Nothing less than grand for mom

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...

How many humongous chandeliers does the Grand Dame have?

... go under Cherry Blossom trees for good luck...

...like so...

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.

Mabuhay Palace's special menu for Mother's Day

Which has these....

Prawn & Mango Salad

Braised Bird's Nest Soup with Dried Scallops & Crab Meat

Stir Fried Scallops with Egg White in Lettuce Cup

Deep Fried Sea Bass with Soya Sauce

Pan Fried U.S. Beef Tenderloin in Ginseng Sauce

Braised Sea Cucumber & Abalone with Soya Sauce

Steamed Boneless Chicken with Black Fungus, Red Dates
& Daylily Flower in Lotus Leaf

Mother's Day Seafood Noodles

Snow Balls

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.

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."

Chilled 

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.