My family celebrated New Year's dinner at Ching Palace, one of the oldest Chinese restaurant in Cebu. It's actually our first time to dine here since after pandemic and i can tell that a lot has been changed.
For instance, this aquarium used to be bigger. The restaurant offers fresh fishes caught right from their aquarium and serve it in the table as steamed whole fish because in Chinese, it is considered good luck. I'm not sure if they still offer freshly caught fish to this day, though.
Of course, before the dinner was served, like any other Chinese restaurant, they offered some hot tea. For tonight, I can tell its fresh green tea with some jasmine flowers. Usually, Chinese restaurants offer oolong tea.
First dish served was their appetizer- a platter of sliced meat, century egg, steamed chicken, and squid. They then served the spinach soup. I must say, most Chinese dishes are less greasy and healthier compared to other cuisines.
Then the rest of the dishes were served. Egg noodles (for long life), patatim and bread, scallops, fried rice, sweet and sour fish ball, and sauteed vegetables. For the dessert, they served pudding salad in a bowl.
Every new year, our relatives from abroad comes home and celebrate with us which makes it more special and merry, conversations extends from the other side of the world and anything in between.
I'm honestly not a fan of family reunions because it's inevitable for families to compare one another's successes. But it is what it is and we all have to ride the wave. It's like yin and yang wherein there's a good side and also a bad side. We can't choose one from the other.
We went home by 10pm, just in time to prepare for our own family New Year's Eve tradition.
That's it for today's blog. Happy New year, my dear hivers!
Sending some love and light
With love, Jane