Indeed, it is feasting on a banquet of delish Cantonese cuisine in celebration of the Mid-Autumn Festival brought to you by one of the high-end restaurants at Bonifacio Global City in Taguig, Crystal Jade Dining IN. Its sister restaurant, Crystal Jade Shanghai Delight, which is located at Greenhills, has more affordable menu offerings, but both restaurants cater to a dining experience that’s truly worth savoring.

The Mid-Autumn Festival is one of the popular Chinese occasions celebrated, which is a harvest festival and also a time of the year for families and friends to get together and give thanks to the bountiful blessings of the year.

Crystal Jade Dining IN has whipped up delectable dishes specially prepared for this occasion, which consists of the following: Jiang Nan Crispy Sliced Chicken Wrapped in Pancake, Shredded Chicken with Fresh Fruit Salad,  Deep-Fried Garoupa Balls with Sweet and Sour Sauce, Sauteed Shrimp with Broccoli Flower, Poached Chicken with Cordycep Flower and Beancurd Soup, Fried Tofu with Mushroom and Chinese Cabbage, Crystal Jade Fried Rice and Mini Mooncake for dessert.

They start their menu offering with a mix of pickled veggies that’s truly a teaser for the palate, along with a cup of chrysanthemum tea. It is just the right pair of light appetizers before they serve the main course.

Starting off the list is the Jiang Nan Crispy Sliced Chicken Wrapped in Pancake, which is served along with hoisin sauce and crisp lettuce. What I love about this dish is that the chicken meat is very tender, and the hoisin sauce creates a flavorful accent to this dish.

A perfect pairing for this is something fresh and light, such as the Shredded Chicken with Fresh Fruit Salad. This salad is a mixture of shredded chicken with watermelon and mango cubes, placed over crisp lettuce.

Next dish that got me hooked on this menu would be the Deep-Fried Garoupa Balls with Sweet and Sour Sauce. The breading is perfectly crunchy in every bite, even though it’s been drizzled with sweet and sour sauce.

The Sautéed Shrimp with Broccoli Flower is a light dish, very vegetarian, and I liked how they kept the broccoli crispy. It’s slightly blanched, I presume, just the way I prefer it.

They also have the Fried Tofu with Mushroom and Chinese cabbage, which is a perfect vegetarian dish with the tofu being an alternative to meat.

Any meal for me wouldn’t be complete without rice. The Crystal Jade Fried Rice is the perfect pair for all these flavorful viands, a classic and simple rice dish that is always present in every Chinese meal.

And of course, last but not least would be the Chicken with Cordycep Flower and Beancurd Soup, which has a very unique taste and yet has a flavorful blend of mild spices. I could not compare it at all with any Chinese soup dish I have tried, but it should definitely be on your list of must-try.

Any fine dining experience wouldn’t be complete without dessert and drinks, right? For their Mid-Autumn Festival menu, which is priced at Php3,800.00 for 4-5 persons and Php7,800.00 for 8-10 persons, they serve Mini Mooncakes for dessert and your favorite fruit drinks.

After indulging ourselves with the lavish feast, I can’t help but admire and be enchanted by the stylish, sophisticated, and modern ambiance of Crystal Jade Dining IN. Their classy chandeliers gave that subtle warmth when combined with elegant pieces of furniture, creating that seamless blend of both modern and traditional Chinese designs.

If there is one key feature that totally captured my attention with the overall look of the place, that would be the high ceiling in the dining area on the first level. I loved high ceilings partly because I am claustrophobic and partly because it provides just the right amount of lighting to the entire area, leaving that impression of a wider, freer space.

Though I must admit the place is indeed wide enough. It is a perfect choice to dine with your friends and family, and conduct conferences and meetings for large groups of people. They also have a function room for special gatherings on the second level and a couple more tables for diners.

Your Mid-Autumn Festival dining experience at Crystal Jade Dining IN doesn’t just end with good food, because for every Php5,000.00 minimum spend, you will get a chance to roll one lucky die in their traditional Chinese Dice Game. This entitles you to win a P1,000.00 worth of Crystal Jade Gift Voucher.

I tried my luck and got these yummy treats as prizes: a box of Mooncakes and a box of Baked Bo Lo Barbecue Pork Buns, which I shared with my family and friends. So, don’t miss out on the fun, and why not try your luck too?

Dine with class, in style, and in good spirits at Crystal Jade Dining IN for the Mid-Autumn Festival celebration from September 1 until September 14, 2014.

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(Thank you so much, Mr. Kenneth, and to the entire management of Crystal Jade Dining IN for the warm welcome!)

(Thanks as well, Ms. Tess, for tagging me along! )

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