CHINESE New Year. It’s the most anticipated event after welcoming 2021, which is the New Year under the Western or Gregorian Calendar. The Chinese New Year, which follows the Lunar Calendar, falls on February 12 this year. So it is celebration time!
Here are some of the things you can do to welcome the Year of the Metal Ox—and some of the auspicious food that you can enjoy while doing so.
CHINESE CULINARY TREASURES
Over at Diamond Hotel Philippines, the year of the diligent, honest and dependable Ox calls for a feast of Chinese culinary treasures at the lunch and dinner buffet of Corniche Restaurant from February 10 to 12, 2021.
For Php3,180 nett per person, you can indulge in traditional Chinese New Year favorites and other celebration dishes, as prepared by Chinese Chef Yang Yong. Consider this list: Roasted Suckling Pig, Steamed Crab with Garlic Butter Sauce, Roast Duck, Double Boiled Black Chicken Soup, Chinese New Year Pan Cai (an all-in-one dish), Sliced Pig Knuckle Aspic, and Assorted Dimsum. Add to that a host of sweet treats such as Almond Jelly and Tikoy (glutinous rice cake).
What’s more: Every Php5,000 nett (minimum) spent at the Corniche during this period entitles you to “pick-a-prize” from the Prosperity Tree. And if you spend Php5,000 nett (minimum) at the Corniche Lunch Buffet or Yurakuen Japanese Restaurant on February 12, 2021, which is Chinese New Year itself, you get to have a 10-minute Online Feng Shui Consultation with Ms. Angel Macalino between 12:00 noon and 3:00 p.m.
But if you wish to celebrate the grand occasion at home instead of at the hotel, Diamond Hotel’s online shopping site, onlineshopping.diamondhotel.com, offers various Chinese Set Menus and the Chinese Grazing Box. Select from four Premium Set Menus and three Luxury Set Menus exclusively created by Chef Yang Yong.
As for the Chinese Grazing Box, which is good for four, it contains a selection of cold cuts, appetizers, Chinese New Year Tikoy, and wine.
For reservations, call 8528-3000 extension 1121 or mobile number 0975-7921473 from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
(Diamond Hotel Philippines is located at Roxas Blvd. corner Dr. J. Quintos St., Manila.)
LUCKY CHOCOLATE TREES
Say hello to the Year of the Metal Ox with The Peninsula Manila’s limited-edition line of Chinese New Year edible fine chocolate trees, which are available at The Peninsula Boutiques at Php3,888 until February 15, 2021.
Senior Sous Chef Annalyn Solano and her team have created two Chinese New Year-themed trees—one is a Mandarin Orange Tree, and the other one is a Golden Fortune Money Tree—both using Auro Single Origin Chocolate. Edible to the core, both the Mandarin Orange Tree and the Golden Fortune Money Tree are painstakingly molded and finished by hand, even the “soil,” trunk, branches, leaves and fruit of the Mandarin Orange Tree and the goldfish-embossed gold coins of the Golden Fortune Money Tree. All chocolate!
Orange sounds like the Chinese word for “wealth.” Through the play of words, the Chinese have traditionally associated the gift of oranges as the abundance of happiness and prosperity.
The fruit’s bright orange color also symbolizes “gold.” This is an auspicious symbol of good luck and wealth, an important factor for the Chinese New Year celebration. Goldfish, on the other hand are believed to bring about prosperity amid adversity.
With every purchase of either the Mandarin Orange Tree and Golden Fortune Money Tree at The Peninsula Boutique, patrons will additionally get eight red lai see envelopes, which are customarily passed to children and elders stuffed with money. The number eight is believed to be an auspicious number because in Mandarin it sounds like the word for “creating riches.” Also, the figure “8” is known as the symbol of infinity. Therefore, putting these two together, we have the symbolic meaning of “endlessly creating riches.”
Also available at The Peninsula Boutique are Chinese New Year Lychee-Strawberry Macarons for P125 each, Chinese New Year Chocolate Pralines for P75 each, and Chinese New Year-themed Cakeaway Afternoon Tea Set for P2,950.
The Lobby will be also be serving a Chinese New Year-themed Afternoon Tea Set for P875 and P1,490 (with a glass of Champagne). This will be available throughout the month of February.
(The Peninsula Manila is located at Ayala Ave. corner Makati Ave., Makati City; with telephone number +63(2) 8887-2888.)
WELL-CURATED FEASTS
Conrad Manila welcomes the auspicious Chinese New Year with well-curated feasts, traditional Yee Sang Prosperity Toss and colorful Nian Gao Treasures at China Blue by Jereme Leung.
“We are delighted to welcome the Chinese New Year, and we wish everyone good health, prosperity, peace, and rebuilding in this Year of the Metal Ox.” says Linda Pecoraro, general manager of Conrad Manila.
Executive Chinese Chef Eng Yew Khor has come up with a diverse selection of epicurean feasts at the award-winning restaurant hailed for its modern interpretation of authentic Chinese cuisine. Highlights include Golden Roast U.S. Duck with BBQ Sauce; Braised Abalone, Sea Cucumber and Dried Oyster in a Superior Shredded Mushroom and Dried Scallop Sauce; and Simmered Pork Belly, Money Bag and Fried Fish Maw with Whole Garlic. These are available in a la carte selections or in a set menu for 10 persons or more with set menu prices starting at Php 33,988++. China Blue by Jereme Leung also offers specially curated Yee Sang Salad for a Chinese New Year prosperity toss, Suckling Pig, and Peking Duck, all available for pre-order and takeaway.
Hotel guests may also wish to purchase and bring home a box of Nian Gao (Tikoy) Treasures, available until February 13, 2021. They come in the following must-try flavors: Traditional Brown Sugar, Coconut, Orange and Red Date with Ginger. Each Nian Gao treasure is beautifully presented in koi fish or mini gold bar shapes to represent good fortune and success. The Nian Gao Treasures are available in either the collector’s edition Christy Ng designer bag at Php 2,888 nett or the Conrad Manila box at Php 1,888 nett.
For reservations and inquiries, please call +632 8833 9999 or email conradmanila@conradhotels.com.
(Conrad Manila is located at Seaside Blvd., Coral Way, Pasay City.)
