Gong xi fai cai. In other words: Happy Chinese New Year. While the holiday began yesterday, New York’s Chinatowns — in downtown Manhattan, Sunset Park in Brooklyn, and Flushing in Queens — will be celebrating this weekend, and next weekend. During the holiday, red envelopes stuffed with money are exchanged; firecrackers are lit, and, best of all, families are reunited over tasty feasts. Dinner and a Movie enjoys a Chinese meal this weekend, and a documentary film about a legendary Taiwanese movie director.

DINNER

During the 1990s, xiao long bao, or Chinese soup dumplings, were popular with city foodies, who would wait in long lines to taste one of the meat- and soup-stuffed buns. These days, many New Yorkers have their favorite soup dumpling restaurant. Dinner and a Movie recommends Goodies, a bare-bones joint on East Broadway. The best dumplings are the simplest: pork-stuffed with pork broth, wrapped in thinly rolled dough. Thin dough can be hard to find in the city, as many dumplings are made with dry, chewy, and thick dough. And unlike other restaurants, Goodies makes a broth that doesn’t contain too much oil, which can weigh down an already-heavy dumpling. (1 E. Broadway at Chatham Square, 212-577-2922)

For those seeking a more upscale atmosphere, Chinatown Brasserie is both a restaurant and a lounge space, featuring a clubby downstairs bar. When the eatery opened in 2006, the impressive space got most of the attention, with its red curtains and lanterns adorning the dining room. But its dim sum specialist Joe Ng soon became the highlight of the restaurant. Mr. Ng lets creative fireworks fly, serving up concoctions such as fish skin or garlic-chive dumplings, and tempura-fried chilies stuffed with minced shrimp. While the re-creations of other classic Chinese specialties can be found at less expensive eateries, Mr. Ng’s dim sum dishes are worth a night out. (380 Lafayette St. at Great Jones Street, 212-533-7000)

MOVIE

Anthology Film Archives is currently staging a retrospective of the work of French filmmaker Olivier Assayas. In 1997, Mr. Assayas filmed “HHH: A Portrait of Hou Hsiao-Hsien,” a documentary about a Taiwanese director best known for his work in the New Wave movement of Taiwanese cinema. Mr. Hou began making films in the early 1980s. In 1989, he released what may be his bestknown film, “A City of Sadness.” It tells the story of the arrival of officials from mainland China during the 1940s — and the devastating fallout. Mr. Hou’s other films include “The Puppetmaster” (1993) and “Good Men, Good Women” (1995). For his documentary, Mr. Assayas follows Mr. Hou around Taiwan, filming his reactions to visiting his childhood neighborhoods, and enjoying karaoke sessions with the director, whom he has long admired. (Sunday, 5 p.m., Anthology Film Archives, 32 Second Ave. at 2nd Street, 212-505-5181, $8 general, $6 students and seniors, $5 members)