Hip Cantonese spot opening with Chinatown-style dumplings, hand-pulled noodles and an unabashed love for MSG

Kenneth Wan and Doris Yuen stood in the doorway of their new restaurant this week, catching oranges from a lion dancer while cymbals and drums banged away in the background.

In Chinese culture, the lion dance is a way to consecrate temples and new businesses. The lion, a costume with two people handling the head and tail, “eats” an orange and spits it back out. It’s good luck for whoever can catch it. Luckily, Yuen and Wan had good grips that evening.

“Blessing a restaurant is very traditional for Chinese culture, and we thought it’d be a cool way to make an announcement to the neighborhood that we’re here,” Wan said.

Yuen and Wan are opening MAKfam, their first full-service restaurant at 39 W. 1st Ave., next door to Snooze’s new South Broadway location...