In about a month’s time, Chinese communities all over the world will be celebrating the rise of the harvest moon, marked by the Mid-Autumn Festival, and for the third year in a row Shangri-La Mactan, Cebu will be celebrating the occasion in its sprawling oceanfront resort in Lapu-Lapu City.
One may purchase the ultra-luxe mooncakes at the lobby of Shangri-La Mactan or at Tea of Spring and enjoy a 15% discount until August 18, 2024.
In anticipation of the Mid-Autumn Festival on September 17, Shangri-La Mactan has debuted a new menu for their Chinese dining outlet, Tea of Spring. This special menu is available until August 20, but due to high demand, it will be reoffered again starting September 23. The restaurant also features a collection of mooncakes presented in ornate boxes, perfect for gifting or enjoying during the festivities.
Resident Cantonese chef Liu Zhijun has whipped up a gastronomic feast featuring seasonal ingredients, showcasing various Chinese cuisines and techniques. The chilled salad of beef shanks and ox tonguewith pomelo in a spicy Szechuan pepper dressing is surprisingly refreshing, while the lobster and mango dumpling with foie gras is a certified crowd pleaser. The consomme of chicken mousse and mushrooms is hearty and hits just the right spot, while the pork spareribs marinated in papaya and basted in a full-bodied vinegary Zhejiang sauce melts in the mouth. Fish offerings include the crispy fried Chilean seabass in a bright passion fruit syrup and red grouper, breaded and deep fried Cantonese style, served with a Hawthorne sauce.
But the piece de resistance was the Shanghai-style beef ribs. Fall-off-the-bone tender and cooked three times before serving, the dish is a meaty, fragrant showstopper that’s bound to make fans out of every diner. The ribs are first parboiled, and then braised in an aromatic stew on low heat for 24 hoursz and then its lightly floured and flashfried to create a light crust. It is then served with black garlic sauce, the perfect smoky-sweet accompaniment to a delightful meat course.
Of course, the highlight of the mid-autumn festivities is the presentation and consumption of mooncakes, special golden brown pastries stuffed with either sweet or savory fillings that have become the namesake of the holiday. Shangri-La Mactan pays homage to tradition with handmade mooncakes that come in four flavors—rich lotus seed paste, red bean page, black sesame, and for something out of the ordinary, a mooncake with savory conpoy and XO sauce. If you’ve ever had XO sauce in a Chinese restaurant before, you’ll know this is an extra indulgent treat.
The ultra-luxe mooncakes can be purchased at the lobby of Shangri-La Mactan or at Tea of Spring, with a 15% discount available until August 18, 2024. The Nostalgia mooncake box is priced at Php 3,880.00, while the Deluxe mooncake box is available for Php 4,088.00. For those who miss the early bird offer, the mooncakes will continue to be available for purchase until September 20, 2024. Additionally, mooncakes can be purchased at the Shangri-La Mactan, Cebu booth during the World Travel Expo at Ayala Center Cebu from August 23 to 25, 2024.
ADVT.
This article is brought to you by Shangri-La Mactan, Cebu.
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