A FESTIVAL OF FOOD AND SELECTION
Celebrating the Lunar New Year with a feast for the whole family
Known as the Lunar New Year or the Spring Festival, Chinese New Year takes place on January 25, marking the first day of the year in the Chinese calendar. To start the year right, it’s considered important to ring it in with certain customs, such as holding a family dinner. A restaurant like Mandarin can help set you on a prosperous path by getting your friends and family together for a joyous celebration.
WHAT’S YOUR SIGN?
The Chinese zodiac, or shengxiao (which means ‘born resembling’), is a repeating cycle of 12 years. Each year is represented by an animal and its attributes. The 12 Chinese horoscope animals are: Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Goat, Monkey, Rooster, Dog, Pig. This year, 2020, marks the year of the Rat. People born under this sign are said to be quickwitted, resourceful, versatile and kind. Because the Rat is the first animal in the horological cycle, it also represents the beginning of a new day and is seen as a sign of wealth and surplus. If you want to learn more about the Chinese zodiac, mandarinrestaurant.com has a guide to what 2020 may hold for you — and to the dishes that best suit your horoscope.
FAMILY FOOD
The high point of any Chinese New Year festivities is sitting down to dinner with family. People from all over the world travel home to reunite with loved ones, and a luxurious dinner symbolizing surplus and fortune is served. If home is here, Mandarin’s award-winning, all-you-can-eat Chinese Canadian buffet offers over 100 dishes that will satisfy each and everyone.
These include freshly prepared items from Mandarin’s salad bar, soups and freshly baked breads, hot entrées and seasoned meats and vegetables grilled to perfection in front of your eyes. While Chinese Canadian food is Mandarin’s specialty, you can also savour such international fare as sushi, pizza and desserts inspired by delicacies from around the world.
CLEANING UP
The traditional year-end tidy up helps drive old, bad luck away to make room for a new start. After all that housework, you can keep your home neat by dining out. With 29 locations across Ontario, Mandarin has been bringing friends and family together since founders James Chiu, George Chiu, Diana Chiu, and K.C. Chang opened their first à la carte restaurant in Brampton in 1979.
In 1986, they switched to buffet-style service to accommodate the long lineups at their restaurants. Dining at Mandarin has a family-table feeling — except you don’t have to wash the dishes after.
SHOP ’TIL YOU DROP
Another traditional Chinese New Year activity is shopping. People believe that buying new items is a way to prepare for a fresh start. While new furniture and tableware are popular purchases, topping any shopping list is food: meat, vegetables, fruit, candies and nuts. Mandarin’s take-out and delivery options lets you bring your feast home, from its crispy golden fried chicken wings to sweet and sour Peking-style pork to dried garlic green beans. And don’t forget the sweets: You can order anything from traditional almond cookies to decadent desserts like black forest cake or sugar puffs.
EAT DUMPLINGS
Because their shape resembles the ingots that were once used as currency, dumplings are associated with prosperity. It’s traditional to eat dumplings on New Year’s Eve and on the first and fifth days of the new year. Stretch your luck, from January 13 to February 23. Feast on traditional favourites such as Har Gow, Siu Mai and Xiao Long Bao during Mandarin’s Dumpling Festival. The Festival has itself become an Ontario tradition, so make sure you call ahead to reserve a spot at the table. Visit mandarinrestaurant.com to find the closest location to you. Follow Mandarin on Facebook (@mandarinrestaurants), Instagram (@themandarinrestaurants) and Twitter (@eatmandarin) for news, promos and contests. This content was funded and approved by the advertiser.