Moms deserve only the best. I bet everyone has something good brewing for her this Mother's Day--breakfast in bed, a showering of presents and perhaps a fabulous dinner date at the Grand Dame- the Manila Hotel.
Since moms should be given royal treatment, why not let her have dinner in a palace? The Grand Dame has one and to get there you have to pass by a chandelier-filled hall...
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| How many humongous chandeliers does the Grand Dame have? |
... go under Cherry Blossom trees for good luck...
...like so...
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| I missed the Sakura in Japan but this will do. |
At Mabuhay Palace, the hotel's Chinese restaurant where everyone should live full, satisfied and happy (it's a Chinese tradition, I was told), the chef conceived a special menu for mom, her date - dad, and the rest of her dates- the kids.
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| Mabuhay Palace's special menu for Mother's Day |
Which has these....
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| Prawn & Mango Salad |
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| Braised Bird's Nest Soup with Dried Scallops & Crab Meat |
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| Stir Fried Scallops with Egg White in Lettuce Cup |
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| Deep Fried Sea Bass with Soya Sauce |
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| Pan Fried U.S. Beef Tenderloin in Ginseng Sauce |
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Braised Sea Cucumber & Abalone with Soya Sauce
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Steamed Boneless Chicken with Black Fungus, Red Dates
& Daylily Flower in Lotus Leaf |
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| Mother's Day Seafood Noodles |
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| Snow Balls |
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Chilled White Fungus with Coconut Cream & Red Dates
stuffed in Papaya |
I may not be a mother (yet) but no law states that I can't have these and enjoy it!
It was good to see Chef Joie Candelaria. I applaud her for coming up with this very tasty menu which was conceived while listening to James Ingram's "Just Once". I got to meet Chinese Chef Xiao Bing as well and was surprised how fluent he is in Tagalog.
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| No, I am not their mother. |
But maybe they sensed that I had the mother instinct in me, so they extended the menu offering a little further "just once."
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| Chilled |
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| And my favorite BUCHI!!!! |
The Buchi was the perfect ending to the meal. I am one happy person, mother I may not be. But nothing is impossible.
