Celebrate the Year of the Snake at The Peninsula Manila.
As the Chinese Lunar New Year approaches on January 29, The Peninsula Manila prepares memorable experiential journeys and festivities for guests to celebrate Filipino-Chinese cultural traditions with elegance and authenticity. Foremost of these, it flies in from HK the famous Chinese New Year Red Date pudding.
Awaiting the guests are the vibrant customs of this festive season, from striking red lanterns and captivating Lion and Dragon Dances at The Lobby to exceptional culinary offerings in its restaurants. These events will embody the spirit of the Year of the Snake and The Peninsula Manila’s legendary service and attention to detail.
The Year of the Snake will be celebrated at The Lobby, Escolta, and The Peninsula Boutique, to welcome a period of wisdom, knowledge, intuition, fertility, and longevity.
Welcome the Lunar New Year with a Roaring Dragon and Lion Dance.
On January 29 at 10:15 a.m. the Lion and Dragon Dance kicks off the joyous celebration at The Lobby, the raucous ritual believed to dispel evil spirits and usher in luck. Red lai see envelopes, symbolizing fortune and prosperity, will also be shared.
Striking red lanterns will adorn the hotel lobby, creating a vibrant display by day and adding a captivating glow by night, an unforgettable sight for this special celebration. The events are open to the public.
Celebrate the Year of the Snake with Limited-Edition Peninsula New Year Pudding, January 18–February 2 at The Peninsula Boutique.
The Chinese New Year pudding
In honor of the Year of the Snake, The Peninsula Boutique is flying in especially from Hong Kong the much-coveted Chinese New Year Red Date with Ginger Juice Pudding. The Chinese New Year pudding symbolizes success and prosperity, and is a favorite gift for family and friends. Meticulously crafted with premium ingredients, it is perfect for celebrating the beginning of a new year.
The Peninsula Boutique is also offering its limited-edition line of Lucky Lunar New Year Chocolate Trees as auspicious gifts for family and friends.
Mandarin Orange and Golden Fortune Money Trees in chocolate
Edible to the core, Pastry Chef Annalyn Solano’s Chinese New Year-theme trees—a Mandarin Orange Tree and a Golden Fortune Money Tree—are painstakingly molded and finished by hand. The “soil,” trunk, branches, leaves, and fruit of the Mandarin Orange Tree and the goldfish-embossed gold coins of the Golden Fortune Money Tree are fashioned from chocolate.
The mandarin orange fruits are filled with an intense mandarin-flavored ganache, while the gold-dusted coins embossed with lucky goldfish are made using dark chocolate.
The large Mandarin Orange Tree and Golden Fortune Money Tree are available at The Peninsula Boutique for P 3,888, while the small trees are priced at P 2,888 (inclusive of taxes).
Toss High for Good Luck with The Lobby’s Traditional Lo Hei Prosperity Ritual. There will be a big and delicious platter in the middle of The Lobby’s dining tables this Chinese New Year for guests eager to welcome the Year of the Snake.
First to be tossed into the platter are slices of smoked salmon, with everyone cheering nin nin yau yu (“let there be abundance every year”). Then the carrots go in, followed by a roar of hong wen dong tau (“good luck”). Then everyone puts in their chopsticks and mixes the ingredients together, tossing them as high as they can. This goes on for a while, as various components of the traditional Chinese New Year lo hei—or prosperity toss—are mixed and thrown in, and the higher they are mixed and lifted, the more good luck there will be in the new year.
Toss that Lo Hei at the Lobby!
The Peninsula Chinese New Year lo hei can be enjoyed by four guests and is available for lunch and dinner at The Lobby for P 6,888 (inclusive of taxes).
Lunar New Year Dining in Escolta is on January 18–February 18 for lunch and dinner. In the Chinese Zodiac, the Snake is a symbol of wisdom, awareness, transformation, and compassion. It embodies a grace that feels particularly relevant in today’s frenetic world, calling for us to pause and embrace renewal. This ethos is woven into the culinary offerings in Escolta restaurant, where 12 special buffet dishes celebrating China’s rich cultural and culinary heritage augur positive energy and good fortune for the Lunar New Year for guests to enjoy.
Fish symbolize a prosperous year ahead because in Cantonese, the word for fish (魚 – yú) has the same pronunciation as 餘, which means “surplus” or “extra,” signifying plenty of prosperity. Chinese dumplings (饺子, jiǎozi) are shaped like ancient Chinese gold or silver ingots, symbolizing wealth and prosperity for the coming year. The act of making and eating dumplings during this festival is a familial activity, embodying the hope for a prosperous and fortunate year ahead.
Chicken is a homophone for ji or 吉, meaning “good luck” and “prosperity,” making it a popular choice for Chinese New Year celebrations. Chinese New Year rice pudding cakes symbolize excellent grades, income, and promotion.
Spring rolls (chun juan) take their name from the holiday for which they’re traditionally prepared: the Spring Festival (chunjie), also known as Chinese New Year. The crisp golden rolls are meant to symbolize bars of gold and bring wealth and prosperity in the year to come. Sweet rice balls attract family unity and togetherness.
Changshou mian, known as “longevity noodles,” symbolize the wish for a long and healthy life. Shīzitóu), or lion’s-head meatballs, are named for their appearance resembling a lion’s mane. Lions represent strength and protection in Chinese culture, while the round shape is associated with family unity.
Steamed pork belly with taro represents a rich, prosperous life, wealth, strength, and abundant blessings.
Shrimps represent “liveliness,” as well as “happiness” and “good fortune,” because the Cantonese word for shrimp, ha, sounds like laughter.
For vegetables (especially lettuce, bok choy, and broccoli), in Chinese and Cantonese, a word for “lettuce” sounds a lot like a word for “becoming wealthy.” Baby bok choy can symbolize “wealth” and “luck” for the year as well as “good fortune” for the future. Chinese broccoli (gailan in Cantonese or jielan in Mandarin) signifies “harmony.” Finally, fruits (especially round fruits) attract good fortune, success, wealth, and bring continuous prosperity. Lunch is available 12 pm to 2:30 pm Monday to Saturday, at P3,190 net for adult and P1,590 net for children aged 6 to 12 years old. For dinner, it’s 6:30 to 10:30 pm Monday to Sunday at P3,690 net for adults and P1,890 net for children ages 6 to 12 years old. There is also Sunday Brunch from noon to 3 pm at 4,490 net per adult and P2,290 net for children ages 6 to 12 years old.
For inquiries or more information on Year of The Snake Celebrations at The Peninsula Manila, please call The Peninsula Manila at tel. no. (+632) 8887-2888 ext. 6694 (Restaurant Reservations), or email diningPMN@peninsula.com (Restaurant Reservations) or visit peninsula.com.
