I don’t want to brag, but I once threw a baby shower with a Chinese New Year theme – for a Catholic girl of Irish-German heritage. I’m about as far away from being Chinese as she is, but I’ve always had an unnatural affinity to this holiday. Call it one of life’s mysteries. Anyway, in case you didn’t know, we’re approaching the 4,709th Chinese year, which begins on January 23, ushering in the Year of the Dragon.
2012 is the Year of the Dragon. (Image courtesy of strifeofcloud.com)
With this new year comes excitement, unpredictability, exhilaration and intensity according to the prediction of Chinese fortune. We are to be filled with energy, vitality and unbridled enthusiasm! Money is supposed to be easier to come by, so it’s a good time to start a new business or project of any sort. I’ll take it. Forget January 1, let’s ring in the new year the Chinese way!
Chinese culture and food has a prominent presence in New Orleans and once there was even an actual Chinatown on the 1100 block of Tulane Avenue. Although that district came and went, we still have some fine Chinese establishments to satisfy our celebratory needs with saucy stir fries, sumptuous dumplings and other tasty delights. Here are five of the top Chinese restaurants in New Orleans:
1. Five Happiness (Mid-City)
3605 S. Carrollton Ave.
New Orleans
(504) 482-3935
Perennial favorite, Five Happiness, is an excellent choice for ringing in Chinese New Year. (Image courtesy of Five Happiness Restaurant)
2. China Doll Restaurant
830 Manhattan Blvd
Harvey
(504) 366-1111
3. Hot Wok
901 Veterans Memorial Blvd
Metairie
(504) 831-3328
4. Chinese Tea Garden (Gentilly)
2170 Filmore Ave
New Orleans
(504) 282-1493
5. China Rose (Fat City)
3501 N Arnoult Rd
New Orleans
(504) 887-3295
For a guide to the city’s best Chinese dumplings, check out A Little Bit of Everything: New Orleans Does Delicious Dumplings.
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