Kung Hei Fat Choi, ęåē¼č²”!
Ring in Chinese New Year 2016: The Year of The Fire Monkey with these festive activities around the metro that will entertain, educate, and delight your appetite for Chinese culture.
1. Book a Binondo Walking Tour.
Where else should you be on Chinese New Year but in Binondo, known to be the oldest Chinatown in the world? Just like last year, Old Manila Walks will host the BIG Binondo Food WOK: Nibbling Our Way Through Chinatown (P1,300/head inclusive of tasting menu). The tour schedules that are currently open (others are fully booked) are on February 6, 7, 13, 14, 15, 19, 20, 22, and 27. Big Binondo Wok is four hundred years of history and up to four hours of decadence; join Ivan Man Dy's popular walking tour and explore Manila’s 400 year-old Chinese quarter in a most unique way. Reserve your slots now via fun@oldmanilawalks.com, (+632-918) 9626452, or (632) 711-38-23. If the schedules don't fit your free hours of the day, you may inquire about booking your own tour. Visit oldmanilawalks.com for more information.
Those schedules not working out for you, you may book your own tour, or purchase his Big Binondo Food Wok Map to help map out your eating itinerary: the map is for sale at Bahay Tsinoy Museum (Intramuros), La Monja Loca Store (Intramuros) and Silahis Arts and Crafts (Intramuros) in Manila, the Libros Filipinos Bookshop (Filipinas Heritage Library) in Makati and Popular Bookstore in Quezon City.
2. Eat your way around Chinatown for Cheap.
Hungry for some Chinese chow but on a budget? Don't fret — good grub is just around every corner in Binondo, and we've got a list of affordable eats you can enjoy for P150 or much less. Whether you're hankering for a bowl of noodles, cheap dimsum, or steamy fried siopao from the streets — Chinatown deliciously (and affordably) provides.
3. Partake on Manila's Popular Char Siu Bao.
If in Japanese cuisine the darling dish in Manila is still ramen (or are you team katsu?), the hot Chinese delicacy to chew on is the crisp pork buns called char siu bao — especially since the popular Michelin-starred Tim Ho Wan set foot into our local food scene. Here's our list of 7 places in Manila where you can get your baked pork bun fix.
4. Fulfill your soupy dumpling desires with a Xiao Long Bao eat-athon.
Served in bamboo baskets, these tiny soup dumplings are often craved and revered for their comforting goodness of soupy broth and meaty filling with each delicate nibble. Xiao Long Bao or XLB, just like the pork buns, have become the metro's addiction, and we're lucky that a lot of Chinese restaurants are now serving us these miniature soup pockets.
5. Head to Lucky Chinatown Mall for their three-week long festivities.
There's going to be a grand celebration that will feature a lineup of spectacles showcasing the best of Chinese tradition and culture, along with star-studded events. Lucky Chinatown kicks off on February 5 at the Atrium with a musical showcase featuring The Voice Kids finalists, and February 6, Binondo-based schools and organizations will create eye-catching Chinese lanterns at the Chinese New Year Lantern Festival, launched in partnership with the Kou Shou Art Club. Celebrations will be in full swing on February 7 at Lucky Chinatown’s Countdown to Chinese New Year 2016, and on Chinese New Year’s Day, February 8, more must-see cultural spectacles will greet families and guests — there's a traditional Dragon and Lion Dance Exhibition, Chinese Orchestra and Chinese Opera performances, a Feng Shui Talk, and many more.
6. Celebrate the rich heritage of Chinese culture and arts at the 10th Spring Film Festival.
Shangri-La Plaza hosts the highly anticipated 10th Spring Film Festival on January 29 to February 7, at the Cinema 4 of the Shang Cineplex. To mark its tenth year, the Spring Film Festival has selected 10 of the best Chinese films for audiences, and other events lined up are Chinese mask-painting and lantern-making workshop on February 7 (2pm at the East Atrium), a Chinese Painting Exhibit (until February 8 at the Grand Atrium), and ending the festivities is at the Shang will be the dragon and lion dance exhibition at the Grand Atrium on February 14, 4:00pm.
Here's the movie schedule for your convenience:
Click to enlarge
7. Plan a hotel staycation and enjoy the many festive food-filled promotions.
At Lung Hin, Marco Polo Ortigas Manila's authentic Cantonese restaurant located at the 44th level, Auspicious Set Menus will be featured this February 6 to 18, 2016. Two prosperous 10-course set menus will represent good fortune and good health: Good Luck Set Menu (P2,500++ per person for a minimum of 10 persons) and Good Health Set Menu (P3,000++ per person for a minimum of 10 persons). Visit on February 8, for a special lion dance performance, a traditional salad toss and sending of the wishes, or book a staycation with lucky room rates (starts P5,388++ for one night and P4,388++ for two nights) — inclusive of breakfast buffet for two, a complimentary box of Marco Polo Ortigas’ Festive Chinese New Year Rice Cakes, and a Hongbao inclusive of special benefit hotel vouchers.
Visit Corniche restaurant from February 5-9, 2016 for celebratory fare at their Chinese New Year Lunch and Dinner Buffet (P2,150 nett per person), where every minimum single receipt of P5,000 spent at Corniche will entitle guests to pick a prize and win from the Prosperity Tree. From February 1-9, 2016, Feng Shui charms and luck enhancers by FRIGGA Charmed Life by Marites Allen will be available for sale at the hotel lobby. On February 8 at 11am, watch the Lion and Dragon Dance by the Philippine Ling Nam Athletic Federation, and from 12nn-3pm, guests can enjoy a 10-minute Feng Shui Consultation with Ms. Angel Macalino with every P5,000 nett spent at the lunch buffet.
Visit Summer Palace, Edsa Shangri-La, Manila’s Chinese restaurant, to enjoy a royal feast of crafted set menus – Wealth, Prosperity and Longevity – specially prepared by Executive Chinese Chef Tony Sum and his team. Brin home Summer Palace’s fish shaped tikoy (P1,338net/single box). They also have other shapes and flavors to choose from: radish cake, taro cake, pumpkin cake and water chestnut for P888net per box and gold bar tikoy for P588net.
If buffet is your feast of choice, head to HEAT, which will highlights international specialties and a spread of Chinese delicacies featuring Chinese Dim Sum Chef Andy Liew’s prosperity dim sum made with lucky ingredients and the traditional Yee Sang. The buffet will be serving Chinese specialties for dinner buffet only for P2,300net per person, lunch buffet on the same day is at P1,890nett per person. A Lion and Dragon Dance Blessing Ceremony with drumrolls, eye-dotting and coin tossing rites in the main lobby of the hotel happens on February 8, 2016 at 10:30 am.
Chinese New Year Celebration begins with the traditional Dragon Dance
on February 8, 2016, and followed by a feast at F All Day Dining Restaurant: have a taste of China at the hotel's buffet restaurant which will showcase Chinese inspired dishes, for P1,399 nett per person. Carry forward your cravings for Asian flavors the entire month of February with their Asian Buffet Adventure: the spread highlights cuisine from Thailand, Singapore, Vietnam, China, and of the Philippines. The Asian Buffet Adventure is available during lunch or dinner buffet for P1,399 nett per person, available until February 29, 2016.
Usher in good fortune and good food at the Chinese New Year Lunch buffet (P888 net per person) and Dinner buffet (P1200 net per person) which showcase flavors of China specially prepared by the hotel’s team of culinary experts and China Palace’s very own Chef Taipei starting February 1 to 5, and 8, 2016.
On February 8, guests will be treated to a traditional Chinese Dragon dance to be performed at the lobby starting 11:30am. Book a staycation with hotel's “Auspicious Beginning Room Package” from February 1 to 27, 2016: have an overnight stay with breakfast buffet for two plus an auspicious red packet credit of P1,786 per stay to enjoy a fine selection of dining and facilities.
On February 8 2016 at 11am, witness the traditional lion and dragon dance, coin tossing and the lighting of firecrackers at the main lobby and M.H. del Pilar entrance. Guests born on the Year of the Monkey (1932, 1944, 1956, 1968, 1980, 1992 and 2004) can enjoy a complimentary lunch or dinner buffet with a minimum of two paying companions at Market Café on the same day.
At Li Li Chinese restaurant, Hong Kong Master Chef Andy Chan has created a special Year of the Monkey 10-course prosperity lunch and dinner set menu with a selection of symbolic Lunar New Year dishes for a minimum of 10 guests with your choice of set menu. Bring home Tikoy packaged in an exquisite handbag at P888 each.
Catch the lucky Dragon Dance at The Lobby on February 8, 2016 at 11am, and follow it with festive feasting at Escolta, to partake on a sumptuous Chinese-themed lunch and dinner of “lucky” dishes that are symbolic of happiness, prosperity and good fortune. Reserve your tables for the Chinese New Year Brunch (P 3,688 with free-flowing Champagne / P 2,588 adults / P1,288 children under 12) and Chinese New Year Dinner (P2,088 adults / P988 children under 12), happening on February 8 from 12nn to 3pm and 6:30pm to 10pm respectively.
Signature Chinese dishes prepared by Culinary Ambassador Sam Leong for the Chinese New Year celebration await guests at the hotel's flagship restaurant, Flavors, from February 1 to 29, 2016. Starting February 5, Holiday Inn & Suites Makati will also be part of the annual Chinese Food Festival spearheaded by the Makati City Cultural and Tourism office, to be held at the Glorietta activity center. On February 8, Flavors Restaurant will join the Chinese New Year with a Lion and Dragon Dance starting at 10am.
Decadent Chinese New Year and Spring Dinner temptations await: a Buffet (P1,200 nett) of luxurious dim sum, noodles representing long life, and an exchange of Nian gao (tikoy) will take center stage Friday and Saturday, 6pm-10:30pm, and Sunday Brunch from 10am to 2pm. On February 8, 2016, Chinese New Year, the dinner buffet (P1,200 nett at 6pm) spread offers oriental favorites and guests are welcomed with a the traditional Lion and Dragon Dance, Coin Shower, and delectable goodies.
Nian gao, locally called “tikoy”, is believed to bring good luck to both the receiver and the giver making it part of the customs during the Chinese New Year. Spread good luck with double prosperity Ti-koi fish (P1,188/270 grams in gift box) available at the hotel’s Marriott Café Bakery and Crema. Marriott Manila’s Auspicious Ti-Koi gift set is available from January 25 until February 13, 2016. In celebration of the Lunar New Year, lucky designs of the award-winning jewelry artisan Ann Ong will be displayed at the hotel lobby, and are also selling handcrafted bags and intricate jewelries believed to bring good energy and prosperity to the bearer.
