Chinese New Year Celebrations in San Antonio We're Excited For

If you're looking to celebrate sooner rather than later, Hot Joy's celebration of the Year of the Dog starts Friday night and ends Saturday with chef John Philpot's take on traditional dishes. The menu will feature a la carte small and large items and desserts, along with the restaurant's tiki cocktails.

For this year's celebration of the lunar new year, Philpot and his team are creating two new dumplings (crispy cumin lamb with sour cream pickled mushrooms and dill; and a pork and scallop shumai), foie steam buns with duck sauce and cucumber, steamed pumpkin cake, dan dan noodles and more with prices varying from $8.99 to $14.99. As a nod to the 46 different noodle recipes he tried to make for last year's celebration, Philpot created a master stock with 46 ingredients (lamb, chicken, pork bones were all used along with aromatics and spices), topped with hand-pulled noodles, barbecue pork, bok choy and red vinegar. Prices vary, February 16-17, Hot Joy, 1014 S. Alamo St., (210) 368-9324.

Sichuan House will offer a lunar new year menu throughout the weekend (or sell out) with ginger vinaigrette long beans, pork underbelly lettuce wraps, Sichuan sauteed Brussels sprouts, spicy wok-seared whole fish, lover's bridge baby back ribs and more. Prices vary, Sichuan House, 3505 Wurzbach Road, Suite 102, (210) 509-9999.

The Institute of Texan Cultures will celebrate the Asian Festival. Grab a beer or sake at the Asian Libation Station, and pair it with bites hailing from Malaysia, India, Korea, Philippines, Pakistan, China, Vietnam and beyond. With halo-halo from Sari Sari Filipino Restaurant, bulgogi rice bowls from Takorea, masala fries from the Pakistani tent, fried rice from the Chinese Women’s Club and sweet mango lassi milkshakes from Café Bahar, there’ll be something for everyone to enjoy. $5-$12, Sat. February 17, 10am-5pm, Institute of Texan Cultures, 801 E. César E. Chávez Blvd., (210) 458-2300.

Next Saturday, Pinch Boil House & Bia Bar will launch Lantern, a new dinner series that'll share Asian cuisines in a unique and modern style. The first will celebrate the traditions of Chinese New Year with dishes such as nian gao rice cake with red snapper; mian tiao longevity noodle with pork belly, garlic and chives; jiao zi mustard greens with chicken dumplings, peking quail (aw), and a selection of sweets and snacks. Seating is extremely limited. $47, Pinch Boil House & Bia Bar, 124 N. Main Ave., (210) 971-7774.

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