Show me a Filipino who doesn't like Chinese food, and I'll show you.. a flying rhinoceros. Chinese dishes have been a part of the Filipino culture so much that kiosks selling cheap dimsum are all over the metro. And when the average person craves things like Siao Long Pao, Hakaw, Taro Puff, Hot Prawn Salad, Steamed Live Suahe, Steamed Live Lapu Lapu, Ham Soy Kok, House Special Wanton Chicken Soup,Fried Live Crab With Salt & Pepper, Shark's Fin Soup,Roasted Duck, Soy Chicken, Fried Pork Spareribs With Salt & Pepper, Eggplant & Minced Pork Hotpot, Beef Tenderloin Chinese Style, Watercress With 3 Kinds of Egg, Curry Beef Brisket, Dried Scallop & Egg White Fried Rice or Crispy Seafood Noodles, the average Juan dela Cruz can just walk around for a good few minutes inside a mall before finding himself in front of a Chinese restaurant.
In my case, I walked for about 8 minutes in Megamall before spotting the Atrium, where I saw a lot of people waiting for their table at Gumbo or Yabu. But then I found the lonely Chinese restaurant, quiet, with hardly any customers. So partly out of hunger and partly out of pity, I went in and gave HK Choi a try.
Chicken with Lemon Sauce, Php310.
Boy, was I surprised. And to think, by now, Chinese cuisine can hardly surprise me. HK Choi's Chicken with Lemon Sauce tastes just right. I've tasted a few Orange Chicken variants in my lifetime, and I have to say, the one thing that makes or breaks a dish like this is the sauce. HK Choi's lemon sauce has the right tang, the right sweetness, so as to avoid making it taste like some warm dessert. Even the perfectly fried, bite-size chicken nuggets are amply battered and seasoned. Not too salty, not too bland. Just absolutely right.
Shrimp Dumpling (Hakao), Php90.
Best hakaw I've tasted, and even the streetfood hakao you can buy in a Chinatown in Malaysia can never taste as good as this. Each dumpling has been carefully made, with the fine rice wrapper thin enough to appear translucent, its edges carefully folded to protect the three plump pieces of fresh shrimp within. Each dumpling already tastes good on its own, but it's always good to lightly dip it in a bowl of soy sauce, chili and calamansi juice.
Bihon Singapore Style, Php320.
I like noodles like you don't believe. Wait, I may have already mentioned this a few blog posts back. So I guess it's not a huge surprise that I enjoyed HK Choi's bihon. The yellow noodle is cooked al dente, the bell peppers crunchy, the onions sweet and the shrimp firm and pink. I love the ingredients' harmony of colors on the plate and delicious blend of flavors in my mouth. If I didn't need room in my tummy for two orders of dumplings, I would probably finish the entire bowl of bihon, even if it's really meant for three people.
I don't mind having a chubby face and a fat behind as long as my tummy is happy.. and I guess I eat in moderation.Verdict
HK Choi offers surprisingly delicious Chinese food that can rival those from more popular restaurants in the metro like Causeway and Le Ching Tea House. Price range almost the same, too.
Price: Php250 per person
Value: 4 out of 5 stars
Food: 4 out of 5 stars HK Choi by Choi Garden 2nd Level, SM Megamall - Atrium, SM Megamall
EDSA corner Julia Vargas Ave., Mandaluyong
