To those who consider themselves great fans of Chinese cuisine, telling them about Lugang Café on Connecticut Street, Greenhills is akin to telling Marian devotees about Manaoag. More often than not, it’ll be a “Been there, done that” response and they’re more than familiar with how the two great wooden doors of the Café is a veritable portal to the new Mecca of the very best in Chinese and Taiwanese cuisine — as are their MOA and The Block, North EDSA branches.
Despite the long queues that greet one whether going for lunch or dinner, the three floors of the first Lugang are consistently filled by returning “devotees” and by new, patient and rewarded “converts.” What isn’t as commonly known is how, tremendous success notwithstanding, Lugang remains a unique family-run business.
It was their love for tennis that brought Peter and Annabelle Chua to Shanghai in 2008 to follow the exploits of their favorite tennis players, Federer and Nadal. A friend recommended the Bellagio Café, a restaurant that boasts of Taiwanese cuisine and it’s safe to say that with a change of name, Peter and Annie decided to negotiate with the Bellagio owner, and bring the dining experience to Manila. Presently, this family-run enterprise has Peter as CEO, Annabelle as CFO and general manager, while the head of dining operations is Peter’s youngest daughter from his first marriage, Katrina (Peter’s first wife passed away some 15 years ago). And the kitchen operations manager is Ellery Go, Peter’s cousin.
The modern interiors and the contemporary piped-in music belie the great effort and respect the Chua family placed in authentic, traditional cuisine — they have over 10 chefs flown directly from China to ensure the quality standards of the dishes that come out of the kitchen. And Katrina herself spent more than a month there preparing for her very “hands on” approach to handling the business -— she jokes about how she no longer has a life! Lugang’s runaway success can be attributed to how it offers something unique within the Chinese cuisine arena. While most restaurants take the safe route of sticking to Cantonese dishes, Lugang recognized the range of dishes from other Chinese provinces, how Taiwanese cuisine took the best of these different areas, and how the delicious “street” and “hawker” food could be upgraded, and offered within a restaurant setting.
My three boys can get jaded when it comes to Chinese dishes, but they were unanimous in giving the chicken xiao long bao their six thumbs up! Luca loved the restaurant’s roast duck, while Quintin and Matteo raved about the crystal steamed lapu-lapu that was expertly deboned and spread like a butterfly. My absolute favorite was the platter of appetizers consisting of abalone, jellyfish and enoki mushroom. The kung pao prawns and the chicken topped with scallion and ginger oil are not to be missed.
It’s not that common to see a stepmother and her stepdaughter working together and having so much fun, but Annie and Katrina have turned Lugang into a bonding experience that combines both professionalism and friendship. The day after I got to interview the two, they were off for an all-girls getaway in Hong Kong, with Katrina’s two sisters. It may have all begun with Tennis Slam winners Federer and Nadal, but with Lugang, Peter has created his own Grand Slam, both from a business standpoint, and from a family perspective.
Curated by Five’s fresh moves
In just a short year, Cura V at Rockwell’s Power Plant Mall has become a bastion of style and design, with a priceless overlay of taste and élan! The five independent women behind Cura have shown how tapping the best of local designers and artisans, plus carefully scouring the world for special in-house brands, can turn a retail space into a veritable treasure chest for jewelry, accessories and home furnishings. The objets d’art that populate the shelves and tables of Cura are delightful conversation pieces. It’s the personal product-edit of the five that has made their product mix so unique — from the dramatic, bohemian and decadent, to the subtle, reserved and classic. All these found a home at Cura.
Tradition and modernity become unique bedfellows at Cura. To celebrate the brand’s first anniversary yesterday, Cura held a special Lure of Adornment day at CAV. Local designers featured during the event were Nicole Whisenhunt, Emi Jorge, FahLux by Macky Fah and Celine Lopez, Janina Dizon, Joyce Makitalo, Natalya Lagdameo and Dennis Lustico. The day also marked the welcome of Mawi as one of Cura’s in-house costume jewelry brands. Hailing from London (via North India and New Zealand), and specializing in luxurious statement pieces, Mawi Keivom’s signature line won the 2010 Luxury Brand of Tomorrow Award by the Walpole Committee; so, it’s especially significant that this boutique line readily appointed Cura as its exclusive representative here in the Philippines.
In truth, if you’re still looking for a Christmas gift for those special people in your life, a visit to Cura V could be the most tasteful of options to exercise. They even formally set up a bridal registry service so prospective brides should take note of that to widen their selection and choices.