Gōng Xǐ Fā Cái!
I’ve been feeling a little weird about the Lunar New Year this particular year. I’m not full Chinese and feel like I can lay no claim over this holiday, but for the past ten years or so, I’ve always celebrated it in big ways thanks to being invited to events.
This time around, most Chinese New Year festivities are non-existent, if not significantly scaled down. So it really does feel like I’m missing a lot —the blinding sounds of the firecrackers, the elaborate Lion and Dragon Dances, the Yee Sang Toss, among others.
Still, there’s a lot to be thankful for in this new year: I’m in good health, my family and friends are safe and well, and work is picking back up again, slowly but hopefully surely *manifests mental Prosperity Toss*
Also, there’s Chinese food.
Some days back, I had the opportunity to sample Radisson Blu Cebu‘s Chinese New Year Specials with my friends and fellow content creators Doyzkie Buenaviaje of Tasty Cebu PH and Marco Paulo Diala of Lami Kaayo.
We started with the appetizers:
Between these three, my favorite was definitely the Gua Bao with the crunchy greens a nice contrast to the soft braised pork belly. I could probably have six of those and call it a meal.
As it is, these dishes were definitely appetizer servings, much to the downfall of the Hainanese Chicken—I would have loved to have it as a main course because it was so flavorful and filling, and also I miss decent Hainanese Chicken.
We decided to order various items on the main course menu so we can have a taste of (almost) everything. Each order is actually good for one person and comes with a cup of rice, but for our purposes we enjoyed it family-style. We just made sure to use serving forks and spoons for safety.
Out of all these dishes, the Stir-Fried Noodles was a standout to me, if the way I snuck in three servings was anything to go by. The Szechuan-Style Chicken coming in at a close second—it packed a decent amount of heat without being overly spicy.
That’s not to say I didn’t enjoy everything else because I did, but I clearly had a bias for those two. In fact, I found myself asking Promotions Manager Rochelle Tabino if the Noodles was just a limited offering (it is 🙁 ), because that would have been yet another reason to go back to Radisson Blu Cebu more often.
Though I write about these dishes in the context of the Lunar New Year, these dishes will be available at The Lobby Bar for lunch and dinner the whole month of February. If that doesn’t encourage you to visit and have some great Chinese food, look no further than the prices! Menu items start at Php 300, which is such a great deal already!
For table reservations, call Radisson Blu Cebu at (032) 4029900 or send them an e-mail. You can also contact them on their social media accounts.
Happy New Year again, everyone! May the Year of the Ox be… much better than last year. 😛
