Lunar New Year arrived in style at The Eighth as New York’s fashion and creative crowd gathered at Chelsea’s newest elevated cocktail and dining destination to celebrate the Year of the Horse.
NEW YORK, NY: Timo Weiland attends the Lunar New Year party hosted by Mei Kwok and friends at The Eighth, Chelsea’s newest cocktail bar and restaurant. Photo credit: Danté Crichlow / BFA Images
The intimate benefit, hosted by Mei Kwok and produced in collaboration with 4AM, supported The Asian American Foundation (TAAF) and its work advancing the AAPI community nationwide.
NEW YORK, NY: Dianne Brill, Jack James, and Tokyo Rose attend the Lunar New Year party hosted by Mei Kwok and friends at The Eighth, Chelsea’s newest cocktail bar and restaurant. Photo credit: Danté Crichlow / BFA Images
A stylish co-host committee including Jiajia Fei, Mona Matsuoka, Beverly Nguyen, Kim Shui, Ezra J. William, and Faith Xue helped bring together a cross-section of New York’s cultural community. Guests in attendance included Melissa King, Diane Brill, Jack James of The Muses, Legendary Damon, Timo Weiland, Tokyo Rose, Niks, and Richie Romero.
NEW YORK, NY: Hill Harper and Nikki Kynard attend the Lunar New Year party hosted by Mei Kwok and friends at The Eighth, Chelsea’s newest cocktail bar and restaurant. Photo credit: Danté Crichlow / BFA Images
The evening blended music, fashion, and philanthropy, with DJ sets from Mei Kwok, Mona Matsuoka, and Tre, alongside cocktails by LALO Tequila, traditional New Year dumplings from Mimi Cheng’s, and a variety of tempting culinary offerings from The Eighth.
NEW YORK, NY: Mei Kwok, Melissa King, and Ezra J. William attend the Lunar New Year party hosted by Mei Kwok and friends at The Eighth, Chelsea’s newest cocktail bar and restaurant. Photo credit: Danté Crichlow / BFA Images
The Eighth, which will officially open on February 28 for reservations, via Resy, has been making its mark on New York’s social scene in the weeks prior to its big opener — from being the setting of Christian Siriano’s sought-after NYFW afterparty (with guests that included Natasha Lyonne, Taylor Momsen, Leslie Jones, Monica, Willa Ford, Coco Rocha, Candice Huffine, Anna Schilling, Ashley Longshore, Richie Romero, Valmira Gashi, Ali Lasky, Sergio Farias and more) along with A-list NYFW events with Marc Bouwer, The Daily Front Row, and Glance.
NEW YORK, NY: Legendary Damon attends the Lunar New Year party hosted by Mei Kwok and friends at The Eighth, Chelsea’s newest cocktail bar and restaurant. Photo credit: Danté Crichlow / BFA Images
The new restaurant and cocktail lounge is the brainchild of Opus Hospitality, the newly established hospitality group led by award-winning New York interior designers Julien Legeard and Valmira Gashi of Legeard Studio, in collaboration with seasoned hospitality veteran Richie Romero.
NEW YORK, NY: Lauren Goldenberg attends the Lunar New Year party hosted by Mei Kwok and friends at The Eighth, Chelsea’s newest cocktail bar and restaurant. Photo credit: Danté Crichlow / BFA Images
As guests celebrated the Lunar New Year, they also got to sample some of The Eighth’s signature attractions on the menu created by Kingston-born Chef Kat Williams, such as stand-outs like Shrimp Toast, Beet Tartare with Avocado Mousse, and Scallop Crudo.
NEW YORK, NY: Chef Kat Williams’ Beet Tartare with Avocado Mousse at the Lunar New Year party hosted by Mei Kwok and friends at The Eighth, Chelsea’s newest cocktail bar and restaurant. Photo credit: Danté Crichlow / BFA Images
For Kwok, the night carried special meaning beyond the dance floor: “This is exactly the time to shout from the rooftops, to celebrate our culture loudly, to honor our immigrant stories, to acknowledge what’s happening in the world and choose pride anyway.”
NEW YORK, NY: Beverly Nguyen, Mei Kwok, and Faith Xue attend the Lunar New Year party hosted by Mei Kwok and friends at The Eighth, Chelsea’s newest cocktail bar and restaurant. Photo credit: Danté Crichlow / BFA Images
