Li Li Has Something For You This Chinese New Year

Adi Miguel

February 4, 2016

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  Among all the countries that set foot in the Philippines, we can’t deny the beauty of the Chinese culture. From their traditions, to values, and to gastronomic delights, everything is crafted with much symbolism.

  As another year adds in the Chinese calendar, the year of the Monkey is welcomed with jubilant celebration of prosperity and happiness through food at New World Manila Bay Hotel.

  Team Easy Rock got an early taste of Chinese New Year at Li Li Chinese Restaurant at New World Manila Bay Hotel.

  

  

  To start the oriental feasting, suckling pig with jellyfish was served with Chinese pancake. Everyone in the table thought that we’re starting with the main course. But to our surprise, the heavy dish is just a starter. The suckling pig was really tasty that you would want more. However, we suggest to eat just a piece because it can fill you up. And if you do, you won’t enjoy the variety of dim sum coming. (Ooops, spoiler!)

  

  Before we get into the dim sum buffet, Japanese conpoy with seafood and abalone shell soup was served. Knowing how seafood-ish Chinese are, we are not used with their . There are a lot of ingredients in it that if you’re not a Chinese food fan, you won’t like it. However, among the 7-course set served to us, we give two thumbs up to their Japanese copoy soup.

  

  One of Li Li’s highlights this year of the Monkey is their dim sum buffet. For Team Easy Rock, they served   seven kinds of dim sum, five of it were steamed and two were fried.

  If there will be one dish that we Filipinos love from the Chinese, it will be their siomai. We love it so much that we have made our own versions of it.

  At Li Li’s, they have introduced us to authentic dim sum flavors–flavors which really came from China.

  

  • Har Gao steamed shrimp dumplings – this is your authentic Chinese shrimp dumplings. We are very familiar with this. Match it with your favorite toyomansi with chili sauce, it’s a thumbs-up.
  • Steamed Sio Mai with abalone shell – abalone is a known ingredient in China. According to one of Li Li’s staff, Ms. Leah Olazo, a lot of people thought that abalone is just a shell. But it is an edible ingredient that can be used to a lot of oriental dishes. It’s the dim sum in yellow wrapper.
  • Steamed pork dumplings black truffle style – this is similar to xiaolongbao; dim sum with soup inside. We love Li Li’s version of xiaolongbao because its wrapper is firm. The moment you lift the dim sum from its platter, the wrapper does not break and you can feel the soup spilling inside your mouth.
  • Steamed fresh scallop dumpling fly fish roe – the dim sum in green wrapper.
  • Steamed fish dumpling with garlic plum sauce 
  • Pan-fried spinach dumpling with shrimp – for health buffs! It’s the fried green dumpling in the photo.
  • Deep-fried taro dumpling filled with assorted seafood – its wrapper is like floss.

  We also give two thumbs-up to their baked crispy buns with barbecue pork. It’s the same with asado bread. But what makes Li Li’s version exceptional is their buns are crispy and it breaks in your mouth. DJ Sam and our production assistant Steph Locsin are bread lovers and their love for Li Li’s asado bread was really overflowing. *wink*

  And believe it or not, we just had our appetizer! Now, let’s move to our main course.

  For the vegans, you have a place at Li Li’s because their steamed stuffed Japanese mushrooms with shrimp mousse with crab coral sauce is a must try. And oh, don’t worry, the yellow sauce is not cheese!

  

  Guess Li Li is also for vegans. One of the main dishes served was their wok baked cod fillet glazed with honey pepper sauce. The cod was really soft and delicately done.

  

  If you love yang chow rice, you would surely love their fried rice with assorted meat in lotus leaf. It is served in a bamboo container. The taste is really oriental. It’s far different from how we cook yang chow. The Chinese spices in it makes the yang chow authentic.

  

  And to end our little Chinese feast, Ms. Leah served their very own tikoy. Their glutinous rice is very thick. It doesn’t stick on your teeth. You’d love its texture and realize that maybe you’re not really cooking your tikoy well.

  Li Li serves their tikoy to customers, clients, and business partners, because they believe that it is a symbol of bond and strong relationship.

  Another dessert served is their chilled mango pudding. Fresh mangoes on pudding and cream is our new favorite!

  

  After this delightful lunch at Li Li, it was proven that China is beyond colorful–more than their red color coding. :)

  (PHOTOGRAPHY: Philippe Mateo)

   

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