Happy New Year! Chinese New Year that is! Any good specials tonight at local restaurants?

[givemecarbs]

I know they usually have some special New Year food at Eastern Dragon, and I know last year the specials lasted at least a week. Any kewl stuff at eateries going on tonight?

[PattiCakes]

The Chinatown Cultural Center (used to be the Chinatown Y?) used to host Chinese New Year banquets. For a fixed price, you were treated to a 10-12 course dinner, complete with explanations of the various courses. You sat at tables of 10-12, so if you didn't have a party of that size you sat with strangers (of course they weren't strangers by the end of the meal!). Each year the Cultural Center would bring over a chef from a different region of China to plan and help execute the banquet. It was great fun. It was the first dinner out that my then boy friend (now DH) went to with my parents -- quite a cultural & gastronomic awakening for a young man raised on his Scottish grandmother's cooking.

I heard that YangMing is doing New Years banquets based on the one they are doing with the James Beard Foundation this year in NY. http://www.yangmingrestaurant.com/new...

I would love to find one that is more local to me.

[givemecarbs]

Thanks Patti! My friend and I hit East Cuisine for a late lunch, they cut off lunch at three but we couldn't get there til about three twenty. I felt like diving into a big plate of pad thai with shrimp and chicken anyway, their dinner serving is very generous. My friend (not John) is particular about his hot green tea but he liked the tea they served there. I'm still interested in something special for New Year's, maybe I'll hit Assi Plaza tomorrow.