New World Makati Welcomes the Year of the Wood Dragon with its Auspicious Chinese New Year Set Menus at Jasmine

Good fortune, luck and prosperity become the flavorful themes for an elegant Chinese New Year feast at the renowned Jasmine in New World Makati. The new dishes expressed in two meticulously curated and crafted set menus featuring pork, succulent prawns, abalone and scallops by new Chinese Executive Chef Brandon Ng sets the tone for an auspicious start of the Year of the Wood Dragon. Regal green is the color of the year, round fruits welcome prosperity and an indulgent weave of savory richness and flavors complete the list for a proper celebration and formal welcome for the Wood Dragon. Jasmine at New World Makati lays the flavorful base for a memorable celebration with its elegant set menus, read on for a virtual bite...

Jasmine at New World Makati remains high up on everyone's list for authentic Chinese cuisine including their popular specialty dim sum offerings (for more on Jasmine, see my posts, Let's Dim Sum for Lunch. At Jasmine...on their famous dim sum selections from 2018, Dining in the Next Normal: All-You-Can-Eat Dim Sum Weekends At New World Makati's Jasmine on their popular dim sum offerings from 2020 and Hearty Bites and Soothing Sips: Jasmine Unveils New A La Carte Specialties Plus Chinese Cocktails Too...on their exquisite dishes from last year) And with a new Chinese Executive Chef at the helm, Jasmine remains the perfect setting for a traditional Chinese New Year feast. 

Jasmine includes one more layer to its decadent Chinese New Year offerings with their delectable and traditional Nian Gao creations that's perfect for gifts with the classic Round Nian Gao (P 1,188 net)...

...and the ornate Koi Nian Gao (P 1,188 net) packed in elegant square (P 1,588 net) or octagon (P 1,588 net) hard boxes. 

One of the biggest highlights for the year at Jasmine in New World Makati is its new top chef at the helm with Chinese Executive Chef Brandon Ng. With over 28 years of culinary experience under his belt including stints in prestigious hotel properties and institutions from around the world, Chef Brandon Ng brings with him the passion for authentic Chinese cuisine with masterful time-honored execution and culinary techniques to Jasmine. Chef Brandon Ng's culinary style is also showcased at Jasmine with the Chinese New Year set menus. 

For this year's lavish feast, Jasmine offers two set menus for a grand Chinese New Year feast:

Set Menu 1: Braised Abalone and Mushroom in Crabmeat Broth for longevity, Wok-Fried Prawns in Black Pepper Sauce, Steamed Fish Fillet in Superior Sauce, Braised Chinese Black Mushrooms, Sea Moss & Kailan, Steamed Rice with Preserved Sausage in Lotus Leaf, Hot Cream Red Bean Soup and Lotus Seeds, Glutinous Rice Dumplings with Chocolate and Nian Gao. 

Set Menu 2: Braised Assorted Seafood in Fish Maw Broth, Pan-Fried Tiger Prawns in Spicy Bean Sauce, Steamed Live Garoupa in Superior Soy Sauce, Braised Dried Oyster with Sea Moss in Premium Oyster Sauce, Misua in "Fujian" Style, Double Boiled White Fungus with Lotus Seeds and Steamed Piggy Buns with Milky Egg Cream. 

"To usher in the Year of the Wood Dragon, we've thoughtfully crafted two distinctive set menus, each infused with ingredients carrying unique auspicious meanings. Our set menu includes prawns, which typically signify your hope for a year filled with happiness, while a whole fish on the table symbolizes abundance and the completion of projects. Abalone represents good fortune, while dried oysters, pronounced 'ho si' in Cantonese, is a homonym for good deeds and events, and add a touch of luck to your Chinese New Year spread," shared Chinese Executive Chef Brandon Ng. 

Ready to toss 'em high? The traditional Prosperity"Yu Sheng"Salad Toss is an optional addition to Jasmine's two set menus for Chinese New Year (48-hour lead time for advance orders required for the dish). Mixed and tossed at the beginning of the meal, the Prosperity "Yu Sheng" Salad Toss brings a festive vibe to any Chinese New Year celebration. 

Executive Chef Brandon Ng described in detail each of the ingredients of the Prosperity "Yu Sheng" Salad Toss and its significance and symbolism for the Chinese New Year...

...before prepping and constructing one of the most celebrated dishes following traditions in a Chinese New Year feast. 

Each ingredient brings layers of flavors and contrasting textures to the dish while reflecting the hopes for a bountiful and prosperous new year of the Wood Dragon. 

Chinese Executive Chef Brandon Ng then adds the finishing touches to the Prosperity"Yu Sheng"Salad before the ceremonial toss, weaving a festive and auspicious vibe to your Chinese New Year celebration at Jasmine. 

Fresh, tart, clean and sweet notes linger on the palate with the buttery richness of the salmon bringing an indulgent finish to the dish. And that's how you start a traditional Chinese New Year feast at Jasmine. 

Executive Chef Brandon Ng then served Jasmine's specialty dishes starting with the soothing and comforting Braised Wintermelon Broth, Seafood, Crab Meat and Conpoy. 

Each sip warms the palate with the subtle sweetness of the braised wintermelon broth teasing the palate followed by the rich briny notes of the crab meat and assorted seafood for a proper start to a sumptuous feast of traditional Chinese flavors. 

Next, Executive Chef Brandon Ng served the elegant Red Auspicious Sweet Sour Prawns, Cantaloupe with its vibrant hues tempting the eyes before the palate. 

That audible snap followed by the burst of succulent briny notes and bold sweet sour hints treats the palate to pure unrestrained flavors. Executive Chef Brandon Ng pulls all the stops with the freshest and finest ingredients masterfully executed for an authentic feast at Jasmine. 

The Braised Whole Abalone, Dried Oysters, Mushrooms and Seasonal Greens brings the rich bounty of the earth and sea to your plate at Jasmine. The distinct and unique flavors from the different ingredients combine for an indulgent medley of flavors consistent with the themes of overflowing abundance for the Chinese New Year. 

The meaty, earthy and nutty notes of the mushrooms, the briny flavors of the whole abalone, the succulent and deep hints of the dried oysters and the sweetness of the sea moss and seasonal vegetables in a thick, rich and savory sauce is a festive celebration of flavors on a plate. 

Executive Chef Brandon Ng continues the luxurious feast at Jasmine using the day's freshest catch with the Stir-Fried Scallops, Shimeji Mushrooms and Celery. Delicately seared, the plump and succulent scallops leaves a layer of briny sweetness on the palate followed by the earthy hints of shimeji mushrooms and sweetness of celery for another masterful weave of flavors and textural contrasts. 

And there's more. Executive Chef Brandon Ng then served the Claypot Rice with Preserved Meat...

...a hearty and sumptuous one-pot dish with slabs of crisp and juicy pork belly and slices of lap cheong or Chinese sausages on soft fluffy rice topped with herbs. Simmered in a clay pot, the rice absorbs all the different flavors from the various ingredients and toppings delivering a savory richness with each spoonful. 

And yes, you'll want another bowl...

The Roasted Suckling Pig is the undisputed star of the Chinese New Year feast supported by a stellar cast of dishes by Executive Chef Brandon Ng at Jasmine. Imagine tender and juicy pork with its subtle sweetness capped by a delicately crisp layer of crackling. A dab of the thick dark sauce completes the flavors tempering the richness of the Roasted Suckling Pig with its bold sharp notes for that balanced finish. 

No traditional Chinese feast is complete without a whole steamed fish. The Steamed Live Garoupa with Superior Soy Sauce topped with fresh herbs and spring onions is a lavish addition to an impressive feast at Jasmine. The dish brings subtle and delicately nuanced notes to the table complemented by the mildly sharp and sweet hints of the soy sauce infused with the briny sweetness of the fish. The buttery texture of the fish simply melts in your mouth releasing even more flavors. 

A enticing duo of desserts caps our traditional Chinese New Year feast at Jasmine...

...with the sweet Red Bean Nian Gao coated in egg and pan-fried..

...and the Sweetened Red Bean Soup with Glutinous Rice Balls for that auspicious sweet ending to a lavish, traditional and memorable feast at Jasmine. Meticulous execution, the finest ingredients and authenticity keeps Jasmine in New World Makati top-of-mind when it comes to Chinese cuisine. Chinese Executive Chef Brandon Ng maintains this enduring tradition with his menus. And there's just no better place to celebrate Chinese New Year with family and friends. 

The start of the new year brings the hope of fresh starts and new beginnings. Let's all welcome Chinese Executive Chef Brandon Ng as he brings his own culinary expertise and style to the prestigious Jasmine at New World Makati for another chapter in a flavorful and continuing story at one of the metro's best dining destinations. Welcome the year of the Wood Dragon with a grand feast at Jasmine, and book your reservations before the mad rush...