Our first Chinese New Year celebration was this weekend. My grandparents hosted a “Reunion Dinner” at their favorite restaurant, Delight 28. During the Chinese New Year season, families and friends get together before New Year’s for a “Reunion Dinner” to celebrate all accomplishments and good fortunes for the year.
The girls had a birthday party before dinner and got a remote control helicopter and airplane. Helicopters and airplanes aren’t toys two sisters usually get to play with so they were excited to open the boxes. Actually, I don’t know who was more excited, the girls or their dad.
Once they got the hang of it, it was so much fun.
For this celebration, we drank 2008 Montrose for dinner. Amazing. My brother let me choose and I specifically wanted a 2008 vintage because that was the year Princess was born.
We ate jai, a Buddhist vegetarian dish, to symbolize wealth and prosperity. This dish is usually eaten new year’s day because not eating meat is believed to enhance longevity.
We ate lobster complete with head and tail to symbolize wholeness. The lobster is also red which symbolizes prosperity and good luck.
We ate chinese fried chicken complete with head and tail to also symbolize wholeness.
We ate extra long long life noodles to symbolize longevity.
We ate clams in black bean sauce to symbolize prosperity because their shape resembles Chinese coin.
We ate peking pork chop because their red color symbolizes prosperity and good luck.
Princess really impressed us with her chop stick skills. I don’t think I used chopsticks properly until I was 16.
Our favorite waitress at the restaurant is Hoong. My grandmother comes to the restaurant almost every morning and Hoong really takes care of her. She does the little things like bring my grandmother extra napkins and toothpicks which my grandmother loves. My family really appreciates all of Hoong’s efforts.
When the food is coming to the table there isn’t much talking but as we get full, conversation starts. Here is my mom’s family.
Here is Princess with my brother and dad.
The meal always ends with sweets to represent a sweeter life. We ate oranges. This is the season for oranges so they were unbelievably sweet.
And sweet red bean soup. This is a family favorite, especially Baby.
My grandparents use to host this party at their home and cook everything from scratch. My grandfather use to own a restaurant and was the chef so as delicious as the food was at Delight 28, it was no comparison to his cooking. As they have gotten older, we are not able to eat their home cooked “Reunion Dinner”, but I’m grateful to share this time with them at their favorite restaurant.
To all your accomplishments and good fortune,
The Dumpling Mama