Chinese New Year at Shang!

CEBU, Philippines - There is no better Chinese New Year welcome than a feast of Cantonese dishes.

Shangri-La's Mactan Resort & Spa sets the mood for a grand Year of the Water Snake welcome with the Yee Sang promo and the auspicious set menu available for lunch and dinner daily until the 15th of February.

With award-wining Chinese executive chef Bun Boon Hoe at the helm, you'll never go wrong with the line-up prepared at the Chinese culinary comfort that is Tea of Spring.

Start the Orient feast  with the popular Yee Sang salad of shredded veggies with a heap of condiments where each ingredients symbolize a specific wish: raw fish (for abundance and prosperity); pomelo/lime (luck); pepper (money and valuables); oil (encouraging money to flow from all directions); carrots (blessings); shredded green radish (eternal youth); white raddish (promotion and prosperity); peanuts (a household filled with gold and silver); sesame seeds (flourishing business); deep-fried flour crisps (for a floor full of gold); plum sauce (togetherness). Diners toss, the higher the better -- for good fortune,  the ingredients while saying the wishes aloud. There are three variations to choose from: Abalone Yee Sang, Apple Vegetarian and Jelly Fish.

Gulp down a bowl of rich Pumpkin Soup with Mixed Seafood Dumpling — shrimp is plump and pink with a generous amount of fresh crabmeat, followed by Crispy Aromatic Duck served with Sour Plum Sauce and Hoisin Sauce.

For the fresh catch of the day, there's the delightfully crunchy Sautéed Fresh Prawns with Fried Garlic and Shallots (Bi Feng Tang Style), Braised Dried Oyster and US Scallops with Sea Moss, and Steamed Lapu-Lapu with Soya Sauce.

For your veggie fix Braised Ling Zhi Mushroom with Broccoli in Oyster Sauce will do the works. Also, there's the Tea of Spring Fried Rice with XO Sauce (yes, the famous Tea of Spring staple XO sauce) to dig into.

Every meal deserves a sweet ending, hence the Homemade Mochi and Chilled Mango Puree with Pomelo and Sago.

To enjoy the flavors of the Orient, call 231 8224 for reservations and inquiries, or email fbreservations.mac @shangri-la.com. (FREEMAN)