Don’t Miss These Lunar New Year Dining Spots

Here comes the beginning of a year whose months are moon cycles based on the lunar calendar. That means it’s time for joining the celebrations of the East Asian cultural sphere that honor the new moon that falls (or, you might say, rises) between Jan. 21-Feb. 20.

Oseyo celebrates Lunar New Year early and with great style

Note: Determination of the first day of a new lunar year varies by culture, as does the specific name of the celebration.

Note: Determination of where you’re going to eat varies by what you, citizen, find most appealing. And, look: In additional to our more general Lunar New Year listings, we’ve wrangled up a small array of culinary opportunities for your perusal.

OSEYO X GOOD UNION X HOLD OUT BREWING Oseyo is already a dining spot we recommend highly, and this night's celebration makes that reco even stronger, with the unveiling of Patio Oseyo (redesigned with Good Union) and the reopening of their private-dining Oso Room. A complimentary glass of sparkling sake will begin the evening, persimmon tea ends the meal, and in between you can feast on such delights as dressed oysters, shrimp with perilla chimichurri, kkaennip-jeon (beef, pork, and tofu-stuffed perilla with sweet chili soy reduction), sweet and sour sticky pork ribs, haemul pajeon (savory seafood pancake), and grilled whole fish prepared with Mexican influences and kimchi mayo. And? Oseyo will debut a new dessert menu, too, with misugaru panna cotta, a dark chocolate and doenjang fudgsicle, silken tofu cheesecake, and roasted barley and honey ice cream. Oh, and? They're also launching a new house lager, created in collaboration with Hold Out Brewing. Is this the place to be for Lunar New Year 2023? We're just sayin’, okay? Thu., Jan. 19. 1628 E. Cesar Chavez.

THE PEACHED TORTILLA Acclaimed chefs Eric Silverstein and Julio Silva have collaborated to create a special menu of new dishes and cocktails to supercharge your dining pleasure, a small array of culinary treasures that'll be available only during dinner and only this weekend – including tamarind pork spareribs, salt & pepper crispy squid, soy sauce chicken, char sui, and more. And the drinks? How about that Sage from the East, which is sage-infused bourbon, blended scotch, sweet vermouth, and benedictine? Hell yes, we say, while also looking forward to trying the Divine Wind and Lion's Dance concoctions. Fri.-Sun., Jan. 20-22. 5520 Burnet Rd. #100.

OLD THOUSAND Old Thousand is celebrating the Year of the Rabbit's beginning with a weekend full of limited-time dishes as delicious as you know their Dope Chinese style can be. Sat., Jan. 21: Old Thousand’s Burnet location (4805 Burnet Rd.) will have specials including moo shu pork, crispy skin-on pork belly steamed bao, pork steamed buns, orange creamsicle sorbet, and red bean ice cream running all day long, with a Dragon Dance performance at 5pm. Sun., Jan. 22: The Eastside location (1000 E. 11th) will feature specials of dumplings and plant-based rabbit food, noodles and claypot rice, salt & pepper shrimp, whole fish, and ribeye – with a Dragon Dance performance at 7pm.

PAPER + CRAFT PANTRY This here is a whole day of many vendors and noms, organized by Paper + Craft Pantry's Pei Sim and artist Kathy Phan. Right there in the lovely surrounds of Springdale General, you can celebrate while shopping and supporting upwards of 24 Asian-owned small businesses from across Texas; and there'll be lion and dragon dances; more to the point of this Food section, tho, purveyors of tasty treats will include Banh Babes, Cookie Counter, Cookie Wookie Kitchen, and more. Sun., Jan. 22, 11am-5pm.1023 Springdale. Free entry – or click here for VIP tickets.

FIL N’ VIET This much-loved epicenter of Filipino and Vietnamese fusion is offering half off on orders of their FnV Crispy Spring Rolls – filled with pork and shrimp with woodear mushroom, served with leaf lettuce, pickles, herbs, and choice of Nước chấm or pinakurat. Bonus: They'll also be passing out the traditional Chinese Red Envelopes, stuffed with discount coupons for future meals. Sun., Jan. 22, noon-3pm; 5-8pm. 1720 E. 12th.

SPRINKLES X GOLD HOUSE Sprinkles bakery and the nonprofit Asian and Pacific Islander collective Gold House have teamed up to release a Gold Bunny Almond Red Velvet Cupcake that features an almond-filled red velvet cake with an almond cookie crust, topped with almond cream cheese frosting. Note: You can get these just by themselves, or they can be part of a Lunar New Year Red Box (with, you know, those red envelopes inside). Jan. 16-29. 3120 Palm Way, in the Domain.