City of Dreams Manila ushers in the Chinese New Year with exceptional dining options and thrilling entertainment experiences signifying good luck, happiness, and prosperity. Crystal Dragon, one the luxury integrated resort’s premium restaurants, serves exclusive Chinese New Year-themed a la carte and set menus from January 16 to February 11, while 24-hour casual Chinese dining at Noodl8 offers sumptuous dishes for all of January and February. Themed gift items perfect for the festive occasion are likewise available at Café Society.
At The Shops at the Boulevard on the upper ground level, a three-day Year of the Rooster festival from January 27 to 29 showcases a variety of fun-filled Chinese New Year-themed activities and performances as well as a God of Fortune spreading gifts and good cheer to guests while roaming around the integrated resort.
For evening entertainment, guests can head to City of Dreams KTV’s elegant themed-rooms and sing to their heart’s content with special Chinese New Year ala carte dishes and unlimited Tsing Tao beer included in the package.
Crystal Dragon
Set Menus (January 16 to February 11)
The Chinese New Year Happiness Menu starts with Prosperity Salmon Fish Yu Shang with Fruit Salad followed by Braised Eight Sea Treasure and Shredded Abalone Broth; Steamed Cod with Baby Cabbage in Supreme Soy, Hong Kong Style; Wok-fried King Prawns with Reduction Supreme Soya Sauce; Wok-fried Shanghai Rice Cake Sliced with Selected Seafood; and ends with Chilled Mango Pudding with Vanilla Ice Cream and Double Flavor of Chinese New Year Nian Gao Platter.
The Chinese New Year Abundance Menu serves Prosperity Salmon Fish Yu Shang with Rock Melon Salad; Double Boiled Sea Treasure with Baby Abalone in Cordycep Flower Soup; Steamed Sea Grouper with Shredded Ginger in Homemade Soy Sauce; Roasted Chicken Roll filled with Foie Gras and Wild Mushrooms; Stew Pork Belly with Sea Cucumber, Bean Curd and Green Vegetables; Wok-fried Shanghai Rice Cake Sliced with Selected Seafood; complemented by Warm Sweetened Eight Treasures Tea with Ginseng in Honey and Double Flavor of Chinese New Year Nian Gao Platter. Both the “Happiness” and “Abundance” menus come with traditional Chinese Tea.
A La Carte (January 16 to February 11)
For guests who prefer to dine a la carte, dishes such as Prosperity Salmon Fish Yu Shang; Shredded Roasted Duck with Fresh Fruit Salad in Dressing, Oven Baked Marinated Cod Fish Fillet with Fragrant Golden Garlic, Slow Cook Supreme Sea Cucumber with Abalone and Pork Knuckle in a Clay Pot, Roasted Chicken Roll filled with Foie Gras and Wild Mushrooms; Braised Dried Oyster and Black Mushrooms Roll with Sea Moss; Wok-fried King Prawns with Reduction Supreme Soya Sauce, Wok-fried Shanghai Rice Cake Sliced with Selected Seafood, and Three Flavor Chinese New Year Nian Gao Platter are available. Medium portions are ideal for four to six guests while large orders are best for six to ten.
The Chinese New Year Happiness Menu is priced at P3,680++ per person, while the Chinese New Year Treasures Menu is at P 6,680++, both for a minimum of four to six persons. A la carte offerings range from P460++ to P1,680++. Crystal Dragon is open daily for lunch from 12 to 3 pm and dinner from 6 to 11 pm.
Symbolism
The Prosperity Salmon Fish Yu Shang and the Shredded Roasted Duck with Fresh Fruit Salad in Dressing are traditional offerings to fittingly welcome the Chinese New Year. For the Prosperity Salmon Fish Yu Shang, the raw fish symbolizes abundance and good fortune, mixed in with shredded fruits and vegetables which signify wealth, luck, eternal youth, a flourishing business and health. Plum sauce for good fortune, peanuts for long life and stability, olive oil and wonton crisps for a house full of gold bind the ingredients together are tossed as high as possible, believed to bless all who partake of them. The duck represents fertility while the combination of fresh fruits are said to bring wisdom, peace, gold, wealth, fertility, family harmony, health and luck.
Noodl8
Lunar Celebrations (January and February)
Diners can celebrate the New Year with authentic Chinese and Korean fare any time of the day at Noodl8 throughout January and February. Chinese dishes served exclusively during this period are Fried Aromatic Pork Ribs with Seven Spices Salt, Pork & Cabbage Dumpling with Black Vinegar & Chili Oil, Poached Hand Pull Noodle topped with Baby Abalone and Minced Pork, and Double Boiled Warm Sweetened Sesame Ginger Tea with Sesame Dumpling. For Korean offerings, these include Steamed Kimchi Dumpling and Kimchi Dumpling Soup.
Prices for the Chinese and Korean a la carte dishes range between P310++ to P688++. Noodl8 is open 24 hours a day and is located on the main gaming area at the ground floor.
Café Society (January 16 to February 11)
Guests can likewise bring home Café Society’s Chinese New Year-themed treats or gift them to loved ones to spread good luck and prosperity. Available items from January 16 to February 11 are Mandarin Cake with Rooster Chocolate, White Chocolate with Red Bean Cake, Nian Gao (Tikoy) Box, X.O Sauce, Green Tea Pound Cake, Pineapple Cake with 2017 Fondant, as well as macarons and pralines in half dozen to dozen quantities.
Prices range between P680++ to 1,810++. Café Society is open from 10 am to 10 pm on Monday through Thursday and 10 am to 12 am on Friday through Sunday.
City of Dreams KTV
Chinese New Year KTV Package (January 28 to February 11)
For intimate gatherings with family and friends during this momentous celebration, guests can head to City of Dreams KTV and avail of the Chinese New Year KTV Package for P10,000++ which includes festive dishes such as Prosperity Salmon Fish Yu Shang, Wok-fried Shanghai Rice Cake Sliced with Selected Seafood, Three Flavor Chinese New Year Nian Gao Platter, and unlimited Tsing Tao beer. The package lets guests choose songs from an extensive selection of Chinese and Korean songs as well as international classics and contemporary pop tunes in one of the venue’s 10 themed KTV rooms, accommodating up to 15 people. City of Dreams KTV is open from 7 pm to 2 am daily and is on the upper level of Chaos Manila nightclub.
Chinese New Year Activities (January 27 to 29)
At The Shops at the Boulevard on the upper ground level, a three-day festival features a variety of fun-filled activities such as Chinese calligraphy, fortunetelling and caricature art as well as performances by Chinese opera singers, cultural dancers and Wushu martial artists from January 27 to 29 at 3:00 pm to 8:00 pm. A God of Fortune will be roaming the main gaming area on the ground floor and the upper ground level to hand out ang baos containing gift certificates, discount coupons and chocolates to lucky guests.
For restaurant reservations, call 8008080 or email [email protected].