(From top) A dragon dance performance outside Mainland China on Sunday; model Jyoti Brahmin walks the ramp at Thai Tonite in Rotary Sadan on Sunday. Pictures by Sanjoy Chattopadhyaya

What: Chinese New Year Celebrations with a sizzling Sichuan spread.

Where: Mainland China.

When: Between January 29 and February 5.

The celebrations: The New Year revelry started off with a colourful dragon dance outside the restaurant late on Sunday evening. The menu is an assortment of the finest of spicy Sichuan delicacies. For appetisers, you can take your pick from Barbecued Chicken Legs on Sizzling Stir Fried Potatoes, Five Spice Chicken, Sauteed Chicken with Spicy Red Chillies or Crab Cakes with Apple and Cinnamon Sauce. For vegetarians there’s the Spicy Honey Pepper Tofu and Sauteed Crispy Cauliflower with Chillies.

Moving on to soups, the Roast Duck with Rice Noodles and Greens Clear Soup, Hot and Spicy Crab and Tofu Soup, and the Rice Noodle and Baby Bokchoy Clear Soup are the ones to look out for.

For the main course one can dig into Sauteed Prawns with Garlic and Chillies, Poached Sliced Lamb in Chilli Broth, Sichuan Smoked Duck, Chicken with Vinegar and Garlic. Vegetarians can take their pick from Assorted Mushroom Gung Bao, Tai Bai Vegetables, Spicy Aubergine with Chopped Onions and Beancurd and Corn with Chillies.

Pocket pinch: The dishes are priced between Rs 95 and Rs 375.

Voiceover: “This is the Year of the Dog and we have drawn up a special menu comprising age-old Sichuan delicacies, all of which have a great combination of spicy, hot and sweet tastes,” smiled Debashish Ghosh, business manager, Mainland China.

Fun for funds

What: Thai Tonite, organised by the Punjabi Ladies Cultural Organisation.

Where: Rotary Sadan.

When: Sunday evening.

The event: The annual fund-raiser of the Punjabi Ladies Cultural Organisation started with a fashion show that saw daughters and daughters-in-law ? former beauty queen Jyoti Brahmin among them ? of the members walking the ramp. They paraded saris, lehngas and Indo-westerns to the tunes of Right here right now, Kaisi paheli zindagani and Gur nal ishq mitha... Games and lucky draws followed soon after.

What the event lacked was anything to do with the title ? Thai Tonite. From the music to the food and the ambience, there was nothing Thai about the whole affair!

Voiceover: “Every year we have this fund-raising programme. While everyone gets to have fun on this day, the funds raised go entirely towards charity,” said Aruna Kapoor, president of the organisation.