9 restaurants for takeout to celebrate Lunar New Year in Birmingham
Reading time: 7 minutes
Ready for another new year? Lunar New Year is February 12 and there are important steps to ensure good luck for the coming year. Wear red, clean your house and make sure you eat all the lucky foods. Check out these nine restaurants to celebrate Lunar New Year in Birmingham.
What is Lunar New Year?
I knew little about Chinese New Year until I attended its celebration at Birmingham-Southern College. This festival, also known as Lunar New Year or Spring Festival, was full of food and dancing. Walls were decorated in bright red and golden colors with symbols of cute animals welcoming visitors at every door.
The more I celebrated Lunar New Year, the more I learned about the holiday. Although people may be more familiar with “Chinese New Year,” Lunar New Year is celebrated throughout several East Asian and Southeast Asian countries, like Vietnam, Singapore, Tibet, South Korea and China to name a few. This holiday always happens sometime between late January and early February. 2021 is the year of the of ox—my year.
Is this Lunar New Year your year?
Each country has corresponding zodiac animals for their calendar. Legends say that twelve animals competed in a race for their place on the zodiac calendar. In almost every country that celebrates Lunar New Year, the rat comes in first place because the rat rode on the back of the ox for most of the race. The pig or boar always comes in last place because the pig stopped for a snack and a nap along the way. Coming in second place is usually the ox or water buffalo. Every twelve years an ox year occurs, like 2021.
If you were born during any of these following years, then you’re an ox: 1925, 1937, 1949, 1961, 1973, 1985, 1997 or 2009. Traits of the ox are:
- diligence
- dependability
- strength
- determination
- stubbornness
Does this sound about like anyone you know?
Traditions
There are always dos and don’ts to welcome a new year. Some traditions of Lunar New Year are wearing red for good luck and cleaning your house before the Lunar New Year but not the day of. People usually hand out red money envelopes to loved ones to encourage prosperity.
Of course, the best part about any holiday is the food 🥳. Lunar New Year feasts usually enjoy whole fish or chicken, dumplings, noodles, spring rolls and dried fruit candies. Check out this post from the Hoover Public Library to learn more.
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Celebrate Lunar New Year in Birmingham with these restaurants.
1. Mr. Chen’s
The Hoover location has a few items that you can’t get from the Mr. Chen’s in Homewood, like the pan fried turnip cakes. If you visit Mr. Chen’s in Homewood on Lunar New Year, check out the attached Hometown Supermarket.
On February 12th, Hometown Supermarket is doing a raffle to celebrate Lunar New Year in Birmingham for 2021. Instead of their huge food celebration, customers will get to spin the prize wheel twice for every $50 they spend at the supermarket.
Win everything from watches to bamboo spoons. Photo via Cheyenne Trujillo for Bham Now 
Tables full of treats and decorations for Lunar New Year! Photo via Cheyenne Trujillo for Bham Now
- Hours: Homewood: Sunday-Saturday 11AM-9PM | Hoover: Sunday-Saturday 11AM-7:30PM
- Locations: Homewood: 808 Green Springs Hwy, Homewood, AL 35209 | Hoover: 1917 Hoover Ct, Birmingham, AL 35226
- Contact: Homewood Website | Hoover Website | Call Homewood location | Call Hoover location
2. Happy Wok
Happy Wok has many of the necessary dishes for a good and prosperous Lunar New Year in Birmingham. Instead of a whole chicken, you can order a whole duck (or half a duck) and ten steam buns for everyone to enjoy.
- Hours: Sunday-Thursday 11AM-9PM | Friday-Saturday 11AM-9:30PM
- Location: 1423 Gadsden Hwy # 111, Birmingham, AL, 35235
- Contact: Website | Facebook | Instagram | Call
3. Red Pearl
Red Pearl was the first Chinese restaurant in Birmingham that I tried and is still a favorite of mine. Aside from delicious food, they have a market to explore and are selling seasonal Japanese Kit Kats right now. Ever had a sparkling wine with strawberries flavored Kit Kat? That’s the best way to celebrate Lunar New Year in Birmingham.
- Hours: Sunday-Saturday 11AM-8:30PM
- Location: 243 W Valley Ave, Homewood, AL 35209
- Contact: Website | Facebook | Instagram | Call
4. Hunan Cuisine
This spot on 280 seems a bit tucked away amongst the other restaurants. However, Hunan Cuisine offers a few items that are Korean Chinese dishes. It’s easy to celebrate Lunar New Year in Birmingham at this restaurant with dishes respective from both countries.
- Hours: Tuesday-Sunday 11AM-2:20PM, 4-8PM
- Location: 5510 US-280, Birmingham, AL 35242
- Contact: Website | Call
5. Ginza Sushi & Korean BBQ
Another great fusion restaurant, Ginza Sushi & Korean BBQ has…well sushi and Korean BBQ. This menu has all the favorites you love, like bul-go-gi or teriyaki bento boxes. The cool part about Ginza are the Korean BBQ tables where you can cook the BBQ fresh yourself.
- Hours: Monday-Saturday 11AM-2PM and 5-9PM
- Location: 5291 Valleydale Rd, Suite 101, Birmingham, AL 35242
- Contact: Website | Facebook | Instagram | Call
6. Seoul Restaurant
These beef and kimchi dumplings were the size of my hand. Photo via Cheyenne Trujillo for Bham Now 
Buldak—or fire chicken. Photo via Cheyenne Trujillo for Bham Now
There are many great restaurants on Green Springs. Seoul Restaurant is another hidden gem along this highway. This Korean restaurant serves favorites, like bi bim bap (a rice dish with meat, veggies and a fried egg) and fire chicken. Fire chicken, or buldak, is a mix of BBQ chicken, onions and peppers marinated in a spicy sauce.
- Hours: Wednesday-Monday 11AM-9PM
- Location: 430 Green Springs Hwy, Birmingham, AL 35209
- Contact: Call
7. Pho Pho
Celebrate Tết (Vietnamese Lunar New Year) with Pho Pho. This is a popular spot for pho amongst Birmingham’s Vietnamese community. Personally, Pho Pho is my favorite spot for Vietnamese food. The Pizitz’s location makes it easy to get all your favorite foods and try new ones.
- Hours: Sunday 11AM-6PM | Monday-Saturday 11AM-8PM
- Locations: Hoover: 1580 Montgomery Hwy, Hoover, AL 35216 | The Pizitz: 1821 2nd Ave N, Birmingham, AL 35203
- Contact: Website | Facebook | Instagram | Call Hoover location | Call The Pizitz location
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8. Saigon Noodle House
Saigon Noodle House will have you set for Lunar New Year in Birmingham. A part of many Lunar New Year traditions is longevity noodles (or any noodle dish) and spring rolls. Longevity noodles ensure a long lifeline, like the length of the noodle, and spring rolls similar shape to gold bars promises wealth. You can get all those dishes and more at Saigon Noodle House.
- Hours: Sunday-Saturday 11AM-9PM
- Locations: 4606 Hwy 280. Ste 108. Birmingham, AL 35242
- Contact: Website | Facebook | Instagram | Call
9. Pho Sizzle Rolled Ice Cream & Bubble Tea
Another spot for your Tết celebration, Pho Sizzle serves Vietnamese food, rolled ice cream and bubble tea. Another important part of the celebration is desserts. Eating dried fruits or other treats is supposed to guarantee a sweet year. Enjoy Lunar New Year in Birmingham with rolled ice cream.
- Hours: Tuesday-Thursday 11AM-9PM | Friday-Saturday 11AM-9:30PM | Sunday 11AM-8PM
- Locations: 5880 Trussville Crossing Blvd, #100, Birmingham, AL 35235
- Contact: Website | Call
How are you celebrating the ox this year? Let us know on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter.
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