January: Treats & Eats in NYC

(photo courtesy of Business Insider, Jon Woo/Reuters)

We celebrated New Year's two weeks ago, but that doesn't mean that we can't celebrate it again...for an entire week, we can all partake in Chinese New Year celebrations around the city! From the annual Lunar New Year Parade to the good luck foods to eat, we love it all. Here are our favorite treats & eats to ring in the Year of the Rooster. 

Festivities start on Saturday, January 28th with the Firecracker Ceremony at the Sara D Roosevelt Park in Chinatown where "hundreds of thousands of the sparkly explosives will be set off to ward off bad spirits for the year, then a cultural festival—with dance performances, Chinese food and more" describes TimeOut. 

Throughout the week, check out the best places to eat some lucky New Year foods -- whole fish, dumplings, spring rolls, tangerines/oranges, long noodles, sticky rice cake, and pomelos:

If you're looking for classic dim sum, you must visit Nom Wah Tea Parlor - one of our faves that now has 2 NYC locations. Try their famous original egg rolls, the scallion pancake, the pork bun - big enough to share, as well as the pan-fried noodles, as recommended by Scott Heins of Gothamist.

If you prefer Sichuan, check out Han Dynasty. Eater's Madeline Muzzi notes "Classic Sichuan dishes like mapo tofu and dan dan noodles are delicious, but the sesame noodles in a house-made sauce are the real winner here. They don’t resemble the thick noodles in gluey sauce that are common at so many take out restaurants. Instead they’re thin, lightly sweet, and laced with vinegar for a hint of acid that keeps them feeling light."

For those who want to try something different & new, Kings County Imperial is our neighborhood go-to. Not only do they have delicious twists on classics like mapo dofu and soup dumplings (usually on special), they also have some of the tastiest greens I've ever had - cold-poached watercress, as well as chinese eggplant with garlic, spring onion, and kung po sauce. For treats, check out their Imperial Mai-Tai on tap or the King Kamehameha Club.

Last, but definitely not least, join the line at Tim Ho Wan, the world's least expensive Michelin-starred restaurant which just opened in the East Village. Give yourself extra time for the wait and avoid it on the 28th, when they'll be closed to celebrate the New Year, themselves!

To close out the week, don't miss the Lunar New Year Parade on Sunday, February 5th, which is always a must-see!