Food is a big part of Lunar New Year celebrations and while visiting a restaurant with your extended family and friends is a tradition, consider ordering the same items for everyone or learning to cook some of your favourites at home. Traditional New Year meals often include whole fish or chicken and sweet, glutinous rice balls. And while delicious, almost all of the food served will also have symbolic meanings.  In Chinese, “fish” (yu) sounds like surplus or abundance.  Dumplings are intended to look like an “ingot”, a gold or silver piece used as money, and they represent prosperity. Longevity noodles (super long noodles) symbolize a desire for longevity. And eating and displaying tangerines and oranges is believed to bring good luck and fortune.

Neptune Palace Restaurant | 10153 King George Boulevard

Peaceful Restaurant | 7320 King George Boulevard

ChongQing Restaurant | 8220 120th Street

If you’d rather put your own celebration together, Surrey’s international grocery stores have everything you’ll need, including ornaments to set the scene and those coveted red envelopes.

Sungiven Foods | 1640 152nd Street & 3211 152nd Street

Nanyang Supermarket | 8645 160 Street

Lucky Supermarket | 10628 King George Boulevard

T&T Supermarket | 15277 100th Avenue & 10153 King George Boulevard

Sweet treats symbolize a sweet life, so be sure not to skip dessert.  All of the grocery stores listed above will have traditional Chinese desserts, but can you really ever have too much dessert?

Purdys Chocolatier | 10355 – 152nd Street (Guildford Town Centre) & 1711 152nd Street (Semiahmoo Shopping Centre)
Long-time chocolatier, Vancouver’s Purdy’s Chocolates is welcoming the year of the tiger with a selection of Lunar New Year-themed chocolates. Savour non-traditional flavours like yuzu, matcha and mango or creamy milk chocolate wrapped in festive foil. Or indulge in a 4.5 kg box of gold-foiled chocolate coins or Lunar New Year gift boxes packed with chocolatey treats.

St. Germain Bakery | 10355-152nd Street (Guildford Town Centre)
Embrace the sweet life with New Year goodies from St. Germain Bakery including Steamed Radish Cake, Black Sesame Cake, peanut fritters, green or red bean pies and bao buns. All available in store or for delivery.

Maxim’s Bakery – 10153 King George Highway
Choose from a wide variety of freshly baked treats and beautiful cakes.