NYE 123123 Countdown @ 5th Avenue BGC 🎆

New Year’s Eve 123123 was by far the most “chill” celebration I’ve had. No stressful planning, no hassle, and everything just went smoothly. Though we terribly miss being with our families during the holidays.

Hubby and I never had any plans on how to celebrate New Year’s Eve except that we will watch the fireworks display in BGC. Our day yesterday started with good news because the result of my repeated urinalysis looked like nothing was off the charts this time.

The doctors are on a holiday break though so I will schedule my consultation with an Internal Medicine doctor possibly on the second week of January.

Lovely piano music courtesy of a patient @ St. Luke’s BGC. 🥰

Then after lunch, hubby and I decided to attend the 5PM service at Victory Fort. I was surprised (but so happy) that I was able to book a Grab ride right away, so we arrived a couple of minutes early.

Victory Fort 5PM Service

Then after the service, we decided to walk just a couple of blocks from Victory Fort to an Indian restaurant called “New Bombay.”

Cozy and very colorful interiors. 👍
I love their huge plates. 😍

When we got to the restaurant, we were the only customers there so it’s like an exclusive dining experience for me and hubby at first. But a couple of minutes later, other guests started arriving.

The menu is about 5 pages long. This means more options and, thus, more reasons to come back to try them all. 😁

I will give this restaurant 5 stars for its great-tasting food, affordability, store accessibility, and excellent customer service. If you’re looking for authentic Indian cuisine in BGC, this is the place to be.

We love Indian food!

They also offer generous servings, and the strawberry yogurt is the perfect drink to pair with the meals. My husband and I tried Mutton Biryani, and I highly recommend this dish. The mutton is so tender, and I like how the spices aren’t too overpowering.

Chola Chat – Samosa
Mutton Biryani (good for 2 pax)

They have a lot of dishes to choose from, and there are also options for vegetarians. We ordered dishes that were somewhat heavy on carbs, so we were just too full to finish everything. lol

Chola Pesawari
Seafood Soup

Then we headed to the concert venue and when we got there, the place was literally jampacked. Hubby and I decided to go to the designated Family Zone instead to avoid the crowd because I’m actually claustrophobic.

On our way to the Family Zone, we ordered Starbucks drinks and oh boy, it took my hubby about an hour to get our order. Long lines were everywhere inside the Family Zone. All the tables were occupied, too, and I was fortunate enough to find a spot on a ledge under the tree. But I think it’s the perfect spot because I got to observe a lot of people. 😃

❤️❤️❤️

Then at around 11:30PM, we started walking towards the Fireworks Viewing Area just a couple of blocks away from the concert grounds.

This BGC cat casually sat down beside me while waiting for the fireworks display. 😃

There were fewer people here, but it’s the perfect spot to watch the fireworks display, which lasted for 10 minutes.

After the concert ended at around 12:50AM, hubby and I chose to stay a little longer while waiting to book a Grab ride going home. We were unsuccessful, so we thought we’ll just walk a couple more blocks and check out what other transportation options we had.

By the way, I prefer walking around because I get to familiarize myself with the neighborhood and observe a lot of scenarios for my next stories. If we brought a car, I also don’t want my husband driving during times like this when heavy traffic’s unpredictable because it’ll get on his nerves and ruin his mood, and he’ll be too tired. I think all guys can relate. 😃

All the beautiful colors and textures are in one frame.

We also passed by a high-end club in BGC and a couple was having an argument. Then another guy looked like he’s already drunk and was about to jump off the second-floor balcony. I was like, “Oh please no, Lord. I don’t want to start my 2024 witnessing a horrible incident.” His friends grabbed him though, so yes, always bring your friends with you if you plan to really get drunk at a party.

Then when we got to the main thoroughfare, my husband was able to hail a cab and by 3AM, we’re already home. My sister’s condo in Pasig is near BGC, so going home isn’t a problem because you’ll have lots of options to choose from.

It was a calm ending for 2023 – simple and yet at peace. I felt God’s assurance reminding me that when He is in control, we have nothing to worry in 2024. I am forever grateful for everything God has blessed me and my family with last year. I pray you are, too. A blessed 2024, everyone! 🥰 🎆❤️🙏

Thank You so much, Lord, for guiding me and my husband always despite our flaws and imperfections. 🙏

“Behold, I am about to do something new; even now it is coming. Do you not see it? Indeed, I will make a way in the wilderness and streams in the desert.” – Isaiah 43:19


Feasting on a Cantonese Banquet: Crystal Jade Dining IN’s Mid-Autumn Festival Celebration

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Crystal Jade’s Chicken

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 cheaper menu offerings but both restaurants cater a dining experience that’s truly worth savoring.

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Coffee on a cup first.

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Crystal Jade Dining IN’s Promo

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Interiors of Crystal Jade Dining IN.

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Table setup.

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

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Boxes of Baked Bo Lo Barbecue Pork Buns.

In light of this, Crystal Jade Dining IN has special dishes 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.

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Mid-Autumn Festival Menu

But before tasting the main course, they offer a mix of pickled veggies that’s truly a teaser for the palate along with a cup of chrysanthemum tea. And I bet it’ll prepare you indeed for the main course offerings.

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Chrysanthemum tea.

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Mixed pickled veggies.

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Food styling. 😉

Let’s start off with the Jiang Nan Crispy Sliced Chicken Wrapped in Pancake which is served along with hoisin sauce and crisp lettuce. The chicken meat is very tender and the hoisin sauce created that flavorful accent to this dish.

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Crystal Jade Dining In’s Chicken and Fish Cracklings

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Preparing the Jiang Nan Crispy Sliced Chicken Wrapped in Pancake.

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Jiang Nan Crispy Sliced Chicken Wrapped in Pancake

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Jiang Nan Crispy Sliced Chicken Wrapped in Pancake

Definitely perfect to pair this with 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 topped over crisp lettuce.

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Shredded Chicken with Fresh Fruit Salad

Next dish that I particularly love in 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.

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Deep-Fried Garoupa Balls with Sweet and Sour Sauce

The Sautéed Shrimp with Broccoli Flower is a light dish, very vegetarian and I liked how they preserved the crispiness of the broccoli. Slightly blanched I presume, just the way I prefer it.

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Sauteed Shrimp with Broccoli Flower

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

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Fried Tofu with Mushroom and Chinese Cabbage

Any meal for me wouldn’t be complete without a rice dish. Yes, I must admit I am a true blue “rice lover.” And was glad they offered their viands with a serving of their Crystal Jade Fried Rice.

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Crystal Jade Fried Rice

And of course, last but not the least would be the Chicken with Cordycep Flower and Beancurd Soup which has a very unique taste but not too flavorful I could not compare it at all with any Chinese soup dish I have tried. All I can say is that it is a definite must-try.

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Poached Chicken with Cordycep Flower and Beancurd Soup

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.

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Our fruit drinks.

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Mini mooncakes.

After indulging ourselves with the lavish feast, I allowed myself to be enchanted by the stylish, sophisticated but modern ambiance of Crystal Jade Dining IN. Classy chandeliers often give that illuminated feeling and the elegantly pieced furniture provided that mixture of both modern and traditional Chinese setup.

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Elegant Crystal Chandeliers

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Dining tables near the entrance.

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Table napkin on the spot.

If there is one key feature that I adore with the overall look of the place that would be the high ceiling in the dining area at 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.

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High ceiling and mellow lights.

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Well-arranged tables and chairs.

Though I must admit the place is indeed wide enough. It is a perfect choice to eat along with friends and family, conduct conferences and meetings and not worry about people cramping together to get their preferred best seats around the table. They also have a function room for special gatherings at the second level and a couple more tables for diners.

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Round table.

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Wine corner.

But that is not the end yet of your Mid-Autumn Festival dining experience that you’ll be getting at Crystal Jade Dining IN because every Php5,000.00 minimum spend will give you a chance to one lucky roll of the dice in their traditional Chinese Dice Game which thus entitles you to win a P1,000.00 worth of Crystal Jade Gift Voucher.

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Let’s roll the dice!

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Giveaways for the Chinese Dice Game.

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. Yay! Don’t miss out on the fun, so why not try your luck too. 😉

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Yummy treats! 🙂

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Baked Bo Lo Barbecue Pork Buns

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Mooncakes

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. 🙂

(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. 😉 )