Deck the tables! Food trays, treats to order this Christmas 2025

MANILA, Philippines – Potluck parties and Christmas get-togethers are in full swing, and if you’re choosing to stay in instead of braving the December traffic, you’re not alone. Meals at home, shared with friends and loved ones, can feel just as special — sometimes even more so — when the food is thoughtfully chosen and meant for sharing.

From restaurant party trays to festive cakes, desserts, and easy pulutan, homegrown restaurants, chains, small businesses, and home-based bakers across Metro Manila are putting together holiday-ready offerings you can order ahead and serve at home.

Here are Rappler-approved picks to add to your table this Christmas!

Nono’s

A go-to for familiar comfort food classics, Nono’s offers party platters designed for groups of about 8 to 10 people per tray.

Favorites include the Homestyle Fried Chicken (P3,995), Baby Back Ribs (P3,495), and the creamy Pesto Cream with Grilled Chicken (P3,495). Lighter options like the Honey Barbecue Chicken Salad (P2,495) are also available, alongside more family-friendly picks like the Bolognese, Tomato and Basil Spaghettini, Burger Sliders, and Oriental Shrimp Salad.

To end the meal on a sweet note, Nono’s seasonal Yema Sansrival layers cashew meringue with yema custard, butter icing, and toasted cashews — a festive dessert that packs on the sweetness but doesn’t feel too heavy.

Orders can be placed for delivery via the Nono’s website.

Foodtray2go

A “one-stop shop” for home-style party food, Foodtray2Go cooks over 200 ready-to-serve options spanning Filipino favorites and familiar international dishes. It’s a practical choice for groups who can’t decide on a single cuisine!

Popular picks include the Beef Salpicao, available in beef, chicken, or tenderloin versions. Prices range from P700 to P2,798 for beef, with tenderloin trays going up to P4,598.

The Baked Macaroni, a dependable crowd favorite cooked Pinoy-style with lots of cheese, is priced from P550 to P2,198 for trays serving 5 to 20 people. The potluck star, Baked Salmon with Creamy Lemon Caper Sauce, moist and flaky with a tangy and creamy finish, goes for P1,949 to P3,898 for 7 to 14 pax.

A pricier but indulgent addition is the Baked Cheesy Garlic Prawns, generously loaded with butter, cheese, and garlic, ranging from P1,150 to P4,598. And to finish on a sweet note, the Mango with Sago is best served chilled, packed with ripe mangoes and chewy and bouncy sago pearls (P450 to P1,798).

Orders can be made through FoodTray2Go’s website, with customer support on Viber.

Moment Group Catering

Moment Group’s holiday catering packages make it easier to serve their restaurant favorites at home. Available for a limited holiday run, these trays are bundled by theme and cuisine.

The Filipino Party Trays (P2,999 for 3-4 pax; P5,499 for 7-8 pax) include Manam staples like lumpia, chicken inasal skewers, crispy house sisig, tinapa rice, pancit canton, and even bibingka.

The Moment Faves (P3,499 and P5,999) bring together Ooma’s maki duo, Manam’s caramelized patis wings and crispy sisig, 8Cuts cheeseburger sliders and onion rings, plus buko pie.

The International Party Trays (P3,999 and P6,999) lean more upscale, with dishes such as grilled chicken Caesar salad, baked salmon gratin, truffle mushroom aglio olio, roast beef belly with red wine gravy, and burnt strawberry cheesecake. Everything tastes freshly cooked and fit to be served at one of Moment Group’s restaurants.

The holiday promo runs until January 15.

Bizu

For a more polished potluck spread, Bizu’s party sets are recommended.

The 10-Hour Roast Beef is a highlight, slow-cooked until tender and served with Parmesan mashed potatoes and gravy. It’s paired with Bizu’s Baked Seafood Au Gratin, Spinach and Mushroom Ravioli with Pomodoro and Feta, and Rosemary and Lemon Chicken.

Additional options include Kurobuta Rib Roast and Herb Roast Salmon Beurre Blanc, and other restaurant-level side dishes. On the dessert side, there’s a new Quezo De Bola Loaf Cake and Bizu’s Macaron Noël Tree, which can act as a beautiful holiday centerpiece. It includes Bizu’s new special queso de bola with dulce de leche macaron flavor!

Orders can be placed via Bizu’s website.

China Mommy

A home-based, family-run business serving authentic Filipino-Chinese food, China Mommy’s holiday ham has become a seasonal staple made from a generational recipe. This year’s cured pork shoulder comes in a customized box and is available for pick-up on certain days.

Each whole ham weighs approximately 900 grams to 1 kilo and is slow-cooked until tender, then glazed with the brand’s signature pineapple sauce (served on the side). The flavor leans savory-sweet with a slight tang, making it easy to pair with bread, pan de sal, white rice, or to be enjoyed on its own.

Orders can be placed through China Mommy’s online store.

Tipple

Tipple Café Molito — the restaurant’s newly opened branch — offers party trays meant for small gatherings of around five to six people; ideal if you’re hosting something more intimate. The trays include shareable favorites like Umami Fries and Chips, Umami Wings and Bombs, Signature Shawarma Rice, Katipunan Fried Chicken, Steak Rice, and Salmon Poke.

Pre-orders are available for pick-up at Molito Lifestyle Center, Alabang.

Kumori

Kumori’s holiday cake for 2025 is the new Matcha Berry Mood (P615), a pretty combination of fluffy matcha sponge layered with silky matcha cream and real strawberry cream. Freeze-dried strawberries and green frosting give it a Christmas wreath look.

The cake is available in Kumori branches and online via kumori.com.ph, as well as on Grab, Foodpanda, Pickaroo, and Metromart in select areas.

Leonisa’s Kitchen

Leonisa’s Kitchen specializes in home-baked desserts that are delicate and pretty to the eye. The sugar-free Passionfruit Milk Chocolate Pavlova (P2,650) balances chocolate richness with citrus brightness and a light meringue crunch, without tasting sugar-free.

Also, a good dessert option that’s fluffy, light, and creamy is the Mixed Fruit Shortcake, with layers of vanilla chiffon, soft cream, and fresh strawberries, mangoes, and muscat grapes. Leonisa’s fruitcake takes a more indulgent route: buttery and moist, packed with fruits and nuts, and soaked in rum and brandy.

Orders are taken via Instagram.

Sainte Anne

Sainte Anne’s tiramisu cups are designed for easy eating: espresso-soaked sponge layered with airy mascarpone, coffee liqueur, and a dusting of dark cocoa, all served in individual cups with tiny spoons. The mascarpone texture is light and cloud-like, with a pleasant bitterness from the cocoa that keeps the dessert from becoming too sweet. The cake itself is moist enough and bold in its coffee flavor.

They are available for pre-order, with branches in New Manila and Alabang.

Auro x Engkanto Brewery

For something a little unique and more adult-friendly, the Dark Heart Imperial Stout is a limited-release collaboration between Engkanto Brewery and Auro Chocolate. Brewed with Regalo and Mana cacao nibs from Auro’s award-winning cacao beans, the stout leans into notes of coffee, dark chocolate, and subtle sweetness.

With an 11.2% ABV, it’s a full-bodied beer meant to be sipped slowly and paired with rich food or enjoyed on its own. Bottles are available at select Auro and Taps locations, as well as through Engkanto Brewery’s official webstore.

Mo’ Cookies

Mo’ Cookies rolls out limited-edition holiday gift boxes featuring pre-assorted bestsellers for easy gifting or sharing at home, and in three curated combinations.

The Holiday All-Stars: Chocolate Chip, Nutella Crinkle, White Chocolate Walnut, and South Cotabato Chocolate Fudge; the Holiday Ooey-Gooeys: Two Chocolate Chip cookies, one Nutella Crinkle, and one Triple Chocolate Mallow; and the Holiday Snack Box: Chocolate Chip, Naked Oatmeal, White Chocolate Walnut, and Dark Chocolate Oatmeal.

All holiday gift boxes are available for delivery.

Lartizan

Established in 2007, Lartizan is known for its traditional French breads made with sourdough from wild yeast or levain. Its range includes artisan loaves made with natural flours, as well as holiday-friendly items like pain complet, madeleines, ube cheese pandesal, muffins, and kouign amann.

Orders can be placed via Lartizan’s website.

Pan de Manila

Pan de Manila’s Christmas Premium Paper Bag makes for an easy, customizable gift. The festive bag can be filled with items like café con leche 3-in-1 coffee boxes, tablea tablets, Spanish-style sardines, yema spread, or ube halaya made with pure ube and no preservatives, among Pan de Manila’s other classics and baked breads such as pan de coco, brioche, blueberry loaf, and low-fat loaf.

Orders can be made online.

Daily Beer PH

Korean chain Daily Beer recently opened at Arcovia City, bringing Korea’s chimaek (chicken and beer) pairing to Manila. The menu centers on crispy fried chicken paired with in-house craft beers, with prices ranging from P550 to P950 — good for sharing among three to four people. Gift certificates can be bought as gifts, or platters can be taken home for sharing.

First-timers can start with Cheese Balls and Chewy Doughnuts, then try signature beers like Red Lager, Ginseng Lager, and a rotating selection of IPAs. Beer flights are available for those who want to sample different styles before committing to a full glass. – Rappler.com