Welcome, Year of the Fire Monkey!

Make sure to celebrate with a lot of noise and even fireworks tonight to say goodbye to the negativity of the past year and bring in prosperity this 2016!

For an authentic blessing from a feng shui master, head over to the Manila Hotel tonight where there will be a dinner and blessing ceremony with Feng Shui Master Joseph Chau.

Master Chau says that this is “if you want to have a proper and official powerful blessing and change your luck into prosperous!”

Master Chau used to give the annual New Year’s blessings at the now shuttered Mandarin Oriental Manila.

This year, he will lead the ceremonies and impart a special blessing at the Manila Hotel with his son, Master Vittorio Chau.

The Chinese New Year program will be marked by fireworks launched from the Manila Hotel grounds to drive away the bad spirits. There will also be cocktails at the Grand Lobby while guests will witness a colorful Dragon’s Eye Dotting Ceremony and special lion and dragon dance.

And finally, the Chinese New Year blessing led by Master Chau will be accompanied by a Cantonese lauriat dinner by Chef Sun Bing of the Mabuhay Palace.

Ticket prices are P2,888 each for adults and P1,888 each for children aged 5 to 12 years old.

Each ticket entitles guests to a copy of Master Joseph Chau’s book, Feng Shui Essentials, a collection of daily advice and predictions leading to good luck and fortune.

For reservations or tickets, call 5270011 loc. 1175 to 1179 or local 1275 to 1276.

Tikoy

For gifts to friends, there is the ubiquitous tikoy or nian gao. This is believed to bring good luck to both the receiver and the giver, so join in the fun of giving away these edible flying saucers!

For your titas of Manila, get a special box at the Marriott of double prosperity Ti-koi fish (P1,188/270 grams in gift box) available at the Marriott Café Bakery. Or get a Ti-Koi gift set, available until Feb. 13.

While you’re shopping, get some jewelry designed for good energy and good luck  by award-winning jewelry artisan, Ann Ong.

Cantonese dinner

 

For a traditional Chinese dinner, try the Auspicious Set Menus at Lung Hin, Marco Polo Ortigas Manila’s Cantonese restaurant. Until Feb. 18, the hotel will have two prosperous 10-course set menus for good fortune and good health: Good Luck Set Menu (P2,500+ per person) and Good Health Set Menu (P3,000+ per person for a minimum of 10 persons). If you come by tomorrow, Feb. 8, you might chance upon a special lion dance performance.

Meanwhile, Crystal Dragon at City of Dreams will offer until the end of the month a seven-course Chinese New Year Elegant Menu (P3,690+ per person).

The set includes Prosperity Salmon Fish Yu Shang with Fruit Salad; Braised Eight Sea Treasure and Shredded Abalone Broth; Steamed Cod with Baby Cabbage in Supreme Soy, Hong Kong Style—the cod fish signifying abundance as fish is one of the eight Buddhist symbols of good fortune; Stir Fried Prawns with Butter, Curry Leaf and Crispy Egg Threads; Wok-Fried Glutinous Rice and Wild Rice with Barbecue Pork Meat Wrapped in Lotus Leaf—the sticky rice symbolizing unity, while the rice represents a gathering of people; and Chilled Red Bean Puree served with Coconut Milk Ice Cream, and Double Flavor of Chinese New Year Nian Gao Platter, a traditional Chinese New Year specialty that represents prosperity and fortune.

And for those who believe that the luckiest number is 8, Crystal Dragon also has an eight-course Chinese New Year Treasures Menu (P5,690++ per person) that includes Dried Scallop with Abalone in Cordycep Flower Soup; and Stir-Fried Egg Noodles with Seafood, Mushrooms and Shredded Cabbage where the egg is believed to characterize fertility, money, wealth and gold, while the long, uncut noodles represent a long life.

Kung hei fat choi

 

Wherever you end up dining for the New Year, always remember Master Joseph Chau’s wise advice that good deeds always bring good luck.

So up the ante on good deeds this Year of the Fire Monkey and you’re sure to have a most auspicious year ahead.

Kung Hei Fat Choi!!