By Stella A. Estremera
Goin' places

AFTER so many years partaking of the Chinese cuisine Lotus Court offers, you'd think it couldn't top itself. But Marco proved that it can because the Lotus Court that welcomed what looked like around 300 guests was totally different from the one we have loved throughout these years, and the food became even better.

We can thus just nod our heads as Halifax Hotel's big boss Carlos Dominguez said that it has been their commitment to constantly improve on what they really have (I can't wait to see what else they have in store since Mr. Dominguez said there'll be more to come by 2011. Oh wheee!).

It was a feast, an entirely different feast that presented some of the new entrees, particularly the Yin Yang Garoupa. Yin Yang because the whole garoupa (alias grouper alias lapu-lapu) is presented with the body parts filleted and cooked two ways -- in black bean sauce and what tastes like honey lemon sauce -- and the remaining parts preserved whole and deep-fried with a sidings of veggies (broccoli!).

Marco's Art P. Boncato Jr. said the Yin Yang Garoupa is going to be their best-seller. Agree.

But that's already part of the main course.

Let's go back first at the very start.

The dinner started with dimsum (dumplings and siomai), followed by roast barbecued combination (suckling pork and duck). I passed up on the seafood shark's fin soup because... it's shark's fin (Oops... sorry. No personal offense meant. But, you know, the killing stops when the buying stops, and sharks are friends).

Now, the main course. Aside from the Yin Yang, there was the braised aromatic chicken with special soy sauce, the Lotus Court Crispy Chili Pork, and the stir-fried prawns in hot spicy sauce.

With so much food, I could only go as far as pick through the garoupa (where I was handed my fave part -- the head and the fins plus the broccoli), a few pieces of pork and the prawns. I had to skip the chicken by this time because there was still the dessert to taste.

Main course done, I went out to meet up with friends Rhonson, Amy, Ian to puff some poison and rest the tummy for a while.

I returned in time to see the first of the desserts -- Neapolitana Ice Cream Cake, with chocolate syrup writings that says, "Welcome Back!"

Oh, I know it was meant to impart the message that Lotus Court is now open again, but I felt the cake was really talking to me, welcoming me back as if it knew that I went out to sneak a puff. Haha.

The cake looked happy. I don't know why, it just appeared happy to me. And so, I snitched a few nibbles because the cake was simply irresistible (never mind if I was risking some discomfort due to lactose intolerance...). It was good, so good, but I was determined to upset a very full tummy, and thus settled with just the few nibbles. I topped my meal with pomelo and papaya from the fresh fruit platter.

Across me, Louie, who I believe is with the Mabuhay Magazine team was looking exhausted... really exhausted. Like love, too much food can kill you. Haha! But you'll die happy. But, maybe he was just really exhausted though; it was already past 9 p.m. and that was one long dinner, indeed.

As we stood up to thank or hosts, the cake with its "Welcome back!" greeting caught my eye again. No wonder it looked happy... it was welcoming us back to Lotus Court. Wheeee! (But then, maybe I'm biased. I've always liked Lotus Court and this new Lotus Court just got even better).