Celebrate Lunar New Year at One of These Los Angeles Restaurants
Attention East Asian food fans: Celebrate Lunar New Year with traditional flavors at these LA spots.
The Institute of Culinary Education's campuses are located in New York City and Los Angeles, two culinary capitals of the world. In order to deepen our students' understanding, we create comprehensive guides surrounding the culinary industries in these cities. Though this guide was created with culinary students in mind, it's a resource for anyone seeking restaurants serving Lunar New Year foods in LA. So enjoy — and tag us on Instagram if you dine at one of these recommendations. Happy Lunar New Year!
Lunar New Year is here! (This year, the holiday falls on January 29th.) Millions of people around the globe have already begun or plan to celebrate this cherished holiday by honoring annual traditions, spending time with loved ones and enjoying special cuisine. In China, the holiday is commonly celebrated as the Spring Festival, which runs for fifteen days.
So, what exactly is Lunar New Year?
Lunar New Year dates back 3500 years to the Shang Dynasty, and it marks the start of a new year according to the lunar calendar system. Each new year is associated with an animal from the zodiac. 2025 is the year of the snake.
Cuisine is a sacred component to Lunar New Year celebrations. In addition to robust flavors, dishes served on the holiday have symbolic meanings and mantras. For example, turnips are often used in Lunar New Year meals because their Mandarin Chinese name translates to “good luck” (“cai tou”). Fish ("yu" in Mandarin Chinese) is served because the pronunciation of "yu" is phonetically similar to the pronunciation of the Chinese word for “plenty," thus suggesting that consuming fish yields abundance.
Really, is there a more beautiful way to honor food?
If you're in Los Angeles, you're lucky enough to be near some of the most exciting East Asian restaurants in the world. (Not to mention, you're near the ICE LA campus.) Below is a list of our favorite LA restaurants serving special menus for Lunar New Year. 吃好喝 – “chī hǎo hē hǎo”, or, enjoy your meal!
San Gabriel Valley Restaurants Serving Lunar New Year Menus
Bistro Na’s
9055 Las Tunas Dr #105, Temple City, CA 91780
Recognized with a Michelin star in 2019 and 2021, Bistro Na’s is a superb spot to celebrate Lunar New Year. The restaurant’s traditional menu rests on royal Manchu influence, making eating here an extra special dining experience.
The menu is ideal for a group dinner, with larger-quantity options to share across the table. Highlights include Beijing Beef Rice Soup and Kurobuta Pork Ribs & Green Beans, as well as desserts like Good Luck Cookies, which are enjoyed during the Lunar New Year to promote luck and fortune. Reserve your table directly on OpenTable.
Hot Pot, Hot Pot!
120 S Atlantic Blvd Monterey Park, CA 91754
The tradition surrounding eating hot pot during Lunar New Year is quite special. Hot pot brings loved ones together to enjoy food from a communal broth, where everyone is engaged in assembling and cooking ingredients together.
Hot Pot, Hot Pot in Monterey Park is known for its Chinese red broth seasoned with Sichuan peppercorns and dried chilies. You can choose a spice level appropriate for you while you cook a variety of meats, fishes and vegetables in the decadent broth. There’s also a vegetarian option. This is an easy, no-reservation option for Lunar New Year.
Array36
5449 Rosemead Blvd, Temple City, CA 91776
Fó tiào qiáng (“Buddha jumps over the wall”) is a traditional Chinese stew that's served during Lunar New Year. The stew is believed to possess countless health benefits due to its concentration of collagen and other nutrients, and is widely considered a luxury to consume. Lucky for you, Array36, a traditional Chinese fine dining restaurant located in Temple City, serves some of the best fó tiào qiáng in LA County. Here, you'll experience refined dishes and a lovely atmosphere.
Weekend availability can be challenging so reserve early. To do so, call the restaurant directly at 626-866-0623.
Dun Huang
1370 Fullerton Road, Ste 105, Rowland Heights
Tāngtuán (glutinous rice balls) are sweet mochi rice balls that are traditionally enjoyed on the final day of Lunar New Year. Celebrate the concept of togetherness by grabbing some Tāngtuán at Dun Huang in the San Gabriel Valley. (They have locations throughout California and New York.) Dine in without a reservation, or phone (626) 820-9079 for takeout. Just be sure to call ahead for the latter.
Koreatown Restaurants Serving Lunar New Year Menus
Yong Su San
950 S Vermont Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90006
Another Michelin-recognized restaurant — and one that's nourished Koreatown for 30 years — is Yong Su San. Here, you can enjoy what is arguably the best tteokguk (rice cake soup) in all of LA. In Korean lore, finishing your tteokguk makes you one year older, which is one reason why it's essential eating during the Lunar New Year. (Side note: In Korea, Lunar New Year is also referred to as Seollal.)
Call the restaurant directly at (213)-388-3042 to reserve a table for larger parties.
Chunju Han-il Kwan
3450 W 6th St, Los Angeles, CA 90020
Chonju Han il-Kwan is known to have some of the city’s best budae jjigae, or military stew, served with ramen noodles, spam, sausages, veggies and more. This is a wonderful spot to enjoy Korean-style hot pot with a group of friends, as the portions feed two to three people. No reservations needed – just walk in and treat yourself to some of the city’s best Korean food this Lunar New Year.
East Los Angeles Restaurants Serving Lunar New Year Menus
Kato
The Row: 777 S. Alameda St. Building 1, Suite 114 Los Angeles, CA 90021
Downtown LA hotspot Kato (recognized as one of the best restaurants in LA by the LA Times) is teaming up with Michelin-recognized chefs to host a series of Lunar New Year dinners. Securing a table means you'll not only experience food from some of the world's top chefs, but you'll be eating for a good cause— 100% of proceeds will be donated to Restaurants Care, an emergency relief fund for restaurant and hospitality workers affected by the recent LA fires. Make your reservation through OpenTable.
West Los Angeles Restaurants Serving Lunar New Year Menus
Crustacean
468 North Bedford Drive, Beverly Hills, 90210
Crustacean is a Vietnamese-fusion, fine dining restaurant in the heart of Beverly Hills that will be serving a special a la carte menu for this Lunar New Year. From January 29 through February 2, you’ll find additions to the menu that include salt-and-pepper quail, caviar fried chicken, uni garlic noodles and more. Additionally, they will be hosting traditional dragon dancers on January 31 from 6:00pm to 8:00pm, and during brunch service on February 2. Book your reservation on their website.
