☺ Mooncake Festival Dinner ☻

Since it was Mid Autumn Festival on September 12, 2011 my family decided to celebrate it by going out to eat.  Other families even have a yearly tradition of playing the dice game.  I was able to celebrate this festival in Beijing, China exactly eleven years ago when I was still a student.

I expected the locals prepared an elaborate celebration for this festival.  I thought there will be a lot of food, fireworks, and the dice game.  The school organized for local students to meet & greet the "foreign" students on Mid Autumn.  I got to ask how do they celebrate this festival.  Their answer actually surprised me.  They said most of them usually meet up with friends or stay with their family, eat some mooncake and look at the moon.  I asked if they have the dice game.  They looked at me with a puzzled looked & asked what dice game.  I said, "didn't the tradition originate here, where you play a dice game on Mid Autumn and you get various prizes?".  They said those kinds of tradition might be regional.  I guess Beijing being in the north and my ancestors hailing from the southern part of China didn't share the same way of celebrating the Mooncake festival.  I hope one day I will be able to visit my ancestral land during this time of the year.  It would be interesting to see how they celebrate it in the twenty first century.

☺ Now on to our own food celebration.☺

Signage

The restaurant of choice was Peking Garden.  I guess we're suppose to have Chinese food for a Chinese festival.  I had a different restaurant in mind but then who would resist to eating good food. :)

Menu

Table Setting

The ever present Xiao Long Bao

Fish Fillet with Tao So Sauce

The fish is soft & tender.  The overload of fried garlic is a nice compliment to the soy sauce provided.

Sauce for the fish fillet

Fried mini "sliver thread" buns

It's just fried bread roll.  The restaurants give elegant names to simple dishes to make them more interesting.  I just had to order the bread since it's my favorite.

Condensed milk for the buns

Braised Abalone with Mushroom & Vegetables

The abalone was thinly sliced for easy eating with your chopsticks.  The combination of the mushroom & vegetable with the sauce completes the dish.

Mooncake for dessert at home

I'm already full from dinner but I just had to eat some mooncake for the occasion.  I had the lotus flavor with one egg yolk.  I still got to eat one fourth of the whole mooncake even with a full stomach. hahahaha  

Remember: Eat Live and Be Happy!

** Full details about Peking Garden can be found in a previous entry.**

中秋节快乐! (Zhong Qiu Jie Kuai Le)  Happy Mid Autumn Festival Everyone!

Peking Garden (Specialty: DUCK!)

Thanks to my friends I was able to discover this restaurant.  We started talking about how delicious Peking Duck is.  My friends said that there's a restaurant here that is as good as the ones found in China.  This intrigued me and I wanted to try it for myself.  My friends definitely have good taste. ;)

This Chinese restaurant is turning into one of my favorites.  They have something other Chinese restaurants can't compare with.  It is their famous Peking Duck.  I've tried both of their branches in Greenbelt 4 & in Trinoma. The Makati branch is usually crowded even on a weeknight, try to make a reservation if you can to prevent disappointment. :D

When you order your Peking Duck, you'll be asked if you want your duck served one way (just the slices) or two ways (the rest of the duck is cooked to your specification).  We usually have it two ways so none of the duck meat is wasted.

Interior in Makati branch

Crowded even on a weeknight. This is on a Tuesday to be exact.

Nice chandelier

Xiao Long Bao

This is a small steamed dumpling with soup inside.  Be careful it's really hot when it comes to your table.  Many tongues have been scalded by this delicious dish, including mine. hahaha :D 

Ginger Sauce for the Xiao Long Bao

Vegetables with mushroom

Seafood Noodles

Sizzling Beef with Onions

Sizzlling Beancurd with Shredded Pork & Vegetables

Hot Prawn Salad

The most anticipated dish. PEKING DUCK!

The duck is prepared by your table side.  The server will fill a platter with slices of the duck meat with skin and the other platter with just the skin. 

Just the skin

Duck slices

Pancake wrap & cucumber with onion

Peking duck sauce

Put your duck meat or skin or both then add a cucumber/onion or both again . Finally add some sauce to your pile. :D

All wrapped up.  Tada!  Ready to eat!!

The rest of the duck is cooked as minced meat with some vegetables

Another delightful way to enjoy your duck.

Lettuce Wrap

Put the minced meat in the lettuce then add some sauce.  Yummy!

It's good to know if we start to have a craving for Peking Duck there's a restaurant here that can satisfy it. 


Remember: Eat Live and Be Happy!


Price Range: P500 - P1000

* Whole duck will cost you P2300++

Here's a tip:  If you are eating as a small group & can't finish a whole duck, try to inform the captain that you would like to order half of the Peking Duck.  The captain will try to find another table who is also willing to order half.  This way you get to have your duck & within the budget.  Try to go there early so the captain can be on the look out for other tables trying to order half of the Peking Duck.  But remember the restaurant can't always accommodate this request.

Payment: Accepts both Cash & Credit Card

Free Wifi: Not Available

Parking: Mall parking

Address:

Greenbelt 5
4/F Greenbelt 5, Ayala Center
Makait City, Metro Manila
Philippines
Tel: 63 - (02) - 729-0567

Trinoma
3/F Trinoma, EDSA cor. North Ave.
Quezon City, Metro Manila
Philippines
Tel: 63 - (02) - 901-0531