This past week, traffic slowed down on Rodeo Drive as onlookers peered into what looked like a scene from a dream: Atop Via Rodeo, red lanterns and the pentatonic chords of a Guqin lingered into the cold Beverly Hills evening, where hidden inside a red tent, Dr. Gabriel Chiu and friend of Vogue Christine Chiu celebrated the Chinese New Year with the help of their friends at Piaget and Bottega Veneta.
Guests climbed the stairs, which were flanked with staff holding colorful parasols, to the red gates of Chinatown 90210. Inside, carts of dumplings and trays of Champagne started the evening off.
Once seated for dinner, guests were treated to many of Chinatown’s best courses, which included lobster with curry sauce, fried rice, and (of course) Peking duck. Each course was timed flawlessly alongside different forms of traditional Chinese dance, which reached its ultimate finale in the form of dragon dancers, leading the crowd to the final surprise of the evening, which the Chius explained to guests before departing. Hidden inside the Chiu Café, as they aptly called it, was a tree adorned with red envelopes, a tradition of good fortune for the New Year; inside one envelope, a lucky guest would receive a generous gift from Piaget. In addition, the Chiu family made a donation for every attendee to support a child in China for one year. Cheers and laughs could be heard as guests made their way down the stairs and back to Beverly Hills, keeping the hidden gem of Chinatown 90210 likely tucked away in their hearts forever.