Crystal Jade La Mian Xiao Long Bao: Local Taste of International Repute

September 19, 2010 – Crystal Jade La Mian Xiao Long Bao, Greenhills – Rumors of long lines and much clamored entry through the vaunted doors of Crystal Jade La Mian Xiao Long Bao could not keep me away, and a late night call for reservations revealing a month-long waiting line did me in. Convinced that Sunday lunch would have to be spent at Crytal Jade La Mian Xiao Long Bao, I took it upon myself to ensure a spot for my family by going an hour early from the scheduled 11am service. I must have my Xiao Long Bao fix!

Light-filled, Cream Interiors

The guests were ushered in one at a time and the restaurant was filled to capacity before waiters started to check on diners for their selections. Order taking should have been painless and organized with a system I thought brilliant at first. Each table was provisioned an illustrated menu and a separate checklist with number codes diners reference before making their mark.

Make Your Mark

Famished and barely lucid, I gingerly marked my first order from the inventory and asked for an order of Spicy Chicken La Mian (Php288) while I waited for my family. The noodles looked soggy, but the texture was perfection – tender and firm to the bite. The dish itself was inundated with chiu chow oil which had less heat than it looked. After a long hot day in line, spicy noodles and a glass of Iced Honey Lemon (Php110) was just what I needed.

Ice Honey Lemon

Tender La Mian

Spicy Chicken La Mian

As soon as my party arrived, the rest of my inventory swiftly took to the waiter’s hands and the dishes materialized on our table one after the next.

The Pièce de résistance came first – xiao long bao (Php158) – which also proved to be a source of major disappointment. I have tried this particular dim sum in many local Chinese restaurants and it did not do much to stand out.

Xiao Long Bao

Xiao Long Bao with Chinese Vinegar

Of the five pieces, only one had some soup intact which brushed lightly with Chinese vinegar to give it some bite without overpowering its delicate taste. The rest were barely moist and did not live up to the dish’s reputation. They were horrible as xiao long bao, but made a barely passable, moist pork dumpling.

Fried Pancake with Scallions

Fried Beancurd Skin with Shrimp

We had some Fried Pancake with Scallions (Php98) and Deep-fried Beancurd Skin Rolls with Shrimp (Php135) too – and both offered little to surpass my already lowered expectations. The former was shredded beyond recognition, flaky and salty. The latter tasted extremely salty like the whole meat filling was drenched in salt water before serving – completely overpowering the taste of shrimp. The beancurd skin was soggy from the oil and could have benefited from a few seconds on absorbent paper so as not to lose the crispy texture.

A few dishes we order at every Chinese restaurant to get a solid basis for comparison. We definitely had to make sure we got the Crystal Jade La Mian Xiao Long Bao versions of popular staples – Yang Chow Fried Rice (Php248), Seafood Fried Rice (Php288), Chicken Fillet in Lemon Sauce (Php288), Sauteed Sliced Beef with Broccoli (Php290) and Shredded Beef with Mushroom in Spicy Sauce (Php290).

Seafood Fried Rice

The grains from the rice dishes were clumpy and ended with a pool of oil at the bottom of the dish. Both beef dishes were bland with a hint of Chinese vinegar – which I found off. While the chicken never made it to the table despite being marked for consumption.

The afternoon got really awkward when an extra order of Spicy Chicken La Mian found its way to our table despite our insistence and evidence that we already had it as a first dish. The waiter was soon followed by the captain waiter who argued with us on the fact. I showed the inventory sheet, order slip and recently emptied plate of the first La Mian. My gracious aunt – who did not want to create a scene – offered to have it to go. Left to my own devices, I would have not let the issue go so easily.

By the end of the meal, I came to the conclusion that the restaurant’s very typical interiors matched an equally standard fare that left little to be desired. I refused to be blinded by the hype, and saw the food (and service) for what it was. I’m off to Choi Garden for a rave well-deserved.