The 5 star Conrad Manila is just six months old but already houses many treasured memories. For one, it’s currently the lucky home of the world’s tallest and fairest, Miss Universe 2016 candidates.
Another gem to discover for foodies is the restaurant China Blue by celebrity chef Jereme Leung. Stepping inside is already a feast of the senses because of the opulent surroundings – expensive china, plush dining couches and luxe private rooms.
We were in one of the private rooms for a preview of the hotel’s Chinese New Year offerings. The lauriat set menu starts at P28,888 and is good for 10 persons. But before our 11-dish meal (!!!) the helpful waitstaff ushered us to the so-called “street food corner”. I was afraid to be full before the main event but it was all too tempting to resist. Hotpot balls in curry sauce and fruits dipped in the chocolate fountain were yum!
The night proved to be a milestone for some of us as it was our first time to witness the yee sang (yusheng) or prosperity toss. This is apparently a must-do ritual for the Chinese in HK, Singapore, Malaysia and other parts of Asia to bring in good luck during the Lunar New Year.
The yee sang prepared by China Blue’s chef de cuisine Eng Yew Khorr was very attractive and colorful. Raw fish is a must, as well as veggies and sauces.
After the prosperity toss where we all shouted “lo hei! lo hei!”, the bowl now looked like this, but still artistic to my eyes 🙂
After tossing our chopsticks in the air and making a beautiful mess, our group sat down in the big round table. The menu still looked kilometric, even though I felt like I ate for a long time already. We usually have a solution for this, it’s called “pacing” lol.
This deep-fried smoked duck pear dumpling was actually the most magical dish of the night. And to think I snubbed it at first because I thought it was some shrunken piece of fruit, haha. Only after my seatmates raved about it did I realize it had this yummy smoked meat, mushrooms and everything else inside. Good thing I was able to get the last piece!
The seafood and mushroom money bags in dry scallop sauce were another delicious treat….
To warm the tummy, we had a slurp of the braised peach gum and sea treasure with superior crab broth.This wasn’t just any soup. The hotel’s Chinese operations manager, Mary Jane Domingo, appraised us of how the peach gum is much sought after to enhance one’s skin quality and make one youthful.
Btw, I just can’t help but admire the exquisitely-designed plates in China Blue.
On to the dinner. What came next were a succession of my favorite seafood –
The stir-fried lobster with golden broth XO sauce. Among the Chinese, the lobster is regarded as a symbol of luck and prosperity.
Then came the steamed live garoupa with soy sauce and spring onion, a classic Chinese dish. The main courses were perfect with the wok fried rice mixed with preserved duck meat and Chinese New Year sausage.
You might think we didn’t have any veggies. This healthy platter had these ginormous mushrooms on top and loads of broccoli under.
For the home stretch, we had a taste of these desserts….
Chilled sweetened black glutinous rice puree with coconut ice cream – thumbs up!
then the battered crispy banana with Chinese New Year cake….
I am undoubtedly happy and lucky to have finally tasted the legendary China Blue by Jereme Leung, now live at the Conrad. Most importantly, service exceeds expectations so it’s worth all the raves.
Guilty of gluttony as charged, Your Honor. That’s me, hehe. It was nice to spend dinner with this jolly group which included our gracious hosts, Conrad Manila’s director of business development Michael Jaey Albana, director of food and beverage Adam Lifschitz (not in photo), PR consultant Zeny Iglesias, Ms. Jane Domingo, MarCom executive Ramon Vera and the charming girls of ODV Creative.
Salut!
For reservations and inquiries, call +632 683 3915 or email conradmanila@conradhotels.com
Conrad Manila is at Seaside Boulevard, Coral Way, Pasay City
Metro Manila Philippines
Recent Comments