Are you in search of ways to celebrate the Lunar New Year without booking a direct flight to Asia? Well, I have good news and better news: The good news is you can put your worries about long flights and airfare to rest. The better news is that at Universal Orlando Resort, we’re welcoming the Lunar New Year with seven specialty food and beverage items that simply can’t be missed!
Lunar New Year starts annually on the first new moon of the lunar calendar and is celebrated across a wide variety of Asian cultures. This year, Lunar New Year falls on Tuesday, February 17, and lasts until Friday, February 27. During that time, see to it that you hit up these six eateries across Universal Orlando to get a taste of the Lunar New Year and all it has to offer.
Lunar Glazed Pork Fried Rice at Lombard’s Seafood Grille
I can’t take you to Chinatown, but I can bring Chinatown to you with the Lunar Glazed Pork Fried Rice at Lombard’s Seafood Grille in Universal Studios Florida. San Francisco is renowned for its vibrant Chinatown, which is something Lombard’s chef Jose Acosta Yalta bore in mind when creating a dish for Lunar New Year.
When it came to turning those thoughts into something tasty, Chef Jose didn’t just look to the Chinese influences from San Francisco, but also from his home country, Peru.
“Peru has one of the biggest Chinese and Asian influences,” Chef Jose says. “So, for me, it felt very familiar to go with fried rice. I wanted to put the fried rice that I grew up eating on Lombard’s menu as well.”
Nestled in the heart of our very own San Francisco lies an enticing dish made with Chinese sausage, shrimp, bean sprouts, red peppers, shiitake mushrooms, egg, pork belly, and Asian pickled veggies. I’ve never proudly endorsed a dish as much as I have the Lunar Glazed Pork Fried Rice. Please trust me when I say it’s a must-try!
Smoked Brisket Pho at Mythos Restaurant
This is sure to be one un-pho-gettable Lunar New Year thanks to the Smoked Brisket Pho at Mythos Restaurant in Universal Islands of Adventure. Picture a steamy bowl filled with savory house pho broth, tender sliced smoked brisket, and rice noodles, all garnished with carrots, fresh herbs, bean sprouts, Fresno peppers and chili paste. Now, instead of picturing it, I want you to get in your car, come to Universal Orlando Resort, make a beeline to Mythos, and order this dish. I know I’m asking for a lot, but when you take that first bite, I promise it will all have been worth it.
Longan Red Date Tea at The Blue Dragon Pan-Asian Restaurant
As one of the newest restaurants added to Universal Orlando’s dining catalog, it’s high time The Blue Dragon Pan-Asian Restaurant in Universal Epic Universe earns its wings. What better way to do so than by offering something special for the Lunar New Year?
Potentially new to you, but not new to Universal (in Asia, at least), comes the Longan Red Date Tea. While trying to think of something authentic to bring to this Asian eatery for its first Lunar New Year, Universal Orlando beverage manager Joshua Franck sought help straight from the source: our friends at our sister theme park, Universal Beijing Resort.
Universal Beijing most recently served its guests the Longan Red Date Tea during its 2024 Lunar New Year program, and the Universal Orlando beverage team replicated that recipe to a T — authenticity included! Made with ingredients sourced directly from a local Asian goods importer, this tea is brewed with red date slices and dried longans and mixed with honey and pureed passionfruit.
The Longan Red Date Tea is one of the many teas you can order from Blue Dragon’s Tea Pot service, so be sure to get it while it’s hot (literally) this Lunar New Year!
The Fiery Horse Crunch Roll at The Cowfish Sushi Burger Bar
During Lunar New Year, you’re bound to see plenty of red around, especially on a plate at The Cowfish Sushi Burger Bar in Universal CityWalk. More specifically, I mean the red that has completely taken over The Fiery Horse Crunch Roll.
Handcrafted by Cowfish chef Wilmith Honore, The Fiery Horse Crunch Roll was inspired by this year’s Lunar New Year symbol, the horse. Horses are known as a symbol of power and strength, and the chefs at Cowfish wanted to find a way to turn that symbolism into a special dish for the celebration.
Chef Wilmith says he was drawn to the spirit of love, the energies, and all the opportunities that represent the Lunar New Year. So, he found a way to channel that spirit into an exceptional dish by taking salmon, tuna, avocado, sriracha-chipotle mayonnaise, tobiko (flying fish roe), and ponzu sauce with a Flamin’ Hot Cheetos crunch and turning it into The Fiery Horse Crunch Roll you’ll come to know and love this Lunar New Year.
Seven Spice Beef Brisket Bao & BBQ Duck Bao at Bend the Bao
Our Universal Orlando chefs have many ways of interpreting what the Year of the Horse represents, but at Bend the Bao in Universal CityWalk, Chef Deondrick Williams turned his thinking up a notch when it came to crafting the Seven Spice Beef Brisket Bao.
“When you think of horses, what do you think of when it comes to food? For me, it’s apples and carrots,” Chef Deon says. “So, I was thinking, ‘How can I incorporate that into a bao bun?’” His thinking led him to creating an apple-cabbage slaw coupled with scallions, cucumbers, and carrots that top the Seven Spice Beef Brisket Bao.
At Bend the Bao, you get double the Lunar New Year celebration with a second delight: the BBQ Duck Bao. While duck is loved by many of the guests who dine at Bend the Bao, Chef Deon wanted to find a way to make it appeal to those who don’t typically incorporate duck into their palates. His solution? Dressing this bao in orange Japanese barbecue sauce, chipotle slaw, Dijon aioli, pineapple, and cilantro. I think he’s onto something here…
The Horse Lantern Doughnut at Voodoo Doughnut
How can you prosper the way one should during Lunar New Year without having a sweet treat? Good thing Voodoo Doughnut in Universal CityWalk has you covered with The Horse Lantern doughnut. Specially crafted by Voodoo chef assistant Lee Santiago Bermudez, this doughnut is made with a yeast shell, a red bean paste velvet top, dark blue sesame icing, and twinkling gold star sprinkles.
Which Lunar New Year-themed food and beverage item are you most excited to try? Let us know in the comments below!
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