Lunar New Year began Feb. 1, but the festivities last much longer. In China, the new year is celebrated for 15 days, and in Vietnam, festivities last a week. Regardless of how long you choose to celebrate the year of the tiger, here are some Chinatown restaurants, cafes and shops that Northeastern students recommend giving a try. 

1. Hei La Moon

Hei La Moon, located in the heart of Downtown Boston, offers a large variety of dim sum dishes, a staple in Chinese cuisine with small plates that are usually a variation of dumplings and other snack dishes, traditionally served around brunch time. With over 40 dim sum dishes on the menu, the restaurant provides an extensive and rich cultural experience.

“Since there are so many options, it makes you want to come back to try every single dish so that you know that you are not missing out,” said second-year business administration major Kevin Cheng.

Not only is there variety, but the unique flavors incorporated in the dishes are another big attraction for Boston diners. 

“Each dim sum dish is so addictive, it makes me want to eat more even when I’m full,” said Avril Mauro, a first-year business administration major. 

In addition to the extensive selection of dim sum, Hei La Moon offers other Chinese dishes including wonton soup or szechuan sesame chicken. Some of the chef’s special dishes include stir-fried salmon with garlic sauce and lobster with minced pork and black bean sauce in a clay pot. 

The restaurant offers take-out, dine-in and delivery services with vegan options.

88 Beach St.

2. Sweet Kingdom

Look no further than Sweet Kingdom to satisfy your sweet tooth. Sweet Kingdom is a dessert-based restaurant that serves a variety of Asian desserts. Menu options include mango moochi, which is ice cream wrapped in sweet glutinous rice flour, and strawberry milk shaved ice. Mauro suggested coming to Sweet Kingdom for their sago, a type of starch extracted from a palm called Metroxylon sagu. 

“I do not know many places that serve sago so when I found out Sweet Kingdom had it, I definitely had to try it and it did not disappoint,” Mauro said. “I also really like the environment [there]. It is small and cozy.” 

This restaurant offers dine-in, take-out and delivery options. 

 7-15 Beach St.

3. Jade Garden

Jade Garden, another popular traditional Chinese cuisine restaurant, is a must if you are in Chinatown. Their dishes include hot and sour soup, clams with black bean sauce and crispy fried duck with taro.

“[My favorite dish from Jade Garden] has to be their hot and sour soup. There is just the right amount of spice that makes me want to crave it more,” said first-year business administration major Madeleine Barlow. 

The restaurant offers take-out, dine-in and delivery services with vegan options. 

 20 Tyler St.

4. Ten Second Yunnan Rice Noodles

Ten Second Yunnan Rice Noodle is a branch of the popular Chinese noodle chain, Shi Miao Dao. With over 750 shops in China, Shi Miao Dao seeks to expand in North America with shops in cities including New York and Toronto, according to their website. 

One of the restaurant’s signature dishes is their “Cross the Bridge Rice Noodles.” The unique name of the dish was based on the legend of “Crossing the Bridge Noodles,” in which a scholar had to cross a lake to get to a small island in Yunnan, China, in order to take his imperial exam. The scholar’s wife delivered noodle soup to the island everyday, but by the time she got to the island, the noodles were already cold and soggy. As a solution, she began to coat the surface of the broth with chicken oil and various meat and vegetables in a heated pot. According to the legend, the scholar was able to maintain good health and pass the exam after eating this dish. 

“Not only are these noodles delicious, this dish reminds me of my childhood of when my mom and I would eat these noodles while she told me the legend,” said first-year mechanical engineering major Sandra Chai.

This restaurant offers take-out, dine-in and delivery options. 

60 Beach St. 

5.  Taiwan Cafe

Despite the restaurant’s small size, Taiwan Cafe’s menu is huge. Offering a plethora of dishes ranging from poached bacon cut pork with garlic soy sauce to pork dumplings with chive to ma po tofu, Taiwan Cafe gives a taste of East Asian cuisine with over 100 menu options.

 “My favorite dish from Taiwan Cafe has to be their scallion pancakes. I had it for the first time the other day and I was amazed at how good it tasted,” said Sophia Pywowarczuk, a first-year combined political science and computer science major. “I want to go back [to the restaurant] and re-experience it.”

Second-year business administration major Daisy Fung noted that Taiwan Cafe’s food offers culturally authentic dishes.

 “My personal favorite is their tomato and beef rice. The dish reminds me of my culture and gives me a taste of home,” Fung said. 

This restaurant offers take-out, dine-in and delivery options. 

 34 Oxford St.

Whether you’re looking for something sweet or savory, Chinatown offers an endless, flavor-packed adventure for your tastebuds. Easily accessible to Northeastern students by the Orange and Green MBTA lines, these restaurants are places to visit as Boston celebrates the Lunar New Year.