Where to find Lunar New Year-themed restaurant specials, events in DC area

Snake-themed Lunar New Year celebration at Falls Church, Virginia, restaurants, Nue Elegantly Vietnamese and Chasin’ Tails. (Courtesy Nue Elegantly Vietnamese and Chasin’ Tails)

Wednesday marks the beginning of the Year of the Snake, and several D.C.-area restaurants are joining in to celebrate the Lunar New Year with à la carte specials and ritzy dining experiences.

The Lunar New Year holiday is one of the most important traditions in China and other parts of Asia, and there are several weeks of celebrations worth anticipating in the D.C. region.

The Eden Center in Falls Church, Virginia, is celebrating the Year of the Snake on Wednesday, starting at noon. Expect traditional, live performances like lion dances and other family-friendly activities.

Other celebrations to anticipate include the Chinese Lunar New Year Parade in the District on Sunday, Feb. 2, and the celebrations in College Park, Maryland, and Tysons, Virginia, as well as D.C.’s Smithsonian Arts and Industries Building on Saturday, Feb. 1.

For more Lunar New Year celebrations across the region to consider, check out ǾƷ’s full guide here.

For those interested in finding restaurants worth considering for reservations or special experiences, read onward.


Check back every week for a roundup of Things to do in the D.C. area.


Through Feb. 13, NUE Elegantly Vietnamese and Chasin’ Tails in Falls Church, Virginia, are celebrating the Lunar New Year with themed menus and giveaways. As part of this dining experience, every guest who spends $200 or more wins “lucky money” in the form of a $25 gift card toward their next visit. The restaurants are also hosting a custom-designed Animal Dice game where guests can win grand prizes, which include an all-expenses-paid trip for two to Vietnam or Las Vegas. Reservations can be made via OpenTable.

“This isn’t just another Lunar New Year event; it’s a monthlong experience that captures the heart of our cultural celebrations, complete with gift-giving and showcasing exceptional craftsmanship,” said Tuyet-Nhi Le, founder and CEO of NUE and Chasin’ Tails.

In D.C., Tiger Fork has a “Ming River Baijiu Dinner” package that includes over a dozen shared plates highlighting the Chinese liquor “baijiu.” Priced at approximately $152 per person, the dinner includes a welcome cocktail followed by multiple rounds of baijiu beverage pairings. Tiger Fork has two additional Lunar New Year-themed celebrations coming up, including ceremonial lion dances on Saturday, Feb. 1, and a tiger versus snake DJ party on Friday, Feb. 7.

This Lunar New Year, enjoy a feast at Chef Peter Chang’s restaurant, Chang Chang, on Monday, Feb. 10. With tickets priced at $88 per person, the experience includes 11 courses of traditional New Year fare, including grilled turnip cakes, triple delight dumplings, Peking duck and “Mama Chang’s black sesame rice dumplings.” Tickets are available via Tock.

Chang’s Crystal City, Virginia, restaurant, NiHao, is also hosting a banquet-style Lunar New Year feast with 12 festive dishes on Tuesday, Feb. 11. Tickets are priced at $88 per person.

Both Chang Chang and NiHao are also serving an à la carte Lunar New Year menu until Feb 28. Specials include sliced sausages, steamed crystal shrimp dumplings, lion’s head meatballs and more.

Maketto in D.C. is offering special menus from Jan. 29 through Feb. 1 in celebration of Lunar New Year, available for lunch and dinner. The restaurant is also expected to offer a live traditional lion dance on Wednesday, Jan. 29, as a celebration of the Lunar New Year. Reservations can be made on Resy.

All of CHIKO‘s D.C.-area locations are celebrating the Lunar New Year from Jan. 29 through Feb. 3 with various guest chef appearances, weekend tea service and daily themed specials. One of the special events is a multi-chef dinner at the Capitol Hill location on Wednesday, Jan. 29, that costs $90 per person. Find the full schedule and details on CHIKO’s website here.

Finally, locally-owned Ice Cream Jubilee is celebrating with four limited-edition flavors: mango sticky rice, Thai ice tea, red bean almond cookie and strawberry matcha latte. The flavors are available in all stores in both scoops and pints.

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Michelle Goldchain

Michelle Goldchain’s reporting has focused primarily on the D.C. area, previously working as Editor of Curbed DC for Vox Media and Audience Growth & Engagement Editor for Washington City Paper. She is the author of “D.C. by Metro: A History & Guide.” She also reports for 'Artsplained' on YouTube.

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