I ended 2016 with an outstanding 8-course lauriat at Lung Hin in Marco Polo Ortigas Manila featuring the signature dishes of new Chinese Executive Chef Raymond Leung. It is probably only fitting that I also start 2017 the same way, this time with an auspicious Chinese New Year Set Menu to commemorate the upcoming Lunar New Year.
Lung Hin is offering its 2017 Chinese New Year Menu from January 27 to 29, 2017 for those who want to celebrate this special occasion in style. Many Filipino-Chinese families consider this as their second Christmas season and usually get together with relatives and friends over a bountiful lunch or dinner. With my extended KTG bloggers family, I had a preview of what diners can expect at Marco Polo Ortigas Manila which continues to be one of my favorite dining spots in the city. I even got to do the traditional “Prosperity Toss” for the first time, which signifies an abundance of wealth and long life. Let’s hope that what they say is true.
Lung Hin is located on the 44th floor of the country’s first “Sky Hotel”. With towering views over the busy Ortigas business district, Marco Polo Ortigas Manila’s highly-acclaimed Cantonese restaurant is a luxurious venue to host business meetings and family gatherings.
Proudly displayed in the center of the restaurant is the hotel’s Signature Earl Grape Iced Tea, an award-winning beverage that can be found in all Marco Polo properties worldwide (Read about it here). On January 27, there will also be a New Year’s Eve celebration at the Grand Ballroom on the 7th Floor with live entertainment, calligraphy making, plus selling and display of Feng Shui cures and enhancers for guests to enjoy. Experience a taste of the authentic Yin and Yang set menus with family and friends as you welcome a new year full of blessings.
We were hosted by Ms. Judith Los Baños, Marketing Communications Director at Marco Polo Ortigas Manila, inside one of their private VIP dining rooms. This is the best place to have your family celebrations so it is best to book and reserve your tables as early as possible.
The special 9-course Chinese New Year Menu A started with the Prosperity Toss with Salmon Fish or “Yu Sheng”. This is a traditional Teochew-style raw fish salad that usually consists of raw fish mixed with shredded vegetables and a variety of sauces and condiments including oil, vinegar and sugar. In Chinese history, fishermen along the coast of Guangzhou traditionally celebrated Renri, the seventh day of the Chinese New Year, by feasting on their catches.
The Prosperity Toss is actually an “interactive” course because all the diners are encouraged to participate by tossing all of the items high up into the air. Yu Sheng implies “abundance of wealth and long life” and the tossing action signifies tossing up good fortune, which is why it is popular with businessmen and Chinese in general during the New Year.
The result is somewhat messy but that is all part of the ritual. They say the higher the toss, the bigger the wealth, so we all don’t mind the mess. It’s now time to eat the Yu Sheng salad which is actually quite good. The fresh salmon slices are similar to sashimi but with a sweet and sour vinegar dressing.
Next, we had the Braised Pork Tongue with Dried Oyster and Black Moss. The broth has that Chinese herbal taste and this is a warm and hearty soup appetizer to get our tummies ready for the next courses.
The Braised Crab Meat with Dried Scallop and Asparagus is a light and refreshing set filled with fresh seafood and vegetables. Chef Raymond Leung likes to keep his dishes simple and healthy so expect to find a lot of natural flavors at Lung Hin.
Our fourth course was the Stir-Fried Prawn with Asparagus and Red Wine Pear. This generous serving has huge pieces of juicy prawns that are definitely more than a mouthful.
One of the main courses is the Lung Hin Braised Sea Cucumber Casserole and Assorted Seafood in Hot Pot. This big pot is loaded with seafood such as prawns, fish fillet, and squid with tofu slices, garlic, mushrooms and sea cucumber all inside a heaping broth. It’s quite flavorful and this is probably my favorite dish of the afternoon.
This next one is a heavyweight. The Braised Pork Knuckle with Black Moss and Vegetables is a whole pork knuckle swimming in a savory brown sauce. The tender pork slices off so easily is a good combination to have with the fresh vegetables.
To round off the special Chinese New Year Menu, the Fried Rice with Taro and Chinese Sausage is served towards the end of the set. I still don’t quite understand why the rice is served near the end of the courses during Chinese lauriats, but this one goes really well with the braised pork knuckle and the casserole. Just put them on top of your rice bowl for a very filling and flavorful meal.
Desserts are also served which includes the Sweetened Cashew Nut with Sesame Dumpling and the Pan-Fried Coconut and Brown Sugar Sticky Rice Cake Combination. Both should provide a sweet and tasty ending to the special Chinese New Year Set Menu. From January 10-31, Lung Hin is also offering symbolic glutinous rice cakes presented in round cakes with yam and and brown sugar flavours for P988 or the special Koi-shaped coconut flavor for P1,080. You can also indulge in a delectable Golden Pineapple Pastry that comes in a box of 8 for only P888, freshly made by Lung Hin’s Hong Kong chefs. This is available from January 10 to 31.
If you are planning to spend the Lunar New Year celebrations with the family, hurry and book your tables now at Lung Hin in Marco Polo Ortigas Manila, where luck and good fortune surely awaits.
Lung Hin
44/F Marco Polo Ortigas, Meralco Avenue & Sapphire St., Ortigas Center, Pasig City
720-7777 loc 6621
www.marcopolohotels.com
www.facebook.com/MarcoPoloOrtigasManila
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Wine Tasting at Marco Polo VU’s Sky Lounge
Connect Lounge Launches a New Kind of Afternoon Tea
Cantonese Fusion from Lung Hin’s New Executive Chef Raymond Leung
Marco Polo Manila’s Lung Hin Welcomes New Executive Chef Leung Chi Kwan
The authentic flavors of Lung Hin - Marco Polo Ortigas Manila’s exquisite Cantonese restaurant, are set to be hghlighted even further with the arrival of its new Chinese Executive Chef Leung Chi Kwan from Hong Kong. Lung Hin has been one of my favorite Chinese restaurants in the city ever since it opened in 2014 and I love its unique and colorful Cantonese dishes. It has garnered several industry awards in the past years and now it is set to achieve even more with its new executive chef.
Lung Hin is located on the 44th floor of Marco Polo Ortigas Manila, the city’s first five-star Sky Hotel with its rooms and amenities all on the building’s top floors. I have stayed at Marco Polo Ortigas several times already and it continues to be one of the top luxury and business hotels especially in the Ortigas business district. The Hungry Kat was invited for an exclusive preview of some of Chef Ken Leung’s special Cantonese dishes last week so I was excited to find out what new items were being presented here at Lung Hin.
We were seated at one of the private VIP rooms of Lung Hin and this was actually the first time I will be dining in this area. This room had two round tables for ten persons each but the other private dining rooms can also be combined for bigger groups and parties. Natural light from the windows and the rooftop shines through the room which gives it a bright and pleasant vibe.
Lung Hin was recently awarded as one of the most outstanding Chinese restaurants outside of China at the 16th China Hotel Industry Golden Horse Awards Gala. Held last March 16 to 17 at Grand Hyatt Guangzhou, China, the China Hotel Industry Golden Horse Awards is an annual meeting of the China hotel industry wherein different developers, executives, and holders of hotels, tourism, real estate and investment companies gather for the grand event to talk about the different trends and establish contacts for business opportunities. The award is known as the “Oscar” in the hotel industry as it symbolizes the highest recognition in the industry.
Chef Leung Chi Kwan, or Chef Ken, brings in 20 years of extensive expertise in the Chinese culinary industry, gaining experience and developing his skills from international five-star hotels and well-known Chinese Restaurants from different parts of the globe. He has served his authentic creations in the Imperial Treasure in Singapore, in a café restaurant in Ireland, and in Gold Pavilion Fort in Hong Kong, to name a few. Chef Ken is not new to the country, as he was also previously assigned and has collaborated with other well-known hotels here.
Chef Ken personally welcomed us to our superb lunch and offered a special preview of his new cilunary masterpieces highlighting the authentic Cantonese flavors of Lung Hin. Every dining experience at Lung Hin has been spectacular for me so I knew that we would be in good hands.
I ordered a signature beverage from Lung Hin, the pretty Mango Kiwi Shake. The fresh mango and kiwi fruit shakes are placed together one on top of the other and you can either drink it as it is or blend the fruits together yourself.
If you prefer cocktails instead then you can also choose from the hotel’s beverage menu which includes this Daiquiri Mango or other sodas, teas, beers and wines.
We then started with the Deep Fried Crispy Tofu with Seaweed Salad, a very interesting appetizer from Chef Ken Leung. I’m not a big salad lover but I really enjoyed the seaweed salad with its fresh and crispy seaweed coupled with the light flavors of the deep fried tofu. I would definitely order this again next time, yes, even if it is a salad.
Next we were served the Deep Fried Beancurd Leek Rolls with XO Chili Sauce. This was another amazing appetizer with its very thin and crunchy beancurd skin and refreshing leeks. The XO sauce adds a certain kick to the dish but honestly I did not really need it because the beancurd roll was delightful by itself.
The Spinach Seafood Soup is a light and healthy soup as Chef Ken likes to keep his dishes traditional and healthy. Each sip of the warm and thick broth actually reminds me of my favorite corn soup from my childhood days and this is what Chef Ken wants to convey with his authentic and traditional take on Cantonese cuisine.
Chef Ken’s way of cooking Cantonese dishes is very simple and straightforward, which you can see with his Stir-Fried Crystal Prawns. These fresh and huge pieces of prawns are cooked the traditional way and served with fresh brocolli.
The best way to serve seafood is really to present it as it is and this is how Chef Ken impresses us. The prawns simply pop with every juicy bite and you can definitely taste their freshness. I just love these prawns!
More seafood was coming our way with the Poached Live Garoupa with Mushroom. This is a different take on the more common steamed live garoupa in soy sauce that I usually have at Chinese restaurants but it looks just as good.
The mushroom-based sauce replaces the classic soy-sauce flavor of the fresh garoupa which gives it a more umami taste. I think I still prefer the garoupa in soy sauce but this is one new dish that everyone should also try.
Chef Ken also has an interesting approach with the Deep Fried Spareribs with Black Vinegar Sauce. Spareribs is a Cantonese favorite but this one is deep fried and swimming in black vinegar sauce instead of the more classic sweet and savory red sauce.
The flavor combination of Chef Ken’s spareribs are absolutely amazing with its slightly sour black vinegar component giving a new taste to the juicy and crispy spareribs. I think it highlights the savory pork spareribs even further and I really wanted to have more of this dish. Pair this with steamed rice and you are fully set!
After that heavy spareribs dish, we now have something ligther. The Ham and Vegetables in Superior Broth looks like just a simple dish but it is also quite delightful. The ham is immersed for six hours in pork and chicken broth which gives it such abundant flavors.
Lastly, the Fookien Misua is another dish that reminds guests of their past as misua is traditionally served in Chinese homes and family gatherings.
There are also other main dishes that Chef Ken will be introducing into Lung Hin’s new menu like the Roasted Pork Belly and the Deep-fried Sea Mantis with Salt and Pepper. The dishes served to us this afternoon will be offered at Lung Hin starting this month but other dishes are expected to be introduced as well in the coming weeks.
For dessert, we had the lovely Coconut Mango Jelly and Buchi to complete our Cantonese lunch. This is just a regular buchi but I’m actually hoping to try their Chocolate Buchi soon because I’m sure it will be very very good.
We even got to take home these unique orange-flavored Homemade Peanuts which is something I had never tasted before. I wil be happily nibbling on these peanuts while Chef Ken prepares and creates even more exciting and award-winning dishes for Lung Hin in the following months. So visit Lung Hin at Marco Polo Ortigas and get ready to taste these authentic Cantonese flavors.
LUNG HIN
44/F Marco Polo Ortigas, Meralco Avenue & Sapphire St., Ortigas Center, Pasig City
720-7777 loc 6621
www.marcopolohotels.com
www.facebook.com/MarcoPoloOrtigasManila
Exquisitely Authentic Cantonese Cuisine at Lung Hin in Marco Polo Ortigas
Marco Polo Manila’s signature Chinese restaurant, Lung Hin, immediately started making waves throughout the foodie community ever since it opened in 2014 at the Ortigas business district. Executives and power personalities often dined at Lung Hin for a taste of their exquisite Cantonese cuisine that can rival any of the best Chinese restaurants in the country. I had my first taste of Lung Hin’s delectable dimsum items last summer when I first stayed at Marco Polo Ortigas, but I always wanted to come back and try their other main dishes. So I am starting the year on the right track by having lunch at one of the best dining hotspots in the city.
Lung Hin is a contemporary Chinese restaurant located on the 44th floor of the Marco Polo Ortigas, the first such Sky Hotel in Manila with its rooms and amenities all located on the top upper floors of the building. The restaurant features authentic Cantonese cuisine and fresh seafood that are fit for royalty. I was scheduled to have dinner at Lung Hin during my Crystalline Christmas staycation at Marco Polo a few weeks ago, but unfortunately the restaurant was fully booked that evening, so I went back here for an amazing and sumptuous lunch during the first week of the year.
Being a five-star luxury hotel with an internationally-renowned brand name, the crowd at Marco Polo and Lung Hin exudes elegance and confidence. Business casual attire is expected and these are one of the few times when you should dress up for the occasion. The chic interiors and expansive layout of the main restaurant are a pristine sight both during the daytime, with bright natural light from the large windows, and at night with the evening skyline on the horizon.
Lung Hin also has exclusively appointed private dining rooms which are ideal venues for intimate gatherings and business meetings. The restaurant is almost always full of diners, expecially during holidays and busy seasons, so making a reservation is encouraged.
The best seats in the restaurant are beside these huge windows offering a breathtaking view of Ortigas and the neighboring cities from 44 floors up. I had wanted to sit here but these were already occupied so I took the table on the other side which offers a bit more privacy and is best for couples and dates.
Complimentary vegetable appetizers are given for each table which you can nibble on while waiting for your orders.
I started with a couple of dimsum delights and first on my list is their signature Steamed Pork Siomai with Truffle Sauce (P220). I have eaten many types of siomai before, some good, some bad, but these are the only ones I know that have truffle flavor. It gives a whole new taste to the siomai which is already so meaty with no need for extenders.
My favorite dimsum at Lung Hin is the Steamed Shrimp Dumpling with Gold Leaf (P220) and I just had to get this again. The dumpling wrapper is soft but is perfectly sealed such that it does not break off into pieces when you pick it up with your chopsticks. This is the first sign of a truly high-quality dumpling. It is full of plump shrimp pieces inside which explode in your mouth with every bite.
I love hakao so much and this version from Lung Hin is one of the best I have ever eaten, with or without the gold leaf vanity topping. The gold leaf doesn’t really add anything to the taste, but it does look much prettier. This is truly the gold standard for hakao.
Another dimsum I had tried before is the Pan Fried Radish Cake with XO Sauce (P220). Unlike other raddish cakes, this one is cut into cubes before being fried, resulting in more crispy outer layers. This is another highly recommended dimsum item here at Lung Hin.
Most of us have probably tried the famous barbecue pork buns from Tim Ho Wan or other chinese restaurants that also serve it, so Lung Hin also has its own version of the Baked Barbecue Pork Bun (P220). While every version is different in its own way, this one has a less flaky exterior that doesn’t crumble with every touch or bite. The sweet pork asado inside is also more similar to a siopao filling. It doesn’t really matter because I do like all of them.
Now it’s time to explore the other dishes of Lung Hin aside from its dimsum menu. Let’s start with one of their best-sellers, the Stir Fried Squid with Mashed Salted Eggs and Seasonings (P380). I was so amazed and surprised with this dish. I thought that it would just be a simple fried squid dish but the salted egg flavor upgrades it to another level entirely. The squid is covered in mashed salted egg which results in a thick, juicy and crunchy texture. You will never look at fried squid the same way again after you have tried this dish. I love it!
The Crispy Roast Suckling Pig (P680) was my next target and you can see how crispy and succulent that skin is. The pork is tender but the main attraction is always the skin and you can hear the crunch from a few tables away. This is always a good appetizer to have especially with its sweet Hoisin sauce.
I always look forward to eating fried rice at Chinese restaurants so I ordered a bowl of Yang Chow Fried Rice (P480 good for 3-4 persons) for myself. I will be eating this together with the next main courses so it is great that their Yang Chow fried rice is not too salty but just right.
The Sauteed Diced Beef Cubes with Goose Liver (P680) is another signature item here at Lung Hin. This dish is just so pretty but it is actually even more delicious! The goose liver is served in a shell with vegetables and each delicate bite is just so exquisite and flavorful.
But what really surpised me was the beef itself. The diced beef cubes are so unbelievably soft and tender, it was like eating a high-grade Wagyu steak. I’m not sure if they used wagyu beef for this or not, but the quality and texture of the beef is really similar to wagyu. I should know because I just experienced a Mad For Wagyu night a few weeks back. Just look at the inner pinkish portions of the beef and you know how good it really is. The beef bursts with so much flavor and this turned out to be my favorite dish of the day.
Another surpise dish for me was the Three Flavored Prawns (P1280) which comes in Salted Egg, Blueberry and Sakura flavors. These humongous prawns are so good and you can choose which of the three flavors are your favorite. The Sakura prawns (front) are creamy and rich and it tastes similar to a Thousand Islands dressing. The Salted Egg prawns (back) have that tasty salty kick that also goes well with the prawns. But it is the Blueberry prawns (middle) which gave the biggest surprise as you would never normally associate blueberry flavor with prawns. I’m not sure how but it did go well together. Try it for yourself and taste something very unique.
My final main dish is the Pan-Fried Garoupa Ball (P880) with white truffle oil and sugar peas. This fresh garoupa is perfectly fried resulting in a crispy outside layer but remaining soft and tender inside. It has a rich flavor from the truffle and should be eaten preferably with rice. The sugar peas are also cooked perfectly, with its bright color and crunchy texture adding a refreshing balance to this dish.
Lastly, I had the Chilled Avocado Sago (P250) for my dessert. If you like Mango Sago, then you will also like this twist on the popular Chinese dessert. The Avocado has a very creamy texture and I can’t believe that this is the first time I have seen this combination. Try this and you will not be disappointed. Despite its somewhat high price range that we typically see at luxury five-star hotels, the quality of the standout dishes at Lung Hin makes it a must-visit dining destination. I can proudly say that Lung Hin at Marco Polo Ortigas is definitely one of the best Chinese restaurants I have ever dined in.
LUNG HIN at MARO POLO ORTIGAS
44/F Marco Polo Ortigas, Meralco Avenue & Sapphire St., Ortigas Center, Pasig City
