Treat your friends and family to incredible meals this Christmas and New Year’s Eve at Solaire

The Christmas season is in full swing with holiday gatherings between family, friends and co-workers happening almost daily. Fret not for your event planning just got easier. Solaire Resort's many exquisite F&B establishments and culinary teams have rolled out the red carpet for discerning diners seeking out stellar Christmas and New Year’s feasts. From tasting menus to afternoon tea delights, seasonal tipples and top-shelf wines, an indulgent journey at any of these restaurants will make the season extra unforgettable. 

Read on to find out more about Solaire’s restaurants and the mouthwatering creations at each: 

See also: Umami Mania: 4 savoury cocktail recipes by top bartenders in the Philippines

Finestra

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Dine at Finestra, the resort’s Italian fine dining establishment known for honest-to-goodness country classics elevated through the eyes of executive chef Andrea Spagoni. Mostly inspired by his Piedmontese grandmother, Spagoni proudly shows the Philippines his version of modern Italian cuisine. With produce taking centre stage on his plates, this chef focuses on well-paired flavours and the beauty of simplicity, staying true to what Italian food is all about. This Christmas and New Year’s Eve, Finestra rolls out phenomenal Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, and New Year’s Eve menus for friends, families and lovers to partake in. 

For Christmas Eve and day, a stunning six-course menu bursting with traditional flavours and innovative twists will ensure diners are pampered this season. From tuna with slow-roasted bell peppers and hazelnut; a slow-cooked veal with anchovy dressing; pumpkin soup with black truffle and scallops; a succulent US striploin; to a gingerbread sponge cake with brandy mousse and panna cotta, this feast will not leave you wanting. 

See also: Make merry moments with Moët & Chandon

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Usher in the New Year with a flavourful night to remember by indulging in Finestra’s six-course dinner. You can expect the freshest oysters with spicy persimmons, a snapper tartare with a generous serving of caviar, Kurobuta pork ravioli with white truffle, and an Australian rib-eye with chestnuts and porcini mushrooms; then finish off with a luscious chocolate mousse with a festive chestnut cinnamon strussel paired with chocolate sponge cake and lemon crémeux.

All based on seasonal ingredients, every dish is brand new and not found on the Finestra menu. 

Red Lantern

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The iconic Red Lantern shows off the best of Chinese cuisine. This holiday season, the menus have been carefully and thoughtfully crafted by chef de cuisine Ralff Jiang, who impresses and presents delicious artistry with every course. The Christmas dinner menu is peppered with courses that are almost too beautiful to eat. “I worked all over the world for 23 years and I love to modernise traditional Chinese food, to present something new. Here I want to bring Chinese food to another level,” shares chef Jiang. 

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Plump pan-fried scallops with caviar and orange sauce with crispy baby abalone start off the experience. This is followed by a selection of expertly made dim sum featuring squid ink har gao, Wagyu beef tenderloin with an egg yolk tart, and black truffle dumplings. A succulent sous vide smoky beef tenderloin with seasonal vegetables and deep-fried blue crab meat with wild mushroom puree and garlic X.O sauce make bold and elegant statements for the evening's main courses. Red Lantern concludes the Christmas repast with a delicious mushroom X.O fried rice and an intricate, toothsome display of desserts, ranging from a baked orange swan puff to Chinese red rate rolls, honey cake, and more. 

For New Year’s Eve, Jiang says that “everyone’s plate must have fish.” “The menu focuses on seafood for New Year’s Eve to symbolise abundance and prosperity,” he adds. 

Yakumi

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Make your way to Yakumi this festive season to journey through the masterfully prepared meals fashioned by chef Hisashi Kobayashi. Placing the precision of Japanese cuisine on full display, the Christmas Eve dinner is a seven-course tasting that begins with an amuse-bouche and then continues on with a kaiseki-style appetiser with top-notch fresh sake-steamed prawn, toro and unagi sushi, cold milk and Gillardeau oyster ceviche. Diners will be in for a treat with Yakumi’s premium sashimi like yellowfin tuna, Hokkaido scallop and Shinshu trout. With your appetites whet, dive into a stunning grilled hamachi, crab chawanmushi and robatayaki char-grilled beef striploin, plus a bountiful seafood and mushroom rice. Lastly, complete the festive night with a sweet ending of gingerbread sponge cake and brandy mousse with anna cotta.

See also: 12 iconic Christmas foods from around the world

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At Yakumi, the Christmas Day tasting menu presents a seven-course experience as well. After a delicate hamachi tartare amuse-bouche, dig into braised ginger prawn, and the best cuts of sashimi ranging from hamachi to Hokkaido scallop. A sophisticated steamed Patagonian toothfish cooked with maitake mushroom and ikura and white miso beurre blanc is sure to impress. Meanwhile, the robatayaki char-grilled duck breast with orange puree and chicken thigh hikiji wakame rice will soothe the soul with every spoonful.

Oasis Garden Café

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All month long, treat yourself to a lovely afternoon tea at Oasis prepared in collaboration with Jo Malone London. The iconic fragrance house presented some signature scents to Solaire’s chef Mike Bauda and allowed his imagination to run wild. Picking up on key fragrance notes, chef Badua created playful savoury and sweet tea time snacks. 

A delicate Scotch egg with black truffle was inspired by the Wood Sage & Sea Salt cologne; the barramundi kilawin with candied ginger and pea celebrated the Ginger Biscuit cologne; while a bright charred fig with parma ham and pumpernickel crumble came to mind after embracing the Fig & Lotus Flower cologne.

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The signature scent of Lime Basil & Mandarin birthed chef Bauda’s mandarin, lime basil crisp; while the Nectarine Blossom & Honey fragrance inspired his honey, peach espuma with verrine and cassis bite. 

This charming Jo Malone London holiday adventure at Oasis Garden Café is full of even more eye-catching Christmas-themed surprises prepared to be a feast for the senses both visually and for the palate.

Waterside

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Waterside is the ideal spot for sharing the holiday season with a group of friends looking for hearty, traditional yet contemporary meals. This Christmas Eve, a picture-perfect foie gras Paris-brest will turn heads at the table, while a juicy cured salmon with apple buttermilk, wasabi oil and smoked trout roe will awaken the palate. A classically elegant sole meunière and a soothing beef bourguignon are the starring mains for the night, and will effortlessly bring smiles to your guests’ faces. 

On Christmas Day, dig into a hot bowl of farrow stew and a crunch crab toast or some scamorrza with wood-roasted balsamic tomatoes and black olive powder. Move on to a brilliantly grilled Wagyu rump, whole roasted suckling pig, and a honey-glazed turkey, all of which were prepared with a classic, sumptuous Christmas in mind. This merry spread is made even more spectacular by Waterside’s variety of sides such as: brown butter carrots, mashed potatoes, charred broccoli, Yorkshire pudding, and more.

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Tatler Asia

For New Year’s Eve, the chef prepares an outstanding spread that is bound to captivate. From a luxurious tuna and caviar tart to a dreamy beef Wellington to a luscious crab angolotti, the gourmet festivities never seem to come to an end. 

Solaire prides itself on delivering nothing short of the best and is thrilled to welcome foodies to its many fine restaurants this holiday season. 

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Credits

Photography: GABBY CANTERO

Topics

Isabel Martel Francisco
Deputy editorial director, Tatler Philippines & editor, Tatler Dining, Tatler Philippines
Tatler Asia

About

Isabel loves to learn, and see things from different perspectives. Connecting with people and engaging in new experiences to broaden her horizons is what inspires this storyteller, keeping her constantly curious, and excited for what's to come. An absolute love for all things F&B ignited a hunger to devour content from this world and keeps her jumping into tasty adventures around the globe. From the beauty of simple bites, to nuanced fine dining tasting menus, street food, and the art of entertaining, the multi-faceted nature of the dining experience is something she can't get enough of. A good cup of coffee or a glass of wine paired with a dash of witty conversation is a quick way to win her over. This editor loves travelling, food, music, skincare, fitness, and is only friends with people who love dogs. Guilty pleasure?: Binge-watching TV shows and movies she has already seen.

Work

Concept creation is the name of the game and branding takes centre stage in Isabel's day-to-day schedule. From producing shoots, conceptualising bespoke projects for our partners, relationship management, to cooking up features and events for Tatler Dining, this editor is a tried and tested foodie at heart. She mainly writes content for Tatler Dining, engaging in captivating discussions with restaurateurs, chefs, producers, and food enthusiasts to tell must-know stories. Aside from that Isabel manages Tatler Dining's flagship events like Off Menu, or Cocktail Festival and puts together the Tatler Dining Guide, our annual listing of the best eats around town. 

Follow her on Instagram @isabelvmf.