Growing up in a Filipino-Chinese environment, you can bet that every special occasion in the family is celebrated around a table of Chinese food. And while my fellow Go's don't seem to suffer from taste fatigue, I can't deny that I do. However, visiting the south has surprisingly rekindled my long-forgotten love affair with Chinese cuisine. And I have
Mommy Jane and
The Bellevue Manila's Phoenix Court to thank for that.
Located at the 2nd floor of
The Bellevue Manila's tower wing,
Phoenix Court is the hotel's signature Chinese restaurant, and the only fine dining Chinese restaurant in the city at the moment. It can comfortably sit 250 guests and even has function rooms for private dinners. Its interior mainly uses golds and reds which give off a sophisticated yet warm vibe. And how can you miss that golden phoenix on one of its walls? So artsy!
The beau and I have been to
Phoenix Court twice, and both of which are courtesy of Mommy Jane and
The Bellevue Manila, the most gracious hosts ever! So on this review, let me run down and entice you with the dishes we got to try for both visits.
The First Time
It was dinnertime when we first went to
Phoenix Court, and what better way to invigorate us after a long, traffic journey to the south than to start the evening meal with 'em glistening
Peking Duck. Just look at that crisp, moist and shiny skin!
| ✓ 1st Way: Peking Duck Pancakes |
We first had our Peking Duck served as
Peking Duck Pancakes -- crisp duck skin with cucumber, shallots and some Hoisin sauce encased in a thin flour wrapper. This is one of my favorite ways to eat Peking Duck as I don't easily get overwhelmed. The duck gives off that sinful and savory flavor, while the Hoisin sauce provides the sweetness, and the fresh vegetable fillings and wrapper beautifully balance everything.
| ✓ 2nd Way: Minced Peking Duck with Lettuce Cups |
While the duck pancakes are unarguably good, for some reason, this is how I personally like enjoying my Peking Duck,
Minced with Lettuce Cups. I know, purists might cringe at how unsophisticated my preference is. But I don't know... I just love how light and easy, albeit a little messy, this is on the palate. The duck meat is minced then sautéed with vegetables in oyster sauce. Served with lettuce cups, this is a great way to get interactive on the dining table. Plus, a good way to get kids eating some veggies!
| Two Variety of Prawn (Sautéed and Crispy) |
We were then served with
Two Variety of Prawn -- one sautéed and the other crisp-fried. I usually shy away from prawns that look like
camaron rebusado since I used to think it was my mom's failed attempt at tempura. However, although the battered-and-fried prawn does remind me of
camaron rebusado with how it looks, I have to say it's pretty good. Crunchy and far from greasy, the prawn itself is cooked to perfection too! The sautéed version on the other hand, was light yet savory. Perfect with fried rice.
| ✓ Steamed Live Lapu-Lapu with Soya Sauce |
There are only two ways I like my fish, raw (sashimi) and steamed. So after seeing this platter of
Steamed Live Lapu-Lapu with Soya Sauce served on our table, I was happy to finally eat fish after weeks of skipping them.
(Sorry for ignoring you, fried fish!) I've always loved steamed fish as there's basically little risk of messing them up. As long as the fish is fresh or better yet, live, the dish is bound to have moist, great-tasting fish meat. And don't get me started with the sauce! The soya sauce coupled with scallion oil is the perfect complement to the fish with its light, salty yet savory flavor.
| Stuffed Crispy Chicken with Sweet and Sour Sauce |
This is probably my least favorite dish for both our visits to
Phoenix Court, and I sadly don't even remember a lot about it anymore. I'm not sure what is stuffed in the crispy chicken, but I recall it was chewy and somewhat tasteless. The only redeeming factors it had was the crispy chicken skin, and the good blend of sweet and sour sauce.
| ✓ Quick-Fried Beef Tenderloin with Black Pepper |
I grew up eating this dish since it's my little sister's favorite Chinese food. And although I've tried quite a lot of it,
Phoenix Court's version, the
Quick-Fried Beef Tenderloin with Black Pepper, didn't disappoint. The beef pieces were fried perfectly, moist and tender but still with good bite. The sauce isn't too peppery too as it has nice touches of sweet and savor. This is another dish that makes one enjoy more rice than usual.
| Homemade Bean Curd with Crabmeat Sauce |
While I may not have gotten a lot of the
Homemade Bean Curd with Crabmeat Sauce, I can't say the same for the beau who's a big fan of tofu. He gorged down this bean curd dish piece after piece. I can't blame him though 'cause this dish is pretty light. The bean curd pieces are soft on the inside with a chewy bite on the outside. The crab meat sauce with roe on the other hand, is both light and tasty.
| ✓ Braised E-Fu Noodles with Seafood |
Noodles are the last thing on my mind when going for Chinese food. However, I think I might just order for
Braised E-Fu Noodles with Seafood the next time I see it on the menu. This dish, albeit simple and straight-forward, is a great treat for both the palate and the tummy. The seafood -- fish fillet, shrimps and squid, as well as the mushrooms, are all cooked to perfection. The noodles, although coated in a slightly thick sauce, is also far from soggy. No wonder this is a dish my dad has long been a fan of!
I've never been a big fan of
Sesame Balls, locally known as
Buchi. But I have to admit that I enjoy them, to some extent. And I can say the same with these very pieces. The crust is made of sesame seeds which gives off a nice, fun and crispy texture. The inside on the other hand, is chewy with a burst of nutty-sweetness from the bean paste filling.
The Second Visit
We dined twice at the
Phoenix Court during our second visit to the south. The first one was to try the
Dimsum-All-You-Can (P650++ for adults; P325++ for children 6 to 12 y/o) promo for dinner, while the other is to try the new chef's specials. However, today let me share with you what the chef had us sample for lunch.
| ✓ Braised Asparagus Soup with Fresh Shrimps |
For a light start, we had the
Braised Asparagus Soup with Fresh Shrimps. I actually didn't think this was asparagus soup at first, because of the presentation. However, every spoonful definitely gave off that nutty note from asparagus. The shrimps were also very soft but with a good bite. This is definitely a good light and refreshing soup, deviating from the usual winter melon, fish lip or hot and sour soup I'm accustomed to.
Although I'm not much of a
Sweet and Sour Pork fan, this dish was definitely a crowd-pleaser. The pork was cooked to moist and succulent pieces, and the sauce just had the right balance of sweet, sour and savory. I also surprisingly liked the pineapple chunks thrown into the mix. It added not just sweetness and texture, but also character.
| ✓ Steamed King Fish with Touso Soya Sauce |
Though I slightly prefer lapu-lapu, this
Steamed King Fish with Touso Soya Sauce is also a great fish item at
Phoenix Court. Again, the fish itself was cooked perfectly -- soft, moist, slightly sweet and far from tasting fishy. Definitely a sign that the king fish was fresh. And while this didn't have much of my favorite scallion oil, it made up with heaps of salty and nutty crispy tauso.
I'm very biased when it comes to
Cereal Prawns. I loved
Wee Nam Kee's version so much, that I always use theirs as a basis for comparison. However, while
Phoenix Court's cereal isn't as buttery, it's a different, yet still as good, take on this Singaporean favorite. The prawns are soft and juicy, encased in crispy and addicting cereal.
| ✓ Spinach Bean Curd with Crispy Mushrooms |
While this
Spinach Bean Curd with Crispy Mushrooms doesn't look anything too special, it was unarguably one of the most crowd-pleasing dishes of the day. The bean curd pieces infused with spinach are already a good treat, light, refreshing yet quite flavorful. However, the crispy enoki mushrooms took the whole dish to another level. They were super addicting, and definitely a good complement to the bean curd's texture.
| Peking Duck Pancakes... We meet again! |
| The Quick-Fried Beef Tenderloin with Black Pepper wasn't as good as before, but still enjoyable. |
Of course, there are also some familiar dishes served to us that day like the
Peking Duck Pancakes which is as expected, a blockbuster, and the
Quick-Fried Beef Tenderloin with Black Pepper which was a tad bit too salty for my liking.
| ✓ Chilled Coconut Pudding |
For dessert, we had the
Chilled Coconut Pudding which I now consider one of my most favorite desserts of all time! The coconut pudding is served with coconut meat and some coconut water, and every mouthful is light and uber refreshing. The flavors, sweet, creamy and fruity, are all subtle and a symphony on the palate. It's also served chilled which makes it perfect for a hot, summer day. Yum yum yum!
THE VERDICT
Although I consider myself a foodie who prefers to avoid repetitive Chinese cuisine, I've still found myself falling for Phoenix Court's charm and good Chinese comfort food. There were some familiar dishes, and some more unique, but I've equally enjoyed them and found myself interested in Chinese food yet again. The nice, sophisticated ambiance, and the friendly and courteous service also added to my overall impression of Phoenix Court. Just as a phoenix rising from the ashes, my love for Chinese food is now rekindled.
Taste - 4/5
Ambiance - 4/5
Service - 4/5
Price - 4/5
Overall Value - 4/5
Phoenix Court, The Bellevue Manila
2/F Tower Wing, The Bellevue Manila Hotel,
North Bridgeway, Alabang, Muntinlupa City 1781
Metro Manila, Philippines
(02) 771-8181
Official Website
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