Chinese New Year (CNY) is another great time for celebration and feasting. Aside from the traditions, the festivities are also marked with a vast array of meals that usually have intricate meanings. Amid the ongoing pandemic, anyone can still enjoy CNY treats as hotels and restaurants make it easier through their latest deals.

The Peninsula Manila

This year, The Peninsula Manila offers its limited-edition edible chocolate trees, which come in Mandarin Orange Tree and Golden Fortune Money Tree variants. These intricately molded chocolate trees are available at The Peninsula Boutique for P3,999 until Feb. 15. The Peninsula Boutique also offers Lychee-Strawberry Macarons, Chocolate Pralines, and Cakeaway Afternoon Tea Set; while The Lobby will be serving a CNY-themed Afternoon Tea Set.

New World Makati Hotel

New World’s Chinese restaurant, Jasmine, brings out three auspicious set menus with authentic CNY dishes like Imperial Peking duck; fried garoupa fillet with chili, garlic, and coconut sauce; deep-fried spareribs with mayonnaise and vinegar sauce; fried rice and assorted meat in lotus lea; and braised abalone mushroom with assorted fungus and vegetables. Jasmine also offers its signature handcrafted nian gao (tikoy) that comes in koi fish and round shapes and is encased in an elegant round box with woodgrain detail and gold accents.

Fairmont Makati

From Feb. 8 to 12, Fairmont Makati’s Spectrum includes a choice of Chinese celebratory fare in its daily “Buffet a la Minute” for lunch from 11:30 a.m to 2:30 p.m. In their menu are Szechuan chicken, steamed fish with light soy broth, beef with broccoli and peppers, Chow Mien noodles with Bokchoy, Shiitake mushrooms, pork-stuffed glutinous rice wrapped in banana leaves, and pork and vegetable spring rolls, among others.

Shangri-La at the Fort

The hotel’s Canton Road presents this lunar year a sumptuous spread of regional Chinese specialties with signature menus good for five persons. The Spring, Longevity, and Prosperity menus lead with Huaiyang and Cantonese appetizer combination and the flamed trio barbecue sampler. Stuffed suckling pig with black truffle and dried scallops fried rice are also among the specialty dishes.

Grand Hyatt

Tea, coffee, and desserts grace the CNY celebrations at Grand Hyatt Manila’s The Lounge. Their Lunar Afternoon Tea Set offers free-flowing tea, coffee, and sweet delicacies such as traditional Hong King egg tarts for only P1,800 until Feb. 14.

Marco Polo Ortigas Manila

From Feb. 11 to 20, Lung Hin restaurant at Marco Polo offers special set menus that feature favorites such as Baked Slipper Lobster in Supreme Stock, Deep-fried Crispy Hong Kong Pigeon, and Braised South African Abalone with Black Mushroom and Vegetables.

EDSA Shangri-La

The hotel’s Summer Place dishes out traditional Cantonese cuisine with CNY set menus that start at P21,188++ for a table of 10 persons.

Novotel Manila

Buffet restaurant Food Exchange Manila at Novotel Manila offers a P2,021 nett buffet deal for two persons on Feb. 11 and 12. The feast includes favorites like dim sum, roasted specialties, noodles, and desserts, coupled with aromatic Jasmine tea.

The Manila Hotel

The capital’s premier hotel offers families a sumptuous CNY Dinner at its Roma Salon on Feb. 11 and 12, with three sets featuring dishes like Suckling Pig, Roast Duckand Prawns, and Steamed Shrimp and Pork Siomai, among others. Prestige Members can avail 23% discount on the set menu.

Century Park Hotel

On Feb. 11 and 12, Century Park Hotel’s Café in the Park offers its Chinese New Year Eat-All-You-Can Lunch and Dinner featuring classic Chinese dishes, seafood specials, and Chinese roast carving for only P1,995 net per head.

Sofitel Manila

Sofitel Manila’s Spiral prepares a lavish Chinese feast featuring braised ox tongue with lotus and dried chili, braised abalone with superior sauce, foie gras siew mai, xiao long bao truffle oil. From Feb. 11 to 12, Spiral’s feast is set at P2,850 nett for lunch, and P3,800 net for dinner.

Conrad Manila

At Conrad Manila, China Blue by Jereme Leung offers a diverse selection of dishes, highlighted by Golden roast US duck with BBQ sauce; Braised abalone, sea cucumber, and dried oyster in a superior shredded mushroom and dried scallop sauce; Simmered pork belly, money bag, and fried fish maw with whole garlic; among others. The restaurant also offers its own Nian Gao Treasures, available in Traditional Brown Sugar, Coconut, Orange, and Red Date with Ginger flavors, as well as koi fish and mini gold bar shapes.

City of Dreams

From Feb. 4 to 26, Crystal Dragon restaurant offers fine Cantonese cuisine and regional Chinese specialties, and it also sets up the ubiquitous CNY traditional table fare, the Yu Sheng. Nobu Manila, meanwhile, offers a la carte dishes infused with Japanese-Peruvian flavors, which can be enjoyed in an al fresco dining experience. — Adrian Paul B. Conoza

RELATED ARTICLESMORE FROM AUTHOR