MENU: SHANG PALACE

MENU
Peking Duck at the Palace
By Margaux Salcedo
Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 02:40:00 02/03/2008

MANILA, Philippines - I am going to miss Miss Piggy. She brought us a slew of great new restaurants, including those in Serendra, Mall of Asia, Trinoma, not to mention those not found in malls. So the challenge for budding restaurateurs, after the grand introductions in the Year of the Pig, is to shine in the Year of the Rat. Who will meet and who will exceed expectations? Who will fold? The challenge might not be easy, as the Rat is apparently a gourmand, as profiled on an astrology site: “The Rat has a great appetite and appreciates fine cuisine, loving all types of good food, fine wines, baked goods and gourmet meals. Although he may not be patient enough to prepare these great meals himself, he does enjoy dining at all the latest restaurants.”

But there is much to look forward to, beginning with the Chinese New Year celebrations.

Looking forward to the February 6 Noche Buena, I asked fellow foodies—restaurant owners, chefs, food writers and editors—to name me their favorite Chinese restaurant. I was surprised to find a unanimous response: Makati Shangri-la’s Shang Palace. I had not visited the restaurant in over two years and decided it was time to pay the old favorite another visit.

The Palace is absolutely regal. The hallway that greets you gives a sense of majesty, with its opulent wall ornaments, dim lights and dark wood. As you walk down the hall you may notice doors to your left, which open to rooms for guests who require privacy. These rooms, I found out while touring the place later, look like mini-suites, furnished not only with a dinner table for six to ten but also with a sitting area, perhaps for some after-dinner tea.

The menu is heavy, bound not just by wood but also by a kind of silver plate. “Yero,” quipped my dad, who was my date for this visit. My eyes popped as I browsed through the menu. “Green Crab,” it read, “P1,786/kg.” On another page, “Braised Dried Japanese Abalone in Brown Sauce ... P8,820.” I had to double check to make sure it wasn’t a misprint. How can people afford to come here? I thought to myself. But as I looked around I noticed the place was full, including the private function rooms. And this was a Monday night.

A beautiful Chinese-looking girl approached me, offering tea. I thought she was Filipina until I asked her opinion on which tea to order and realized she couldn’t understand a word I said. I felt I was on board Cathay Pacific. But the show hadn’t even started. Once I had placed my order for a P140 white tea, a thin, young Chinese boy in a traditional Chinese ensemble arrived carrying a pot with an incredibly long snout. Then the Chinese boy struck a pose and poured hot water from the Pinocchio pot with one arm behind his back. Naks! Tea from the cast of Wanders circus for the filthy rich.

As I sipped my tea, I did my best to choose from the menu wisely. I couldn’t help but think that one order of abalone here was already as expensive as a pair of shoes I was eyeing earlier that day, and a whole month’s salary for some yuppies. For the first time in my eating life, I shied away from an indulgent bite. P8,000 to tickle my tongue was just too much. I ordered a Conpoy Soup (over P300), Sauteed Prawns in an Orange Sauce (over P700), the Shang Palace Fried Rice (over P500) and the Roast Crispy Peking Duck (just over P1,000 for a half order). I wanted some dumplings because you cannot celebrate the Chinese New Year without dumplings, but the Palace serves dumplings only during lunch.

The eating experience is as tasteful as the Palace in which it is served. The Conpoy Soup is excellent. A bit of reading later on enlightened me on this animal called conpoy. Apparently it’s a type of scallop. According to asiafood.org, conpoy are “very expensive mollusks (that) are cut from a type of sea scallop... They require long soaking and steaming before they are ready to be eaten. A humble congee is elevated by adding 2-3 dried ‘scallops’ which improves the flavour no end.” This description was exactly what I experienced: an incredibly flavorful bowl of soup that sang umami. It was gooey yet smooth, the additional shredded seafood that was mixed in adding a delicate crunchiness to break the monotony of the soup, and somehow managing to give off a savory sensation all throughout.

The Peking Duck, the Prawns and the Rice were all excellently executed as well. The duck and the fried rice were not too oily, which is the tendency with some Chinese restaurants. The orange sauce on which the prawns lay was perfect for the Filipino palate, which capitalizes on sweet flavors. However, I don’t think it would be hard to find alternative establishments whose executions of these very same dishes are not too far off ... for half the price. For example, I have had equally wonderful experiences with duck at Hai Shin Lou on Pasay Road. There is much less environmental flair, with simple lazy Susans, plain white walls and aquariums in the background, but if you are simply after good food, I would hop to the Lou faster than to the Palace any ordinary day.

A waitress approached our table to sell us some tikoy for the Chinese New Year ... for almost a thousand bucks. “Pwede bang kami na lang ang magbenta sa iyo? (Can we sell to you instead?),” my dad joked. The waitress cracked up. Another customer had said exactly the same quip to her the previous night!

“Ang masarap lang dito yung tubig,” my dad continued. “Yun lang ang libre, eh (Only the water here tastes good. It’s the only item that comes free).” Ha-ha. Of course this isn’t true. But sometimes a great eating experience can be ruined by pain in the pocket. I came to the conclusion that you should come to the Palace only when you’re invited, i.e., when you’re not paying. I looked around and saw some congressmen enjoying their Shang Palace experience. They get the idea!

Shang Palace. 2/F Makati Shangri-La, Ayala Avenue cor. Makati Avenue, Makati City. Tel. 8138888. Smart casual to dressy. Elevators for wheelchair access