This San Francisco bar celebrates Lunar New Year with a 23ft dragon

Sarah SmithJanuary 26, 2023

English

If you try to count the number of red lights shining on trade routes, you will go crazy. Polk Street Cocktail Bar, now 2 years old, is celebrating the Lunar New Year in the most solemn way.

“It will be great if people are happy about the Lunar New Year, whether they are Chinese or not,” said co-owner Chen-Chen Ho, who is also a Chinese immigrant.

A 23-foot dragon adorns the ceiling of the popular Trade Routes bar on Polk Street on January 25, 2023. | Camille Cohen/Standard

Huo and his two partners, who are also of Asian descent, purchased hundreds of ornaments and decorations such as bunny dolls, red envelopes, and lanterns to create the immersive experience that visitors experience as soon as they enter. And most notably, they hung a 23ft dragon in the middle of the bar to make sure you know it’s the holiday season.

Ho, 30, came to the US when he was 3 and has lived in San Francisco ever since. He said that his memories of early childhood in China are mostly associated with the Lunar New Year, and since he moved to the US, his family has always decorated the house for the festival, and he was inspired to recreate this tradition.

He also said he hopes to raise Lunar New Year’s presence in the San Francisco bar industry by bringing the same level of energy as the Christmas celebration.

Chen-Chen Ho, who immigrated as a child from Taiyuan, China, poses for a photo at his Trade Routes bar. | Camille Cohen/Standard

The owners were inspired to celebrate Lunar New Year according to the lunar calendar based on the decor that Huo’s parents prepared for the festival. | Camille Cohen/Standard

In the same vein, there’s also a new menu featuring five special cocktails for the Lunar New Year, all of which use strong Chinese baijiu liquor. One of them, “Baba Mama” (the name means “father and mother” in Chinese), is a tempting combination of baijiu, lychee and egg white.

“It’s cute and powerful,” Ho said, “just the way you want your parents to be.”

Huo said he was pleased and excited about the bar’s new look, despite receiving some constructive criticism, saying the design was over the top.

“I really like it when people come in and [having the design hit] you are above your head,” said Ho.

Creating such an atmosphere is not cheap. Ho admitted that Trade Routes spent several thousand dollars and “over budget” on decorations because the bar sourced most of its merchandise from China and shipping costs are high.

The Lunar New Year begins on January 22nd, and decorations will last on the Trade Routes until February 12th.