Zhuping Hodge, center, pours hot water over early harvest Anji green tea leaves as Daniel MacGregor watches at Seven Cups Fine Chinese Tea, 2510 E. Fort Lowell Road. Hodge is the co-owner of the tea shop with her husband, Austin. The couple purchases high-quality teas directly from tea makers in China.

 Mamta Popat, Arizona Daily Star

Zhuping Hodge and her husband Austin Hodge are entering the Lunar New Year amid new surroundings.

Two months ago, the couple moved their popular Seven Cups Fine Chinese Teas from 2516 E. Sixth Street, their home since 2004, to a more spacious location at 2510 E. Fort Lowell Road.

The building, which has housed several businesses over the years, including a Western Boot and Shoe Repair, allows Seven Cups to expand its horizons.

“Our old location was so small,” Zhuping Hodge said. “It was on a busy street and it was hard to park. This is a much bigger place. We are happy to be here.”

The new Seven Cups has a roomy dining area, where customers can sip their teas with snacks amid hand-carved koi and crane designs. There’s also the poem “Seven Cups of Tea,” a variation of “Seven Bowls of Tea” by poet Lu Tong, for which the business is named, on a large block of wood hanging from the ceiling.

The front of the business is reserved for the more than 100 types of teas Seven Cups has available for purchase, from micro-lots and scented teas to green, yellow and herbal teas.

Seventy teas are on the menu for ordering and a variety of 100 teas are for sale at Seven Cups Fine Chinese Tea.

Seven Cups, which Travel + Leisure magazine called one of the six best places to drink tea in the United States in 2014, will be holding its first Lunar New Year celebration at its new spot this weekend from Friday, Jan. 20, to Sunday, Jan. 22.

On all three days, Zhuping Hodge will be serving nian gao, a sticky sweet cake made from rice flour, that is a must-have dessert during Lunar New Year festivities.

Hodge said they are trying to get local instrumentalist Paul Amiel to perform the traditional guqin, a plucked stringed Chinese instrument, on Sunday.

Seven Cups will also be hosting a tea tasting marathon on Saturday, focusing on 15 examples of Puer tea, a type of tea developed in the Yunnan province in China that offers “the tea world’s most distinctive and complex flavors,” according to the online invite (tucne.ws/1md7).

The event is $38 and Hodge said it is almost sold out. But, she added, they are considering adding another session for Sunday.

Seven Cups is open from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily. You can find out more information about the business at facebook.com/sevencups and sevencups.com.

Besides tea, you have several ways to usher in the Year of the Rabbit in 2023. Here are some of your options.

While it is hit or miss on whether any one restaurant will be holding specific Lunar New Year dinners, many Chinese restaurants across town, including Jun Dynasty, 2933 E. Grant Road; Ba-Dar Chinese, 7321 E. Broadway; and Dove M Bistro, 12090 N Thornydale Road, will be open for business during the official Lunar New Year weekend. As always, it is a good idea to call ahead as seating, especially on the weekend, may be limited.

The spicy hot pot includes lamb, beef, fish, dried tofu, cabbage and rice noodles. Try it at Jun Dynasty, 2933 E. Grant Road.

The folks at Mission Garden, 946 W. Mission Lane, will be hosting a Chinese vegetable cooking class on Saturday, Jan. 28, from noon to 1 p.m. The class, led by chef Jin Ting Gow, will explore dishes that use bok choy, Chinese mustard, daikon radish, daikon greens, snow peas, goji and other traditional ingredients. The class costs $35, which includes garden admission. You can also learn about the Chinese vegetables grown at the garden during a Lunar New Year celebration from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. The celebration will feature a talk about the new year tradition, unique items for sale, a Chinese calligraphy demonstration table and more. A donation at the gate is suggested for the celebration. More info: tucne.ws/1mdh.

If you don’t mind the drive, head up to Steele Indian School Park in Phoenix Saturday, Jan. 21, or Sunday, Jan. 22, for the Chinese Culture and Cuisine Festival, part of Phoenix Chinese Week. The event, now in its 33rd year, will have a tea garden, martial arts demonstrations, dragon and lion dances, a Chinese culture and history booth, a koi exhibit and more. The festival is free and runs from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday. Steele Indian School Park is at 300 E. Indian School Road in Phoenix proper. Learn more about that event and other events happening the Phoenix area for Phoenix Chinese Week, including a table tennis tournament, at phoenixchineseweek.org.

Lunar New Year, also known as Chinese New Year or the Spring Festival, is a 15-day festival that is celebrated in many Asian countries.

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