Do you already have plans for the long weekend coming up in celebration of Chinese New Year? It’s a good time to recharge and welcome the good energy brought about by the Year of the Earth Dog, so indulge in a break and allow yourself a bit of a splurge with these R&R ideas:
1. Welcome the new lunar year with a great meal.
It’s the season of good food and good luck! Enjoy Yu Sheng, the traditional Prosperity Toss which is a salad composed of raw fish (oftentimes, salmon) with an array of nuts, vegetables, and sauces, each symbolizing happiness and prosperity. The messier, the better!
Marco Polo Ortigas’ Chinese Restaurant Lung Hin features tasty Chinese cuisine by Chef Terry Lai. Choose between two exclusive packages: Double Prosperity (classic Barbecued Roasted Pork, Crispy Roasted Hong Kong Chicken, and Sautéed Fresh Scallops with Fresh Squids and Broccoli), or Endless Fortune (Steamed Fresh Lobster with Glutinous Rice in Bamboo Basket, Half Crispy Roasted Suckling Pig, and Steamed Live Abalone with Minced Garlic). Both come with Yu Sheng.
TRY: Lung Hin’s lunar new year set menus are available until February 21. For more details, visit their website.
2. Get a spa membership.
The new lunar year is the best time to accept that at this age, you definitely deserve the finer things in life. Prioritize self-care by getting yourself a legit spa membership for those weeks when you really need a break from the rat race.
CHI Spa at EDSA Shangri-La is currently offering multiple membership tiers: Malachite comes with P16,500 worth of spa credits, while Carnelian has P28,700 worth of credits. There are other more expensive packages too which offers up to P130,000 worth of credits. These credits can be used for treatments at CHI, and also gives you access to the Health Club on the day of your visit. Not a bad deal when you want to do something special for yourself.
TRY: CHI Spa at EDSA Shang membership cards, available in Malachite (priced at P15,000), Carnelian (priced at P25,000), Amethyst (priced at P50,000), and Ruby (priced at P100,000). For more details, visit their website.
3. Book an adventure.
Planning to head out of town? Book your activities prior to going to your destination to lessen your stress and even get discounts. Bliimo is a new app that curates different travel activities and acts as a “fun-pass” to itineraries you never knew you could create. It connects you to smaller players in the locale you’re headed so that you can experience adventure first hand with someone who really has insider knowledge of your destination.
TRY: Download Bliimo from Google Play and the Apple App Store
Once you have your vacation planned, hype it up with your favorite tunes! Pick a wireless Bluetooth speaker that can take you from the mountains to the beach with no worries of water-logging.
TRY: JUMPU Tsuiyoi-S wireless Bluetooth speaker, P1,290 at Starmobile stores and kiosks.
4. Upgrade your wardrobe.
When was the last time you went shopping for new clothes? If you haven’t done a legit revamp when 2018 came in, then why not do so as the new lunar year rolls in? Plains & Prints is currently offering a line in browns and beiges, which are considered lucky this Year of the Earth Dog. It’s the perfect excuse to fill your shopping bags with the basics!
TRY: Plains & Prints #CremeSeries is a 23-piece capsule collection that can easily take you from work to play. Available in Plains & Prints boutiques starting February 13, 2018.
5. Eat lots of tikoy!
Chinese New Year celebrations won’t be complete without the traditional tikoy! Tikoy, which is synonymous with nian gao in Cantonese, symbolizes self-improvement in the coming year. Forget carbs for the time being and enjoy for a day with koi tikoy from East Café.
TRY: Rustan’s Prosperity Koi Tikoy, available at East Café Branches.
6. Toast to a prosperous lunar year.
New beginnings are always celebrated with a toast. Since it was recently also International Scotch Day, widen your liquor palate by enjoying a glass of sweet and honeyed scotch such as Johnnie Walker Blue Label with a limited-edition Year of the Dog design.
TRY: Johnnie Walker Black Label, available in liquor stores and kiosks.
