Ring in the Lunar New Year with These Small Businesses

Lunar New Year is Friday, February 12th. The festival celebrates the beginning of a calendar year whose months are cycles of the moon and cycles of the sun. In the present day, Lunar New Year mostly refers to the East Asia’s new years celebrated on the same date. In Chinese culture, the festival is commonly referred to as the Spring Festival. Other cultures will also celebrate on February 12th, including Korean New Year, Tibetan New Year and Vietnamese Tet. In Portland, these communities are spread throughout the City, most notably along 82nd Avenue and the Jade District. Here are just a few businesses you can support in honor of this day:

• 82^nd Avenue: Hong Phat Food Center sells fresh tropical fruits from Hawaii year-round, quality local meat and fish, fresh Asian herbs and vegetables and a large selection of spices. If Dim Sum is what you are after, try Ocean City Seafood, which serves an endless variety of family style dishes from different regions of China. Chungdam Korean Fusion serves all your favorite Korean dishes complete with Cheesy Corn, K-Pop music playing in the background, Korean Fried Chicken, Bibimbap and Silkworm Pupae.
• Foster: Ring in the new year with good fortune. K & B Bakery has been making fortune cookies in SE Portland for 27 years. Warm your heart by filling your belly. An Xuyen Bakery has been serving Foster denizens for nearly 20 years with their steamed bao, banh mi, Vietnamese coffee, homemade French rolls and huge assortment of baked goods.
• Hawthorne: Tibet Spirit is the dream of Lhekshy Gyatso from the Amdo province of Tibet.  Everything in the store is hand selected, one-of-a-kind items for meditation and ritual to clothing and mouse pads. Down the street, Road to Tibet Imports carries a diverse selection of items for Buddhist practice, such as Tibetan Prayer Flags, Tibetan Prayer Wheels, Tibetan Prayer Bells and Dorjes, Tibetan Singing Bowls, and more. Finally Potala Imports specializes in authentic Tibetan jewelry as well as various dharma items and other handicrafts from Tibet, India and Nepal.
• Jade District: Fubonn is the largest Asian shopping center in Oregon, complete with a grocery store, foot spa, tailor, chiropractor and food options including Rockin Crab, Sokong Dong Tofu, and Bun and Pho House. Nearby, check out Master Kong for regional Chinese breakfast and lunch hits, centering on the Tianjin and Guangdong regions of China, and Ha VL, an unassuming Vietnamese eatery popular for its daily changing soups and sandwiches. Looking for a bouquet for your Valentine? Anna’s Flowers has a variety of pre-made and custom flower arrangements and plants.
• Lents: You’ve probably seen their work on the famed McMenamins signs, or countless other local businesses’ facades. Lents’ own Studio Sign Company specializes in hand-painted signs, graphic design and other sign-making services. Atlas Dental opened in the Lents Town Center over 2 years ago. Not only does this dental studio offer all the typical services, owner and founder Dr. Hieu Pham is a well-known breakdancer. 
• Old Town: Visit Lan Su Chinese Garden to experience their two-week Chinese New Year celebration. The celebration will feature special festival decorations, contact-free audio tours, mobile scavenger hunts, educational displays, and more. For traditional Chinese teas, Red Robe Tea House has an online store with a variety of loose-leaf teas and teaware. Don’t forget to check out the historic Chinese Gate at NW 4th and Burnside, complete with two bronze lion statues. 
• St. Johns: Banh Mi Up is a modern take on the classic French and Vietnamese-inspired sandwiches. In addition to a handful of grilled meat and vegetarian options, the po’ boy-meets-banh mi mashup, stuffed with tempura shrimp, and a version featuring fried chicken katsu are both successful spins on the usual. Gordon Chen opened Kung Food in 2011. His Dad, Song, is the cook and has more than twenty years cooking experience in both Chinese and Malaysian cuisines in China and across Oregon, Washington, and Hawaii.

This list is non-exhaustive so there’s plenty of other ways to celebrate in your favorite neighborhood business districts. How do you plan to ring in the new year? Show us on Instagram and Facebook.