Special Features

Holidays Made Easy: Ring In The Festive Season With These Catered Dishes

by Jaclyn Clemente Koppe
December 17, 2020

Holiday feasting made simple with delicious catered dishes from some of our favorite hotels, restaurants, and home cooks

This holiday season feels, looks, and even tastes different with so many of us staying home. For some, this noche buena or New Years Eve party is their moment to flex the cooking muscles that they have been working on all lockdown. Perhaps this is the perfect time to showcase that roast beef recipe you learned on YouTube or the bibingka hack you mastered in your oven toaster.

There are many, though, who are perfectly happy to hang up their aprons on Christmas Eve and let others have the limelight. Besides, if there was one thing that came out of this pandemic, it’s the hundreds of food delivery and takeout options now on offer.

So, if putting your feet up and pouring yourself a glass (or three) of wine instead of slaving away in front of a hot stove sounds like a great idea to you, then consider some of our favorite picks of delicious catered holiday feasts available for takeout.

Feliz Dish Details

What started out as a catering business that specializes in children’s parties has expanded to elegant soirées, innovative cocktail events, and now, takeout boxes and platters in pretty much any theme under the sun. With the creative, talented, and super easy to work with duo of Trish Locsin Cheung and Christine Villarama Locsin, sky is the limit.

What we love: their Christmas Box that comes with Honey Glazed Smoked Bacon Ham; Quezo de bola cheese spread; Ensaymaditas; Creamy Fruit Salad; Christmas sugar cookies (2,300/2,900). Their crowd-pleasing lasagnas— both the five cheese (850/1,700) and spinach mushroom truffle (1250/2500) lasagnas are our fave catered dishes for the holidays.

Contact details: e: [email protected] ; p. 09178457967

Brotzeit

The Germans, unbeknownst to many, are world class party animals and their Christmas markets are one of their most cherished holiday transitions. Put those together and you’ve got yourself a holiday spread that will surely be the talk of the town. Brozeit is known for their hefty platters of crispy pork knuckles, sausages, and sauerkraut, among other party-sized offerings perfect for catered get-togethers during the holidays.

What we love: Their Winter Platter is good for 5-6 persons and comes with roasted duck breast and leg quarter with wine-braised red cabbage, warm bread dumplings and red wine duck jus; broiled autumn crisp pork belly served with truffled mashed potatoes and roasted winter vegetables; broiled pork knuckle with truffled mashed potato, wine braised red cabbage; and a round of Puree of wild mushrooms and truffle soup.

Contact details: order from their website brotzeit.ph

Sagana

French masterchef Marc Aubry has been in the Philippines for so long that he fully understands our need for serious Christmas feasting. His loyal clients always look forward to his holiday offerings like traditional French country game dishes, pâtés, and a heavenly chestnut soufflé. For takeout, many have learned to rely on the flavorful roasts best accompanied by bottled sauces made famous by this maitre saucier.

What we love: Roasts, like the Tom turkey with herby pumpkin, bread, and onion stuffing or leg of lamb with all the trimmings. Celebrating alone this year? Solo platters of Aubry’s famous duck magret or wild boar en civet with spaezle is not something you would want to share, anyway.

Contact details: order through sagana.ph; p:0288158801

China Mommy

Linda Co’s cherished home cooked Chinese classics have become party staples in both chinoy and Filipino households. Thanks to her, assembling her Special Chinese Lumpia has become mainstream and feasting on her curry or sotanghon crabs a luxury we can enjoy at home. Talk about holiday catering made easy!

What we love: Assembling the special chinese lumpia is a fun, collaborative activity the whole family will love. Relatively new on the menu is the steamed whole Lapu-lapu with taoso or in light soy.

Contact details: p.09175148540

Txoko

The masterminds behind the wildly-successful Bar Pintxos now bring us this fine dining establishment that offers Catalan and Basque classics with a clever twist. Txoko is all about gatherings and communal eating, so there are many delicious catered dishes on their menu worthy of a spot in your holiday spread.

What we love: That grill churns out the the most crisp and juicy suckling pig quarter and suckling lamb quarter. Add their paella campero or arroz negro con sepia y gambas and you got yourself a fiesta.

Contact details: p.09560473224

Pepita’s Kitchen

Believe me when I say that fans of Dedet dela Fuente’s stellar Filipino dishes have been itching for an excuse to order her food. Now that we are all getting into that holiday mood, a delivery of her stuffed lechon de leches and other Pinoy classics (with that Lechon Diva twist) are definitely in order.

What we love: Her truffle rice-stuffed lechon de leche are beloved the world over, so are the Hiplog and Kare-kareng Kasuy (prices available upon request). For those who want to send the gift of a Filipino feast to their loved ones, you can buy gift certificates they can convert to deliciousness when they are ready to party.

Contact details: e:pepitaskitchen@gmail; p.09178660662

Crowne Plaza Manila Galleria

As expected from this popular Ortigas Center hotel, their catered dishes for the holidays read like the spread at their beloved Seven Corners. For those looking for more variety in their noche buena feast, you will surely find that here.

What we love: There are party trays (for 10-15 persons) here for the family with diverse tastes. You can match their Seafood Aglio Olio with their Roast Peking Duck or that impressive Pork Belly Kare-kare.

Contact details: Call 0286337222 or e-mail [email protected]

When ordering takeout food during this holiday season, it pays to remain mindful of the current situation. With many relying on delivery these days for practically everything, make allowances for possible delays and hiccups. Keep in mind that many of these establishments are still operating with a skeleton workforce. Perhaps their vegetable supplier did not get their expected shipment of haricot vert and they had to replace it with local string beans. It might be best to not sweat the small stuff.

If there is anything we learned this year, it is that there are much bigger things to worry about. And, if we can choose to be anything, let’s just be kind to one another.