Xiao Long Bao is a dish I never considered as part of my most craved dimsum list before. I've always had them in 2015 back when I was in Taipei, and I never really understood what made it special, which made me long for my usual hakaw, or shark's fin dumpling.
But come the first week of April this year, I had this strong craving for xiao long bao that I haven't experienced. EVER. And it was probably triggered when passed by Lugang's Feast All You Can 2018 (FAYC2018) poster outside their restaurant in SM Aura. I figured, if I want to overcome this craving, I'd have to wait for the promo (which was like a month from the beginning of the promo).
Then the month of May came, and my sister and I visited the Lugang branch near my office to have as much xiao long baos as we wanted. Here's a rundown of everything we tried:
UNLIMITED
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| Vietnamese Egg Rolls |
Mushroom, vermicelli noodles, ground pork wrapped in a very thin wrapper and fried to a perfect crisp. This goes so well with their vinegar.
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| Pork Wontons in Spicy Chili Oil |
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| Pineapple Shrimp with Crullers |
At first I didn't really know this dish, but I still ordered since it looks delicious, and I was right. the pineapple shrimp crullers tasted similar to the hot prawn salad, which has its ingredients covered with sweet and tangy white sauce.
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| Pork Xiao Long Bao |
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| Steamed Angled Loofah with Shrimp Xiao Long Bao |
MAINS (1 choice per person)
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| Roasting - Peking Duck Wrap |
The peking duck wrap is new to this year's FAYC. I liked it, although it's leaps and bounds behind the best one I've tried. The duck meat and skin between the soft wrap was small, but I was still able to get the taste of it.
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| Beef - Stir Fried Beef with Chili Peppers |
The stir fried beef with chili peppers is my sister's favorite from Lugang. She has always ordered it, and I can definitely say why. The beef strips were incredibly tender and flavorful. I liked the balance of sweet and salty in the dish, which made me order a cup of the fried rice to eat it with.
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| Dessert - Okinamawa Ice Cream (1 scoop) |
The FAYC also includes a free scoop of Lugang's own Okinawa ice cream. It's like a milk tea-flavored ice cream, but less sweet.
Now down to the most relevant question everyone would ask: Is it worth it? My answer would be YES. For the price of P598 per person (+30 for unlimited iced tea), I think I was able to get my money's worth, considering how much I enjoyed each dish that I had. I also find Lugang's menu items to be a bit pricey, so I'm better off paying for the unlimited promo than the normal rate, and order as much as I want. Besides, if you try computing for everything we had, it'll be worth more than the promo rate.
If you still haven't tried the #FAYC2018, then you still have until June 2. Make sure you don't miss the chance to feast all you can at Lugang!
My Scores:
Pricing - 4/5
Service - 2/5
Ambiance - 3.5/5
Taste - 4/5
Taste - 4/5
Hungry for more,
Address: G/F South Parking, SM Mall of Asia, Pasay City
Operating Hours: Mall Hours
Operating Hours: Mall Hours
Budget: P598 per person
Instagram: @LugangCafe
(Date of Visit: May 3, 2018)
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