is laid out on a table.
Sumiao Hunan Kitchen is handing out red envelopes on New Year’s Eve (January 21).
Sumiao Hunan Kitchen

Mimi’s Chūka Diner at Artifact Cider Project

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From January 23, Mimi’s Chūka Diner — which serves Chinese dishes done in a Japanese style, currently in the kitchen inside Artifact’s Cambridge taproom, the Station — will offer Lunar New Year-themed meal kits ($48.88 for two people) for pickup. Each meal kit will include Mimi’s classic pork and cabbage gyoza, stir-fried longevity noodles with garlic sauce and Chinese chives, chashu marinated turkey roulade, and butter mochi similar to nian gao, or New Year’s cake. It also comes with two cans of Artifact cider.

Pagu has several Lunar New Year specials on deck that are worth checking out. Chef Tracy Chang has a Tawainese-style takeout menu with a centerpiece sticky rice-stuffed Pekin duck available for pre-order until 8 p.m. on January 17. Missed that cutoff? The restaurant is also serving a Lunar New Year feast for dine-in customers on January 20, 21, and 22, and there’s a special cookie bag with miso sesame, matcha, and ube blueberry cornmeal cookies for $55 that is available for purchase through the end of the month.

A roasted duck stuffed with sticky rice laid out on a holiday-decorated table.
Pagu’s sticky rice-stuffed Pekin duck.
Pagu

Grana at the Langham

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From January 21 to 22, Italian restaurant Grana inside the Langham Hotel in downtown Boston will feature a Lunar New Year-inspired drink menu as well as snackable treats for the occasion, including housemade baos made with braised short rib and pickled vegetables and sticky rice cakes shaped like adorable rabbits. 

A dome-shaped cake with a rabbit face and ears sits on a small circular plate with teacups and a teapot visible in the background.
Grana’s rabbit-shaped rice cakes.
Grana at the Langham Hotel

Hei La Moon

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For the Lunar New Year, this Chinatown dim sum establishment will feature poon choi, a traditional and festive Cantonese dish consisting of multiple layers of meat, various types of seafood, vegetables, mushrooms, and more. Each “layer” is a standalone dish cooked separately, so one Poon Choi is basically a multi-course dinner meant for sharing. To allow the restaurant enough time to prepare this time-consuming meal, make sure you give them a call at least one day in advance.

Lady M Cake Boutique

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To ring in the new year, the popular New York-based bakery Lady M has put out festive red bean mille crêpes, its signature dessert of layered crepes and cream that put its name on the map. In addition to the limited-time-only cake, you can order the Lunar New Year Gift Set, which includes six types of candies and lucky red envelopes, for pickup at its Boston store on Newbury Street.  

Mei Mei Dumplings

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The Mei Mei team is bringing back their well-received, in-person dumpling-making classes in their new factory and cafe in the Iron Works building in South Boston. The two-hour class will walk you through the ins and outs of making dumplings, including folding techniques and tips on achieving the perfect sear at home. Tickets are $88 apiece and include Mei Mei swag, snacks, seltzers, and lots of dumplings to eat during class and to take home.

Hands are visible folding a dumpling dough sheet over a tray of dumplings with dough and fillings.
A dumpling class at Mei Mei.
Mei Mei

Starting the weekend of Lunar New Year (January 22), the new-ish but popular cha chaan teng-inspired Hong Kong cafe in Quincy will begin offering a Rubato big red bao to amp up festive vibes. They’re big red steamed baos topped with gold dust — a touch of auspicious blessing for making a fortune. These delicious baos are filled with pork, shrimp, Chinese sausage, shiitake mushroom, and a whole soft-boiled egg.

Việt Citron

From January 20 to 22, this beloved Vietnamese restaurant in Burlington is bringing back Chè Trôi Nước, which are mung bean mochi balls served in a ginger and coconut sugar concoction as well as sticky rice, says owner Tran Lee. In addition to the traditional Tết specials, the restaurant is also featuring a lettuce wrap tray with an assortment of meats and toppings, “for those who want to try new things,” Lee says. 

District Kitchen

Malden’s District Kitchen will feature a special Lunar New Year menu with traditional new year mainstays that include fish (the pronunciation of fish is similar to that of “surplus,” which is considered auspicious) and lobsters.

Red 8

The classic Cantonese restaurant Red 8 inside Boston’s Encore Casino will be featuring a Lunar New Year special menu from January 19 to 28 and the set menu starts at $148 per guest. Some menu highlights include steamed lobster dumpling with cognac and lobster sauce, braised pork trotters, and roasted whole squab. 

An ornate dining room with chandeliers, mirrors, and red banquettes.
Inside Red 8.
Red 8

Maca Boston

The tiny macaron shop inside Bow Market is gearing up for the new year with boxes of cute treats. Though the Lunar New Year presale has ended, you may still be able to grab a few extras starting January 18, which may include popular shapes such as bunnies, lanterns, and lucky kittens.

Sumiao Hunan Kitchen

This Kendall Square mainstay is serving a Chinese New Year-themed menu along with cocktails infused with baijiu and other spirits for the month of January. The menu features Hunanese classics that often make an appearance at banquet tables, such as steamed whole fish with duo jiao (diced pepper) and Family Reunion Delight, a stew of homemade meatballs, sliced cured ham, bamboo shoots, sea cucumber, and more. Per Chinese tradition, “lucky money,” which is a red envelope filled with cash, is handed out to family and friends for good luck on New Year’s Eve (January 21). Sumiao is following the tradition and both dine-in patrons and take-out orders will receive a red envelope on that day.

A pile of red envelopes imprinted with designs is laid out on a table.
Sumiao Hunan Kitchen is handing out red envelopes on New Year’s Eve (January 21).
Sumiao Hunan Kitchen

Mimi’s Chūka Diner at Artifact Cider Project

From January 23, Mimi’s Chūka Diner — which serves Chinese dishes done in a Japanese style, currently in the kitchen inside Artifact’s Cambridge taproom, the Station — will offer Lunar New Year-themed meal kits ($48.88 for two people) for pickup. Each meal kit will include Mimi’s classic pork and cabbage gyoza, stir-fried longevity noodles with garlic sauce and Chinese chives, chashu marinated turkey roulade, and butter mochi similar to nian gao, or New Year’s cake. It also comes with two cans of Artifact cider.

Pagu

Pagu has several Lunar New Year specials on deck that are worth checking out. Chef Tracy Chang has a Tawainese-style takeout menu with a centerpiece sticky rice-stuffed Pekin duck available for pre-order until 8 p.m. on January 17. Missed that cutoff? The restaurant is also serving a Lunar New Year feast for dine-in customers on January 20, 21, and 22, and there’s a special cookie bag with miso sesame, matcha, and ube blueberry cornmeal cookies for $55 that is available for purchase through the end of the month.

A roasted duck stuffed with sticky rice laid out on a holiday-decorated table.
Pagu’s sticky rice-stuffed Pekin duck.
Pagu

Grana at the Langham

From January 21 to 22, Italian restaurant Grana inside the Langham Hotel in downtown Boston will feature a Lunar New Year-inspired drink menu as well as snackable treats for the occasion, including housemade baos made with braised short rib and pickled vegetables and sticky rice cakes shaped like adorable rabbits. 

A dome-shaped cake with a rabbit face and ears sits on a small circular plate with teacups and a teapot visible in the background.
Grana’s rabbit-shaped rice cakes.
Grana at the Langham Hotel

Hei La Moon

For the Lunar New Year, this Chinatown dim sum establishment will feature poon choi, a traditional and festive Cantonese dish consisting of multiple layers of meat, various types of seafood, vegetables, mushrooms, and more. Each “layer” is a standalone dish cooked separately, so one Poon Choi is basically a multi-course dinner meant for sharing. To allow the restaurant enough time to prepare this time-consuming meal, make sure you give them a call at least one day in advance.

Lady M Cake Boutique

To ring in the new year, the popular New York-based bakery Lady M has put out festive red bean mille crêpes, its signature dessert of layered crepes and cream that put its name on the map. In addition to the limited-time-only cake, you can order the Lunar New Year Gift Set, which includes six types of candies and lucky red envelopes, for pickup at its Boston store on Newbury Street.  

Mei Mei Dumplings

The Mei Mei team is bringing back their well-received, in-person dumpling-making classes in their new factory and cafe in the Iron Works building in South Boston. The two-hour class will walk you through the ins and outs of making dumplings, including folding techniques and tips on achieving the perfect sear at home. Tickets are $88 apiece and include Mei Mei swag, snacks, seltzers, and lots of dumplings to eat during class and to take home.

Hands are visible folding a dumpling dough sheet over a tray of dumplings with dough and fillings.
A dumpling class at Mei Mei.
Mei Mei

Rubato

Starting the weekend of Lunar New Year (January 22), the new-ish but popular cha chaan teng-inspired Hong Kong cafe in Quincy will begin offering a Rubato big red bao to amp up festive vibes. They’re big red steamed baos topped with gold dust — a touch of auspicious blessing for making a fortune. These delicious baos are filled with pork, shrimp, Chinese sausage, shiitake mushroom, and a whole soft-boiled egg.

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