The Mercato Centrale tent at Bonifacio High Street was draped in red and had golden rabbits all over in order to welcome the Year of the Rabbit.
Feng Shui Master Professor Charlie Chao conducted free readings for guests. I actually had a turn while waiting for the festivities to start. He asked for my name, date of birth, and time of birth. He said that I'm a Wood Tiger. He also told me that I'm frank, impatient, hot-tempered, and that I have leadership abilities. Hahahaha... he got the frank, impatient, and hot-tempered part right. I'm supposedly lucky this year, and I'll put that prediction to the test by joining lots and lots of raffles. :p
The event kicked off with a dragon dance "blessed" by Prof. Charlie Chao.
Event host Lyn Ching had Chefs Gene and Gino Gonzalez cook up their own versions of Chowking's signature dishes.
First one out was Sweet and Sour Pork, Kim Chiu's favorite.
It was followed by Echo's favorite, Beef Brocolli.
Last but not least, they cooked up another Echo favorite, Orange Chicken.
Chowking's signature dishes are improved versions of their classic dishes. First on the roster is Sweet and Sour Pork. Oh wow, it was really so so so good -- lean and incredibly crispy pork drizzled with perfectly concocted sweet and sour sauce. I could finished the whole plate on my own without having anything else and be perfectly happy.
Second dish out was Beef Broccoli. I don't really like Beef Broccoli no matter who cooks it. Chowking's version has really soft and tender beef served with fresh broccoli. Salty would be how I would describe the flavor. It was okay but I still maintain that I don't really care for Beef Broccoli. Next please!
The third and last signature dish is the Orange Chicken. The hosts said that it's just like Panda Express' Orange Chicken. Um... no. It's nothing like Panda Express' Orange Chicken, which I have a lot when I'm in the US. It made me think they must've just read about it and not really tried it. :pThe chicken is crispy but the orange sauce is kind of lacking (check out just how few chicken pieces are glazed with the sauce in the photo above). Mandarin orange pieces are also few and far between. Not a fan, I still like the Sweet and Sour Pork best.
Our dinner was capped off with Fortune Cookies for dessert!
I had photo ops with Chefs Gene and Gino Gonzalez... with Chef China Cojuangco! :D
...and another photo with the pretty Kim Chiu. Like Kim, I really love Chowking's signature dish Sweet and Sour Pork. You can get a taste of the Chowking signature dishes in all Chowking outlets nationwide. :)
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