The Chinese Lunar New Year, Year of the Horse, is Friday, Jan. 31st, and Asian restaurants throughout the area will mark the occasion with special events, celebratory dishes and surprises for the whole family. So pick your favorite spot and enjoy the delectable festivities.
Lum Yen – Eugene Lum is the second generation of his family to be operating at the corner of Boston Post Road and Mamaroneck Ave.  And they have been doing it for over 38 years. It recalls those delectable memories of Cantonese-style Chinese cuisine of years ago, and oddly enough its tasty treasures are being rediscovered by a whole new generation of younger patrons. They are planning to serve a variety of New Year’s specialties. Check out the succulent Chinese BBQ Spare Ribs, Cold Sesame Noodles, Chinese String Beans, and General Tso’s Chicken. Want to go back in time even further? The menu still offers such Cantonese/American classics as: Chop Suey, Egg Foo Young, Chow Mein, and ever popular Moo Shu wraps with choice of fillings. Open 7 days. Free and municipal parking. Separated bar/lounge facing Harbor Island Park.
Lum Yen – 100 W. Boston Post Road, Mamaroneck (914-698-6881)Â www.lumyen.com
Oriental Palace – The Chen brothers have a fine hand with their regional Chinese cuisine. They will be celebrating the Chinese New Year for two weeks with an exciting 16-course banquet. The special banquet menu includes such specialties as: Honey Sesame Shrimp, Winter Melon Pottage with young ginger, Filet Mignon with Chinese basil; Crispy Fish with peppercorn sauce, and winter festival rice. Sushi bar. Free parking.
Oriental Palace – 480 New Rochelle Road, in the Chester Heights section of Bronxville (914-668-8877)
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Spring Asian – Charlie Kao, a 30 year veteran of the restaurant business and proprietor of bustling Spring Asian Cuisine in the Fleetwood section of Mount Vernon, is known for showcasing pan-Asian specialties from China, Japan, Thailand, Malaysia and Vietnam.
The popularity of Asian-Pacific cuisines has grown tremendously on recent years, and what makes Spring Asian Cuisine so unique and exciting are the talented chefs in the kitchen each with his own national culinary specialty. A pleasant Asian décor includes yellow tablecloths, handsome lacquered chairs, Chinese-lettered gold hued wallpaper, oriental vases and fresh orchids at the window looking out onto Gramatan Ave. The 75-seat restaurant with sushi bar also has outdoor seating in season. Service is friendly and if you have a hard time deciding on what to order from the various cuisines, Charlie and the staff would be pleased to help.
Fresh is a key word here. According to Kao, fish is purchased directly from the market daily as is the produce. Beautifully plated New Year specialties include such starters as: Thai Tom Yam Soup; Mango & Grilled Chicken Salad; Steamed Shanghai Pork Buns; Vegetable Dumplings; Szechuan Spicy Wonton; and Salt & Pepper Squid. There is a house Pu Pu Platter for two with a variety of chef’s selections.
Main courses from the Asian kitchen include: Mango Chicken or Jumbo Shrimp with red and green peppers and special sauce; Thai Seafood Hot Pot, shrimp, scallops, salmon, eggplant, mushrooms, string beans, potatoes and bean curd in mild curry; Chicken or Beef with Satay Sauce, sautéed with yard long beans, sweet peas, onion and peppers in peanut sauce; Sesame Crust Chilean Sea Bass with black bean sauce, with sliced ginger, chives and peppers; Vietnamese Style Grilled Pork Chop, served with sweet & sour sauce on the side; and Taiwan style Crispy Jumbo Shrimp with Walnut, with honeydew, cantaloupe and steamed broccoli in a chef’s special sweet honey mustard sauce.
If you want to have a Karaoke party, Charlie will supply the equipment and the stage.
Spring Asian Cuisine – 545 Gramatan Ave., Mount Vernon  914-699-2828. www.springasian.vpweb.com
WANT TO COOK IT UP YOURSELF?
If you are an intrepid home cook and want to pull the old wok out of the closet and oil it up, you may want to visit Kam Sen Foods, 22 Barker Ave. in the White Plains Mall (914-428-4500) for some of your authentic Chinese ingredients. This Asian market draws quite an ethnic crowd daily for its pan-Asian products, produce, meats and seafood.
There’s also H-Mart, 371 N. Central Ave., Hartsdale (914-448-8888).
