Crystal Jade La Mian Xiao Long Bao

There’s been a lot of happy buzz about Crystal Jade La Mian Xiao Long Bao, but I haven’t gotten a chance to try it till this week. The restaurant is well-known in Hong Kong and Singapore, and now it’s in Manila. When a friend suggested we eat there, I was all for it. Here’s what we ordered.

We had the Crispy Eel in “Wu Xi” style for our appetizer, as recommended by our waiter. I thought it was very tasty. If you like sweet and crunchy snacks, this is perfect for you.

Xiao Long Bao is the restaurant’s specialty. These Steamed Soupy Pork Dumplings have a rich pork broth inside the dumplings. I liked that the dumpling wrappers didn’t tear up easily. I’ve tried Xiao Long Bao in other restaurants, and they’d usually puncture before you could even take them out of their bamboo steamers. With Crystal Jade’s Xiao Long Bao, you can enjoy biting into the dumpling and the broth that oozes out. Xiao Long WOW!

We also ordered the Lemon Chicken. It was crunchy, sweet and tart — all the elements you expect from a lemon chicken dish.

Whether you’re a vegetarian or not, you’re going to love their Vegetable Dumplings. These are by far the tastiest steamed vegetable dumplings I’ve ever tried. I really enjoyed this dish.

Are you a big radish fan? You have to try their Radish Pastry then. It’s crunchy on the outside, and the warm radish filling is crunchy, chewy and very flavorful. This was a pleasant surprise and a refreshing change from the usual radish cakes we see in other dimsum places.

For dessert, we had Red Bean Paste Pancakes. Think of it as a crepe with a thin layer of red bean paste. It’s very simple but rich in flavor. It’s also quite addicting.

They don’t serve house tea, but you can order hot tea by the pot with unlimited refills. For these dishes, a pot of tea plus two cans of softdrinks, enjoyed by a party of four light eaters, it came up to around P325+ per head.

I missed the presence of dimsum carts and would have loved to feast on chicken feet while I was there, but they don’t serve typical dimsum. So if you’re craving hakao and chicken feet, you won’t get those here.

Will I go back? You bet! I want to try their La Mian (hand-pulled noodles) next time, which is also another specialty of theirs. I’ll also go back for the Xiao Long Bao and Radish Pastry. Yum!

Crystal Jade La Mian Xiao Long Bao is located at the ground floor of V-Mall (Virra Mall), Greenhills Shopping Center, San Juan City. They’re open from 11am – 2:30pm ; 5pm – 930pm. They can get really full around twelve, so it’s best to come early. I was lucky to have snagged a comfortable booth for our party of four at the height of the lunch hour.

Enjoy!

Hi! I'm Toni Tiu, and I've been blogging at at Wifely Steps since 2003. This started as a blog to help newly weds adjust to married life. It has evolved into a home and parenting blog. I write about things close to my heart -- good eats, good reads, family, marriage, and the little things that make everyday happy.