Watch Out Tim Ho Wan, Lung Hin Marco Polo Serves Amazing Pork Buns!
If you find yourself in Lung Hin Restaurant at the Marco Polo Hotel in Ortigas Center (Metro Manila, Philippines), make sure that you grab yourself some baked pork buns.
It’s simple street fare-turned-Michelin star dish thanks to Tim Ho Wan. However, Lung Hin’s version gives its popular cousin a run for its money. The baked pork buns here are slightly larger but you will get the familiar crumbly sweet bread and barbecue pork filling. I loved this so much, I ordered a box for takeaway!
Moving on from the pork buns, let me tell you more about the place. Lung Hin is somewhat fancy-schmancy as far as Chinese restaurants go. The interiors are tastefully appointed with a mix of traditional Chinese elements and modern swanky design.
There’s a fairly large dining space that is filled with large, “Lazy Susan” circular tables. A sure sign that they serve traditional Chinese Lauriat meals here.
There are also several private dining rooms which you can reserve for your family or group if you would like a more private dining experience.
Now, let’s talk about the rest of the food. Our meal started with a selection of appetizers. I was quite excited to see the jellyfish arrive. This is one of my favorite Chinese appetizers and I was happy with the version at Lung Hin. However, I was slightly disappointed that this wasn’t served in tandem with the customary Century Egg.
I was pleasantly surprised by the Marinated Cucumber that came next. This reminded me of some of the “banchan” appetizers in Korean restaurants. The cucumbers looked simple, but they were packed with a deep, tart flavor from the vinegar and other spices.
While the cucumber was full of flavor, the diced pumpkin fell short. This could have used a smattering of seasonings and perhaps a slight kick from some spices.
The Salt-Baked chicken was curiously served as part of our round of appetizers. This certainly woke up our taste buds! It looks very similar to a Hainanese Chicken so you’ll find yourself looking for some hoisin and ginger sauce. However, the chicken itself already has a subtle, rich flavor.
Next up, some bamboo steamers arrived and I was pleased to see that they were filled with plump Steamed Shrimp Dumplings with Gold Leaf (Hakaw). The dumplings themselves were winners. The juicy shrimp filling was perfectly encased in delicate dumpling wrapper. The gold leaf on top was a nice fancy touch…makes you feel like an A-lister.
After a good variety of appetizers, it was time for our main dishes. The Cheese Baked Tiger Prawns immediately caught my eye. Anything that’s smothered in cheese is an instant attraction for me.
The prawns themselves were huge. One piece and a cup of rice can be considered a meal in itself. The baked cheese on top is a big bonus and you’ll have to make sure you get your share before everyone takes all the cheese!
The next dish was the least camera-friendly but definitely turned out to be my tummy’s best friend. The Diced Beef Cubes were perfectly tender and flavorful. Its reminiscent of a very good beef salpicao. You can tell that they used a really good cut of beef here. It’s perfectly seared and caramelized on the outside but it retains all of its juicy tenderness. The crispy rolls that came with it also provided a great textural contrast.
The Steamed Garoupa with Cordyceps caught my attention because of the unfamiliar orange strands on top. The Chef explained that cordyceps are a kind of mushroom that’s quite popular in Chinese Food. You learn something new everyday!
After we’ve have an array of proteins, we just had to balance out our meal. We’ve already had pork, beef, chicken and seafood. It’s time for some Wok Fried Vegetables. I enjoyed the earthy flavor of the mushrooms and the fresh, crisp greens. Everything was cooked perfectly well, as you can tell from the vibrant colors.
Just like most Chinese restaurants that serve Lauriat-style meals, the rice came last. Typically, having rice means you were not yet satisfied with the rest of the meal. Traditional Chinese would leave the rice to show the hosts that the meal was satisfying enough without it. However, in Lung Hin, the Macao Style Fried Rice was great so we still devoured it even if we were already quite full.
The Duck Soup was served in very elegant earthenware pots. This reminded me of a watered down Bak Kut Teh. I personally prefer my duck roasted so I would not say that this was one of my favorite parts of the meal.
The dessert was quite unique. we didn’t get any buchi or mango sago here. Instead, we had a dollop of extremely rare bird’s nest on top of dragon fruit. It was refreshing and not too sweet like some desserts can be. A good refreshing way to end the meal.
Overall, I would say that Lung Hin is a nice place to take the family for a special occasion. The prices are slightly higher than what you would expect to spend on a normal week night. But a visit for a special occasion is justifiable.
Star rating: 4/5
Location: 44th Floor Marco Polo Hotel, Meralco Ave. Ortigas Center, Philippines