By Yours Truly and Jan Engoren

 

 Gong Hay Fat Choy, Happy New Year!

Feb. 1  ushers in the Chinese New Year – the Year of the Water Tiger. If you were born in the years 1950, 1962, 1974, 1986, 1998, 2010 and 2022 you are a tiger according to the Chinese zodiac.  Being born in the Year of the Water Tiger is associated with strength, bravery and is symbolic of power. For Chinese around the world the Lunar New Year or Spring Festival, is the biggest holiday of the year. Many of Miami’s Asian restaurants, Chinatown Miami, and Coconut Grove are going all out this year with special menus, entertainment, and even gifts for Chinese New Year Festival Miami. Celebrations are being held on February 1, Chinese New Year’s Eve, and in some cases for the entire first week of February and January 28. Here are our ten curated picks for you to enjoy.

And if you can, try one of these 7 lucky foods, including Tangyuan, (sweet rice balls) Yúshēng (raw fish) symbolizing abundance, dumplings (Jiaozi), traditional turnip cakes known as Lo Bak Go and Lo Han Jai, a vegetarian dish made with 18 ingredients – a lucky number.

Hakkasan

Hakkasan celebrates the Year of the Tiger with a Lion Dance on February 1 and a limited edition menu created by Internaitonal Chef de Cuisine, Jian Loo, from January 28 to February 6. Lion troupes will make their way from the hotel’s Bleau Bar t the restaurnt where the lion will dance bringing ood luck, good furtunire, wisdowm and joy to all guests.

Start your dinner with appetizers of Salmon Crudo with pickled mustard seeds and sesame or the Xingfu Dim Sum Trio of baked truffle duck puff, tiger prawn dumplings and a wild mushroom puffs.

For the main course, feast on Salt Crusted Fortune Baked Chicken with chestnuts, bamboo shoots and shiitake mushroom or sample the Wok-Fry Wild Seabass with enoki mushrooms in a spicy sesame soy sauce.  If beef is more your style, indulge in the Stir fried Wagyu Beef & Bone Marrow with Osmanthus Soy, burdock root, baby courgetti and green pepper chili.

Vegetarian options include the vegetable and rice Buddha’s Delight with morel mushrooms, lotus root, lotus seeds and bamboo shoots and the XO Sauce Lobster Egg Fried Rice with edamame and homemade prawn crackers.

To ensure a sweet start to the New Year, finish with the Orange Dark Chocolate Firecracker Mandarin Sorbet.

Hakkasan, Miami Beach  is located in the Fontainebleau Resort, 4441 Collins Avenue
Miami Beach, FL 33140.  Cost: $138 per guest.  For reservations email:  hakkasanreservations@fontainebleau.com
or call: 786 276 1388 (after 12pm) or 877 326 7412 (before 12pm)
Visit: https://hakkasan.com/miami/menu/#chinese-new-year

 

Mandarin Oriental, Miami

From Feb. 1- 6, Mandarin Oriental will celebrate Chinese New Year Festival Miami with food and beverage specials to culminate in a traditional lion’s dance performance on Sat., Feb. 5 at 8 p.m.

To get in the spirit, the hotel’s lobby will be decorated with red Chinese lanterns and a giant lucky tree trimmed with traditional lucky red envelopes.

Additionally: MO Bar + Lounge will feature a special cocktail appropriately named Easy Tiger ($18) – in honor of the Year of the Tiger –  made with Domaine de Canton, Ginger, Mio sparkling sake, Miyagawa mandarin, shiso green, Bittercube custom blend and soda water.

MO Bar + Lounge will also serve two food specials including pork and shrimp Shumai ($18) and Dan Dan Noodles ($23).

At La Mar by Gastón Acurio, executive chef Diego Oka will showcase several food specials in addition to the full á la carte menu including Tiradito Tusan ($29) a 24-hr. marinated duck magret in soy sauce and spices, rocoto daikon and chives; a Dim Sum Basket ($19) with homemade pork and shrimp Suimai and seared steamed bao with Chinese BBQ pork and scallions and Chili Duck Ragu Noodles ($35) with water chestnut, sesame butter and poached egg.

The Mandarin Oriental, Miami is located at:  500 Brickell Key Drive, Miami, Florida 33131

Visit https://www.mandarinoriental.com/miami or call 305.913 8288 

Coconut Grove Chinese New Year  Celebrations with Eleanor Hoh (aka Instagram’s “Wok Star”).

 

Chef Eleanor Hoh (known as the “Wok Star” on Instagram) will participate in the Chinese New Year Celebration on Sat. Feb. 5 in Coconut Grove from 6-9 p.m., hosted by the Coconut Grove Business Improvement District.

The event starts with a symbolic Lion Dance on Fuller Street hosted by Master Li of Lee Koon Hung Kung Fu Martial Arts School of Sunrise and Boynton Beach and a chance to win a lucky Red Envelope with gift certificates to spend at Coconut Grove businesses.

The events are followed by a personalized Asian Dining Experience and multi-cultural, live performances by a Taiwanese violinist, a Cuban sitar player and a Japanese flutist, among others.

Guests can choose between eight (8) (a lucky number) restaurants., including Minty Z, Planta Queen, Saffron at Grove South Indian classics or Varsol by Akashi, traditional Japanese cuisine.

For dessert choose between Chill N Nitrogen Ice Cream, Salt & Straw or Fireman Derek’s Bake Shop.

Dine in and order a la carte or dine under the red lanterns on Fuller Street – the choice is yours.

For more information visit WOK STAR Eleanor Hoh ???? (@wokstar) • Instagram photos and videos and https://www.eventbrite.com/e/coconut-grove-chinese-new-year-celebration-tickets-235030601857?aff=erelexpmlt

Hutong Miami, Brickell

Celebrate internationally with Hutong Miami, Brickell on February 1.  Hutong draws inspiration for its exotic signature cocktails – such as the Year of the Tiger Cocktail – from its locations and bars in Hong Kong, London and New York.

Their Northern Chinese cuisine meets artisanal dim sum and a selection of their specially crafted New Year’s cocktails made with Maestro Dobel Diamanté tequila, Nigori sake, mandarin puree, lime juice and pepper honey.

Dinner begins with a choice of appetizers:  The sour and spicy okra wrapped in netted ju suen (bamboo mushrooms) in a spicy chilled egg broth or Seared Scallop Pi Xian and spicy soba noodles dressed with sesame peppercorn sauce.

A middle course is a dumpling sampler, followed by the main course – a choice of soft-shell crabs cooked with Sichuan dried chilis, Peking Duck, Sichuan-style deep fried lobster with chili, garlic and black beans, pan-seared prime beef tenderloin or Mapo Tofu with Dao Miao (pea shoots).

Hutong is located at 600 Brickell Avenue, Miami, FL 33131.  Cost:  $168/person.  For reservations email:  reservations@hutong-miami.com or call 786.388-0805.

My review on Hutong Miami, click here.

 

CH’I (Chino-Latino Cuisine)

 

Celebrations for Chinese New Year Festival Miami will be in full effect at CH’I for the first week of February, with a specially curated prix fixe menu at $75 per person available in addition to the á la carte menu.

 

The four-course menu includes Vegetable Spring Rolls, Crispy Chicken Wontons, Tuna Tataki Tostada, CHI’s Dim Sum, CH’I Fried Chicken Chi Jau Kai and Peking Roasted Duck.

 

The day of Chinese New Year, Feb. 1, there will be a dragon show in addition to a DJ spinning tunes all night long.

 

CH’I is located at Brickell City Centre, 701 S Miami Ave, 3rd Floor #339a/#339b, Miami, Fl 33131

For reservations visit CH’I – Brickell Dinner Reservations – Brickell City Centre (chibrickell.com) or call:  305.257.8726.

 

Tanuki 

 

The modern pan-Asian restaurant will celebrate the Year of the Tiger and Chinese New Year with a specially-created concoction – part lobster, part tiger – a Lobster Tiger Roll ($24) curated by Chef Jason Acoba, featuring Shrimp Tempura and Kanikama (crab sticks) topped with lobster and drizzled with sushi sauce and chipotle aioli.

 

The special roll will be available from Feb. 1 – Feb. 6. Additionally, on the first day of New Year (Feb. 1) each guest will receive a special red envelope filled with various gifts including vouchers for free cocktails, appetizers and desserts.

 

Tanuki is located at 1080 Alton Road, Miami Beach, FL 33139.  For more information visit www.tanukimiami.com or call 305.615.1055.

 And more celebrations for Chinese New Year Festival Miami:

Phuc Yea, North Miami

Unleash your inner tiger at Phuc Yea, North Miami with a night of pre-fixe platings, a fortune-building open bar, drink specials and an adventure-inspiring lion dance.

Enjoy live music, live performances, dine-around eats, and a cocktail-filled open bar.

Come ready for a roar-ing good time as you eat, drink and celebrate the Year of the Tiger. Join them for a night of food, fun and festivities.

Delight in a menu created by Chef Ceez and a curated street-market style dine-around experience with five (5) stations of abundance, health and prosperity-inspired cuisine and sample all five stations – from appetizer to dessert.

 

Station 1: Includes a sampling of appetizers such as English cucumbers,  Szechuan peppercorn, sesame and Yuzu, an Asian citrus fruit.  Sample the Spicy Watermelon Salad, Jubilee tomatoes, red onions and fresh herbs, all accompanied by a sampling of Vietnamese dipping sauces.

 

Don’t miss the veggie peanut noodles topped with sesame oil, ginger peanut dressing and scallions.

 

Station 2:  All good traditional Asian meals include a soup.  Savor the Bun Bo Hue, an imperial Vietnamese soup simmered with vermicelli noodles and beef, pork, shrimp and crab broth, seasoned with lemongrass chili oil.

 

Station 3:  Save room for the main course while munching on the Singaporean Style Veggie Fried Rice steeped in madras curry, pineapple, bean sprouts, onion and bell pepper.

 

Station 4:  The main course includes Pulled Pork Phuc Yea Style, a pork shoulder rubbed and smoked for 24-hours, made with nuoc cham (Vietnamese fish sauce) and  lemongrass chili oil.  Or try the Char Siu Roasted Cod with kaffir lime and spiced with cilantro.

 

Station 5:  There’s always room for Phuc Yea’s assorted desserts.

 

Dinner  $83.20+$6.69 fee; price includes 8% sales tax and 20% gratuity.

First seating is from 7-8 p.m. and the second seating is from 8-9 p.m.

 

Tues., Feb. 1, Doors Open: 7:00 p.m.; Lion Dance Performance begins at 8:45 p.m.

For more information visit: https://chinesenewyearpy.eventbrite.com or call 305.602.3710

 

 

China Town Miami

The 3rd Annual Chinese New Year Festival at China Town Miami

 

Not as well known as Chinatowns in New York, Boston or San Francisco, the Chinese population of South Florida has been growing and now Miami can claim its place with a significant Chinese community.

On the Lunar New Year, Feb. 1, North Miami Mayor Anthony DeFillipo, local businesses and the Asian Real Estate Association of Greater Miami will come together to celebrate a new tradition in North Miami Beach.

Come out and bring your family. This is a kid’s friendly celebration with magic and activities for the youngest, and later there will be more activities and performances for all ages.

The event is co-sponsored by the Asian Real Estate Association of Greater Miami Chapter and FIABCI-USA Greater Miami Council. Between 5 p.m. – 6 p.m. the AREAA New Board of Directors will install new members and everyone will have the opportunity to join the association and benefit from all discounts and activities during the year.

Everyone is welcome.  For more details on how to be part of the performers or vendors or for any other questions contact Ana Herrera at anahhres@outlook.com.

Guests have an opportunity to participate in a Zoom meeting at:  https://zoom.us/j/94691267018?pwd=WEpQdkhJaEJlUFp6MVZhVVJURU4xQT09

Topic: China Town Miami, Meeting ID: 946 9126 7018

Passcode: 198563

Time: Jan 29, 12:00 p.m. to 7 p.m. For more information, click here.

Location

 

Lunar New Year Celebration with 2 Korean Girls x Loews Miami Beach

 

Celebrate the Korean New Year – known as Seollal – with 2 Korean Girls at Loews Miami Beach.

 

Indulge in one of their signature cocktails – Rose Sangria or The Last Imoogi (a Korean dragon). Snack on Korean Rice Cake Soup (Tteokguk), a Korean New Year tradition symbolizing good luck and prosperity, Korean fried chicken or Kimchi fried rice.

 

For your entrees, try the O.B. aka Original Bibimbap, a traditional Korean rice dish topped with meat and assorted vegetables then mixed with a spicy gochujang sauce or the signature Korean Short Ribs (Galbi) with cucumber kimchi.

Tues., Feb. 1, from 6:00 p.m. – 10:00 p.m. at the Loews Miami Beach Hotel, 1601 Collins Ave., Miami Beach, FL 33139

For tickets visit Chinese New Year Celebration at ChinaTown Miami Tickets, Sat, Jan 25, 2020 at 10:00 AM | Eventbrite

Komodo

Brickell’s Komodo is taking note of the Year of the Tiger- serving up dinner with a show.

Fiery dishes and SŌTŌ sake cocktails like the Girl from Ipanema and Shizo Fly will be accompanied by a traditional dragon dance and drummers roaring throughout the restaurant, followed by DJ ESP taking reign of the turntables for the ultimate celebration.

For lucky eats, Komodo’s Money Bag dumplings will do just the trick. Legend has it that the more dumplings you eat, the more money you can make in the New Year – so, eat up!

 

Komodo is located at 801 Brickell Avenue Miami, FL 33131, For reservations visit www.komodomiami.com/about/# or call 305.534.2211

 

 

For its contribution to the Chinese New Year Festival Miami, The Miami Design District is also having a Lion Dance at the Palm Court on February 1 at 5:30 p.m.