The Lunar New Year is approaching, and how fitting that it is the year of the snake, as all kinds of parallels come to mind.
Perhaps we should all distract ourselves with a quest for Peking Duck. Turns out we have a few options in our midst, not the least of which is Chef Chu’s in Los Altos, famous for Beijing-style barbecued duck done in an iron-cast Chinese oven and served with steamed lotus buns.
Related Articles
Photos of the Week: Goodbye 2024…the Bay Area welcomes 2025
Letters: Supreme Court must eliminate appearance of being bought
Drunken driving crashes, public intoxication citations mark Santa Cruz County’s New Year’s Eve
Here’s how to get rid of your Christmas tree around the Bay Area
Bay Area welcomes its first babies of 2025 — including one born exactly at midnight
San Jose’s newest Mediterranean spot Eos & Nyx, helmed by Chef Nickos Moulinos, welcomes the Year of the Snake with grilled salmon for abundance and prosperity, bone-in pork chop that symbolizes resilience and renewal, and the Neon Medusa cocktail to ensure a fruitful and harmonious year ahead.
San Jose’s newest Taiwainese restaurant, Flaming Ox, is hosting a red envelope giveaway Jan. 29-Feb. 12. Diners can receive a red envelope one of two ways: order Flaming Ox’s limited Chinese New Year Combo Meal, featuring a cold appetizer, noodle entrée and drink for $24, or purchase two jars of Flaming Ox’s signature Chili Crisp ($8/jar). Red envelopes can be redeemed for a free drink, $5 off an appetizer or a free entrée, depending on the reward inside. Flaming Ox specialties are beef noodle soup, rice bowls and popcorn chicken.
Celebrity chef Kathy Fang and Smitten Ice Cream in Santana Row have teamed up to celebrate the Chinese New Year with an exclusive new flavor, Vanilla Black Sesame Mochi. It has a vanilla base swirled with sweet black sesame covered with chewy mochi. This limited-edition ice cream will be available in scoops and pints at Smitten’s San Francisco and San Jose locations Jan. 11- Feb. 20.
Wines for Chinese New Year include the Iron Horse “Year of the Snake” sparkling cuvée, perfect for starting the new year off with wisdom, grace and charm. Donum in Carneros offers an exclusive 2020-2022 Zodiac Vertical of pinot noir, inspired by artis Ai Weiwei’s Circle of Animal Zodiac Heads display at the winery. These symbols also grace Donum wine labels.
Celebrating the snake
Shop, dine and watch lion dances, ribbon dances and other entertainment at the Westfield Valley Fair Lunar New Year Celebration, Sunday, Feb. 2, noon-4 p.m., in the Grand Court, near Gucci.
The Vietnamese Lunar New Year Tet Festival in San Jose takes place Friday, Feb 7, 3-11 p.m., and Saturday and Sunday, Feb. 8-9, 11 a.m.-11 p.m. at Eastridge Center.
The Chinese Community of Palo Alto will celebrate with a Lunar New Year Fair at Mitchell Park, Sunday, Jan 26, 11:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m. There will also be a Lunar New Year event at Gamble Garden on Feb 2, 10 a.m.-noon, with tours, activities and a lion dance.
