How to celebrate the 2024 Lunar New Year in Sydney
Sydney is set to usher in Lunar New Year celebrations with feasts of our favourite Asian fare. Here are some delicious eats to fire up your belly to welcome the Year of the Dragon.
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Sydney’s restaurants and high streets are set to host a smorgasbord of celebrations to usher in the Lunar New Year.
From swanky restaurants to street food, here are some enticing options to relish the Year of the Dragon, with celebrations stretching all month.
LilyMu
Wagyu and live lobsters are some of the luxe offerings at the chic Parramatta Square restaurant where a specially-curated menu showcases a blend of culinary delights.
Think wok-fried lobster and mud crab with house made XO sauce or steamed with creamy mala sauce, an 800g wagyu ribeye with Nahm jim jaew (Thai chilli jam sauce), Japanese mustard and yuzu nori paste.
As an added treat, each guest will receive a Red Pocket containing a $20 dining voucher, redeemable at any reservation.
3 Parramatta Square, 153 Macquarie St, Parramatta
Chu
There’s no doubt you’ll be dining on superior cuisine at Chu – it was crowned the best Asian restaurant of the year at NSW Restaurant Catering Australia awards in November.
The chic restaurant, at West HQ Rooty Hill, garnered another gong a month later when it was named the third best Asian restaurant at the Restaurant and Catering Australia Hostplus Awards for Excellence.
Diners heading to the restaurant on February 10 can look forward to Choy Lee Fut performing a traditional lion dance at 6.20pm before relishing a specially-crafted chef’s Chinese New Year specials, complemented by the Three Glass-rated wine list.
Book a table online before February 8 to receive a complimentary duck pancake (limit of one per person).
Lunar New Year or not, Chu’s adventurous menu includes salmon sashimi, cheeseburger spring rolls, beef panang curry, steamed barramundi fillet with chilli garlic and pickle mustard.
Level 1 (next to Sydney Coliseum Theatre), West HQ, 33 Railway St, Rooty Hill
Parramatta street food
Foodies are in for a treat at Parramatta with street food stalls offering an array of fare from traditional dragon beard candy, dumplings, noodles and potstickers to gourmet crepes, fried chicken, barbecue skewers, mochi doughnuts, sugar cane drinks and bubble tea at Centenary Square.
The Happy Dragon Bar will serve refreshing cocktails, beer wine and non-alcoholic drinks to help wash it all down, including Lunar New Year-themed Dragon Sling and Korean iced tea beverages.
Celebrations get into swing from 4pm on Saturday , February 10 and don’t just stop at culinary delights. The heart of Parramatta will be adorned with bright lanterns, a giant interactive dragon installation by Amigo and Amigo, a roving dragon and lion dancing in the square.
There’s also a chance to explore the ancient art of traditional Chinese calligraphy, visit flower painting and ink stamping stalls, watch community and folk performances and listen to DJs from 4-10pm when Australian-Chinese filmmaker and actor, William Suen, will MC the entertainment.
And if you’re wondering what dragon beard candy is, it’s a regal sweet with a name that derives from thin strings of sugar meticulously pulled and stretched by hand to resemble a dragon’s beard and was only once made within the imperial palace for the Chinese emperor.
It takes years to master and there are just a few artisans today who can create it but the Au family falls into that select group keeping the traditional art alive.
Cindy Au and her family are the only people in Sydney – and possibly Australia – who sell the treats to the wider community.
ary Square, Church St, Parramatta
Dough sculptures
Food and market stalls are part of festivities at Nurragingy Reserve, Doonside, on February 10 when there will also be two stages of cultural entertainment, free workshops on fan painting, dragon crafts, dough sculptures, fortune telling, calligraphy and lantern making.
Celebrations kick off from 5pm to 9pm when Chinese firecrackers and fireworks round out the event.
Nurragingy Reserve, Knox Rd, Doonside
Fortuna Gardens
One of western Sydney’s best loved suburban Chinese restaurants, Fortuna Gardens at Winston Hills, is delivering its annual party with lion dances, a band and raffles on Saturday, February 17 (earlier Lunar Year celebrations have sold out).
Book now for a set banquet menu of $68 which includes mouth-watering spring rolls, prawn cutlets, san choy bow, honey black pepper with diced fillet steak, satay chicken, pork chop flambe, honey king prawns and ice cream.
Spin the lazy Susan for the $78 banquet which includes dim sum, spring rolls, steamed tiger prawns, steamed scallops with vermicelli and ginger shallots, salt and pepper fish fillet, satay chicken, king prawns, fried rice and ice cream.
Shop 1, Winston Hills Mall, 180-190 Caroline Chisholm Drive, Winston Hills
Tingha Palace
A smorgasbord of indulgences are waiting to be devoured during a special dinner at this Parramatta Leagues Club mainstay on February 9 and 10.
Lion dancers kick off from 6.30pm while diners have the choice to feast on a set menu for $1398 for a full table for up to a dozen patrons or $768 for half a table.
This will get you 11 dishes including a cold cut combination platter, deep fried seafood roll, braised dried oyster seaweed with oyster sauce, dessert and a fruit platter.
Alternatively, splurge on the $1698-per-table option and laden your table with 11 tempting dishes including stuffed lemon with dried scallops and seaweed, shark fin with crabmeat, steamed coral trout with ginger and shallot and braised abalone.
Diners booking half a table will pay $898.
If you miss out on a dinner reservation, the level 2 restaurant opens for yum cha every day.
1 Eels Place, Parramatta
Vinh Phat Chinese Seafood Restaurant
A staple Chinese restaurant in the Cabramatta CBD, Vinh Phat serves an indulgent mouth-watering banquet – but be prepared to wait because lines for this fan-favourite can snake around the block.
Vinh Phat serves all your yum cha favourites including prawn rice paper rolls, siu mai, ham siu gok and chicken feet.
Make sure to finish off your feast with their beloved egg tarts and mango pudding before exploring the rest of vibrant city.
12/10 Hughes St, Cabramatta
Dumpling Bar
If you’re worried about securing a parking spot, look no further than Dumpling Bar in Cabramatta – a quick three-minute walk from Cabramatta station.
The restaurant serves up China’s best comfort food, with their pan-fired pork soup dumplings a well-known favourite.
Shop 8/9 Hughes St, Cabramatta
Air Lab
Don’t forget dessert! After you’ve filled up on dumplings, make sure to stop by the popular Air Lab, which serves the fluffiest pancakes with a delicious range of flavours.
Watch talented chefs make the extra soft pancakes, known for their mousse-like texture, and it won’t break the bank at $10.80 for the maple butter flavour.
You might have to wait as hungry customers flood the eatery after dinner, but make sure to check out their bubble tea and taro flavours – you won’t be disappointed.
5/85 John St, Cabramatta
Canterbury League Club
One of Sydney’s most popular venues for Asian cuisine is going all out with a Lunar New Year 10-course banquet ($1388 for 10 people).
Renowned Dynasty restaurant serves up delicacies including lobster, abalone in oyster sauce, golden shrimp salad, traditional stir-fried scallop with cashew nuts, seafood fried rice and Chinese cookies for dessert.
The club will also celebrate with the Roving God of Fortune roving around the venue on February 9 and 10 from 6-10pm, traditional lion dances from one of Sydney’s best troupes on Sunday February 11 from 7pm.
26 Bridge Rd, Belmore
Crystal Seafood Restaurant
This Carlingford mecca for Asian cuisine kicks off Lunar New Year with seafood-studded banquets for 10 diners from February 8-10. Ranging from $1288 to $1588, dishes include free range chicken, lobster and abalone.
If you prefer lunch, Crystal excels at yum cha and is open from 11am to 3pm on every day. Dinner is served between 5.30pm and 11pm.
Shop SP101 Carlingford Court Shopping Centre, Carlingford Rd, Carlingford
Iron Chef Chinese Seafood Restaurant
A Sydney institution, Iron Chef at Cabramatta and Bonnyrigg lays on some of the best yum cha in Sydney and is certainly going all out to usher in the Year of the Dragon on February 9 and 10.
Gather your family and friends for a $980 banquet for 10 which includes a kilo of XO pipis with a pan fried rice noodle, deep fried prawn dates, 2kg of braised lobster ginger and shallots with E-Fu noodles and sweet and sour fried fish.
For $1280, a table of 10 can enjoy a host of dishes including a suckling pig and barbecue platter, steamed oysters with clear noodles, braised sliced abalone and sea cucumber.
Upgrade to a $1998 banquet for a table of 10 and be served barbecue pigeon, steamed coral trout, steamed oysters, suckling pig, crab and two bottles of red wine.
Dinner starts at 7pm.
88 Broomfield St, Cabramatta. 37 Bonnyrigg Ave, Bonnyrigg
FESTIVALS
Hurstville
It’s only apt the home of the Dragons NRL team is heralding the Lunar New Year of the Dragon at Hurstville where 50,000 visitors are expected to join the festivities on Saturday, February 3.
St George Illawarra Dragons NRLW players will join festivities at Hurstville’s Forest Rd for meet and greets during celebrations that are expected to be the largest council-led Lunar New Year 2024 events.
Enjoy spectacular food and entertainment, traditional and cultural performances as luck and prosperity are welcomed for the new year.
Expect a traditional eye-dotting ceremony for the lion dance, food stalls, dancers, drummers and roving entertainment, meet the Georges River Council mascot Georgie the Dragon, get your face painted and enjoy performances on stage including martial arts and singing.
The fun runs from noon to 9pm while Taste of Lunar New Year tours run every Saturday until February 24 and Friday, February 16.
Forest Rd, Hurstville
Auburn, Berala and Lidcombe
Dedicate the weekend of February 9-10 for some vibrant Lunar New Year celebrations at Lidcombe, Auburn and Berala.
A block party will be held at Lidcombe on Friday, February 9, from 5-10pm when you can enjoy the best of Lidcombe’s Korean cuisine and culturally diverse restaurants, along with dance, arts and K-Pop.
On the Saturday, Auburn Park hosts a free family-friendly Lunar concert from 5-9pm. Entertainment features traditional and contemporary performances, lion and dragon dancing, lanterns, food and market stalls.
On Sunday, head to Berala Community Centre for a relaxed morning of children’s arts and craft and culture from 10am to 1pm.
The Qing Fong Lion Dancers head to Woodburn Rd at Berala Town Centre at 10.30am. Follow the lions as they travel from Berala Hotel to Berala Community Centre at 11.10pm for more dancing and face painting until 1pm.
“Pin the scale on the dragon” workshop caps off the fun.
Cumberland.nsw.gov.au
Ku-ring-gai
The upper north shore community’s Year of the Dragon celebrations run throughout the month, starting at Gordon Library on February 10 with events including a Chinese folk dancing performance, a workshop on traditional Chinese calligraphy and a chance to try on some traditional Chinese opera costumes.
Also at Gordon Library on Tuesday February 20, you can try your hand at Chinese flour dough doll building. This ancient art started 1000 years ago and is still popular today.
On Saturday, February 24, the library runs a free lantern riddle event between 9am and 3pm. Paper lanterns will be hidden around the library, each one containing a riddle. Solve all the riddles and win a prize.
From Thursday February 15, learn the basics of Tai-Chi at the St Ives community centre near the St Ives Shopping Village. The eight-week program will help you learn the basics of the ancient Chinese martial art, which is based on gentle exercise and balance movements.
On Friday, February 16 between 5pm and 9pm St Ives Village Green will be the venue for a Lunar New Year food festival. Food trucks and food stalls will be at the Green, with visitors able to sit outside and eat or pick up a tasty takeaway to take home.
Bankstown
Immerse yourself in a day of live entertainment, karaoke, firecrackers, lucky envelopes given by the God and Goddess of Good Fortune, lion dancing and more at Bankstown.
Canterbury-Bankstown Concil hosts Year of the Dragon celebrations on February 3 from 4-9pm at Griffith Park and Olympic Pde, Bankstown.
Discover the entertainment stage at Griffith Park and heard to Olympic Pde for a delicious variety of food stalls, children’s rides and entertainment.
The day is jam-packed with activities, ranging from a fortune teller from 5pm to 8pm, Chinese folk dance from 6:20pm, a watermelon eating competition at 7pm and Sydney fire dancers at 8.35pm.
Olympic Pde, Bankstown
Cabramatta
Spend the February 24 to 25 weekend in the heart of Cabramatta’s CBD celebrating Lunar New Year with lion dance performances and traditional craft activities.
Take your tastebuds on an epic journey through southwest Asia by walking along the main street of Cabramatta and stopping by local restaurants who will serve up their signature dishes.
The festivities will kick off on February 24 from 11am to 9pm and continue into Sunday from 10am to 4pm at the Freedom Plaza on Dutton Lane, Park Rd and Arthur St.
The Australian Chinese Buddhist Society hosts the annual blessing of the Fairfield and Cabramatta community on March 3 at Freedom Plaza at 9.30am.
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