Modern Chinese

An illustrious Chinese restaurant that is most frequented in the Greenhills area and that has been causing a bit of a traffic jam along Connecticut street is the Lugang (鹿港) Cafe. Opened for just less than a year, this restaurant, owned and managed by the Shanghai-based Bellagio group and with scores of branches in mainland China, has been definitely making its mark already on the local dining scene.

 

 

The restaurant is brightly lit and very welcoming, with floor-to-ceiling glass windows and a sleek and contemporary interior. The overall theme is metallic, with a touch of some traditional Chinese elements like the wooden door and the stone vase. One should be warned that the restaurant is intimidatingly noisy and bustling, like most Chinese restaurants are. Lugang Cafe more or less focuses on cuisine from the eastern half of China, and one can find dishes from Taiwan, Sichuan, Guangdong, and Beijing.

First on the list are the litte dragon buns (more popularly known as xiao long bao 小龍包, Php188). Seven succulent pieces of the dimsum snack are served on a bamboo container with a dipping sauce made from black vinegar and ginger. Tasteful broth is included inside the wrap and one must bite through it cautiously as it can be quite hot!

Next is the garlic pork roll (Php160). The fennel bulbs were expecting a spring roll, but to their surprise, it happens to be thinly sliced pork stuffed with bean sprouts, chives, amongst other refreshing vegetables. And speaking of refreshing, this dish uses meat to refresh the taste buds! The sauce is richly garlicky, and reminds one of the sauce used for lumpiang sariwa. 

A very tasty vegetable dish is the mixed mushrooms in XO sauce (Php280). It's served as a viand and the hint of garlic and chili goes very well with steamed Jasmine rice. The XO sauce (a mildly spicy sauce made from dried scallops) enhances the flavour of the dish with its blend of spicy and salty. 

Next is the beef with chinese crullers (Php290). The combination of textures and flavours makes this dish a very comforting one indeed! The heartiness of the beef, which is quite tender and dense, is supplemented by the cruller (a Chinese pastry which is deep fried and resembles a doughnut), which is crunchy and airy. The celery is a little contrasting detail but fits very well into the dish. 

 

A perfect way to end the meal and at the same time rinse the palate is green tea ice cream with red beans over shaved ice (Php180). Resembling the Japanese kakigori, this dessert is actually more like an afternoon refreshment than a meal ender, but does the same job very well. The green tea ice cream though tastes more like vanilla than green tea. 

Overall, Lugang Cafe is a great place to go to for delicious and affordable Chinese cuisine, with the milieu in mind, of course. 好之了！