All your Xiao Long Bao cravings and more with Paradise Dynasty
Chinese New Year is just about a few days away.. and the only way to celebrate it with a bang is to fill your tummies with delicious Chinese flavors and treats!
It is always auspicious for the whole family to enjoy a hearty meal during Chinese New Year, bringing in good luck, prosperity and most importantly good health. So to kick off our celebration of the Chinese New Year, we think of our favorite Chinese dimsum, and that is XLB or Xiao Long Bao, and when you think of XLB only one comes into mind... Paradise Dynasty.
My cousin heard from a friend that there was a place in Retiro, Quezon City, serving "Taiwan's famous stinky tofu臭豆腐" And so we finally got a chance to visit the place, and without second thoughts, we hop on to ride through that rainy night, and finally we're here, Kao-Chi Restaurant.
From the outside, it looks like any ordinary Chinese restaurant, with Chinese neon signs, brightly lit to lure customers in, but when you take your first steps in.. you're like transported to another place.
The interiors are adorned nicely with antiques from the Chinese dynasties, but of course with a little twist of modern pieces such as the picture on the right, where the ring of the supposed wall lion head design is lighted to a bright gold.
The seats and tables are all patterned to a bright red setting, making it feel majestic and yes royalty. And so let's end the small talk and get to business.
It has been a busy week, and we take another trip to one of our favorite Chinese food places, Lu Gang Cafe in Greenhills. Yes, after all this time I get to taste the wonderful recipes that Lu Gang has to offer... and first on the list Xiao Long Bao ( P158). I am glad to say, the service is still impeccable, Xiao Long Bao came in hot and smelling good, and yes the rich flavor and the juicy soup oozing out is yummy. What I just hate is that why Xiao Long Bao so addicting.
Well, we have to try something else right? The Crispy Chicken (P 480). What's missing here is the other half of the chicken, haha the chicken was there in a second, then gone in a whilst. The chicken dish got its name because of its uber crispy chicken skin, and very tender meat. The chicken should have been proud.
Next dish that we tried was the Spicy Dory in clay pot (P 320), yes it was full of flavor, fish was soft and tender and ohh so delish. I kept on munching on it. Instead of using the usual Lapu-Lapu fish fillet, Dory fish was used to add more of the essence of fish on the dish. It amazes me how a simple combination of pepper and spice can make dory fish so extraordinary, this is another must order list on my next visit.
Next in line, the fun and fruity shakes that definitely made the evening more interesting. On the left, Blended Mango and Sago Coconut Milk, P130 and on the right, Jelly in Mango and Coconut Milk, P130. You would notice how coconut milk is used to bring out the flavor of the mango in both these wonderful drinks, I am not fond of mangoes but my friends love them a lot, so even if the mango used was kinda sour the coconut milk balances it out. Giving it a 100% sureness of being sweet.
This next drink, was the talk of the night, everybody was saying hey does it taste good? Is it a perfect blend? Does it tickle your senses? and What is that drink that you ordered?
What did I have? Cranberry Juice with mango and sago P130. It was just a simple blend of juices and puree but it was one of the best blend that I had. Considering I am having this in a Chinese Restaurant is quite a pleasant surprise.
To end the night, we were treated to two yummy desserts namely Peanut Smoothy P160 (left), and Bellagio Breeze (right). The Peanut Smoothy was a favorite among others but I personally ehem don't like it, maybe its because I am not a fan of peanut butter?? Maybe. But on the other hand the Bellagio Breeze was a total knockout, from mongo beans to the white beans to the finely shaved ice.. oh heaven. And its even good to share. Sarap and Sulit!!! Definitely a must try dessert. What do you know dinner is finished and we look forward to another day of eating, i mean another day of living. See you guys at some place to eat soon...
There was a new buzz in the Chinese community here about some new restaurant that opened recently in Greenhills at V-Mall (formerly VirraMall). It was quite intriguing, and news broke out that it was having long lines before you could have a seat at the establishment. Thus, I went to find out what was causing this commotion.
Alas, it was Crystal Jade La Mian Xiao Long Bao. Believe me when I say, you have to be early to come here to reserve on weekends as the lines can become very long. We came at around 5:45 PM, and waited for almost an hour before we got in. Crystal Jade has branches all over Asia, more prominent in Hong Kong , Singapore and China. It has build up its name as one of the best restaurants in Asia, garnering numerous awards that has made it a household name in several Asian countries.
They flew in chefs to maintain quality assureness as they provide in the other Asian countries, here you can see them making their famous Xiao Long Bao, they make them fresh.
and their La Mian (hand-pulled noodles)
It's amazing how fast they can make this... and so perfect!
First up, appetizer Deep Fried Wanton - P 170 / 6 pcs
crispy wanton and juicy meat inside, perfect with sweet and sour sauce
Yang Chow fried rice - P 248
I was not happy with this serving as it was very small, they should have an
option for a bigger size. Nothing out of the ordinary.
One of the highlights of our dinner... I was expecting this to be great
Steamed Xiao Long Bao - P 158/ 5 pcs.
true to their claims, it was very soupy so you have to use your Chinese
spoon and chopsticks for these, or you will spill the juice.
It was delicious... I have eaten quite a few local versions of Xiao Long Bao
and I must say this is one of the best I have tasted
Braised Eggplant with pork - P 288
my dad liked it!! - you know my dad (hard to please)
Sauteed string beans and minced pork with olives - P 248
It was perfectly done, tastes great, crisp and fresh
Spicy Beef noodles - P288
the la mian (hand-pulled noodles) was so good, they were very firm
and just right to the bite, I would definitely order this again.
and for desert Radish Pastry - P 98.00/ 3 pcs.
it was very tasty and hot!!! (newly cooked)
Overall, my experience there was very fulfilling though you must expect since this is still a new establishment, and people are curious, there will be long lines, unless you were the first customer. I feel that the prices of the food here is a little on the expensive side. Almost all servings are only good for 2, so you have to order additional orders, that is why it can be a little pricey. So if you want to try the best of Asia without taking a ride to HK, this is the next best thing. Would I dine here again? Maybe, if the lines are not long anymore.
**tip: dine in during weekdays, and best is that you can reserve a table for a group of 8 and up from Mon - Thurs, during weekends though you would have to reserve in person. They closed at around 9PM, kinda early for me. So when they reach a certain no. of waiting guests they won't accept you anymore.
Price Range - P 300 - 500
Crystal Jade La Mian Xiao Long Bao
Unit 117-121, Virra Mall, Greenhills Shopping Center
