Lunar New Year food in Vancouver: what to eat and where to celebrate

With one of the largest Chinese communities outside Asia, plus large Vietnamese and Korean communities, Metro Vancouver celebrates Lunar New Year in a big way. The festival usually falls between late January and mid-February, depending on the lunar calendar, and for food lovers it is one of the best times of year: banquet menus, special pastries, lucky dishes and packed dim sum rooms.

Here is how to make the most of it.

When is Lunar New Year in Vancouver?

Lunar New Year follows the lunisolar calendar, so the date changes every year, usually landing between January 21 and February 20. Celebrations often stretch over two weeks, ending with the Lantern Festival. Vancouver's Chinatown has traditionally held a large Spring Festival parade on a Sunday close to the new year, and Richmond hosts events and fairs. Check this year's dates and schedules before you plan.

What foods are eaten for Lunar New Year?

Many festive dishes are chosen because their names or shapes symbolize luck:

Dish	What it symbolizes
Whole fish	Abundance; the word for fish sounds like "surplus" in Chinese
Dumplings	Wealth, because they resemble old silver ingots
Long noodles	Long life, so do not cut them
Nian gao (sticky rice cake)	Rising fortunes year after year
Spring rolls	Wealth, for their gold-bar shape
Tangerines and oranges	Good fortune and gold
Turnip cake	Prosperity, often served at dim sum
Tang yuan (glutinous rice balls)	Family togetherness, especially at the Lantern Festival

Vietnamese families celebrating Tet often eat banh chung or banh tet, sticky rice cakes filled with mung bean and pork, and Korean families celebrating Seollal eat tteokguk, a rice cake soup.

Where should you go for Lunar New Year food in Vancouver?

• Chinatown, one of the oldest in Canada, for bakeries, barbecue shops and the festive atmosphere around the parade.
• Richmond, for the biggest concentration of Chinese restaurants in the region, from Cantonese banquet halls to regional specialists, and for festive markets and fairs.
• Burnaby, around Metrotown and Crystal Mall, for bakeries and food courts.
• Kingsway and Fraser Street, for Vietnamese Tet treats.
• North Road, for Korean Seollal foods.

Is there a Lunar New Year parade in Vancouver?

Yes. Chinatown holds a Lunar New Year parade each year, usually on a Sunday close to the start of the festival, with lion dances, drummers, community groups and crowds along the streets of Chinatown. It is one of the biggest days of the year in the neighbourhood.

If you plan to go:

• Arrive early for a good spot on the route, and dress for rain.
• Eat before or well after the parade. Chinatown restaurants are packed around it, so a late lunch or an early dinner is easier.
• Look for celebrations elsewhere too. Richmond's malls and community centres, and other neighbourhoods across the region, hold their own events with food stalls and performances.

The parade date, route and events change each year, so check the organizers' current listings before you plan the day.

How do you book a Lunar New Year dinner?

Family banquet dinners around the new year are one of the busiest times for Chinese restaurants in Metro Vancouver. Many restaurants switch to fixed banquet menus for tables of eight to twelve, often with whole fish, lobster or crab, roast meats and longevity noodles. Book early, sometimes weeks ahead, especially for the first weekend. Expect limited à la carte service on the busiest nights, and ask about deposits for large tables.

Is dim sum busy over Lunar New Year?

Very. Dim sum restaurants fill with families, especially on weekends, and lines can be long. Arrive early, ideally soon after opening, or go on a weekday. Many places add seasonal items such as turnip cake, taro cake and nian gao. If you are in a large group, call ahead to ask whether they take reservations at lunch.

What are Lunar New Year food etiquette tips?

1. Do not cut long noodles, which symbolize long life.
2. Leave a little fish on the plate, for surplus in the year ahead.
3. Bring tangerines or oranges, in pairs, if you visit someone's home.
4. Let elders start eating first at a family meal.
5. Avoid talking about bad luck at the table.

Where can you buy Lunar New Year treats?

Chinese bakeries in Chinatown, Richmond and Burnaby sell festive cakes, pastries and gift boxes in the weeks before the new year. Supermarkets stock candy trays, dried fruit, nuts and red envelopes. Vietnamese bakeries and grocers sell banh chung and banh tet before Tet. Buy early; the most popular items sell out just before the holiday.

How much does a Lunar New Year banquet cost and do you tip?

Banquet menus are usually priced per table and vary widely with what is included, especially seafood. BC menu prices do not include tax: 5 percent GST on food and 10 percent PST on alcohol. Tip 15 to 20 percent of the pre-tax amount for table service, and check whether a service charge is already included on large banquet bills.

Lunar New Year is the perfect time to try somewhere new with family. On Mosey you can rate the restaurants and dishes you ate, with photos, see where friends celebrated, and keep a list of banquet halls and bakeries for next year.

More guides to read next:

• Holiday dining in Vancouver: the Christmas Market, festive menus and booking tips
• Main Street and Mount Pleasant: where to eat along Vancouver's Main Street
• What is Mosey Gold? How Vancouver diners can spot a place people love

More in the Canadian food guides and the ranked lists of places.