8 Dishes Caught Between Chinese New Year And Valentine’s Day

Caught between passion and prosperity this year? These eight dishes promise to save both your Chinese New Year and Valentine’s Day dates.

Before the dates arrive in February, here’s a small ritual for luck, love, and what comes next. 2026 winks as Chinese New Year and Valentine’s Day brush past one another, only three days apart in proximity. The tension is there, just as loud, and everyone is counting on it. Family first, romance second? This may be where love languages are in conflict.

Chinese New Year is as much a ceremonial affair as it is a reunion, in its truest sense. If there’s a time to return to your roots, it’s this. Set the schedules down, loosen the deadlines, for Chinese New Year is here and there’s no other detour to take. Fascinatingly, so is Valentine’s Day. Cupid’s floating in within 3 days time. Now, the question isn’t where to feast, but what to eat when two special days meet. It’s the clash of CNY and Cupid’s Day, but fear not! Here are eight dishes that may be able to save both your dates.

1. Fetching fish dishes

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This choice is a sure catch for Chinese New Year. Fish in Mandarin, is spoken as ‘yú’. Matching with another character that signifies ‘surplus’. Naturally, the Chinese belief over this dish is to have a surplus at the end of the year. Or in certain customs, the head and tail is spared until the year starts, this way, your year may begin as well as end in abundance.

Scaled back, a steamed fish dish is pretty easy to prepare. Nothing fishy here—let your fish lead, and everything else follows. Catfish, echoes ‘year surplus’ in Chinese; crucian carp, in Chinese, speaks of ‘good luck’—it’s all but a blessing, plated. Without any extra edge, ginger, scallions and a bottle of soy sauce from the pantry will suffice.

Steam your catch of the school, and then bathe it in soy-sesame sauce for another while. Sliced scallions are up last, finishing your pan with fragrance and a humble flair. There are families who, in true Chinese fashion, leave some fish uneaten at dinner, with the hopes of carrying over the extra prosperity into the new year.

V Day

For the couples under Cupid’s spell, here’s the trick. In the thick of some trolley turbulence, amid your grocery mayhem, hook a beautiful salmon or sea bass cut—or any white meat, really—while surfing the meat market. Think of it as doing double duty in one move. The clock’s speeding up; there’s no time to split your catches!

From steamed to pan-seared, the idea is simplicity, served—a classic ocean catch, intensified with wine. Valentine’s Day may not match the roar of Chinese New Year, but it’s still a day worth raising a glass to. But before the toast, let’s start with the tasting.

Tip number one: never, ever cook your fish wet—trust me on this. It’ll stick to the pan, and hot oil in your face is not fun. Make sure to pat the fish dry, before easing it into a pan cranked high—high heat is key. Neutral oil like canola performs better than olive oil, which has a higher smoke point. Butter, salted, is my weakness, but unsalted is where you can adjust its brininess.

The charm of this dish lies in how or what seasonings and sauces you prefer. Maybe a brush with herb butter here, or tangy beurre blanc alongside sautéed tarragon there. Sophisticated or simple, this dish swims in tang in more ways than one. Pair it with a chilled white wine, and it’s one dinner that knows exactly what ensues next (wink).

2. Bird

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It’s Chinese New Year, which means the fattest pick of the flock. Chicken, duck, or goose, your move. But let’s assume that chicken is your bird— ‘jī’, the homonym for luck in Chinese. There’s only one way to enjoy it in Chinese New Year, and that’s having it whole. Steamed and roasted are the two best styles to this dish, and it’s less daunting than you might guess. The flavours live in the seasonings you can find on your spice shelf—and sauces that are staples in every Chinese kitchen (whether you admit it or not).

Soak your whole chicken in a marinade of soy sauce, oyster sauce, and Chinese rice wine, or Shaoxing wine. Shake in some Chinese five-spice powder, if you can find it; with some salt, sugar, and golden ginger slivers, always. Massage the bird with the marinade for 20 minutes before sending it to a 30-to-40-minute sauna.

For an even more aromatic taste, stuff your bird with scallions and ginger strips for that extra bite. The final dressing? Soy sauce stirred in ginger bits, scallion slices, and oyster sauce—and the chopsticks are up.

V Day

Throwing in a quiet, romantic twist to your bird on V Day—wherefore it’s steamed chicken during the day, how about grilled chicken to set the nightly scene? Perhaps there’s leftover chicken—select cuts of chicken you may set aside, or a breast or two you picked up in the poultry aisle. Either way, it’ll be the star of the night’s show. From the get-go, it’s something simple and fuss-free. A classic grilled chicken may sound mundane, but it’s the kind of cosy that winks at a candlelit table.

3. Veg: dishes in green

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Vegetables, as I see it, are quite easy a dish to plate up. Though that depends on what specific greens you’re thinking of tossing in the pan. For Chinese New Year when symbolism is threaded through every plate, and you’re there scrambling for a fast, fuss-free recipe that still honours tradition—there’s stir-fry baby bok choy as a welcome change.

Green in colour, bright with wealth, this is a dish that shines with prosperity and making it is no trouble at all. It’ll take just 10 minutes, tops. Like any vegetable, give them a good rinse before trimming the bottom and breaking them in half lengthwise. Put some cooking oil in a pan over high heat, and then in goes some garlic slices. Fry until fragrant and then toss in your baby bok choy. Right around where the leaves soften and the stems still have bite—that’s 2 to 3 minutes—coat lightly with soy sauce, oyster sauce, and salt to season. For a festive touch, ginger bits work just as well.

V Day

Looking for something sleek that’ll add a little spring to your night? Roasted or sautéed asparagus are the way to go—or broccoli, for a simpler bloom. It’s never complicated when the searing is this simple. Liven up your skillet over high heat, drizzle in some vegetable oil, and in jumps your asparagus. Avoid crowding them together for even cooking. Sizzle them to a tender brown without letting their interior soften.

The dressing can be as simple or as complicated as you care to make it, perhaps even a lick of both. Finish with butter—salted or unsalted, with a spritz of lemon and scattered lemon zest, and salt and pepper to taste.

4. Mandarins

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Mandarin oranges are an absolute Chinese New Year staple. Bearing Cantonese and Hokkien names that sing with ‘luck’ worn in their vivid orange jackets. Customarily, it’s unwise to offer or exchange mandarin oranges alone as Chinese culture considers odd numbers unlucky. Besides your crispy, crunchy CNY treats, mandarin oranges are the perfectly playful nibble—juicy, tangy, and just a fresh taste of luck.

V Day

Mandarins may symbolise prosperity for Chinese New Year, but in a cocktail, they’re the perfect excuse for a flirty, citrusy cheers for two. This night deserves an Orange Crush cocktail, because what’s more intimate than sipping an Orange Crush while swooning over your crush? Here’s the how-to:

Vodka (preferably orange-flavoured one) is the build, Triple Sec or orange liqueur like Cointreau or Grand Marnier, and of course, a mandarin orange. Spill them into your glass—over ice—with a splash of lemon-lime soda before stirring. Finally, a classic orange wedge and mint that hints at more to come.

Opening photo: Nati / Pexels