New Flavors of Spring at Shangri-La’s Mactan Island Resort & Spa
With the opening of The Tea of Spring, Shangri-La’s Mactan Island Resort & Spa combines China’s most meaningful season and custom. Designed by world-renowned architect Hernan Zanghellini of Zanghellini & Holt, Shangri-La resort’s new Chinese restaurant boasts of stylish wooden furniture, modern artifacts and exquisite decorative pieces. With an average seat capacity of 80, The Tea of Spring’s elegantly Oriental yet warm, relaxed and cozy ambiance suitably complements the resort’s environment.

The menu showcases a variety of culinary creations delicately prepared using premium exotic ingredients such as angelica root, wolfberries, capsicum and ginseng. The new menu also includes delicious and healthful options of seasonal vegetables and bean curd dishes. Tea comes with its own separate menu. Here, there are over fifty varieties of loose leaf tea including black, oolong, white, green and flower varieties.

Appetizers included Deep Fried Bean Curd Roll with Prawns and Cheese, Deep Fried Lobster with Cheese, Creamer Roll with Katafi and Steamed Fish Dumplings with Chinese Parsley. Pan-fried Tenderloin of Beef and Onions in Brown Sauce, Steamed Fish Fillet with Fresh Ginseng, Braised Vegetables (black mushrooms, Chinese fungus, bok choy, button mushrooms and carrots) and Stir-Fried Prawns with Fragrant Oats created a lasting impression. Aged, Old Pou Lei Tea served in a beautifully designed glass pot served as perfect palate cleanser in between succulent dishes. Chilled Mango Puree with Pomelo and Sago, Deep Fried Glutinous Roll with Mango Served with Honey, and Chilled Sweetened Black Glutinous Rice served with Buko Ice Cream provided the perfect ending to a most unforgettable meal.

Vietnamese and Thai Favorites on Cebu’s Popular Dining Strip
Our group arrived at Hai Phong in Crossroads Mall for an early Saturday dinner. In less than an hour, the 130-seat restaurant located in one of Cebu City’s most popular dining strips was full to capacity. Separate groups filled up the tables on the first floor, while a family party took place on the second level. What made the place so popular? For one, Hai Phong is run by the same Filipino-Thai family that owns the successful Krua Thai chain of restaurants. It also offers highly in-demand services such as catering and delivery as well as a delicatessen.

“Hai Phong takes its name from a popular dining district outside of Hanoi in Vietnam. It is home to a reputable mix of fine dining places which serve Vietnamese cooking as well as international cuisine,â€