My fascination about the Lunar New Year, Chinese Horoscope and Feng Shui started when I was a teen. I remember buying special Chinese New Year issues of broadsheets so I can read up tips and forecast. As much as possible, I try to do it at home and my family would not mind. They call me the “house witch” because I’d do those cermonies of lighting incense and candles in the house , doing chants, throwing stuff and setting up a special altar for this occassion. They never mind because it never hurt anyone. And I think most of them feel the good vibes I invite whenever I do such ceremony.
It was only recently when I started getting invites to Feng Shui conventions and traditional Chinese New Year’s Eves feast. I enjoyed it a lot because aside from the great food that I tried, I also learned their reason behind such practice and dishes.
In fact just recently I had a preview of China Blue by Jereme Leung restaurant’s Lunar New Year feast. Enjoy the specially prepared Lunar New Year set menu treasures by Chef Khorr and his culinary team featuring house specialties.
The set menu is availabe from starting January 15, 2017 to February 2, 2017 and it features dishes that brings good luck, prosperity, good health and harmony over your relationships.
A toss to an auspicious year ahead is what the Yee Sang salad is all about. Gather around the table with chopstics on hand and toss the special ingredients up in the air while saying “Lo Hei” and your wishes for the New Year! This was my second time to do this prosperity toss and I can already feel all the good vibes!
An eye candy and delightful to the tummy is this Deep-Fried smoke duck pear dumpling.
I also enjoyed this savory Steamed seafood and mushroom money bag in dry scallop sauce.
There’s also marinated pickled cucumber jelly fish with spicy sesame sauce.
A braised peach gum and sea treasure with superiod crab roe broth. The braised peach gum is good for the skin and crab is for money!
I have shell fish allergies but before I go to a Chinese New Year dinner I take my anti-histamine to make sure I don’t get allergy attacks! Crabs , lobsters, prawns are the main ingredients of a traditional Lunar New Year dinner they are believed to bring prosperity! How can I say no. I just take precautions.
So, we had stri-fried garoupa with soya sauce and spring onion. Then Braised aalone, black mushroom and sea moss roll with dried oyster. Plus a Wok-fried rice with preserved duck meat and Chinese New Year sausage on the side.
For desserts we had Chilled sweetened black glutinous rice puree with coconut ice cream plus a Deep-fried banana with Chinese New Year cake. Chinese New Year cake is Tikoy for your information!
China Blue has a nice and spacious interiors. It has about 4 private rooms with the one we were in as the biggest one. The restaurant has a seating capacity of over 200. My favorite was the breathtaking view of Manila Bay and the MOA Bay area the MOA Eye and all the shebang by the bay. So beautiful.
The set menu starts at Php28,888+++ good for 10 persons, lauriat style. But they have special ala carte menu available. Kids can have their share of the wondrous Chinese delicasy with the dimsum set at the Do It Yourself corner of CHina Blue by Jememe Leung on January 27-28, 2017.
For reservatons and inquiries, you may call +632 638 3915 or email conradmanila@conradhotels.com. Call now as I heard all seats are almost taken!
Before desserts was served, Chef Khorr and his staff together with the China Blue by Jereme Leung management and Conrad Hotel execs with us surprised me with a birthday cake! Yay! How lucky can I get. My birthday dinner was bongga.
This dinner at China Blue was to cap that day birthday celebration. Before this I had lunch with my family at my fave restaurant near our place Planas Pantry. Then treated myself for a haircut and hairtreatment because Feng Shui says it’s lucky to get a haircut that day. It was not just vanity but it symbolizes how you are cutting ties with the past year and all the bad vibes it brought you. It was perfect date for me as my birthday is also a start of a new year for me.
Going home, I came to a birthday cake surprise from my Primer Group of Companies friends. The next day was another cake from my Campaigns and Gray PR friends. Because of too much cake, I invited friends over the house for a cake party and a thanksgiving as well. It is always great to share happiness and love with people who cares for you and vice-versa. It was such a good #HappybEarthday!