Lunar New 12 months is right here. Often known as Chinese language New 12 months, Tet Nguyen Dan, and Seollal, it’s a vacation celebrated by tens of millions of individuals all through Asia and the Asian diaspora. In Washington, Lunar New 12 months is now acknowledged as an official state vacation. Some Lunar New 12 months occasions have already taken place, however with the 12 months of the Wooden Snake formally kicking off on January 29, there are a bevy of celebrations and meals specials to sit up for.
Right here’s a information to a few of notable eating places, bars, and bakeries doing specials and occasions for Lunar New 12 months 2025 within the Seattle space:
- On the new Capitol Hill Vietnamese restaurant Ramie, Tet comes with an array of particular menu gadgets, together with banh beo (rice desserts) with crab stew and chicharrones, a head cheese wrap, and che troi nuoc (rice balls full of mung bean paste served in ginger syrup). On January 31, Ramie will host a Lion Dance, a standard manner of welcoming the Lunar New 12 months. Sibling restaurant Ba Sa on Bainbridge Island will likely be serving a number of the similar specials and internet hosting a February 2 Lion Dance.
- Monsoon, one in all Seattle’s most well-known Vietnamese eating places, can be that includes quite a lot of Tet specials, together with the normal banh tet (stuffed rice desserts boiled in banana leaves) and pork braised in a clay pot. These specials will run till February 2.
- The Asian American brewery Fortunate Envelope at all times goes large for Lunar New 12 months and this yr isn’t any exception. The Ballard beer-maker will likely be releasing 4 new beers — together with a sesame chili cream stout and an imperial stout brewed with tea — at a Lunar New 12 months social gathering on February 1. There will likely be pink envelope giveaways and meals truck Panda Dim Sum will likely be on web site from 3 to eight:30 p.m.
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- Not too long ago opened Peruvian restaurant La Mar Bellevue is serving a particular Lunar New 12 months menu from January 29 to February 2. This will sound like an odd mixture, however Peru is house to a big Chinese language neighborhood and there’s even a culinary type, referred to as Chifa, that fuses Cantonese and Peruvian traditions. The La Mar menu will embrace gadgets like aji relleno — crispy candy peppers stuff with crab and glazed with a chili and condensed milk sauce.
- From January 29 to February 12, the Smith Tower’s Observatory Bar — house to a number of the greatest views in all downtown — will likely be serving three Chinese language-inspired cocktails, just like the Empress’s Elixir, which has Szechuan-infused gin, lemon juice, honey. What’s the deal right here? The Smith Tower has “deep ties to China,” in response to a press launch, and the Chinese language Room (the place the bar is positioned) has a bunch of furnishings and decor gifted by Chinese language Empress Dowager Cixi.
- Fremont dessert vacation spot Paper Cake Store — run by Joule’s Rachel Yang and pastry chef Gabby Park — is serving a particular cake, the Good Fortune Cake, till the top of January. It has gluten-free chocolate sponge, mandarin orange caramel, walnut praline buttercream filling, walnut praline frosting, and slices of kumquat on high.
- One other candy possibility might be discovered on the Central District doughnut store Raised, which from January 30 to February 2 will likely be that includes pink and gold mochi doughnuts and furikake (!) mochi doughnuts.
- Lastly, the mega standard Taiwanese chain Din Tai Fung is celebrating Lunar New 12 months by collaborating with Taiwanese American artist James Jean. Whereas provides final, company to any DTF location (together with the 4 within the Seattle metro space) get a present card with Jean’s artwork on it that may be redeemed for a seaweed and bean curd salad appetizer. Anybody who spends greater than $175 on a takeout order will get a restricted version James Jean tote.