10 Spots + Sellers for Chinese New Year Set Menus, Gifts, and Desserts

(SPOT.ph) Here in the Philippines, celebrating the new year doesn’t stop at January 1. With the way Chinese culture is ingrained into our own, Chinese New Year—also called Lunar New Year or the Spring Festival—is every bit a big deal in these parts. All the better, we say, especially if food is your middle name.

Food, of course, plays a huge role in the occasion. There’s nothing like being with friends and family and celebrating with an auspicious spread or banquet of Chinese dishes, or giving (and receiving) the traditional cake called nian gao or tikoy. More modern confections like cakes and cookies are likewise more than welcome. Should you be searching for these eats in Manila this year (it's the year of the Water Rabbit!), this list has got you covered.

Also read: Chinese New Year Celebration in QC's Banawe Is Back This 2023

Make Chinese New Year extra memorable with these set menus, dishes, desserts, and more:

Edsa Shangri-La

Edsa Shangri-La’s Summer Palace—one of Manila’s most dependable OG Chinese spots—has three special set menus for the occasion. Choose from the 10-course Wealth (P23,880+/good for 10) with dishes like Stewed Pork Knuckles and Steamed Lapu-Lapu; the 12-course Prosperity (P33,880+/good for 10) that includes a Thai-style Braised Supreme Seafood Soup and Braised Sea Moss; and the 11-course Longevity (P53,888+/good for 10) with Braised Whole Abalone and Diced Beef with Walnuts. All sets come with a Prosperity Salmon Yee Sang. Also on their roster are dreamy desserts of a Mandarin Chocolate Torte (P1,650) and Water Rabbit Carrot Cake (P1,650) from The Bakeshop; a Ninko Fish-Shaped Nian Gao (P1,988) and Gold Bar (P1,688)-shaped Nian Gao; a Fortune Rabbit Prosperity Hamper; and more.

Edsa Shangri-La is at 1 Garden Way, Ortigas Center, Mandaluyong City. For delivery orders, visit their website. You can also check out their Facebook page.

Masa Madre Bakehouse

Love red bean (a.k.a. azuki)? Masa Madre’s got a special Red Rabbit Croissant for Chinese New Year with a double dose of the legume—pastry cream infused with melted red-bean white rabbit candy, plus a red-bean sauce to really drive home that nuttiness. Also on their CNY roster are the Pain Au Tikoy (stuffed with brown sugar tikoy for chewy contrast) and Golden Fu Mahu (with pork floss and salted egg crumbs). These are available as part of their Chinese New Year bundle for P777.

For orders, send a message to Masa Madre Bakehouse on Facebook or Instagram.

Grand Hyatt Manila

Bring the fam over to the Grand Ballroom of Grand Hyatt Manila as they’ve got a Chinese New Year set menu (P25,888 net/good for six) on January 22, complete with a live cooking show, prosperity toss, and lion dance performance. Smaller groups can head to China House, which has set menus (starts at P14,880 net) good for four on the 21st and 22nd. Don’t forget to drop by Florentine and bring home tikoy a.k.a. Nian Gao, which they’ve got in the classic brown sugar flavor.

Grand Hyatt Manila is at 8th Avenue corner 35th Street, Bonifacio Global City. For delivery orders, visit their website. You can also check out their Facebook page.

KO Pâtissier

It doesn’t get any dreamier than KO Patissier’s Chinese New Year Cake (P3,000), which features a dramatic Chinese fan and sycees as embellishments. Its appeal doesn’t stop at its looks; slice in and you’ll find layers of a lotus-seed cream mousse, wild berries gelee, hazelnut pain de gene, and white chocolate croustilliant.

For orders, send a message to KO Pâtissier on Facebook or Instagram.

Diamond Hotel

Ring in Chinese New Year the best way possible—that is, by eating your heart out—at Diamond Hotel’s Corniche buffet. They’ve got CNY specials on their lineup for January 19 to 22; rates start at P3,500 net per head. Alternatively, you can go order up their Lucky Chinese Set Menus available for lunch or dinner starting at P16,800 net good for five. And if you’d rather stay at home, the hotel’s also got a selection of mains available for takeaway, including the New Year Prosperity Salmon Yu-Sheng (P1,720) and Chef Yong Eight Treasure Duck (P4,930).

Diamond Hotel is at Roxas Boulevard corner J. Quintos Street, Manila City. For delivery orders, visit their website. You can also check out their Facebook page. 

Leonisa’s Kitchen

Trust Leonisa’s Kitchen to make any occasion—Chinese New Year included—a whole lot more sweet. For starter’s there’s the Black Sesame Red Bean Tart (P1,450), a glossy red confection with layers of black sesame mousse, red bean mousse, and milk chocolate ganache. And for a Chinese-meets-French treat don’t miss their CNY Cream Puffs (P680/box of nine) with three special flavors: Strawberry Lychee, Choco Peanut Mochi, and Mango Mochi.

For orders, send a message to Leonisa’s Kitchen on Facebook or Instagram.

City of Dreams Manila

You’ll be torn for choice for dine-in over at City of Dreams Manila. Crystal Dragon’s got must-try CNY specials that include the Steamed Duo Flavor Live Grouper and Crispy Taro & New Year Cake Pillow; not to be missed is their distinct take on a Yee Sang Salad (P1,600+/good for five) that’s got Prosperity Roasted Duck in place of the usual salmon. Prefer a more classic version of the salad? Head to TungLok Signatures and order up the Yu Sheng (P2,888) with salmon, fresh fruit and veg, and the essential tossing performance—the works. Last but not the least, Red Ginger’s serving up Longevity Noodles (with crispy pork belly and quail eggs atop egg noodles!) and Braised Prosperity Pork Knuckle with King Mushrooms, among other savory and sweet dishes.

City of Dreams Manila is at Entertainment City corner Macapagal Avenue, Aseana Avenue, Parañaque City. You can also check out their Facebook page.

Butterboy Bakeshop

White Rabbit candies will forever be an icon of Chinese (and Filipino) nostalgia. You can get your fill of its signature creaminess within a buttery, flaky pastry with Butterboy’s White Rabbit Pain au Chocolat, available as part of their Chinese New Year Set (P579). Also in the box are one piece each of these other drool-worthy CNY-themed croissants (and croissant-adjacent treats): Pineapple Cake Croissant, Oolong Tea Croissant, The Kouign of Thailand (Thai Milk Tea kouign amann), Sesame Kouign Amann, and the Smoked Duck Ham and Cheese Croissant.

For delivery orders, visit Butterboy's website. You can also check out their Facebook page.

Shangri-La the Fort

Canton Road—the hotel’s resident Chinese spot—has set menus that each have nine dishes; we’re talking the likes of U.S. Beef Tenderloin with Foie Gras in Crispy Garlic Pepper Sauce, Ming Dynasty Roasted Peking Duck, and Norwegian Salmon Yee Sang. For gifting you’ll want to grab one of their Nian Gao Treasure Boxes—there’s the single-layer Longetivity Box (P2,888 net) and double-layer Prosperity Box (P3,988 net)—or Lunar New Year Hampers (starts at P3,888 net) with an assortment of Chinese pastries and condiments.

Shangri-La the Fort is at 30th Street corner 5th Avenue, Bonifacio Global City. For delivery orders, visit their website. You can also check out their Facebook page.

Hotel Okura

Hotel Okura’s Yawaragi pastry boutique has two dazzling desserts for your CNY spread. Take your pick from the The Water Rabbit (P330+/petite, P1,700+/whole) with the flavors of oolong tea, raspberry, and coconut; and the Chinese New Year Lucky Bag (P330+/petite, P1,700+/whole) with the flavors of mango, coconut, almond, and sesame. Their resident kaiseki restaurant Yamazato’s likewise got a Lunar New Year Bento (P2,700+/person) available for lunch until January 31.

Hotel Okura is at 2 Portwood Street, Pasay City. You can also check out their Facebook page.

Also read:
These Noodle Soups From All Over Asia Can Easily Be Made At Home
Chinese Food Guide: All You Need To Know About Chinese Cuisine

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