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The Lunar New Year arrives on Friday, February 12, which means that the holiday overlaps with Valentine's Day weekend this year, leaving restaurants to choose between cooking a romantic meal or a festive Chinese-themed dinner. While most local restaurants have opted for Valentine's Day meals, some are serving Peking duck, oxtail dumplings and beef noodles to mark the arrival of the Year of the Ox. We've rounded up some of the best Lunar New Year takeout specials—and if you need even more options, the best restaurants in Chinatown and Chicago's best Chinese restaurants offer a variety of delicious options.
Duck Duck Goat
Enjoy the dish that puts the "duck" in Duck Duck Goat when you order this Peking duck dinner, which includes chef Stephanie Izard's take on the famous Beijing dish as well as Mandarin pancakes, hoisin sauce, sweet and sour sauce, salt, raw sugar and pickled veggies to garnish the bird. If you're feeling especially hungry, you can add hot and sour soup, crab rangoon, char siu ribs and many other dishes to your order. Pre-order via Tock for pickup.
Bumbu Roux
Who said that the Lunar New Year has to be celebrated exclusively with Chinese food? Creole-meets-Indonesian concept Bumbu Roux is serving a 12-dish Rijsttafel Dinner in honor of the new year and Valentine's Day, including kerupuk (fried prawn chips), rendang (curried beef) and opor ayam kuning (braised chicken in coconut milk). You can order for groups of two, four or six people via Tock.
Mott St
It's the Year of the Ox, so Mott St is marking the occasion with a meal that features the Ox's Lucky Eight: oxtail dumplings, Imperial rolls, wok-smoked gai lan, garlic fried rice, crispy chili beef, char siu pork belly and a desert. Plus, you'll get some lucky red envelopes to open up. Order via Tock for groups of two to four through February 12.
Saigon Sisters
Enjoy some delicious Vietnamese dishes fit for a Lunar New Year dinner (or a more romantic Valentine's Day affair). Saigon Sisters is cooking a four-course meal for two that includes turmeric fish and dill spring rolls, bun rieu soup with crab, beef noodles with mushrooms, and fried rice. It's all topped off with an ice cream sandwich from Pretty Cool Ice Cream. Submit an order via Tock through February 13.
Jade Court
This Hyde Park institution is putting together a meal for large groups (four to six people) that should have something for everyone in your family or quarantine pod. You'll get two courses of Peking duck, walnut shrimp, sweet and sour pork, veggie lo mein and more delicious Chinese dishes. Order by February 11 for pick up on February 12 or 13 by calling 773-966-4106 (you can also check out the complete menu).
Shanghai Terrace
The Peninsula Chicago's in-house Chinese restaurant is offering a Peking duck feast for two or three people, accompanied by shrimp hot and sour soup, duck lettuce wraps and duck fried rice (yes, that's a lot of duck). You can place an order via Tock throughout the rest of the month.
Summer House Santa Monica
Lincoln Park's Summer House Santa Monica is hosting husband-and-wife pop-up Oh Golly Dumplings during the Lunar New Year weekend, offering a variety of delicious dumplings and finger foods. You can snag tiny dough pockets stuffed with ground beef, ground pork, shrimp and shiitake mushrooms, or a pair of miniature hot dogs topped with mushrooms and kewpie mayo. Place your order via Tock and pickup February 12 through 14.
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