Christmas Festive Dining: It's All About Family and Friends

Are you looking forward to the festive feasting this Christmas? For many families, this is a great time for catching up with loved ones and friends. How many of us have spent way too much time at work, leaving very little time and energy for friends and family? The year end holidays are a good way to balance that out a little!

It's also about gorgeous epic treats like this Bourbon Marmalade Glazed Leg of Ham (above) from Morganfields. And I don't know what it is about Christmas, but it's very much a Coke® season too! Must be all those ads I watched as a kid.



Even better for sharing with family and friends - a festive platter with the works!



Morgan’s Christmas Feast S$149.90++
Christmas Hazelnut Sticky Bones (Half Slab)
Christmas Cranberry Sticky Bones (Half Slab)
Crackling Pork Roast (400g)
Sausages (3pcs)
Gammon Ham Slices (200g)
Turkey Breast Ham Slices (200g)
Sides: Potato Gratin, Roasted Cauliflower, Glazed Carrots, Garden Salad,
Corn on Cob, Corn Bread

• Top-up Sides $5.90 ++ each: Potato Gratin, Roasted Cauliflower, Glazed Carrots




But my favourite is their Roast Pork which can rival some of the better Chinese sio bak around! Such decadent layers of juicy pork belly with that crisp crackling skin - it's hard to stop at one slice.




Morganfields signature is still their sticky ribs. For Christmas, they have two flavours:

Christmas Hazelnut Sticky Bones (foreground)
$29.90++ (Half Slab) / $45.90++ (Full Slab)
These ribs are darkly caramelised and deliciously aromatic courtesy of a glaze made from Rogue Hazelnut Brown Nectar beer. Served with French Fries and Coleslaw.

Christmas Cranberry Sticky Bones (background)
$29.90++ (Half Slab) /$45.90++ (Full Slab)
Who knew cranberries could go with ribs? This fruity sweet sauce adds festive flair to the hickory smoked bones! Served with French Fries and Coleslaw.

The best thing to go with this is some Coke! The fizz always clears the way for another bite of glorious food. Somehow it makes you feel fresher and better even after eating a lot.

Psst...I have two full slabs of sticky ribs to give away...more details at the end.

But if you're weary of Western Christmas offerings, why not do something different?

STEAMBOAT!



Steamboat is always a good option for a communal meal. Everyone can pitch in and cook their own favourite items. Eating from the same hot pot, happily chatting while you cook...it's such a social meal.

There are lots of places to go. Beauty in the Pot has a fabulous collagen broth. Thailand's popular MK has hit our shores last year. You could go for a traditional charcoal steamboat like Whampoa Keng or a Thai mookata which gives you a grill on top of the steamboat experience. Hai Di Lao is pricey but many still regard it one of the best in terms of steamboat item variety and service. Plus their mala broth is epic!

Just looking at a big spread of food already puts you in a celebratory mood! I love a good mala pot and a more neutral soup base like nourishing chicken soup. My favourites ingredients include tripe, crispy beancurd skin, mushrooms and good quality beef and pork.

As for drinks, Coke makes a better palate cleanser than most drinks I find at hot pot restaurants. And you can go with zero calorie, zero sugar Coke light® and Coke zero®, so you can save more calories! You know every bit saved during the festive season is precious!




But honestly, the real reason I come to Hai Di Lao is their sauces! They carry an amazing variety of ingredients you can mix and match to concoct your own dip. It does cost an extra S$4 per person but you also get freeflow sides and desserts.




And of course you can't miss the highlight that is the handmade noodles. They are literally hand-pulled at your tableside. It's always a treat, and kids especially love it.

Eating out during Christmas saves you a lot of marketing, preparation, cooking and washing up. Festive seasons already rank as one of the more stressful periods of life, so it makes sense to make life easier by celebrating at a good restaurant instead.

And if you drive, please don't drink...unless it's something non-alcoholic, like Coke!

Giveaway

And here's the giveaway which should help put you in that holiday mood! Morganfields is kindly offering two full slabs of sticky ribs. So I'll two pick two winners to get one each.

Just share this post on your preferred social media platforms, tag your friends you'd like to share this with, and leave me the link in the comments below. If you're not sure how to get the link, just link your accounts. Do make the posts public so I can view them!

You can also share/repost (and tag the friends you'd like to bring) on my Facebook Fanpage post or my Instagram post, for more chances to win. Winners will be chosen by random draw, and contacted via those social media platforms.

Deadline is 10 Dec 2015 at 23:59hrs.




This article is brought to you in partnership with Coca-Cola®. All opinions shared by writer are his/her own.

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