Celebrating Lunar New Year through food, ritual, and family at Conrad Manila
For many families, Chinese New Year is less about what’s on the table and more about what happens around it—the gathering, the wishes spoken aloud, and the familiar rituals that mark the start of something new.
At Conrad Manila, the Year of the Horse is built around that same idea. The hotel is rolling out its Lunar New Year offerings from Feb. 11 through March 3, centering the season on shared dining, symbolic traditions, and gifting that fit the way many households celebrate today.
Much of the program runs through China Blue by Jereme Leung, Conrad Manila’s Chinese restaurant, where the format is designed for groups. The hotel’s set menus for the season lean into classic New Year themes like abundance, harmony, and prosperity, served in multi-course spreads meant for passing around and talking over.
One of the most animated moments comes with the Prosperity Yee Sang, a raw fish salad prepared with salmon, crab claw, and colorful vegetables. The dish arrives as a centerpiece, then the table stands to toss the ingredients high while calling out wishes for luck, health, and success. It’s loud, playful, and familiar to many diners who treat the toss as the point where the meal turns into a collective reset for the year ahead.
Conrad Manila is also extending the celebration beyond the dining room for families who prefer to mark the occasion at home. The hotel is offering take-away options tied to its Lunar New Year menus, a setup aimed at households that want restaurant-style dishes without turning the holiday into an all-day kitchen project.
Gifting remains part of the ritual. The hotel’s nian gao collection features traditional rice cakes shaped in symbolic forms and presented in boxes inspired by the Year of the Horse, positioned for the usual rounds of visiting elders, friends, and business contacts.
The celebrations culminate on Feb. 17, the Lunar New Year date in 2026, with a lion dance and an eye-dotting ceremony at the hotel’s entrance. This public tradition is intended to bring good luck and new starts.
As Lunar New Year gatherings continue to shift with modern schedules and mixed traditions, Conrad Manila’s approach keeps the focus on what tends to last. People still want a reason to sit down together, take part in familiar rituals, and leave the table feeling like the year has properly started.
