8 Great Dishes to Order for Your Spring Festival Meal in Chicago

Chinese New Year kicks off on 2/12 and while this year’s celebration might look different - momentarily gone are the days of parades or large gatherings - you can still commemorate the occasion with all your favorite holiday dishes. Whether you’re looking for dumplings for 2 or a hot pot combo meal for the whole family, Chowbus is delivering all the dishes that remind you of home from the most authentic Asian restaurants in Chicago.

House Special Mala Combo from MCCB 时尚食谱

Mala Pot (Mala Xiang Guo) is a traditional dish originally from Chungking. When you order from MCCB, you can mix and match your ingredients, choosing from meat, vegetables and seafood, and you can also customize the spice level of your soup. Gathering around a piping hot pot of soup is the traditional way to share happiness with your family and though it looks different this year, strengthening your bond with family, no matter how small the size, is more important than ever. 

Chengdu Protein & Veggie Mix from Royal Highness Zhu (Da Mao Jia) 朱椿·大毛家

Known for their spicy and flavorful Sichuan dishes, Royal Highness Zhu is perfect for spice loving individuals. This year, they’re serving a Chinese New Year Combo that includes a mix of protein, vegetables, and rice. Perfectly spiced and generously portioned, this is a great dish to share among family at the dinner table. Best of all, you have an entire meal all in one dish, which means you can make room on your table for more delicious bites. 

Chinese New Year Combos from Qiao Lin Hotpot 侨林重庆火锅

Warm up your winter with a sizzling hot pot from Qiao Lin Hotpot. No need to run to the grocery store to grab all your favorite hot pot dishes because everything is included in this package. Choose from a variety of soup bases, meat, dumplings, appetizers, vegetables, and noodles. If it’s just you and a friend/significant other, order their meal combo for 2. If you have a family, the meal combo for 4 is perfect for you. Nothing brings a family together closer than a hot pot meal! 

Famous Peking Duck from Lao Sze Chuan - Chinatown 老四川

Few things taste better than a magical, crispy Peking Duck. There’s no where better to get it from for Lunar New Year than from acclaimed Lao Sze Chuan in Chicago Chinatown. After the year we’ve had, we could all use a little more luck, and that’s what the duck will bring, its red finished skin representing luck, happiness, and a prosperous year. If it’s just you and a friend or significant other this year, the restaurant offers a half duck option.

Teriyaki Beef Don from Strings Ramen 弦拉面

In America, most people associate Lunar New Year (or Spring Festival) with Chinese New Year, but it’s important to recognize that it’s a special time for many other Asian cultures too. For the Japanese, this time corresponds with the celebration of their festival called Little New Year, which celebrates the first full moon of the new year. In the dead of the winter, we could all use some comfort food, and a Teriyaki Beef Don from Strings Ramen delivers on that. The best part isn’t even the spicy “hell sauce” - though it’s pretty darn good - but that you can get your order for 10% off this holiday with Chowbus delivery. 

Chinese New Year Combos from Taipei Cafe 小台北

Chinese New Year is the most popular festival in Taiwan and Taipei Cafe is doing it justice with great specials and a generous promotion! The restaurant is offering limited-time combos, plus 22% off all Chowbus orders. They have 3 different meal combo options, serving up to 6 people. Each combination has various dishes ranging from popcorn chicken, your choice of hot pot, and entrees. No matter which combination you choose, each dish is authentic and tastes just as good as it looks. 

Combo for Two from bb.q chicken 

If you’re having a celebration for two this year, bb.q chicken is a great option. The restaurant serves combos that come with golden french fries, original chicken, and honey garlic wings. The cherry on top? It includes your selection of two drinks and you get to pick from a variety of green and milk teas. The non-traditional meal is the perfect match for this non-traditional celebration! 

Shrimp in Salted Duck Egg Yolk from Grand Palace 口福阁

One of the best, authentic Cantonese restaurants in Chicago, Grand Palace is offering new dishes for Lunar New Year. For a rich and decadent dish, try their Shrimp in Salted Duck Egg Yolk. Salted egg yolks are a delicacy in Chinese cooking, most popular during celebrations and festivals. You’ve probably seen these in popular treats such as moon cakes and salted lava custard buns. Grand Palace turns the salted duck egg yolk into a creamy and rich sauce, which is tossed with perfectly cooked shrimp. Make sure you order enough because your family won’t be able to keep their hands off these!