China Palace dining comes to SM Mall of Asia
February 10, 2007 | 12:00am
Two months after SM Mall of Asia opened in May 2006, Tagaytay Highlands opened a branch of its Highlander Steak House at this prime mall development. The move was welcomed by steak lovers in the metro, be they Tagaytay Highlands members or not. The restaurant’s famed Cowboy Steak proved to be the crowd drawer as it is in the mountain retreat, since it is the perfect repast for a family dining out on a weekend.
Last Dec. 14, 2006, Tagaytay Highlands soft-opened another of its food and beverage outlet at SM Mall of Asia, this time its signature Chinese restaurant China Palace. Officially named Highlands China Palace, the restaurant now brings to Metro Manila the twin jewels of Tagaytay Highlands, food and beverage outlets.
While the new branch tries to recreate the Tagaytay China Palace dining experience in Metro Manila, a number of elements that remind you of the original restaurant are missing. Gone are the vistas of Tagyatay Highlands’ massive greens, as well as the breathtaking view of a mountainside gorge that are seen magnificently, as if framed by the restaurant’s picture windows. Gone also is the experience of ceremoniously walking down a grand staircase and enjoying the sight of water treatment as you enter the restaurant.
David Chua, Highlands food and beverage director, says they could have tried to recreate those missing features at the SM Mall of Asia branch, but it would compromise the restaurant’s premium space.
However, the outlet has its advantages, too. The venue has a high ceiling, which gives the dining area the grand look often associated with many exclusive Chinese establishments. The rich, dark wood floor adds a touch of elegance to the restaurant, while the latticework on the ceiling gives it much flair. The four red pillars that mark the corners of the dining area lend the room nobility. The view of the beautiful Manila Bay sunset in the afternoon is also a plus. Since the restaurant is located at the corner end of the Entertainment Mall, it has ample space for al fresco dining, which is a boon during the Christmas and New Year holidays, as well as in the summer months.
Yes, Highlands China Palace has the same menu that is available in Tagaytay. That’s why Tagaytay Highlands club members who want a taste of the exclusive resort’s China Palace in a jiffy no longer need to drive up to Tagaytay for lunch or dinner. What’s more, the restaurant is open to both club members and the public; club members may use their cards to sign the bill.
When we dropped by to sample Highlands China Palace’s specials, Chua selected a menu that veered away from the usual Chinese fare. There were no salt and pepper spareribs, sweet and sour pork, and steamed fish. All those dishes we could have at any Chinese restaurant, but this is the popular China Palace.
For starters, we were served two kinds of dim sum: pork barbecue pastry and shrimp and century egg roll.
The pastry is the usual char sieu (pork asado) filling but stuffed into flaky pastry. It was a delightful way of starting a meal. The shrimp and century egg roll was an innovation on the standard spring roll and shrimp dumpling. Prawn and century egg slices were rolled in rice paper and fried until done. With its partner sweet chili sauce dip, it was enough to have us reaching for more.
The soup course was a hearty one, Mrs. Soong’s thick fish soup. It was thick like most Chinese soups, but filled with julienned mushrooms and bamboo shoots, bamboo pith and seafood morsels. It was hot, and a sip would have restored anyone back to optimum health. That afternoon, we ladled it down by the spoonful, wanting more. If you find it a bit mild to your taste, a drop or two of black Chinese vinegar will liven up its flavors.
The next course was just as intriguing: crispy bean curd. This platter could easily be a meal for one, even an appetizer for those on a dim sum lunch. Silken tofu (think taho) is blended with bits of Chinese ham and seafood, and local tofu (tokwa) and shaped into fingers. These are then coated in a batter and cooked to a crisp. With their matching sweet and sour sauce, they were so yummy they quickly disappeared from the table.
The next dish set on the table was an unusual one: elephant shells with garlic. It would be hard to imagine what the elephant shells are like live if you do not peek into the fish tank at the back of the restaurant. They are actually giant clams that have a long tongue, their main distinguishing feature, which they use to siphon food.
The shells were stir-fried in butter and garlic. One shell would be enough to tickle your taste buds, but why stop when there’s more with each order?
The rice course was a rare treat: lotus fried rice. Fried rice is wrapped in lotus leaves and steamed. The steaming imparts a unique flavor to the fried rice that raises it above the usual fried rice.
And the feast was still not over. Out came the prawns with salted eggs. Fresh prawns are dipped in a batter with mashed salted eggs and fried to a crisp. The mashed salted eggs give the batter a salty tang that completes its flavor. You don’t really need a dip or sauce to go with the shrimps, but a dip in sweet and sour sauce gives it something more.
The day’s piece de resistance was Highlands’ stir-fried crab with XO sauce. If you’re not that adventurous in using your hands at the table, be assured that the wait staff is ready with finger bowls.
The crab is served whole… that is, until you reach out for a piece, and the crab falls apart into pieces. The chefs painstakingly rearrange the cooked crab pieces into one whole before serving it at your table.
The crab comes with a garnish of diced vegetables and ground pork that go well with the crab pieces.
Chua says the Highlands China Palace menu is set to be improved in the coming days to have more seafood dishes. However, the present menu in itself already has a wealth of choices, including shark’s fin soup and Peking duck. There are also a number of vegetarian items on the menu, although guests may specifically have dishes customized to fit their tastes.
Since the restaurant opened last year, it has been enjoying brisk business on weekends. He says the restaurant has a specific market  families and executives  although the scheduled opening of a convention center and planetarium at the south side of the mall is expected to bring in more diners.
The restaurant formally opened last Sunday and, right now, is expecting to meet the demands of the market this coming Chinese New Year. The dining area can seat 230 people, while there are four function rooms that can each accommodate 16 diners. On weekends, Chinese musicians entertain diners with traditional Chinese music played on the erhu and zither.
Highlands China Palace is at the second floor, south wing, Entertainment Mall, SM Mall of Asia, Bay Blvd., Pasay City. It is open during mall hours from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. For reservations and inquiries, call 556-0291 or fax 556-0442.
Last Dec. 14, 2006, Tagaytay Highlands soft-opened another of its food and beverage outlet at SM Mall of Asia, this time its signature Chinese restaurant China Palace. Officially named Highlands China Palace, the restaurant now brings to Metro Manila the twin jewels of Tagaytay Highlands, food and beverage outlets.
While the new branch tries to recreate the Tagaytay China Palace dining experience in Metro Manila, a number of elements that remind you of the original restaurant are missing. Gone are the vistas of Tagyatay Highlands’ massive greens, as well as the breathtaking view of a mountainside gorge that are seen magnificently, as if framed by the restaurant’s picture windows. Gone also is the experience of ceremoniously walking down a grand staircase and enjoying the sight of water treatment as you enter the restaurant.
David Chua, Highlands food and beverage director, says they could have tried to recreate those missing features at the SM Mall of Asia branch, but it would compromise the restaurant’s premium space.
However, the outlet has its advantages, too. The venue has a high ceiling, which gives the dining area the grand look often associated with many exclusive Chinese establishments. The rich, dark wood floor adds a touch of elegance to the restaurant, while the latticework on the ceiling gives it much flair. The four red pillars that mark the corners of the dining area lend the room nobility. The view of the beautiful Manila Bay sunset in the afternoon is also a plus. Since the restaurant is located at the corner end of the Entertainment Mall, it has ample space for al fresco dining, which is a boon during the Christmas and New Year holidays, as well as in the summer months.
Yes, Highlands China Palace has the same menu that is available in Tagaytay. That’s why Tagaytay Highlands club members who want a taste of the exclusive resort’s China Palace in a jiffy no longer need to drive up to Tagaytay for lunch or dinner. What’s more, the restaurant is open to both club members and the public; club members may use their cards to sign the bill.
When we dropped by to sample Highlands China Palace’s specials, Chua selected a menu that veered away from the usual Chinese fare. There were no salt and pepper spareribs, sweet and sour pork, and steamed fish. All those dishes we could have at any Chinese restaurant, but this is the popular China Palace.
For starters, we were served two kinds of dim sum: pork barbecue pastry and shrimp and century egg roll.
The pastry is the usual char sieu (pork asado) filling but stuffed into flaky pastry. It was a delightful way of starting a meal. The shrimp and century egg roll was an innovation on the standard spring roll and shrimp dumpling. Prawn and century egg slices were rolled in rice paper and fried until done. With its partner sweet chili sauce dip, it was enough to have us reaching for more.
The soup course was a hearty one, Mrs. Soong’s thick fish soup. It was thick like most Chinese soups, but filled with julienned mushrooms and bamboo shoots, bamboo pith and seafood morsels. It was hot, and a sip would have restored anyone back to optimum health. That afternoon, we ladled it down by the spoonful, wanting more. If you find it a bit mild to your taste, a drop or two of black Chinese vinegar will liven up its flavors.
The next course was just as intriguing: crispy bean curd. This platter could easily be a meal for one, even an appetizer for those on a dim sum lunch. Silken tofu (think taho) is blended with bits of Chinese ham and seafood, and local tofu (tokwa) and shaped into fingers. These are then coated in a batter and cooked to a crisp. With their matching sweet and sour sauce, they were so yummy they quickly disappeared from the table.
The next dish set on the table was an unusual one: elephant shells with garlic. It would be hard to imagine what the elephant shells are like live if you do not peek into the fish tank at the back of the restaurant. They are actually giant clams that have a long tongue, their main distinguishing feature, which they use to siphon food.
The shells were stir-fried in butter and garlic. One shell would be enough to tickle your taste buds, but why stop when there’s more with each order?
The rice course was a rare treat: lotus fried rice. Fried rice is wrapped in lotus leaves and steamed. The steaming imparts a unique flavor to the fried rice that raises it above the usual fried rice.
And the feast was still not over. Out came the prawns with salted eggs. Fresh prawns are dipped in a batter with mashed salted eggs and fried to a crisp. The mashed salted eggs give the batter a salty tang that completes its flavor. You don’t really need a dip or sauce to go with the shrimps, but a dip in sweet and sour sauce gives it something more.
The day’s piece de resistance was Highlands’ stir-fried crab with XO sauce. If you’re not that adventurous in using your hands at the table, be assured that the wait staff is ready with finger bowls.
The crab is served whole… that is, until you reach out for a piece, and the crab falls apart into pieces. The chefs painstakingly rearrange the cooked crab pieces into one whole before serving it at your table.
The crab comes with a garnish of diced vegetables and ground pork that go well with the crab pieces.
Chua says the Highlands China Palace menu is set to be improved in the coming days to have more seafood dishes. However, the present menu in itself already has a wealth of choices, including shark’s fin soup and Peking duck. There are also a number of vegetarian items on the menu, although guests may specifically have dishes customized to fit their tastes.
Since the restaurant opened last year, it has been enjoying brisk business on weekends. He says the restaurant has a specific market  families and executives  although the scheduled opening of a convention center and planetarium at the south side of the mall is expected to bring in more diners.
The restaurant formally opened last Sunday and, right now, is expecting to meet the demands of the market this coming Chinese New Year. The dining area can seat 230 people, while there are four function rooms that can each accommodate 16 diners. On weekends, Chinese musicians entertain diners with traditional Chinese music played on the erhu and zither.
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