The Resy Guide to Celebrating Lunar New Year in Los Angeles

Devouring xiao long bao while sipping Mai Tais at the legendary West Hollywood icon has never felt more right — even if you’re enjoying its homey Taiwanese plates and ‘quarantiki’ cocktails at home, there’s still an air of old-school Chinatown glamour.

Our Lunar New Year picks: In addition to walnut shrimp, beef and broccoli, and other staples, a special Lunar New Year menu for two ($88) includes spring rolls, egg-noodle dumplings, long-life noodles, orange chicken, and fried sesame balls, plus plum wine spritzers or green tea mocktail. Available for preorder and pickup only from Feb. 12 to 14.

Dining status: Limited covered outdoor patio seating is now open; reservations are recommended. Order pickup or delivery here.

David Kuo goes back to his Taiwanese roots with this eclectic Mar Vista spot. Finding inspiration from the food he grew up eating, Kuo is serving everything from typical Chinese restaurant classics to Tawianese staples, plus cocktails from the adjacent Accomplice Bar.

Lunar New Year picks: Special a la carte dishes include steamed fish and leek dumplings, crab Rangoon dip with shrimp chips, popcorn quail with pomegranate hoisin, beef chow fun, and oxtail and beef curry. To drink, a good-luck red julep made with beet-infused bourbon, strawberry and pomegranate.

Dining status: Takeout and delivery only; get all the info here.

When you’re craving jumbo cheeseburger potstickers with tomato-bacon jam — and you know you will — this is the place. Top Chef alum Shirley Chung combines her Chinese-American background with California sensibilities for tasty all-day bites at this casual spot.

Lunar New Year picks: In addition to her the regular menu, Chung will offer Lo Shen Singapore noodles on Feb. 11 and 12. The popular Chinese New Year dish encourages family and friends to mix the glass noodles, yellowtail sashimi, and daikon radish together to bring good luck. She’s also doing a virtual cooking class to make dumplings, potstickers, and mochi donuts. 

Dining status: Limited outdoor dining has reopened; takeout and delivery is still available. Call 424-361-5225 or order here.

A Chinatown fixture since 1977, hordes still show up for Mandarin and Szechuan dishes that are as familiar as they are iconic. There are now locations in Pasadena, Canoga Park, and a recent addition in Long Beach.

Our Lunar New Year picks: Get all the things, from garlic eggplant and spring rolls, to pan-fried dumplings, noodles, and especially the slippery shrimp. The golden fried shrimp doused in a sticky, sweet and spicy sauce is arguably the restaurant’s most famous dish. 

Dining status: Takeout and delivery are available via Caviar for all locations; call each one to see if outdoor seating has returned. Find more info here.

The place that everyone immediately thinks of when you say, “New York-style Chinese food.” Some things have changed since it opened in 1983 – the Foo Foo drinks are exponentially better — but the kitschy vibe and iconic eggrolls remain.

Lunar New Year picks: Regular favorites like pan-fried noodles, No Name duck, Kung Pao shrimp, extra egg rolls, and an old-school Mai Tai. During Lunar New Year, two people a day could get a lucky red envelope filled with prize vouchers for everything from merch to bottled cocktails.

Dining status: Takeout and delivery only for now; find the menu and info here.

This old-school family-run spot is a veritable institution in the ever-changing San Gabriel Valley, sanctioned by everyone from Jonathan Gold to the regular diners with garlicky lobster-stained shirts.

Lunar New Year picks: Crustaceans symbolize luck for the new year, and you can’t do much better than the signature fiery-red wok-fried lobster, a beast that’s worth every messy bite. Add in clams in black bean sauce, garlicky pea shoots, and a plate of noodles, and you’ll feel full of prosperity. Or at least full.

Dining status: Pickup only; call 626-289-5998 to order. There’s a second location in Rowland Heights, as well. Find menus and more here.

Once the main caterer for employees of Thai Airways that landed at LAX, this Westchester spot is guided by the second-generation of the Asapahu family. The menu continues to shine with both classic and L.A.-inspired dishes.

Our Lunar New Year picks: You’re usually here for khao soi curry soup, the decadent “When Tigers Cry” tomahawk to share, and belly-warming chap chai bone broth. But to ring in the Year of the Ox — along with Valentine’s Day — the special Thursday-only take-away menu includes chicken and fish maw soup; claypot baked shrimp; beef broccolini; and a Szechuan peppercorn chocolate eclair for dessert. Get the menu and ordering details here.

Dining status: Open for takeout only; find the full menu and info here.

By the name, you’d think this SGV favorite was a one-stop shop for lacquered duck, with its crispy skin. While that remains a star of the menu, it’s just one of many specialties to find at the massive and usually full (with long waits during busy holidays) restaurant. 

Our Lunar New Year picks: You need to order the whole Peking duck with all the accoutrements — green onion, cucumber, pancakes — ahead of time, even if the huge dining room was open. The menu features everything from a gorgeous flaky pancake to Sichuan specialties like spicy cumin-scented lamb chops and whole fish with peppercorns. A holiday menu features a variety of rice cakes.

Dining status: Open for takeout and delivery; find more info here.

There’s a string of these small Chinese restaurants across the Southland, with the original in the SGV and others in Lomita and West Third Street in L.A. That just means more and easier access to  soups, dumplings, and more.

Our Lunar New Year picks: Fill the table with crispy egg rolls, chive and shrimp dumplings, the signature pork-stuffed shengjian bao, wonton soup, springy noodles with beef, and crisp scallion pancakes. 

Dining status: Takeout and delivery are available; find the menu for West Third Street here.

With the growing popularity of tongue-tingling Sichuan cuisine, Sichuan Impression has grown too, with outlets in Alhambra, West L.A., and now Tustin. May consider this some of the best Chinese in the city, denoted by its often fiery, dishes.

Our Lunar New Year picks: You’ll go for handmade dumplings doused in chile oil, boiled fish with rattan peppers, and wok-fried crawfish. But don’t miss specialties like ginger rabbit, a dish that hails from Zigong in the heart of the Sichuan province. Smothered in peppers and peppercorns, cilantro and ginger, the rabbit is soft and tender, the balance of spice and heat addictively delicious.

Dining status: Takeout and delivery are available at all three locations; find the menu and more info here.