Per tradition, Chinese and even some Chinese-Filipinos in the Philippines celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival on the 15th day of the eighth lunisolar month in the Chinese calendar. This year, the date landed on September 19. The moon is believed to be at its brightest and fullest, and so we gather to feast on the moon festival.
In celebration of the mid-autumn festival, we attended an event hosted by our Cantonese family association (旅菲南海九江同鄉會) at lunchtime in Mandarin Sky and another one by Everbest with family at dinnertime in RoyalView Seafood Restaurant last Sunday.
The irony was that mooncake (the heart of the festival) was not served, yet we were more than satisfied with large servings and scrumptious portions of Chinese food and cash prizes won from the dice game. In the end, everybody went home happy and thankful for another year of harvests and sweet yields.
FOOD
Food from both restaurants showcased avant-garde tasting set menus that led on a wild romp into molecular gastronomy by way of 10 courses:
Mandarin Sky Seafood and Shabu Shabu Restaurant (Banawe, Quezon City)
1. Wintermelon with Assorted Meat Soup (Large, PHp 410); 2. Steamed Shrimps (Suahe); 3. Deep Fried Oyster with X.O. Sauce (PHp 500); 4. Yang Chow Fried Rice (PHp 420); 5. Fish; 6. Braised Efu Noodles (Large, PHp 400); 7. Sea Clam with Eggwhites (Large, PHp 560); 8. Peppercorn Spare Ribs (Large, PHp 560); 9. Sesame Balls; 10. Red Bean Dessert Soup (Tong Shui)
RoyalView Seafood Restaurant (SM Mall of Asia, Pasay City)
1. Assorted Cold Cuts Combination; 2. Seafood w/ Spinach Soup; 3. Steamed Shrimps; 4. Braised Abalone Mushroom w/ Vegetable; 5. Noodles; 6. HK Style Fried Pork Leg; 7. Steam Crabs; 8. Golden Crispy Chicken; 9. Steamed Lapu-Lapu; 10. Mango Sago
How to Play the Dice Game – Mooncake Festival
The objective of the Mooncake Dice Game (Pua Tiong Chiu) is to get as much prizes by throwing the dice and getting the winning number combinations. To prepare, you need six pieces of dice, a wide-mouthed bowl and prizes in any form (can be in cash, gift certificates, mooncake, or kind such as school or office supplies, candies and snacks, appliances, gadgets, furniture, car—basically, sky is the limit).
Prizes:
Each player has a chance to win a piece of each prize per round or until prizes for a place run out. Prizes vary from 1st place to 6th place winners, by count:
1st place prize: 1 piece
2nd place prizes: 2 pieces
3rd place prizes: 4 pieces
4th places prizes: 8 pieces
5th place prizes: 16 pieces
6th place prizes: 32 pieces
[box type=”info”] Example: (Cash) 1st place prize: 1 X PHp 1000 2nd place prizes: 2 X PHp 500 3rd place prizes: 4 X PHp 200 4th place prizes: 8 X PHp 100 5th place prizes: 16 X PHp 50 6th place prizes: 32 X PHp 20[/box]
Rules of the Dice Game:
1. Gather the players and decide the order in a table. You can write the numbers on paper and ask the players to draw one. Arrange them by their numbers.
2. Explain the dynamics of the game to get everyone on the same page and make way for clarifications.
3. The first player throws all 6 dice into the bowl.
4. Take note of the numbers face-up on the dice, as certain combination of numbers on the dice entitles the player to a prize.
5. Pass the bowl to the next player and repeat step 4 until all prizes are taken.
Special Rules:
1. If any of the dice fall outside the bowl, the player loses his/her turn for that round.
2. If all the prizes for a given dice number combinations have run out, then future appearances of that configuration win no further prizes.
3. “Ultimate throw” – The best combination is composed of either 6 fours, or 6 ones. If you get this combination, you win ALL prizes, even those already won. Some families just give the 1st prize to ensure everybody gets to take home a prize.
Winning Dice Number Combinations:
1st place (状元):
Winning Hierarchy: (1 being the highest and 5 being the lowest)
1. Six 4s (i.e. 4–4–4–4–4–4)
2. Six of a kind except 4s (e.g. 3-3-3-3-3-3)
3. Five 4s + any number (e.g. 4–4–4–4-3-1)
4. Five of a kind except 4s + any number (e.g. 5-5-5-5-5-1)
5. Four 4s + any 2 numbers (e.g. 4–4–4–4-6-1)
[box type=”info”] Note: When there’s a tie, for instance, check the “any number” (in #3 and #4 above) or add the “any 2 numbers” in #5. Whoever has the greater sum wins.[/box]
2nd place (榜眼 / 探花):
Straight 1 to 6 (i.e. 1-2-3-4-5-6) or Two Trios except 4 (e.g. 1–1–1-3-3-3, 5-5-5-2-2-2)
3rd place (进士):
Four of a Kind except 4s (e.g. 3-3-3-3-2-1)
4th place (会元):
Three 4s + any 3 numbers (e.g. 4–4–4-3-2-1)
5th place (举人):
Two 4s + any four numbers (e.g. 4–4-5-3-1-6)
6th place (秀才):
One 4 + any five numbers (e.g. 4-2-5-6-6-3)
About Rochkirstin Santos-Sioco
Health and technology freak. Food and lifestyle blogger with a large appetite for food and travel.
[…] sure there is no dice that bounces out of the bowl because by so you’ll lose a turn. Click here to know more about how to play the dice […]
But how come Mooncakes are being sold everywhere. People think it somehow symbolize Mid-autumn festival?
Haha yes, Joy, it’s supposed to be a symbol talaga. We had it at home, just not served in the events we’ve attended last weekend. 😛
This is equivalent to CHuseok here in South Korea. It’s their thanksgiving festival and also celebrated during mid autumn. I know that dice game thingy, our Chinese boss in the PH used to play the game during mooncake festival.
Oh yes, I have heard about the major harvest day in Korea. But unlike the Chinese, Koreans eat songpyeon and rice wines such as sindoju and dongdongju and play archery and Ssireum (Korean Wrestling). 😀
The dice game looks like a really nice way to decide the winner with the element of unpredictability in it.
It can be a game to relieve one’s stress – we all have to have fun with simple things like this sometimes, even as adults. 😀
I envy how you were able to create an organized post without bombarding us with photos! Naka-collage pa talaga. Btw, nagcrave tuloy ako ng mooncake! :p
Organizing these food pictures is just my way of showcasing elegant indulgence – just the right touch for the oriental occasion. 😀 Thanks, Algene.
Honestly, Didn’t mind other contents, just the food! @@ Ganitong oras ba naman ako magbubump dito sa blog mo! Ahh made me hungry >< Though I know the dice game 🙂
Nyahaha 😈 Yeah, actually even without wining those prizes, I already felt like a winner after devouring these savory dishes.
I happened to attend a Mid-Autumn Festival last 2008 here in Davao. I witnessed various Chinese dances, mooncake eating contest and so much more! I hope next year, I can witness the mid-autumn festival again! 😀
And oh, by the way, delicious looking foods in there! 😀
Yup they sure were really delish! 🙂 Whoa, I never knew there’s a mooncake eating contest in Davao.
Yup! There was a moon cake eating contest here in Davao and it was so fun watching them munching big moon cakes! 😀
Ohh I’m curious to know how big the moon cakes are tuloy haha.
That’s a fun event to attend to with all the food and prizes. I usually look forward to Mid Autumn Fest coz it’s the time of the year I got to receive mooncakes from my Chinese business contacts 🙂
Hehe it’s more fun to celebrate Mid Autum fest in other Chinese countries like Malaysia, Singapore and Taiwan. Colorful lanterns line the streets, festive floats bob in the waterways, malls have big sales, and the locals are entertained with parades, fireworks, and concerts.
wow those foods! i never though the mid autumn had passed already! we were in singapore that time when they had fireworks and fully festive in chinatown! i miss the kids back in our old condo celebrating this
Awww I miss the different mooncake flavors in Singapore already. I enjoyed the exquisitely tasty mooncakes (free tasting in Vivo City) available in myriad flavors from lotus, green tea, raspberry to other regular ice cream flavors. 😀
Anytime is a good time to eat good food but especially so during time-honored events.
True. While these food are not exactly easy on the budget, they are not the suburban chain stuff.
I have never tried mooncake before and owning a music blog about Chinese pop makes it more weird.. haha! I better try that soon! btw, I really like your new theme.. 🙂
Food and music are quite far-off anyway.
Wow, you’ve noticed! Thanks, Justin. 😀
Dice game, hmmmm that sounds a really interesting game. I will review the game first and I will let my classmates know about this game.
Sure! It’s quite fun actually… until the major prizes are still in. 😀
Grabe nag-crave ako sa pictures ng food! O I miss eating Chinese dishes!
Pasyal ka sa Chinatown! 🙂 You can drop me a message and we can do restaurant-hopping!
Yikes! A friend who works as social media and graphic designer for Megaworld invited me to come visit Lucky Chinatown as they have this grandeur celebration of the Mooncake Festival. Unfortunately, there’s somewhere else i need to be. Sayang! I could have devoured this much food din sana! hahahaha Pero i love the Dice Game! 😉
There’s always next year. 😛 Mark your calendar now — the lineup of events would likely fall in September also in 2014.
Since I grew up rubbing elbows with my late dad’s Chinese friends, I am quite familiar with this Festival. Back then, yung mga gumagawa ng mooncake local Chinese talaga. I don’t know ngayon? The dice game seems very interesting din.
You can try following these instructions in the dice game and make a mini party with your family members and relatives. See who’s the luckiest and enjoy the game altogether. 🙂
Mid Autumn festival was one of my favorite traditions growing up but funnily I never knew what it meant in English! Only in Mandarin haha. Ironically I didn’t like mooncake until recently probably because I don’t have access to it anymore. yum!
It is called with many names. Moon Festival, Mooncake Festival, Zhongqiu Festival, Lantern Festival, Reunion Festival, Children’s Festival, Harvest Moon and Chinese Thanksgiving. 😀
Wow! You’re so lucky to try these dishes! For sure your tummy were happy after eating! LOL!
Yes…and then excited to share them on social media right away. #Foodie
[…] For the benefit of first-timers, he also explained the rules on how to play (you may read it here). Basically, each player gets to roll six dice. The different combinations will result in different […]