The integrated resort City of Dreams Manila rings in the Year of the Wood Dragon, considered as the luckiest sign in Chinese Zodiac. Its signature restaurants Crystal Dragon and Red Ginger showcase auspicious offerings to welcome the lunar year. As the Year of the Wood Dragon comes once every 60 years, COD Manila is also set to hold special events observing the traditions of the occasion.
Get the abalone at Crystal Dragon
From 25 January to 12 February, COD Manila’s outlet specializing in Cantonese and regional Chinese specialties offers Lunar New Year specialties from lunch to dinner including the signature Lunar Year Prosperity Abalone Yu Sheng.
A quintessential Chinese New Year celebratory fare, Crystal Dragon’s version of the symbolic yu sheng salad consists of lucky ingredients.
The abalone symbolizes abundance, while the oil represents a wish for a smooth-sailing year. The chopped peanuts and deep-fried flour crisps signify prosperity, and the sweet plum sauce denotes a sweet and harmonious family relationship. The green papaya carries the auspicious meaning of youthfulness, the radish for progression at a quick pace, the leeks for cleverness, and the pomelo and carrots for good luck.
Yu sheng is a uniquely Lunar New Year tradition that’s popular in Chinese communities in Southeast Asia, particularly in Malaysia and Singapore where heritage Chinese restaurants introduced it in the 1960s
Fish your luck at Red Ginger
COD Manila’s Asian bar and bistro renders a Southeast Asian twist to yu sheng salad with its Prosperity Prawn and Pomelo Salad, featuring sustainable prawns, local pomelo, hydroponic-grown lettuce and Vietnamese Nuoc cham dressing.
As it is customary to eat fish for its symbolism of abundance during this occasion, the restaurant also offers Deep-fried Whole Tilapia with calamansi, ginger and steamed bok choy. Crispy Orange Chicken with toasted sesame seeds and Red Ginger’s rendition of the ubiquitous Nian Gao consisting of custard-filled glutinous rice cake and fish-shaped tikoy are also highlighted.
Red Ginger’s menu for the Lunar New Year is available from 8 to 18 February for lunch and dinner.
Activities that bring good fortune
An eye-dotting ceremony and a lion and dragon dance are set on 10 February, 5 p.m., at the main casino entrance. Following Chinese mythology, the god of fortune is set to make appearances around the property to wish guests abundance and good luck.
From 8 to 11 February, 1 to 10 p.m., at The Shops at the Boulevard, a pop-up bazaar of jewelry and charms from Alfredulla and Charming Lady adds to the festivities, while tarot and palm readers hold court to help guests chart their destiny and find out what is in store for 2024.