As soon as the lions ‘awoke,’ they sprang to life, joined by the dragons, as they made their way through the property, visiting the front desk, dining outlets, and offices, blessing each space with their presence to the accompaniment of drums, cymbals and a gong.
Three lions dance in front of the Lanson Place executives and guests.
The dragons roam around the property.
The festivities continue at the lobby.
The Prosperity ‘Yu Sheng’ dish.
The Cyan Modern Kitchen.
A noodle toss by Nils Rothbarth, Nes Jardin and Leah Magallanes for prosperity and good health.
Char Siu, Steamed Red Snapper in Soy Ginger Sauce, and Roasted Pork Belly.
Seafood Noodles, Stir Fried Vegetables and Tofu, Soy Chicken, and Pata Tim with Cuapao.
The hotpot choices.
Squid, Marinated Pork Belly, and Cajun Seafood Boil.
Drinks galore: Lunar Sunrise, Hong Kong Milk Tea and Long Hua.
The dessert selection of Chinese Egg Sponge Cake, Hong Kong Egg Tarts, and Sesame Balls.
Round fruits for prosperity.
As soon as I stepped in the lobby porte-cochère of the Lanson Place Mall of Asia, Manila, the Lunar New Year celebration instantly began. And before long, it was in full swing!
The event kicked off with an eye-dotting ceremony, a tradition believed to awaken the lions and bring good luck for the year ahead. The breathtaking lion dance featured three beautifully crafted costumes, with their vibrant colors and movements — sometimes graceful, other times powerful — mesmerizing the crowd.
Peggy Angeles, executive vice president of SM Hotels and Conventions Corp. (SMHCC); Nils Rothbarth, general manager of Lanson Place Mall of Asia; and Cathy Nepomuceno, senior vice president of Operations of SMHCC, led the opening rites.
As soon as the lions “awoke,” they sprang to life, joined by the dragon as they made their way through the property, visiting the front desk, dining outlets, and offices, blessing each space with their presence to the accompaniment of a drum, cymbals and a gong. We soon made our way to Madeleine High Tea for some light refreshments and a most welcome astrology reading. The atmosphere was warm and endearing, with some patrons sipping tea and listening intently as the astrologer shared insights based on the different Chinese zodiac signs.
I could not help but smile as I saw some guests light up when their signs were discussed — some nodding in agreement, others visibly excited and thrilled about what the new year had in store for them. It was a fun and engaging way to add a personal touch to the festivities.
The most exciting part was the Prosperity Toss at Cyan Modern Kitchen.
Led by Rothbarth, SMHCC consultant Nes Jardin, Leah Magallanes, SMHCC vice president for Sustainability and Quality Assurance, and Lanson Place Mall of Asia food and beverage manager Deczle Enriquez, this tradition — also known as Yee Shang — is a symbol of good fortune, success, and happiness.
We gathered around a large plate filled with an assortment of colorful ingredients, each one carrying its own meaning. White radish for roaring success, red elements like carrots and ginger for good fortune, and green ones such as coriander and cucumber for eternal youth and beauty. Yellow onions represented an open road to wealth, pomelo added extra luck, and the fresh salmon symbolized abundance. As peanuts and sesame seeds were sprinkled for wealth, a fragrant five-spice dressing was drizzled in a circular motion to represent continuous prosperity.
Then came the best part — using our elongated chopsticks, we all tossed the salad as high into the air as we could, shouting “Heng Ong Huat!” The energy was contagious and definitely drove off all the bad aura away.
The buffet was remarkably spectacular. Prepared by executive chef Kristine Oro and her team, the curated spread featured everything from baked salmon with citrus glaze and slow-cooked beef rump to char sui, steamed red snapper in soy ginger sauce, roasted pork belly, seafood noodles, and stir-fried vegetables with tofu. I couldn’t resist trying the soy chicken and pata tim with cuapao, both of which were rich and flavorful.
There were even hotpot options for those who wanted a more interactive dining experience.
And let’s not forget the festive desserts — Hong Kong egg tarts, Chinese egg sponge cake, and sesame balls, all paired with refreshing Hua Long drinks. Everywhere I looked, there were round fruits beautifully displayed, an ode to the tradition of welcoming prosperity into the new year.
Kung Hei Fat Choi, Gong Xi Fa Cai, Kiong Hee Huat Tsai!
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