Though I have travelled to a lot of places, I haven't been to Hong Kong. Yes, I'm a bit ashamed about it but I do intend to fly there and eat my way around Hong Kong soon.
While I have yet to plan my trip to Hong Kong, I was able to have a taste of what authentic HK cuisine last Monday at Xiu Fine Cantonese Dining in Greenhills San Juan.
Xiu (which means "elegance") is a collaboration of HTCG (the group who brought us Lugang Cafe, Tuan Tuan and The Dessert Kitchen) with Lawrence Koo and Executive Chef David Cheung, both boast with their vast knowledge in Cantonese cuisine.
Located at the spot where Lugang Cafe used to be, Xiu has two floors with five private rooms for a more luxurious experience.
For starters, we had the Honey-glazed Prime Cut Char Siu (Php 680/portion) and Cantonese Style Crispy Pork Belly (Php 680/portion).
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| Honey-glazed Prime Cut Char Siu |
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| Cantonese Style Crispy Pork Belly |
Made from the best cuts, the Honey-glazed Prime Cut Char Siu is difficult to dislike. The subtle sweetness of the glaze blends perfectly with the tender meat that you won't be able to stop yourself from getting more. The Cantonese Style Crispy Pork Belly is also heavenly with its crunchy skin and tender meat.
For soup, we were served Double-boiled Fish Maw and Almond Soup (Php 3880/large, Php 1980/small), served table side.
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| Double-boiled Fish Maw and Almond Soup |
This creamy soup is double-boiled fish maw, along with pig's lung, chicken meat, etc, to make it more flavorful.
For mains, we started with the Baked Stuffed Sea Conch, French Style (Php 480/piece) and Stewed US Beef Short Ribs (Php 2280/portion).
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| Baked Stuffed Sea Conch, French Style |
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| US Stewed Beef Short Ribs |
The Baked Stuffed Sea Conch is a medley of conch meat, bacon, potatoes and cheese served in a conch shell. Note that there's a 20-minute cooking time for this dish, but it is definitely worth the wait.
Another dish that took my breath away was the Stewed US Beef Short Ribs, which is literally melts in your mouth, and the meat has a perfect ratio for fat that it nicely added flavor to the dish without overwhelming it. Highly recommended!
An authentic Hong Kong dish was served to us that will surely make your mouth water: the Baked Lobster with Cheese (seasonal price/100g) along with Steamed Lapu-Lapu, Traditional Style (seasonal price/100g).
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| Baked Lobster with Cheese |
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| Steamed Lapu-Lapu, Traditional Style |
I love that both dishes are prepared to bite-sized pieces so that we can get our share right away. I was immensely impressed with the Baked Lobster with Cheese as the lobster meat was well-cooked and nicely coated with cheese sauce. A nice balance with the Baked Lobster was the Steamed Lapu-Lapu, a straightforward dish served in light sauce. I definitely loved both dishes.
We also had the Premium Soy Sauce HK Chicken in Clay Pot (Php 1880/whole, Php 980/half) and the Sweet and Sour Pork (Php 480/portion).
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| Premium Soy Sauce HK Chicken in Clay Pot |
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| Sweet and Sour Pork |
A dish you will not be able to resist is the Premium Soy Sauce HK Chicken, the taste of the soy sauce is evident in each piece of chicken. A staple in any Chinese meal, the Sweet and Sour Pork is extra crispy and coated with a well-balanced sweet and sour sauce. You shouldn't miss these two dishes.
We also had Wok-Fried Crab with Garlic, "Typhoon Shelter" style (seasonal price/100g) and Chinese Lettuce with Shrimp Paste in Clay Pot (Php 480/portion).
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| Chinese Lettuce with Shrimp Paste in Clay Pot |
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| Wok-Fried Crab with Garlic, "Typhoon Shelter" Style |
Topped with a generous amount of garlic, the Wok-Fried Crab, Typhoon Shelter style is a Hong Kong dish believed to have originated from typhoon shelters, where the serve it with tons of garlic. Served table side, the Chinese Lettuce is a simple vegetable dish with Shrimp Paste, which makes the dish salty and refreshing.
In a Cantonese meal, the rice and noodles are usually served at the end of meal, so after we were served all the main dishes, we had the Baked Black Ink Rice in Clay Pot topped with Seafood (Php 580/portion).
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| Baked Black Ink Rice in Clay Pot topped with Seafood |
The Black Ink Rice is flavorful enough to be eaten alone, and a serving is huge enough for the whole table to share.
For desserts, we were served the Longevity Balls (Php 28/piece, minimum order of 6pcs) and Hot Red Bean Soup (Php 480/portion, Php 130/bowl).
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| Longevity Balls |
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| Hot Red Bean Soup |
Best eaten while hot the Longevity Balls are almost similar to buchi but lighter. Not so light is the Hot Red Bean Soup, but a good dessert to keep your tummy warm after a nice meal.
Not knowing what to expect before my visit to Xiu, I was impressed on how elaborate and flavorful the Cantonese dishes are. Each dish has been prepared meticuously to meet high Cantonese cuisine standards.
I haven't been to Hong Kong but I was glad to have a taste of Hong Kong in Manila through Xiu Fine Cantonese Dining. I can't wait to go back for more.
Xiu Fine Cantonese Dining has officially opened last July 29 and is now ready to serve you. :)
Thanks to Xiu for having us.
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Xiu Fine Cantonese Dining
115 Connecticut Street,
Greenhills,
San Juan City
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