Dining In/Out: Tasting Christmas

City of Dreams

CITY OF DREAMS (COD) Manila’s signature restaurants — Crystal Dragon, Haliya, Nobu Manila, and The Café — are bringing holiday cheer through special menus that evoke the season’s festive flavors. Crystal Dragon, the resort’s Cantonese and regional Chinese restaurant, blends signature dishes in its Festive Season Family Set Menu. The seven-course menu, good for four to six persons includes a combination platter of Wok-fried Green Lobster with XO sauce and Stuffed Tiger Prawn with spinach and crabmeat egg white sauce; Double-boiled Abalone, Fish Maw, Dry Scallop and Stuffed Morel Mushrooms with chrysanthemum tofu in consommé; and Steamed Live Sea Grouper in sour broth with fresh enoki mushroom. Available for lunch and dinner until Jan. 1, the family set menu costs P36,000++. Crystal Dragon is open from noon to 11 p.m. daily. Haliya, COD’s go-to restaurant for reimagined Filipino cuisine, presents ala carte seasonal favorites that evoke the Filipino noche buena feast, including Morcon Embotido and Peras and Kastanyas. Haliya’s Christmas menu is available on Dec. 24 from 5 to 11 p.m., and on Christmas Day, from noon to 11 p.m. For one-of-a-kind Christmas dinners, Nobu Manila highlights a special Christmas Omakase menu available on Dec. 24 and 25. The special five-course tasting menu is available for P6,653.57 net per person. Hyatt Regency Manila’s interactive show kitchen, The Café, has a festive buffet spread for celebratory lunch (noon to 3 p.m.) and dinner (5:30 to 11 p.m.) on Dec. 24 and 25. Lunch is at P3,150, while the dinners are at P4,288 on Dec. 24 and P3,250 on Dec. 25, which already includes free-flowing house red and white wines, draft beer, soda, iced tea, juices, coffee, and tea. For inquiries and reservations, call 8800-8080 or e-mail guestservices@cod-manila.com. For more information, visit https://www.cityofdreamsmanila.com/en/whats-on.

Gringo rolls out party trays

GRINGO is making holiday gatherings more festive with the launch of its party trays and holiday sets, designed for potlucks, Christmas parties, and Noche Buena feasts. Made for sharing, each party tray serves six to eight people. These include the Angus Bolognese Linguine Party Tray (P950), the Bacon Cream Fusilli Party Tray (P970), and the Shrimp Bisque Pasta Party Tray (P1,250); BBQ Southern Boneless Fried Chicken with Mac and Cheese Party Tray (P980), Char-grilled Chicken and Ribs Party Tray (P1,280), Chicken Tenders with Fries Party Tray (P1,200), the Garlic Calamari Party Tray (P1,050), and the Grinchos Party Tray (P1,050). For hosts looking for convenient bundles, Gringo offers its holiday sets: the Party Starter Set (P3,280) includes Grinchos, Angus Bolognese, Chicken and Ribs party trays, and two liters of soda; the Fiesta Grande Set (P5,250), comes with Grinchos, Garlic Calamari, Angus Bolognese, BBQ Chicken with Mac and Cheese, Chicken and Ribs party trays, plus two liters of soda. For bigger celebrations, the Boss Feast Set (P6,450) includes Grinchos, Garlic Calamari, Angus Bolognese Linguine, Shrimp Bisque Pasta, Chicken Tenders with Fries, Chicken and Ribs party trays, along with two liters of soda. Gringo Party Trays and Holiday Sets are available via gringo.ph, in all Gringo branches nationwide, and through GrabFood and Foodpanda. Gringo branches are located at Ayala Malls Feliz, Bonifacio Global City, Dela Rosa Street, Festival Mall, Greenhills, SM Mall of Asia Arena, SM Fairview, SM Manila, SM Megamall, SM North EDSA, and SM Sucat. Provincial branches include SM Baguio, SM Dasmariñas, SM Legazpi, SM Marilao, and SM Sta. Rosa.

Goldilocks offers Christmas specials

FROM festive cakes to hearty food trays, Goldilocks has what one needs to celebrate. Now available are its Signature Chocolate and Luscious and Classic Greeting Cakes which feature special holiday toppers. Goldilocks also has a wide selection of Christmas food trays featuring all-time favorites like Lumpiang Shanghai, Fresh Lumpia, Pancit Canton, Pancit Malabon, Pancit Palabok, Pancit Sotanghon, Lasagna, and Chunky Pork BBQ, starting at P490. Visit Goldilocks stores nationwide, order through Goldilocks Delivery, or food delivery apps.

Lexus Mitsukoshi has new items for December

LEXUS MITSUKOSHI has a fresh lineup of menu items from Key Coffee. The new offerings draw from familiar comfort food. A bowl of Kaarage Udon is steaming in a savory dashi consommé, with karaage. Their version of Omurice has chicken fried rice wrapped in scrambled eggs, finished with a tomato demi-glace. The Pomodoro Toast offers thick-cut shokupan layered with savory tsukune, bright tomatoes, bell peppers, and melted cheese. As a sweet ender, there is the Berry Parfait which presents a buttery crumble, smooth vanilla diplomat cream, and a mixed berry compote, finished with balsamic and fresh berries. As for drinks, the Velvet Peach & Toffee pairs ripe peach with brown toffee crumble, milk foam, and ginger ale. The Chili Mint Nama Latte has silky Nama chocolate and No. 18 espresso. A Melon Citrus Cream Soda combines melon and lime with milk foam and soda water. These are available exclusively at Key Coffee within Lexus Mitsukoshi.