Contact: Irene Levy Baker

                                                                            215/782-2258

                                                                           spotlightpr@comcast.net

NOTES:

* Great digital photography available                     

Chef Poon hosts Chinese New Year Banquets

Available for Interviews about Holiday Traditions/Celebrations

Philadelphia Chinatown (September 25, 2007) -- Chef Joseph Poon will welcome the Chinese Year of the Rat with a series of Chinese New Year Banquets. The Chinese New Year begins on February 7, 2008. Chef Poon’s banquets will be available from January 1 - March 31, 2008.

The 10-course banquets include dishes from 8 nations. In keeping with Chinese tradition, all banquets will be served family style. The gala banquets will be held on Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights at 1010 Cherry Street, 2^nd floor, site of Chef Poon’s former restaurant, Chef Kitchen. Seatings at 5:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.  Reservations are needed.

Banquets are designed for groups of 6 or more but smaller groups can be matched with larger groups. Banquets are available other days and times, by appointment, for groups of 20 or more. The cost is $36 per person, not including tax and tip. Reservations needed. For reservations, call 215/500-9774 or jpoon18250@aol.com .

            Chef Poon is happy to do interviews explaining the Chinese New Year celebration and traditions. The Chinese New Year is celebrated in Vietnam, Malaysia, Singapore, Korea, the Philippines and Thailand. The typical Chinese New Year family celebration includes the distribution of lucky money in small red envelopes embossed with holiday messages in large gold Chinese characters, the exchange of oranges to signify fortune and prosperity and a

traditional meal. Each dish represents a symbolic wish for the friends and family at the meal.

Chef Kitchen is a contemporary and quirky venue at 1010 Cherry Street, 2^nd floor, in Philadelphia Chinatown, ½ block from the Pennsylvania Convention Center. Chef Kitchen sports stainless steel walls and tables, a partially-exposed kitchen, chairs silk-screened with photos from Chef Poon's whirlwind life and communal restroom sinks using woks as water basins. Chef Poon uses this space for private parties, meals accompanying his popular Wok ‘N Walk Tours of Philadelphia Chinatown, cooking classes and corporate team building events. Chef Kitchen is not a walk-in restaurant, but will open for Chinese New Year banquets.

###