Hua Yuan– ShanghaiNese – Chinese Shanghai Cuisine

Hua Yuan Brasserie Chinoise in Hilton Hotel offers a fine dining experience with its beautiful Shanghai-Nese cuisine created by resident Chinese chef, Kevin Xu.

 

Ambiance

Hua Yuan means ‘flower garden’ in Chinese. Upon entering, I can see the beautiful title wasn’t just a name. The restaurant seemed like a palace. It’s designed with gold furnishings, black marble and glittering pieces. It gave us a fine dining ambiance. And upon seeing their dishes, it was evident that its flowers were its delicate and fine plating.

 

Food

Hua Yuan Brasserie boasts it doesn’t use MSG, which impressed me since it meant that they enhanced the flavors naturally. And indeed, they are known for locally sourcing fresh ingredients. Although the majority of the menu is Shanghainese, it still carries some Cantonese dishes.

We were served a set menu showcasing Hua Yuan’s best dishes. Everything was beautifully plated, you can see the care each piece was given before being served to us to devour.

For the appetizer, we were served a three-part set:  Heirloom Shrimp, Cherry Tomato in Roselle Tea Sauce, and Classic Old Smoked Shanghai Fish. The shrimp was spicy—exactly the way I liked it.

We also got Pork Stomach with Enoki Mushrooms. You would hardly notice it was mixed in pork innards.

Next, we tried Steamed Assorted Xiao Long Bao, which they proudly shared was made from scratch. The three flavors were Gong Cai (pink), Crab Meat (yellow) and XO (green). Now I’m a big fan of Xiao Long Bao from Paradise Dynasty to Din Tai Fung, and this one can compare to my favorites. I loved the pink one, which was filled with stem lettuce, although it was a bit spicy too. The appetizers were a great introduction and promise for a yummy night ahead.

We then had Double Boiled Black Chicken with Mushroom Soup, which was very light and I really loved this. The Steamed Cod Fish with Chinese Wine I loved a lot, and even Raina agreed. If only they gave us some more!

The Braised beef Short Ribs was super tender. After that came the Duo Flavored Shrimps, which seemed to be cooked two ways, steamed and fried.

There was the Deep Fried Crispy Seaweed in Yellow Croaker, which seemed like a fish fillet. Salt and Peppered Crispy Pork Knuckle tasted really well with their yellow powder.

The Wok Fried French Beans with Salted Egg was delicious too. I first tried this at Seascape, but I liked this version too.

By the end of everything, we were served Shanghai Fried Rice. It was so tasty you can really eat it on its own even if it came last.

 

For the finale, we enjoyed Chilled Coconut Cream with Peach Gum Ball & Taro Ball. It wasn’t too sweet and was very light on the tummy.

What I liked Most

My main highlights for the fine dining experience was the Heirloom Shrimp, Gong Cai Xia Long Bao, and Steamed Cod Fish with Chinese Wine. I also liked how each plate was served with finesse, and the place made me feel like a princess.

 

Price

Upon checking their menu, dining here may cost roughly around P1,500-P2,000 per 2 persons. It’s a little expensive, but given that you get a full fine dining experience with superb dishes, who’s complaining?

Location

 

 

Hua Yuan is beside numerous hotels in Newport City and sits across NAIA Terminal 3. I’d recommend this when you have visitors staying in the area. Although, I would also say that the drive will still be worth it for people outside the area—just for the food!

 

Address

2^nd Level Hilton Manila, 1 Newport Boulevard, Newport City, Pasay City