Eat Street: Fire up and swoop down for a delicious Year of the Dragon
As the Year of the Dragon begins, it promises a year of wealth and wisdom but, according to Confucius, the wood dragon also calls for empathy and kindness – and it’s also a great time to eat.
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As the Year of the Dragon begins, it promises a year of wealth and wisdom but, according to Confucius, the wood dragon also calls for empathy and kindness – and it’s also a great time to eat.
SYDNEY LUNAR FESTIVAL
Welcome the Year of the Dragon in grand style at Sydney Lunar Streets, an exciting street party in Chinatown (Haymarket), set to launch this year’s Sydney Lunar Festival.
From 5pm-10pm on Saturday February 10, an impressive entertainment line-up will take over Sussex St and Thomas St with traditional and contemporary music, dance, and, of course, the awe-inspiring 20m-long Chinese dragon.
As you marvel at the sights and sounds of this annual event, make your way through 25 market stalls offering an array of Asian foods and drinks.
Fill up on handmade dumplings, slurp down bowls of long noodles, then finish with some sweet nian gao – sticky glutinous “New Year” rice cakes.
For two weeks following the opening night celebrations, Sydney will host further cultural events.
AUSPICIOUS FOODS
Lunar New Year celebrations aren’t complete without food, lots of food, each with its own meaning.
During the two-week celebration, strong emphasis is placed on auspicious foods – whether on the table or given as gifts.
The most apparent food is the humble dumpling, a sign of wealth and prosperity.
Meanwhile, the pinched top of a soup dumpling looks like a money pouch.
Even the fillings have a specific meaning.
Prawn sounds like the word “laughter”, so they signify happiness and energy.
Even the wrapper is significant; the typical white one represents silver ingots, while the yellow egg wrapper represents gold.
Try the lucky red soup dumplings at New Shanghai or take a dumpling-making class at Luna Lu.
REUNION DINNER
A highlight of the Lunar New Year celebrations is actually the night before when family members from up the street and across the globe gather for an epic meal, appropriately known as the Reunion Dinner.
Days are spent preparing the delicious – and symbolic – dishes that fill the table for this bountiful feast.
The hero of the menu is always a whole fish. Tradition dictates it must face the eldest person and only after that person takes a bite can everyone dig in.
For those who prefer more time at the table than in the kitchen, enjoy the Lunar New Year banquet at a restaurant instead.
At Ipoh Hawker, you get eight auspicious dishes, including yee sang with lobster, mud crab, steamed whole fish, king prawns and more.
$488 for four to five people, $688 for six to seven people and $888 for eight to nine people. ipohhawker.au/
PARRAMATTA
From 4pm on Saturday, February 10 at Centenary Square, enjoy live entertainment while tucking into plates of dumplings, hand-pulled noodles and more lucky foods, along with a Lunar New Year-themed drink from The Happy Dragon bar.
Stroll beneath the bright lanterns and check out the giant interactive dragon installation while savouring some Chinese cotton candy, this year known as dragon’s beard candy.
In the lead-up to the festivities, PHIVE, Parramatta’s new community space, will hold several Lunar New Year-themed events, including the Year of the Dragon Eight Treasure Rice Workshop on Thursday February 8.
Over two-and-a-half hours, guests will create a sticky rice treasure while being regaled with legends and lore from the hosts’ Vietnamese and Chinese heritage.
THAITOWN
Chinatown may hold the Lunar New Year’s first celebration but throughout the two-week festive period there are several community-centric events such as “Fascinating Thaitown”, a one-day event featuring traditional Thai performances, a long drum procession, Singha beer garden, lunar market and restaurant specials.
Saturday February 17, 11am-8pm; Campbell St. thaitbc.org
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