Photos courtesy of BFA
Chef Angie Mar is bringing her Lunar New Year party—coveted by New Yorkers in food, fashion, and film—to Delilah at Wynn Las Vegas on February 2. This swanky celebration ushers a new way for Las Vegans to ring in the Year of the Snake—highlighted by Mar’s lauded cuisine, fabulous friends, and lively entertainment, with surprises sure to delight.
ATTEND ANGIE MAR'S LAS VEGAS LUNAR NEW YEAR PARTY AT DELILAH
“We started throwing [the party] after [the pandemic],” she says. “It has become a very sought-after invitation. I'm very into art, music, fashion and food, so I have friends from those worlds. As a result, the party became a rare “old-school New York” event, mixing people from different social circles—very uptown meets downtown.”
When presented with the opportunity to bring her Lunar New Year party—attended in New York City last year by Martha Stewart, Christian Siriano, Jay McInerney, and Dean Winters and chronicled in Vogue—to Las Vegas, she jumped at the chance.
The event, with entertainment from DJ duo The Muses, a celebratory lion dance, and performances from some favorites from Delilah's musical roster, promises to be as unforgettable as the delicacies served. Expect an assortment of luscious dim sum, Beijing duck with traditional accompaniments, a chilled raw bar, and actor Aaron Paul’s “The Only” Caviar. As evening transitions to late night, delight in mini versions of Mar’s 45-day dry-aged Angus-blend Le Burger; fried chicken with Ossetra caviar and nori; wagyu pigs in a blanket; mini carrot soufflés; and even a Snickers tart.
Impressing those not easily impressed has always been Mar’s strong suit. She rose to fame as the executive chef of The Beatrice Inn, the vaunted 100-year-old New York City restaurant owned by Paul Sevigny and, later, Graydon Carter. Mar and her cousin bought it in 2016, closed it in 2020, and then opened Les Trois Chevaux next door in 2021, and two years later transformed it into Le B, with a menu focusing on Mar’s Chinese background, childhood in the Pacific Northwest, and French culinary training (think: Dungeness Crab Wellington). It has been a major hit and led her to Wynn last summer to participate as a special guest in the Revelry food festival, which occurred in tandem as the resort hosted The World’s 50 Best Restaurants Awards.
“The second I touched down in Las Vegas, I realized Wynn was a lifestyle. I hadn't been to Vegas in 15 years. I had an amazing time cooking with the chefs and spending time with the whole Wynn family. I felt like I was home. I could not wait to return,” she says.
Here, Mar shares with Wynn Stories why Lunar New Year is her favorite holiday, her family traditions, and (most importantly) what guests should wear to this swanky snake-y soirée.
Why a Lunar New Year soiree?
I'm Chinese, and because I grew up shuffled between Seattle, London, Taipei, and Hong Kong, the Chinese New Year was always important to me.
As comedian Ronny Chieng says (both hilariously and accurately), “As Chinese people, we love money. We love making money. We love giving away money. At Chinese New Year, we pray for money. “Gong Xi Fa Cai” doesn’t mean “Happy New Year,” it means “Hope you get rich!”
Christmas and New Year’s Eve are always massive for the restaurant industry in New York. As I grew—as a cook, creative, businesswoman, and artist—it became important that my restaurant and celebrations reflected my taste and heritage. Everybody always tells me that when they come to my restaurant, they feel like they’re attending a fabulous dinner party at my home. My Lunar New Year party was born out of that premise.
So, the group you bring together is equal parts Vanity Fair meets PAPER?
Yes, exactly. Gabriel Kreuther, whose namesake restaurant has two Michelin stars, always carves the pig for us. Last year, we had Martha Stewart and the late André Soltner. My fashion friends come, too: Christian Siriano, who designed the [Le B] uniforms; milliner Gigi Burris, and Oscar de la Renta creative directors Fernando Garcia and Laura Kim.
Do you incorporate any Lunar New Year traditions into the party?
For the Lunar New Year, my team comes in, and together, we fold about 1,000 dumplings of many different varieties. Even though I don't have children, I’m like a mother of 27. We're a family. It's incredible to spend time with my team sitting around the table.
It is tremendously important to share our lion dance, which is traditional for Chinese New Year. During the party, we always have things around the restaurant meant to bring good fortune to everyone. The specific foods we serve speak to my family's heritage, who taught me and gave me everything.
What style guide can you share for guests wanting to be appropriately dolled up for this elegant evening?
Well, I love dressing up. I never reveal what I'm wearing beforehand. I will offer this simple style guide: Anything red or yellow. Red is always meant to be good luck, while yellow and orange resemble gold—the colors of money. Those are auspicious colors; we always want to wear them around the Lunar New Year.
Attend Chef Angie Mar’s Lunar New Year party at Delilah at 7 p.m. on Sunday, Feb. 2.