Red envelopes filled with money, lion dances for good luck and fortune, and family gatherings with great food are some of the necessities to a successful Lunar New Year celebration. In Houston, a city with a large Asian population hailing from different corners of the continent, the holiday unfolds in local restaurants as well as at home.

“[Lunar New Year] is something that’s part of who I am,” says Nick Wong, chef-owner of the upcoming Agnes and Sherman. “I want to showcase my culture and my heritage.”

Wong grew up going to a Chinese restaurant in the Bay Area that had set special menus for the new year. He remembers eating Chinese-style charcuterie that consisted of jellyfish, beef shank, and seaweed; and lobster yi mein, long noodles that represent a long life.

When he began working in restaurants, he knew he wanted to share some of his traditions with diners. As executive chef of the now-closed UB Preserv, Wong was able to import Dungeness crab for Lunar New Year, which was important for him because he grew up eating it in California. The restaurant also served noodles and handed out red envelopes with fortunes and gift cards to customers.

Although Agnes and Sherman is not open yet to help Houstonians celebrate the Year of the Snake, Wong is already thinking of ways to bring a bit of his culture to his new restaurant next year. He hopes to have a Lunar New Year menu filled with dishes that represent good luck in the Chinese culture, such as noodles and potentially whole fish, served alongside cocktails that have Chinese-American flair.

Similar to other holidays, depending on which city or country you’re from, the celebration might look a bit different. Grace Xia—co-owner of Hongdae 33 and Duck N Bao, notes that in Beijing, where she hails from, they typically eat dumplings, but her husband, who is from South China, grew up eating rice cakes.

Kevin Lee, one of Phat Eatery’s director of operations, always ate Chinese barbecue on New Year’s with his family. These days, either the day of or day before, they celebrate by cooking up a huge feast of steamed fishes, a few other different proteins, and tons of veggies—he says to think of it as a mini Thanksgiving but with Asian elements.

To celebrate the 2025 Lunar New Year, which starts on January 29, Phat Eatery will have a prix fixe menu at both its Katy and Woodlands locations. Although the exact menu is still being worked out, Lee says it typically includes a prosperity toss. A huge salad made with ribbons of cucumbers, carrots, radishes, and fish is tossed into the air—the higher it goes, the more luck is brought into new year.

In past years, the restaurant has served dishes like coconut sea bass and the Chinese barbecue of Lee’s childhood. He says they like to offer this to the staff as well as to customers.

“It’s always so chaotic during Chinese New Year’s because everyone is trying to celebrate at the same time,” Lee says. “As much as we’re family-oriented, we also want to make sure that all of our staff and team members feel the same way, so we usually have a really nice meal with them as well.”

Phat Eatery will also host four shows across both locations by Lee’s Golden Dragon, Houston’s oldest lion and dragon dance troupe, to bless the restaurant and bring good luck and fortune to the upcoming year.

Meanwhile, at the Blind Goat, Christine Ha plans to serve some of her Vietnamese dishes. Ha says one of the most famous Lunar New Year dishes in North Vietnam is bánh chưng, a cube-like rice cake that's filled with mung beans and pork. Her Spring Branch restaurant will be offering this traditional item, alongside a crispy version that will be on a limited special menu for the new year.

At all three Duck N Bao locations during this year’s holiday, duck fried rice can be added to a whole or half Peking duck for $1 more, and with any dish purchased, customers can also include a lobster for $29.99.

Differences in customs go even beyond food. Due to superstitions within his culture, Lee says you won’t see anyone at Phat Eatery sweep during Lunar New Year, as it’s said this will sweep away the good luck. You won’t see them coming to work with a new hairstyle, either, because getting a haircut means cutting away your good luck.

But at the Blind Goat, it’s the opposite. Ha and her staff will do a deep clean of the restaurant prior to the celebration to start the year with a clean slate. At home, Ha says she and her husband will be getting haircuts so they can move freshly into the new year.

“Traditionally, [Lunar New Year] is about moving forward, looking forward, and forgiving the past or any misgivings that you might have had in the past—it’s a fresh beginning,” Ha says.

And much like how Hispanics celebrate Día de los Muertos, Ha says Lunar New Year is a time to honor your ancestors or anyone who is deceased in your family. She will have a makeshift altar for her parents with their photos, incense, and some of their favorite snacks.

The little red envelopes stuffed with money, on the other hand, appear to be universal. Ha says they gave them to their staff last year, not only as a symbol of luck, but also because the act of giving means prosperity will follow you into the new year.

Lukkaew Srasrisuwan, the owner of MaKiin, Kin Dee, and Thai Tail, also plans to give out red envelopes to customers this Lunar New Year. It’s her way of bringing her culture a little closer to Houston.

“Celebrating is really different here,” Srasrisuwan says. “I don’t have family around, so I make my work home my own little family. I hang out with my customers and tell them about how we celebrate [Lunar New Year] back home and have them experience it and be a part of it.”

She says Lunar New Year almost feels like Christmas all over again, a time when everyone comes together to eat special food and celebrate. At MaKiin, she will also have a lion dance and serve a drink inspired by tian op, the Thai candle that acts as a scenting agent to Royal Thai dishes.

While Lunar New Year ends on February 16 this year, the fun doesn’t stop then for Srasrisuwan. She notes that while Chinese culture uses a moon calendar, Thailand is on a sun calendar, so she has another new year celebration on the books for April.