Valentine's Day # 3: A Xiao Long Bao Date at Lugang Cafe

When the Chinese New Year falls on the same month as Valentine's Day, it's inevitable to have a joint post for the Search for the Best Xiao Long Bao and 14 Romantic Restaurants for Valentine's Day. 

So here's part 4 of my Chinese New Year food trip special and # 3 for my Valentine's Day food trip special - Lugang Cafe. Before we begin, feast your eyes on our towering dessert! 

After my three part Xiao Long Bao post (part 1, part 2 and part 3), a lot of my friends recommended the quite newly opened Taiwanese restaurant that's causing so much traffic along Connecticut Street in Greenhills, Lugang Cafe. 


RJ and I then decided to have our monthsary celebration in this Shanghai-based Bellagio restaurant branch. 

I've heard about the crazy lunch and dinner crowd in Lugang Cafe so I tried to make a reservation prior to our visit. However after 20 attempts at calling their landline (it's either busy or no one's picking up), I finally got through but I was told that they only accept reservations for groups of 8 or more. 

Waiting Area and the 1st Floor Dining Area

We then had to wait for around 15 minutes to be seated. This didn't bother me at all since I was heavily distracted by their elegant holding area, lined by their golden wall of woven leaves with overhead majestic drop lights. 


Though the 2nd floor carries the same impressive white leather seats mixed with deep violet velvet seats and plush couches, the other people on the waiting list preferred the 1st floor dining area. I guess they'd rather watch the chefs cook in their open kitchen than gaze at the long dragon painting spanning almost the entire length of the 2nd floor. 

Steamed Pork Xiao Long Bao (Php188/7 pieces)

After 3 xiao long bao trips, I was eager to try Lugang Cafe's version of Xiao Long Bao. I was pleasantly surprised when I saw that they carry two variants: Steamed Pork Xiao Long Bao and Steamed Angled Loofah with Shrimp Xiao Long Bao, both priced at Php188 with 7 pieces. For comparison purposes, we ordered the classic one. 


Lugang Cafe's version is cheaper by a few pesos as opposed to Crystal Jade's (Php158/5 pieces) on a per piece basis, albeit more expensive per order. Visually, their xiao long bao is smaller with seemingly less soup inside. Though the skin is quite thicker, it also easily breaks to release the warm soup. I must say I like theirs better than Suzhou's and Shi Lin's but I still have to hand "The Best Xiao Long Bao" title to Crystal Jade. Crystal Jade's xiao long bao soup and meat are tastier and the skin is more delicate.  


For the record, it's RJ's first xiao long bao and he really loved it. He even raved about Lugang Cafe's xiao long bao to his friends. Awww! :)

Taiwanese Stewed Minced Pork Bowl (Php160)

We ordered another House Special, Taiwanese Stewed Minced Pork. Swimming in a savory sauce, this pork dish is so tender that it almost melts in your mouth like butter. The sauce is really good that I enjoyed eating it with rice (Php70/cup of rice) even after we finished all the pork. There's also a surprise whole boiled egg inside, reminiscent of Adobong Itlog back in my Girl Scout Days. (Haha, yes I was a girl scout :P) 

Three-Cup Chicken (Php290)

We also had their Three-Cup Chicken, yet another House Special. The name is based on its ingredients: 1 cup of sesame oil, 1 cup of rice wine and 1 cup of soy sauce. By just listing down the ingredients, it's obviously a fragrant dish, especially with the fresh basil topping. 


Though a little hard to eat because of its slippery sauce coating, seemingly so chopsticks resistant, you'll fight hard to take a bite of these mini chicken chops. We're aware that Lugang Cafe is such a classy restaurant, but we admittedly (and shamefully, hehe) used our hands for chicken pieces with bones. Heavily drenched in a delectable sweet oriental sauce, it's hard to resist letting go of those meat strategically tucked underneath the bones. We don't regret our choice of weapon at all. :P

Bellagio Breeze (Php248)

Bellagio is known for its desserts in Shanghai so I begged RJ to feed my sweet tooth. We then ordered their Bellagio Breeze because of their visually tempting photograph in the menu. Covered in a thin layer of beans, this towering shaved ice dessert is bound to elicit wows. It's perfect for sharing for 4-5 persons but RJ and I finished this all by ourselves. We were also shivering to death afterwards from all that ice! Haha. Though the pineapple chunks, ube mochi and black sago at the base add a beautiful texture dimension to this dessert, it's still too expensive since it's simply composed of 60% shaved ice. 

Overall, RJ and I had a great monthsary lunch in Lugang Cafe. I especially enjoyed watching RJ's reaction to his first xiao long bao. I now understand why Lugang Cafe is so busy even after its first three months of operation.

So if you're looking for great Taiwanese food this Valentine's Day, you might want to make it a Xiao Long Bao date at Lugang Cafe! Just make sure you come early so you can snag two seats for you and your date. 

Happy Valentine's Day!

PS. I took my own advice and had letter doughnuts made for our monthsary, check them out! :) 

More Info on Lugang Cafe:
Address: 116 Connecticut St., Northeast Greenhills, San Juan City, Metro Manila
Map: Click Here
Commuting Instructions: Take the LRT 2 until Gilmore Station then take a cab to Connecticut Street. 
Contact: (02) 775-7599 
Operating Hours: Su, M, T, W, Th, F, Sa: 11:00 am - 2:15 pm
                          Su, M, T, W, Th: 6:00 pm - 9:15 pm
                          F, Sa: 6:00 pm - 10:15 pm
Budget: Php350-500/head
Service Charge: 10%
Payment: Cash, Mastercard, Visa
Outfit: Casual
Note: Make sure to have a reservation for groups of 8 or more


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~It's the little sweet notes everyday that matter~