Chinese New Year: Indo-Chinese Feast Traditions With Keenan Tham

Chinese New Year, also known as the Lunar New Year, marks the beginning of the traditional Chinese calendar. It is a time of joy, family reunions, and cultural festivities. The festival, steeped in centuries-old customs, is celebrated with great fervour globally, including in India. This year is ‘The Year Of The Snake’, which in the Chinese zodiac symbolises wisdom, intuition, and transformation. Those born under this sign are thought to be resourceful, calm, and strategic thinkers. 

One of the most cherished traditions is the giving of hóngbāo—red envelopes containing money. These are gifted by elders to children and unmarried younger relatives as a token of good luck and prosperity. The colour red symbolises happiness and is believed to ward off evil spirits.

Food plays a central role during the celebrations. Traditional dishes like dumplings, spring rolls, rice cakes, and whole fish are prepared, each symbolising prosperity, longevity, or abundance. Feasts are shared among families, emphasising unity and gratitude. In India, Chinese New Year is celebrated with enthusiasm, especially in regions with a Chinese diaspora. The community comes together to decorate homes with red lanterns, perform dragon and lion dances, and light fireworks to usher in good fortune. The festival is a beautiful blend of tradition and celebration, spreading joy and cultural harmony across borders.
Also Read: Chef Liang Xiao Qing On Chinese New Year And Food Interconnectedness

Restauranteurs Ryan and Keenan Tham who live in Mumbai, have spent years preserving and promoting Chinese cuisine. For them the Chinese New Year is far more than a date on the calendar; it’s a heartfelt celebration rooted in family and heritage. Their childhood memories are steeped in the warmth of family gatherings. “Traditionally, Chinese New Year is a lot like Diwali. Families get together, meals are had, and the spread of food on the table is lavish. There are Chinese sweets given out, some card games, and firecrackers are often lit as well,” says Keenan.

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“Growing up, I had a lot of Chinese New Year celebrations with my grandfather. My grandparents used to celebrate it a lot. It had everything from dragon dancers to these lavish meals to home-cooked authentic Chinese food from my grandmother, such as the fish ball soup, roast pork hakka belly and the char sui bao (a Cantonese bun filled with barbecue-flavored cha siu pork),” he adds. 

Family, Food And Celebration

Keenan fondly remembers his where their parents and grandparents prepared lavish feasts featuring dishes like Chimney Soup, Roast Pork, and Prawn Dumplings—each carrying its own symbolic meaning of prosperity and togetherness. 

“While our family traditions have evolved over the years, our commitment to preserving our Chinese heritage remains unwavering. Chinese New Year is a special time for us to gather as a family and celebrate together. The cherished tradition of giving hóngbāo (red envelopes) to the younger generation continues, accompanied by gifts and sweets as heartfelt tokens of blessings and goodwill  Now, I give Hongbao to my daughter. Other than that, we also eat traditional food with my daughter, passing down the customs that were taught by my grandparents. Char siu bao, haw flakes (a traditional Chinese candy made from the fruit of the Chinese hawthorn tree), and fishball noodle soup are essentials,” Keenan shares. 

How It Started 

The Tham family’s journey in the restaurant industry began over 75 years ago with Tham Mon Yiu, who migrated to Mumbai and established the iconic Mandarin restaurant. “My grandfather moved to Bombay to work as a translator. And he then saw an opportunity to set up restaurants because there was no place serving authentic Chinese cuisine to the Chinese communities in Bombay. And that quickly became a hit with the local audience as well. This was in the 1960s. There was largely only Indian Chinese. Authentic Chinese was not really available or known to a large audience,” Keenan tells us.

Inspired by their grandfather and father, Ryan and Keenan Tham set out to create their own mark in the industry. In 2014, they founded Pebble Street Hospitality, launched KOKO in 2016 and Foo in 2018. “When we started things were extremely different from back in the day. Consumers are ever-evolving. People had traveled, people had expectations of different experiences that they've seen and were moving towards more authentic flavours,” Keenan shares.

Modern Celebrations

The Tham brothers have also brought these traditions to their restaurants, turning them into festive destinations during this time of year. Guests are treated to vibrant lion dance performances to usher in prosperity and curated menus that pay homage to their heritage with a contemporary flair.

“Largely, we still gather as a family to celebrate Chinese New Year over a meal. The only change is that now we like to celebrate it at our restaurants over the special KOKO and Foo CNY menus that we release every year at our restaurants. Sweets are still enjoyed, Hongbao is still given out, and lion dancers perform and shower blessings on all our guests. So you can catch them with the family now,” says Keenan. 

“Depending on the year, we like to add decor based on the animal of the year and create a special menu around that. We also incorporate some traditional desserts. Traditions are carried forward from thousands of years ago, it’s important to understand the significance and carrying it forward in the right way is essential. While we may skip some rituals, it’s important to understand their true meaning and not dilute it with time.”