Chinese New Year is held on different dates each year. This year of the Black Water Snake, it fell on a Sunday: February 10, 2013. Most families begin preparing a month or more in advance for celebrating Chinese New Year, but we bought food and prepared for the festivity only on the day before.
I was surprised that Ongpin Street in Chinatown, Binondo was way TOO CROWDED not only with Chinese people but also with Filipinos. (It took me almost an hour in the line to pay for the mushroom zongzi and peanut powder in Eng Bee Tin.) π―
How We Celebrated CNY 2013 in the Philippines
Like other Chinese families, we stuffed our tables with seafood, fruits, glutinous rice, lumpia, noodles, etc. However, unlike most of them, we didn’t decorate our home with red ornaments and lucky charms, didn’t offer a sacrifice to the Kitchen God, didn’t play mahjong until the sun comes up the next morning, didn’t set off chaotic fireworks and firecrackers and didn’t even bother to watch them explode in the sky. π In sheer contrast to these traditions, we only stayed at home and slept early on New Year’s Eve.
On the first day of the New Year itself, we had lunch in my paternal grandparents’ house and gave thanks to the lord through prayers for all the blessings we have received. Food brought by all of us (potluck):
Held on February 17, 2013, our second celebration still consisted of none else than enjoying festive food in Shangri-la Finest Chinese Cuisine, West Triangle, Quezon City. I didn’t manage to get pictures of the food though, because we were seated in a circular table with people we’re not familiar with. It was embarrassing for me to tell them I had to take a shot before they can get food to their plates. π
There were games for both adults and children, and we had fun collecting prizes from random raffle draws. The program’s host made sure that each person didn’t go home without taking a prize and tikoy for every family. And as usual, single men and women took “lucky money” enclosed in red envelopes (ηΊ’ε “hong bao”) given by the most senior female and male members of the association.
Our latest celebration was last March 3, 2013. With maternal relatives, we had some truly superlative 10-course Chinese lauriat food service, family-style entrees, for lunch in Mandarin Sky Seafood and Shabu-Shabu Restaurant (Banawe, Quezon City) and won monetary prizes from raffle draws sponsored by officers of ζ θ²εζ΅·δΉζ±ει·δΌ. Mandarin Sky is a good place to gather with friends and family over a satisfying meal before moving on (with a full stomach) to the rest of the day or evening.
About Rochkirstin Santos-Sioco
Health and technology freak. Food and lifestyle blogger with a large appetite for food and travel.
Do they have Buffet in Mandarin? I suddenly missed Mandarin in Canada where we usually hang out as a family.
Yes, they do have dimsum buffet and if I remember it correctly, each HC costs PHp 289++.
omg! food galore!! i can’t eat tons of food like that haha though it is chinese new year and even our regular filipino we cooked so many foods very festive indeed! xx
Hehe. I also noticed that there are a lot of my Filipino friends who bought sticky rice cakes [tikoy] for exchanging as gifts among themselves and with their Chinese friends. In the streets, while we drove to Angkong’s house that day, many people (almost everyone) wore red–in belief that red could scare ghosts away and give them more luck this year. π
In times like this, I might need to forget about diet. Really tasteful foods these must be.
There are 365-366 days in a year. Sure you can be excused and forget about diet during all big holidays! π
The food looks delicious and amazing. I’m sure you had a great time because of all of the good food.
Yup, we did! π
I may not recognize those few food in the picture but I like how the pancit and the seafood platter is prepared… very nice.. π
Most restaurants which offer Chinese food lauriat service present food that way, so we are so used to them already that we want something else.. whaha.
I love all the food on the photo’s. I am missing a lot of Chinese New year Celebration with my family. I just looked at The pictures they posted on FB.
Oh aren’t there a lot of Chinese in your area? I had a teacher before who joked that when all Chinese people in the world would stomp their feet at the same time (wherever they may be), an earthquake will happen. So I’m guessing CNY celebrations would be that rampant in any society regardless of the nation.
That’s a feast of Chinese dishes! Yum! Pancit and fried chicken! Love the foods from Mandarin Sky, too. Great thing that Filipinos are into Chinese New Year too.
Well, I guess that Filipinos just love to celebrate anything, especially something of Asian cultural significance, and that’s it. Happy people, they are. π Another reason might be that some Filipinos have a hint of Chinese ancestry in them that’s important enough to mold the connection and celebrate CNY.
Chinese food!!! This makes me crave for some Chinese food! Haha
…while I have Chinese food almost every day. π haha
Seeing all the foods it makes me salivating again. Oh my tummy said…gggrrrzzzz..hahahaha…Anyway, celebrating CNY is not new to me, or I say we do that yearly because my grandmother is married to a Chinese businessman. My Lolo Luis a pure Chinese man from Guizhou. He tells us a story about how China celebrates CNY in a traditional way. A bit conflict for me because there are rituals that need to be followed by the color of our dress before and after the CNY celebrations, the hair, the house, etc… oh lastly the FOOD. And you’re right gathering around the long table with all the relatives and don’t forget the giving of the CHINESE RED ENVELOPES(ang pao).
You’re right. What I like best about these celebrations are the food, the money and gathering with family. π Thanks for sharing me your family lineage. π
SEAFOOD!!! Can I have all of them? They’re my weakness! Hay!!!
By the way, I’ve never been to Chinatown. Hopefully I can visit it one of these days! π
You should visit Chinatown in Manila since it’s the oldest one in the world…and eat seafood all you can. (Just watch out for the prices, hehe.) After that, shop at nearby shopping places like 168, 999, Divisoria Mall for fashion bargains you can share in your blog. π
yummy!, good timing I was reading all these stuff during lunch time, and my stomach was like “growling”, love the canton and buchi
I sometimes also read blog posts about food review during lunch time and feel the same time. Ganun talaga. π
wow.. their meals look so delicious!!! especially the crab!!
Yes, everything was delicious and the crab was succulent!
These are a lot of food celebration, YUM!!! Our family didn’t celebrate as much this CNY but we went out for dinner Sunday night. Coz Saturday I was at the World Trade Center covering Bigfish Trance Energy event. Hihi π
Haha! I appreciate your honesty and even sharing about your trip to the event. π
I missed eating in a Chinese Restaurant. I really should try this one when I am in QC.
There are many Chinese restaurants along Banawe. All of which are must-tries! π