The Chinese New Year celebration comes with many traditions that are believed to usher good fortune into the coming year. These include putting up red decorations at home to attract good luck and joy, visiting family members to give out red envelopes or ang pao as tokens of good wishes, setting off fireworks to ward off misfortune, and making offerings to honor the family’s ancestors.
However, the festivities are not complete without a hearty and delicious meal that is meant to bring prosperity to the whole family. Aside from having 12 round fruits on the table to signify wealth for each month of the year, there are also auspicious dishes that are traditionally served using ingredients that hold significance in Chinese New Year celebrations.
Panciteria San Jacinto, a family restaurant which first opened in the 1800s in Binondo, is beloved through generations of customers for its classic Chinatown cuisine. Now operating as a cloud kitchen based in Scout Lozano, Quezon City, it serves dishes that are perfect for a roaring welcome into the Year of the Tiger:
● Camaron Rebosado: Shrimp is traditionally associated with liveliness in Chinese culture. The deep-fried battered shrimp in this classic Chinatown fave is believed to bring happiness and good fortune.
● Lumpiang Shanghai: These crunchy fried spring rolls are said to bring wealth as their shapes resemble bars of gold. Try it with the signature Panciteria San Jacinto sweet and sour sauce!
● Pancit Canton: Chow Mein made the San Jacinto way – egg noodles topped with mea, shiitake mushroom, seafood, broccoli, and other assorted vegetables. Oodles of these saucy noodles is a staple for any celebration as it is said to bring long life.
● Fried Soy Chicken: This deliciously tender, braised chicken symbolizes prosperity, togetherness of the family, and joy.
● San Jacinto Soup: The silky black moss in this hearty dish is said to attract wealth, because its Chinese name sounds the same as “get rich”.
● Stuffed Bean Curd: San Jacinto’s fried bean curd with pork filling is topped with a special sauce and mixed vegetables. Aside from being a good health food, bean curd is believed to bring fulfillment of wealth and happiness.
● Sweet and Sour Fish: Fish represents abundance and family unity, while the red sauce symbolizes happiness, success, and good fortune. Try this classic Chinatown dish from San Jacinto that will surely bring back memories of dining at Binondo’s famed esteros.
● San Jacinto Signature Asado: Complete your Chinese New Year feast with this well-loved bestseller. The pork in this charcoal-roasted barbecue dish symbolizes wealth and blessings for the coming year.
Enjoy traditional Binondo cuisine from Panciteria San Jacinto as you sit down with your family for an auspicious meal this Chinese New Year. Visit the Panciteria San Jacinto website to view its full menu and follow its official social media pages to get the latest updates.
