Celebrating the Year of the Wood Dragon with Jade Court

CHICAGO - Good Day Chicago celebrated the Lunar New Year of the Dragon on Thursday.

Chef and owner of Jade Court Restaurant Carol Cheung and celebrity Chef Art Smith said this Year of the Wood Dragon means good fortune for everyone. It is rare for every zodiac sign to have a good horoscope.

Cheung said Chinese eat good luck foods on the Lunar New Year, which represent prosperity. Dumplings look like little bags of money, egg rolls look like bars of gold, the word "oranges" sounds like the word gold in Chinese and long-life noodles are a must to ensure living a life full of longevity. 

"It’s important that we as humanity celebrate each other’s festivals, because it connects we and the Chinese-Americans have a rich heritage here in Chicago. We have what is probably one of the foremost Chinatown’s in all of America and some of the best food," Smith said.

Smith and Cheung are longtime friends. He dines at Jade Court frequently and they are co-hosting a Lunar New Year Party Sunday at Jade Court.

Smith has visited China multiple times, once traveling with former Mayor Richard M. Daley. Cheung operated the original Jade Court in University Village with her father, one of the original owners of Phoenix Restaurant in Chicago.