Bay Area Chefs Share Lunar New Year Recipes

Local restaurateurs and cookbook authors reveal their favorite dishes to celebrate the Year of the Horse.

Published on Feb. 10, 2026

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As the Lunar New Year approaches on February 17, three Bay Area chefs - Kathy Fang, Kristina Cho, and Ying Chang Compestine - share the traditional dishes they like to prepare to mark the occasion, including egg rolls, sticky rice cakes, and spring rolls.

Why it matters

Lunar New Year is a significant cultural celebration, and the food traditions surrounding it provide insight into the diverse culinary heritage of the Bay Area. These chefs' personal connections to the dishes they make offer a glimpse into how Lunar New Year is celebrated in different Chinese communities.

The details

Kathy Fang, who owns San Francisco's Fang and House of Nanking restaurants, says her family always makes egg rolls and a sticky rice cake dish called nian gao. Kristina Cho, author of 'Mooncakes and Milk Bread,' prepares a "Tray of Togetherness" with candied treats, while Ying Chang Compestine, author of 'Buddha Jumps Over the Wall,' likes to make spring rolls with fresh local seafood.

  • Lunar New Year is celebrated on February 17, 2026.
  • The big family feast is typically held in the evening on New Year's Day.

The players

Kathy Fang

A restaurateur and cookbook author who owns Fang and House of Nanking restaurants in San Francisco.

Kristina Cho

The James Beard Award-winning author of the 2021 cookbook 'Mooncakes and Milk Bread.'

Ying Chang Compestine

A speaker and the author of the 2025 book 'Buddha Jumps Over the Wall, and Other Curiously Named Classic Chinese Dishes.'

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What they’re saying

“Egg rolls or spring rolls are something that I feel every family has to have. It symbolizes wealth because of the way that it's shaped — they say it looks like bars of gold.”

— Kathy Fang, Restaurateur and Cookbook Author (marinij.com)

“As a sweet component, I like to put together a 'Tray of Togetherness,' which is like a candy tray. There's candied winter melon, sesame brittle, candied sunflower seeds. It's very common to have during Lunar New Year.”

— Kristina Cho, Cookbook Author (marinij.com)

“One thing I always serve is spring rolls because it reminds me of my childhood. I make spring rolls wrapped in rice paper. In California, we're so lucky because we have all this fresh seafood around us.”

— Ying Chang Compestine, Speaker and Author (marinij.com)

The takeaway

These chefs' Lunar New Year traditions showcase the diverse culinary heritage and personal connections to food that exist within the Bay Area's Chinese American community, highlighting how the holiday is celebrated through both time-honored recipes and locally-sourced ingredients.