LA Event: Celebrating Chinese New Year with The Ritz-Carlton and Wolfgang Puck

One thing I like about living in Los Angeles, it’s all the various cultures, nationalities, and life styles that live here.  L.A. is one of the world’s great cities, always changing, and a dynamic crossroads of East and West — a great melting pot of people.  There are endless adventures inside the city, always something to surprise me, even though I’ve lived here nearly 10 years!

My little family had a pleasant surprise like that last Friday night, when we were invited by Ritz-Carlton and WP24 BY WOLFGANG PUCK to a special “Night Market” buffet dinner to celebrate the Chinese New Year of the Rooster.  None of us knew what to expect, but we all had a great and memorable time!

WP24 takes up the 24th floor of the Ritz-Carlton in downtown Los Angeles, and the first highlight you will notice, even before you are seated, is the amazing view, looking ‘way down on the traffic with city lights all around.  Our celebration was in the Nest, which is the large, modern lounge part of WP24, and every seat had a great view. The Nest is dedicated to Asian-inspired dishes, and it has a very complete bar, including many signature Far Eastern twists on traditional cocktails.  For example, I had a “Shanghai Rooster,” which is a variation on the Moscow Mule — so tasty!

 

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The food was presented buffet style, with six different serving stations, each with different dishes.  I learned that the herbs are actually grown in a rooftop garden at the hotel, and I think that just-picked freshness definitely added to the flavors of the dishes I tried.

Try as we might, there were just too many dishes for us to sample them all!  But some of the signature dishes we tried and really liked were Chili “Dan Dan” dumplings, and (my favorite!) roast Peking duck with traditional accompaniments.  Wolfgang Puck’s training and influence is apparent in all the food — born in Austria, trained in France and Monaco, and based in California in recent years, all these dishes drew from and fused the best of these influences in the Asian dishes.  Unique and delicious, I think!

 

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I must comment a little on the staff at WP24 Nest — so attentive, so eager to make everything just right!  My son Red Bear, almost 9 now, wanted some white rice and a vegetable dish, not normally served in the lounge — but within minutes, he had both, delivered with a smile.  (He also helped himself to tangerines and about 8 Chinese donuts with strawberry sauce from the dessert station, until he could eat no more.)  I was so impressed by the staff.

Then there came the entertainment, a high-energy Dragon Dance — a traditional Chinese New Year ritual to bring good luck.  So many dragons, large and small, danced through the lounge and back again, with brash Chinese drums and gongs playing, same as I was used to when I lived in China.  I think everyone in the lounge stopped and stood to watch the amazing show as it wound its way all through the lounge — close enough to touch.  So fun and exciting for everyone there!

It was a totally enjoyable evening for all of us!

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But we’re not done yet — there’s more!

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Earlier last week, I went to the same Ritz-Carlton by myself to experience an all-day Emotional Wellness Retreat.  The morning started with poolside Hatha Yoga on the hotel’s rooftop, overlooking the Los Angeles cityscape by day (a totally different sensation than seeing the same places at night with all the lights on).

The yoga was followed by a delicious and nutritious poolside Japanese “bento” lunch, prepared by Wolfgang Puck’s WP24, and presented to each of us wooden Japanese boxes — So fun and tasty!  Lunch was followed by guided meditation, to balance mind and body.

Then the part I really enjoyed most — a deep, relaxing, 50-minute massage in the spa.  What a great “me” day I had there!

 

 

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If you are in Los Angeles and need some time to escape and relax for your health and beauty (they had some other treatments, like facials, I didn’t have time to try that day), check with the Ritz-Carlton Hotel and find out their next Wellness Treatment Program.  I know you will like it.

By the way, the Ritz-Carlton in Los Angeles is not just a destination for the WP24 and the spa, but it’s so conveniently located in the heart of the city, right next to some of the major entertainment venues — it is directly connected to L.A. Live, the entertainment and dining center, a step away from the Staples Center sports complex, and the Los Angeles Convention Center.  All of those destinations are literally within one block of the hotel.

Thank you to Ritz-Carlton and WP24 BY WOLFGANG PUCK for working with me on this story.  As always, all opinions are honestly my own (and Red Bear’s).

 

What I Wore:

Outfit 1: Zara Red Top (similar here) //Rossella Jardini Skirt // Rebecca de Ravenel earrings // Chanel Bag (similar here) // Doratuymur Mules

Outfit 2: Acne Studio Sweater // Zara Skirt (similar here)// Gucci Shoes // Gucci Bag