Because the entire Banawe stretch is damned with no power, and my trip to King Chef Restaurant rendered useless, I was forced to head all the way to Connecticut Greenhills just to eat sumptuous Chinese cuisine. I was told the the electricity will be restored at a 30min MTBF(mean-time between failure) but I waited and still no electricity pumped up.
The stop, Lugang Cafe. No, it's not pronounced as "lu-ga"(Filipino translation of cerumen), but "lu-kha." They just couldn't use the original name, Bellagio Cafe, due to SEC-registration factors, so they opted for the local Lugang instead.
Lugang Cafe is a franchise of Bellagio Management Group, a restaurant chain based in Beijing and Shanghai that has spawned over 26branches already, the Manila branch is the 27th.
Lugang Cafe isn't hard to find. It is vibrantly lit with posh interior and high ceiling embellished with elegant chandeliers. The dining area is so spacious with white and velvet leather seats, long bench with black and white fine prints bedecked in crystal wall and the gleaming white tiled wall in front showcasing an exquisite visual illusion. Don' fret. The interior might be a bit intimidating but the price is tailored to the dining Juan in all of us.
I am not really fond of Xiao Long Bao and I had a feeling it will be just like the one in Peking Garden so I picked up different entree. I got myself a Stewed Pork with Preserved Vegetable(Php360 + 10% SC), a thin sliced of pork marinated to a finest gustatory goodness, Black Pepper Beef on Iron Plate(Php360 + 10%SC), a beef served with myriad of vegetables and spices, a Pineapple Fried Rice(Php280 + 10% SC), a Chinese fried rice served with nuts and placed in the innards of a sliced pineapple, and an Aloe Jelly in Honey Lemon Juice(Php120 + 10% SC), a honey-based juice with slices of lemon and tiny bits of nata de coco.
I went there with a repulsed apprehension since 1) I have no reservation 2) I am not sure if they have a certain window of operation, like a limited range of hours for lunch and same thing for dinner. Good for me that I got there before 5PM when there were only few people around. By the time it reaches 6-7PM, a barrage of dinners waited outside for a table. So phone in for reservation at +632 775 7599 if you are planning to hit the place during peak hours / meal time.
Chinese cuisine is my top favorite. This is a must try!
ReplyDelete@Rome: yes, this is a must try. they have nice desserts too. gusto ko i-try yung Bellagio Freeze pero good for six pala yun.
ReplyDeleteWow, I actually like the architecture, haha! I'm now super curious about this place. :D
ReplyDeletemasarap nga sa Lugang Cafe! mahal lang desserts. Kami ni RJ inubos namin yung bellagio breeze na kaming 2 lang. medyo lugi siya in terms of 80% nun yelo lang. :P parang mas worth trying yung ibang desserts. :)
ReplyDeleteI'm a big fan of Chinese cuisine too! Wish to try this resto soon! :)
ReplyDelete@Bea: the architecture is topnotch. it's like entering the imperial Chinese hall with a door that is reminiscent to the era of Chinese dynasty. but inside is a modern and posh design.
ReplyDelete@Smarla: thank goodness na hindi ko sinubukan. sabi kase ng server namin good for 6-8person, kaya akala ko isang baldeng dessert sya.
ReplyDelete@Kai: me too. the good thing about this cafe is that it originates from Shanghai so you can be assured of its authenticity.
ReplyDelete