Dining Snippets: Crystal Jade Dining In x Hawker Chan x La Cabrera
CRYSTAL JADE DINING IN
SHRIMP RICE ROLL and PAN FRIED RADISH CAKE IN XO SAUCE
Crystal Jade Dining In simply equates to excellent dimsum. It’s actually difficult to recall a bad order of dimsum as quality and flavor are naturally evident in each dish. A personal favorite would be the Shrimp Rice Roll, while my mom swears by its Radish Cake. My sister eternally craves for its Beancurd Roll.
SAUTEED PRAWN WITH WASABI SALAD SAUCE (P988/P1482/P1976)
It’s a bit difficult not to over-order in Crystal Jade Dining In; because apart from its extensive dimsum menu, it also has a really good selection of main dishes. Even if these come in sizes, the small sizes are already big enough for sharing. For wasabi lovers, the Sauteed Prawn with Wasabi Salad Sauce is a must. You’re served with a platter of large prawns wrapped in a crunchy batter which sneakingly jolts you with a punch of wasabi once you take that first bite. As I’m not a big fan of wasabi, I preferred to lean on family favorites such as the Crispy Roasted Pork Belly (P520/P780/P1040) which came with uniformly sized cubes of thin crisp skin followed by layers of juicy meat.
SAUTEED BEEF WITH BASIL LEAF AND SPICY SAUCE (P780/P1170/P1560)
An unfortunate exception to the restaurant’s display of quality dishes would be its Sauteed Beef with Basil Leaf and Spicy Sauce. The spicy and sweet glaze will undoubtedly have your lip smacking. Unfortunately, the beef felt artificially tenderized; which just ruined the experience for us.
FRIED RICE WITH SCALLOP, CRAB MEAT, and CRAB ROE (P580/P870/P1160)
Swap the ubiquitous Yang Chow Fried Rice for some of its tasty Fried Rice with Scallop, Crab Meat and Crab Roe, which is already perfectly flavorful on its own. It won’t hurt topping it with some Sauteed Green Bean with Minced Meat and Spicy Shrimp Paste (P380/P570/P760) though!
Crystal Jade Dining In
7th Avenue, Bonifacio High Street, BGC, Taguig City
Date of Visit: January 1, 2019 with Wilson Chua, Lily Chua, Jared Chua and Jem Chua
HAWKER CHAN
SOYA SAUCE CHICKEN NOODLE (P158), SOYA BEAN SPROUTS (P89), COMBINATION PLATTER (Choice of 3 Meats – P270), MARINATED EGG (P30), PLAIN RICE WITH SAUCE (P30)
Michelin Star-awarded Hawker Chan began its expansion in Metro Manila, quickly rising to three branches already. Its customizable menu mainly focuses on roasted mains: Soy Chicken, Char Siew, Roasted Pork, and Pork Rib; with the choice of pairing it with plain rice topped with its sweet Soya Sauce or with HK style thin noodles. Must-order sides would be its crunchy Soya Bean Sprouts which pair perfectly with rice, and its Marinated Egg. Admittedly, you get what you pay for in Hawker Chan; meaning that you can’t expect high-quality roasted meats with the low price you pay it for. You can’t beat its value for money though especially as it closely competes with the price offerings of most rice meals of McDonalds and Jollibee. Personally, I'm a sucker for the chewy thin noodles that they serve there, so I’d definitely see myself frequenting its branches in the near future.
Hawker Chan
UGF City Center, SM North Edsa, Quezon City
Date of Visit: January 12, 2019 with Lily Chua
LA CABRERA
For this year, I decided to celebrate my birthday at La Cabrera’s beautiful branch in 6750 with my family. A restaurant specializing in prime steaks can get a bit snooty and intimidating; but I love how the restaurant managed to evoke a familiar vibe through its interiors which resembled a beautiful ‘lived-in’ house.
It fills up its walls with endless photos and knickknacks, leaving no room for boring emptiness. My favorite piece was its chandelier made up of kitchen utensils.
800g BIFE DE CHORIZO (P4930)
Let’s dive right into the main star, the 800g Bife de Chorizo, which featured a beautifully charred medium striploin, with its gorgeous juices glistening. The Steak Rice (P320) is a perfect accompaniment for this. We actually underestimated the value that this steak had. Not only were we treated to legitimately satisfying steak, it came with a truckload of sides which were unlimited.
Its hot sides consisted of some delicious spinach bathed in bechamel, corn kernels, caramelized garlic cloves, and mashed potatoes. Cold sides consisted of even more roasted garlic cloves, pickled vegetables, a medley of tomatoes and olives in olive oil, among others.
Apart from having its own version of unlimited ‘banchan’, it also serves pretty good house bread. If only we knew about all of these inclusions, we wouldn’t have ordered too much of its other sides. Nonetheless, we had no regrets in trying them out.
Although the bread came with its own spread selection, the bread also served as the perfect vessel for the extremely gooey and salty Provoleta con Jamon Crudo, Tomates Secos Y Albahaca (P990). How can you go wrong with a skillet of melted gooey provolone cheese accompanied by slices of parma ham wonderfully sweetened by some sundried tomatoes and accented by some basil?
CHICHARRONES (P250)
Admittedly, I won’t be surprised if heart attacks were started by their extremely rich Chicharrones. Each bite of this deep fried wonder comes with a side swallow of guilt. It’s good, but you definitely can’t eat too much of it. without being overwhelmed by all the fat and grease. Another must-try side dish would be its Papas Criollas Con Huevos Reveltuos (P380), which is essentially perfectly fried and well-seasoned potato wedges with an extremely creamy scrambled egg on top.
Opt to Skip: Chorizo Carbonara Linguini
La Cabrera
6750 Ayala Avenue, Makati City
Date of Visit: January 13, 2019 with Wilson Chua, Lily Chua, Jared Chua and Jem Chua
