A rare Michelin-starred ‘Dragon’ dinner hits Manila

The local dining landscape is set for a high-stakes elevation this April as City of Dreams Manila prepares to host a rare alignment of culinary heavyweights. On 11 April, the signature restaurant Crystal Dragon will be the stage for “The Dragons’ Ascent,” a one-night-only six-hands dinner that marks the first collective showcase of Melco Resorts’ most acclaimed "Dragon" institutions.

For 72 guests, the evening serves as a focused showcase of what the group calls the “Star Standard.” It brings together the triple-Michelin-starred Jade Dragon and the one-starred Pearl Dragon from Macau alongside Manila’s own multi-awarded Crystal Dragon.

The narrative of the evening is built around a six-course tasting menu that serves as a dialogue between three master chefs. The journey begins with a collaborative appetizer featuring fried Iberico pork and spring onion rolls alongside chilled Mantis prawn with yellow bean sauce and Oscietra caviar.

This is followed by a showcase of technical mastery from Macau’s three-star Jade Dragon, including a hot and sour soup with fish maw and leopard coral grouper, and a black truffle-infused baked stuffed crab shell.

The menu continues to push boundaries with Pearl Dragon’s innovation—a South African dried abalone and Wagyu beef cheek puff—before Crystal Dragon presents a local showcase of Australian lobster steamed with aged Hua Diao wine.

Leading this culinary symphony is Executive Chef Kelvin Au Yeung of Jade Dragon, a veteran with over 25 years of experience who has steered his kitchen to the industry’s highest global distinctions for six consecutive years.

He is joined by Pearl Dragon’s Executive Chef Otto Wong, whose philosophy reflects the precision and ingredient purity of the Michelin tradition, and Crystal Dragon’s Chef de Cuisine Chan Choo Kean. Chan brings three decades of expertise and recently led the Manila outpost to the Philippines’ Best Hotel Restaurant title at the 2024 World Culinary Awards, a clear sign that the local scene stands on equal footing with global benchmarks.

The evening concludes on a contemporary note with a dessert of Chocolate Kalamansi Cremeux and Moringa Sherbet, a final nod to the fusion of regional influence and modern craft.

At P11,888 net per person, the experience includes pre-dinner cocktails and canapés beginning at 6 PM, with an optional wine pairing available for P2,500. As Manila continues to refine its identity as a serious gastronomic destination, this "ascent" of the three dragons offers a rare window into the meticulous craftsmanship that defines the pinnacle of contemporary Cantonese cuisine.