Golden pineapple sticky cake with gold-dusted chocolate talon

Last night, I schmoozed with some Dallas media people at Five Sixty by Wolfgang Puck for a complimentary sampling of its Chinese New Year’s menu. Big D foodies like Teresa Gubbins, Steven Doyle, Jennifer (RealPoshMom), and the nice lady from foodbitch (I swear you said your name was “Katie,” but your blog says “Rachel.”) busted out their phone cameras the second after Executive Chef Patton Robertson finished introducing each course. Photos of the five courses happily lodging inside my intestines have already been posted on several different blogs, so there’s no point rehashing all the deets. I’d just like to add this little bit: the lobster dumpling had a thicker skin than I’m used to, yet the golden pineapple sticky cake made the whole elevator ride up to Five Sixty completely worth it for someone with baby acrophobia.

Jump because you’re hungry and you know it.

Loup de mer with lemon and black pepper sauce

It’s a pricey prix fixe at $125 per person ($175 with wine pairings), but, hey, Chinese New Year only comes once a year. Reserve your table before this menu is gone on February 3.

Chef’s amuse
Gulf shrimp springroll & egg drop soup

1st Course: Fire Dragon
Wok-fired lobster dumplings and XO chili sauce

2nd Course: Water Dragon
Roasted loup de mer with preserved lemon & black pepper sauce

3rd Course: Wood Dragon
Apple wood smoked Peking duck, Chinese mustard, and duck fried rice

4th Course: Earth Dragon
Szechuan pepper crusted filet wok fired longevity noodles

The pastry chef’s amuse:
House-made fortune cookie and tangerine sorbet
(The Cantonese word for ‘tangerine’ sounds like luck and wealth)

5th Course: Metal Dragon
Golden pineapple sticky cake black pepper ice cream, gold dusted chocolate talon

Homemade pork dumplings with green onion, garlic, and ginger

My family used to have the weirdest Chinese New Year tradition. When I was a young lass, my mother would scrub seven or eight coins really well and hide them inside her homemade pork dumplings so she could watch my brother and I go cockfight crazy as we each attempted to amass the most number of coins. To our disappointment, my father would always win; his superior chopstick skills and fast-eating ways would earn him a shining victory (plus some pained teeth from biting down too hard). His winnings meant that he’d have the most prosperity for the rest of the year.

Jump for more traditions.

Chinese people are superstitious – I mean, very superstitious – when it comes to certain things, and their hocuspocus beliefs are revealed through specific dishes eaten during Chinese New Year. People who can’t afford the fancy restaurants I listed here can still follow tradition and savor these foods at home.

Jiaozi (dumplings) are shaped like gold money from the Ming Dynasty. Eat these so you can be rich one day.

Pomegranates are red (a lucky color) and symbolize fertility (because of all the seeds). They’ll bring you good bounty.

Mien (noodles) will give you a long life. Especially if you eat long noodles.

Ping guo (apples) are also red and will bring you peace (ping ping an an). Notice the word play?

Nian gao (Chinese New Year cake) is this sweet sticky rice that I’m actually eating right now as I type. Yum.

How did you/how will you be celebrating the Year of the Dragon? Post your holiday spirit down below.

Prepare to move halfway across the world for that dream job as a tattoo artist, meet the love of your life (potentially George Clooney, but don’t get your hopes up), and exert your independent strength in some political rally where you’ll end up smelling like those Occupy Wall Street dudes. In any case, you should probably celebrate at these places before your luck runs out.

Kirin Court is going to be a hot spot for Chinese people who like to start off their new year just like everyone else in Asia: family style. It’s going to be packed, especially on Jan 18, Jan 28 and Feb 4 when lion dancers will perform around 7pm. Sit around a circle table with 8-10 people and stuff your faces with lobster, garlic fried chicken, pig feet, and red bean soup for dessert. $278 for ten people and $208 for eight.

Never in a million years would I endorse P.F. Chang’s since I can’t stand fake Chinese food, but P.F. Chang’s will be handing out red envelopes containing unknown rewards to guests who visit between January 23 and February 6. I don’t want to be held responsible if evil spirits haunt you for not receiving a red envelope this year, so maybe you should go just to drink their specialty Dragon Punch cocktail.

Steel Restaurant and Lounge’s website mistakenly thinks it’ll be the Year of the Rabbit, but at least its dinner menu between January 23-29 has it right: three courses for $45 per person with whole fish, duck, noodles, and shrimp. Here’s the menu in case you’re not convinced yet. Traditional lion dancing by the kids from Chin Woo School will take place on January 23 at 8pm.

Reminder: Five Sixty by Wolfgang Puck is having a prix fixe menu for $125 per person like Nancy mentioned in this post. If you’d like to see him in person on February 1, reserve a spot soon.

So far, I have only received one notice of a special Chinese New Year celebration dinner: Five Sixy by Wolfgang Puck is doing a prix fixe menu for $125 per person. Wolfie will be in town for the dinner on February 1. All the details are below.

Anybody else out there have info an specific celebrations taking place?

WHAT:

Five Sixty by Wolfgang Puck will ring in the Year of the Dragon with a prix fixe menu showcasing Asian-inspired dishes representing the five Chinese elements: Metal, Water, Wood, Fire and Earth.

Join Chef Wolfgang Puck and Five Sixty Executive Chef Patton Robertson for a tempting, creative five-course menu, inclusive of a chef’s amuse, a pastry prelude, and a decadent dessert. Dishes such as the Wok-Fired Dumplings with XO Chili Sauce, Roasted Loup de Mer, Apple Wood Smoked Peking Duck and Szechuan Pepper Crusted Filet are each designed to evoke themes of the Chinese New Year like good fortune and power, and will ensure that all visitors start the Year of the Dragon off right.

The Chinese New Year menu will be available alongside the a la carte menu from January 23rd through February 3rd, with a special appearance by Chef Wolfgang Puck on the evening of February 1st. The celebratory menu is priced at $125 per guest, or offered with an optional wine pairing for $175.  (Tax and gratuity is not included.)

WHEN:

Chinese New Year Menu

January 23rd–February 3rd, 2012

Wolfgang Puck Appearance

February 1st, 2012