Shanghaied in Malate

Leave it to DJ Montano to come up with an old concept like Chinese cuisine and give it an elegant twist. As the purveyor of one of the bastions of style and cool in Malate – his mini-complex on Ma. Orosa St. houses Acquario bar and the Indian restaurant, Raj – DJ has always gone that extra mile to overload on ambience.

Courtyard, his newest baby, is up to par. Taste abounds in the Ed Calma interiors, and taste also emanates from the kitchen, from where novel Chinese dishes emerge.

"I took a trip to Shanghai with Ed last year," DJ says. "That was where we came up with the idea regarding what dishes to bring to Courtyard, as well as the look we would give the interiors. While there are a number of Chinese-inspired eateries in the area, it was strange to discover that in the heart of Malate, there was no real Chinese restaurant. I did not want a restaurant with the usual Chinese motif. I wanted to give it the feel of China Club or Jockey Club. It’s not stiff-formal, but it’s Chinese in a luxurious, modern setting, with dishes to match."

When guests enter, they will be greeted by an entire wall that has been transformed into an aquarium, a trademark DJ touch, following his Aquarius birth sign. The tablecloths are made of sumptuous brocaded fabric, and the wall of concrete offset by bolts of fabric that extend along the ceiling give the eatery the intimacy of a comfortable Shanghai boudoir. Every detail has been given due attention and one only needs to open the menu to complete the sensory experience.

Among the appetizers, the fried pork brain nuggets are a must-try. The brain nuggets have the texture of tofu, but the sauces served on the side give this dish a kick. The Beef in Buddhist Robes is very DJ. It is actually deep-fried orange pastry pockets filled with minced beef given a whimsical moniker. The crispy bean curd roll stuffed with chicken and vegetables is also worth trying out.

Courtyard’s piece de resistance is in the soup list. It’s Soup No. 5, a well-known aphrodisiac with bull’s balls as its main ingredients. Squeamish me had a panic attack about stuffing those little morsels in my mouth. It turns out that the bull’s balls dissolve easily in your mouth as you bite into them. For the less adventurous, there’s vegetable soup with black moss. And no, you don’t need to guess where the black moss comes from.

Of the main dishes, don’t miss the Shrimps Clear as Crystal. It’s light and very clean in taste. The Squirrel Fish proved to be a conversation piece. It is actually lapu-lapu that has been fried to a crisp. The spiky fishbones give the dish its squirrel-like appearance, and you have to trust DJ’s word on it. To see is to believe.

The deep-fried fish fillet with black sesame seeds was my favorite. The succulent lapu-lapu fillets are encrusted with black sesame seeds. Make sure you make a beeline for the bathroom to check your teeth for any stray seeds that might have ended up between them. But then, shouldn’t you always check on your teeth after every meal?

On the night of our visit, I eyed but passed up on the meat dishes: Sizzling sliced beef with orange peel and chili peppers, beef tenderloin with leeks and the lion’s head meatballs. Is frog seafood or meat? I’m not certain, but the fried salt-and-pepper frogs’ legs looked like a must-try next time. It may have a pedestrian name, but DJ suggested we try the grilled pork BBQ next time around. He says it is not what most diners would expect.

I can recommend the vegetable dish we ordered, which was sautéed asparagus, mushrooms and kaylan in ginger oyster sauce. And for a change, skip the usual yang chow fried rice for the spinach fried rice, which was simply excellent.

I’m sure DJ was out to please with his dessert selection. There’s Shanghai red bean crepe, red bean soup with sweet flour balls and almond jelly with lychees, toasted almond and sago. I opted for the crepe and it was a gustatory delight.

The specialty drinks list has a watermelon and ginger shake which turned out to be very refreshing. I made a mental list of what I’d like to try in the future, and it includes the mango and coconut mix and the raspberry iced tea.

It seems the running theme at this restaurant was brain and brawn – in this case, brawn came in the form of balls. Just think: Brain nuggets, bull’s balls, lion’s head meatballs and flour balls.

Courtyard does have much to offer making it a welcome addition to the Malate scene that we all know is always in a constant flux. One season, the district is everybody’s favorite destination; the next time, it’s back to the die-hards and regulars.

Thanks to the vision of some creative minds, Malate continues to thrive and maintain its distinct collective personality. At one time in its history, this vision was spearheaded by Ernest Santiago and Larry Cruz. The likes of DJ Montano, Colin McKay and the Firma team now carry this torch. Courtyard is definitely one trip well worth taking.