Lugang Cafe's Modern Chinese Cuisine in Mall of Asia, Pasay
Usually, when we are in Mall of Asia, we just look for a great place to eat, but for my mom and dad's special day, we needed to find not only a great place to eat but a beautiful one as well to fit for the occasion. We were eyeing for some candidates, but we seemed to have a hard time doing so, until Lugang Cafe caught our attention. After a few rounds of discussion, we finally agreed to dine in their. Here in this blog post I will be sharing with you our experience and the dishes we had during that night.
Lugang has this sophisticated ambiance that still remained its air of comfort and lightness. This makes the place far from being snobishly intimidating, which is why we selected this place.
By the way, it was during this night when I got the opportunity to really try the lens my awesome high school barkada gave me for my birthday. Hence, I was really excited for this night. Also, I want to take this chance to thank them for the gift.
Alright, I won't keep you hanging for too long, so let's begin our humble celebration. During the night, we had a soup, two (2) appetizers, four (4) main dishes and two (2) rice dishes.
Seafood Spinach Soup || P380
The soup was clear, light and magically smooth. It had this clean and suave taste that really set the foodie mood. The taste was also mild
Steamed Pork Xiao Long Bao (8 pcs) || P248
The Xiao Long Bao was similarly magically tasty due to the strong meaty taste with the creamy "broth" inside. It may not be the best I've tried so far, but I would say it's one of the really good ones I had.
Roasted Meat Combination || P580 - Small Order
The roasted duck of this platter was crispy and delicious. Its skin was purely awesome bursting with flavors. It may not be incredibly tender (due to its innate property) but the taste was exquisite. The asado was sweet and savory that left a great impression.
Golden Fried Rice || P260
This rice dish serves about 3. The taste was just balanced enough for you to focus on the taste of the dishes you'll pair it with.
Glutinous Rice and Stewed Pork Wrapped in Bamboo Leaves || P120
This glutinous rice was okay, but made more interesting with the inclusion of the sweet and sour and hoisin sauce. Both of them gave this rice more character.
Stir Fried Beef with Mango || P320
This dish lacked the tenderness it needed to maximize the mangoey sweet-savoriness of the sauce. However, overall it was still great!
Taiwanese Crispy Chicken Nuggets || P190
The crispy chicken nuggets reminded me of Tori Box Chicken (read more) with its great texture and flavor. It was simple, but captivating.
Kung Pao Tofu || P280
This Kung Pao Tofu is my greatest love here in Lugang Cafe. It had this playful savory-sweet taste that had a hind of a kick. The tofu itself was silky smooth and delicate in the inside.
Oyster Omelette || P190
This oyster omelette had a great feel in the mouth which also had a healthier appeal than that of Sincerity Restaurant in Binondo (read more). It was also noticeably less glutinous, so I leave it up to you whether it's a good thing or not.
Here's a photo of the family celebrating my mom and dad's anniversary.
Lugang Cafe - Overall Ratings and Summary
Note: Unshaded stars are equivalents of half-stars. The ratings apply solely to this dining experience.
Place ★★★★★
Taste ★★★★
Service ★★★★
Value for Money ★★★★
Budget: at least P375 each for a moderate to heavy dining experience for at least a group of 4
Lugang Cafe certainly left a good impression on me, and somehow changed my previous not-so-great view on the restaurant. The ambiance was great, and the service just lagged a little bit (perhaps they provide more enthusiasm). The dishes we had ranged from great to amazing. Overall, it was indeed a great night!
Related Blog Posts:
- The P250 Binondo Food Trip Challenge in 4 Restaurants
- Dong Bei Dumplings and Xiao Long Bao in Binondo, Manila
Lugang Cafe
Location: Ground Floor, Main Mall, Mall of Asia Complex (MOA), Pasay City
Operating Hours: 10:00 AM to 10:00 PM daily
Contact No.: (02) 246 9069 ext:366
Service Charge: 10% before VAT
Table reservation is encouraged
