Restaurant Review: Feast like an emperor

Hong Kong Emperor Seafood Restaurant

SM Mall Of Asia, 2nd Level Entertainment Mall

Food Presentation ★★★★
Food Quality ★★★★
Servings ★★★★

Service ★★★★
Ambiance ★★★★★

Price ★★★★

*The five dishes cost around Php1580, already less 10% because we paid in cash. Lots cheaper than expected given the fine dining appearance of the restaurant. Bonus for the 'free fresh fruits' after the meal.

Overall Rating ★★★★

Photo from the restaurant's Facebook page.

The family went all the way to SM Mall Of Asia for its 3-day mega sale yesterday and the large, new restaurant was practically beckoning us to enter. Managed by a whopping 6 Hong Kong chefs, the spacious restaurant had lovely interior decorations, complete with chandeliers and a bayside view. We arrived a little earlier than the usual lunch hour and was treated to all around service and quick meal delivery. The family loved the place and now our Mum is planning to celebrate her birthday there next week. Apparently a part 2 to this post is in order!

Read on to find out what we thought about the dishes we ordered.

From Top left: Yang Chow Fried Rice, Bean Curd With Lechon;

From Bottom Left: King Dao Spareribs Salad, Mixed Vegetables in Pot

Yang Chow Fried Rice
J: The best version of this dish I've ever tasted. Rice is perfectly cooked and complemented by an assortment of meat and vegetables.

C: The rice was a bit dry but chewy, the way I like it. They don't hold back on the veggies, shrimp and pork bits either. The flavor isn't overdone.

King Dao Spareribs Salad

J: The mystery of the crunchy-outside-but-soft-inside dish strikes again, and as usual, I loved it. The tender yet crunchy spareribs was skillfully coated in the sweet sauce and lightly drizzled with Japanese mayo. Definitely a dish to try.

C: The piece I got was a bit too covered with mayonnaise for my taste (I don't like mayo in most cases). It overpowered the spareribs a bit. It isn't similar to the other cruchy outside soft inside spareribs, but like the others, the meat is tender and sweet. Still a good dish to order.

Mix Vegetables In Pot (Has mixed greens, mushrooms and vermicelli noodles in thick sauce)

J: A bit on the dull side with its common nutty flavor. The clever mix of textures is what did it for me.

C: Is it just me or did the sauce taste slightly burnt? The dish looked amazing with the interesting black pot on the wooden cooking box. Being a big vegetable-lover, this was the first dish I tried. Though the vegetables were crunchy (except the brocolli which I thought was a bit overcooked), and the noodles and sauce gave a lovely texture in your mouth, I just couldn't get past the burnt flavor. I'm guessing it's one of the drawbacks on cooking on a clay pot because the cooking process continues even after you remove the pot from the stove.

Bean Curd With Lechon

J: It surprises me that this dish was a must-try entree. It tasted especially like paksiw, which is basically leftover lechon cooked in vinegar and sarza. Unimpressive compared to other dishes.

C: The sauce on this dish was not something I've never tasted before. And like Jason, I'm surprised this was a must-try entree. Average dish at best.

Thai Spicy Pork With EggplantJ: A spectacular mix of eggplant and pork. The chili seeds provided an interesting kick. The plump eggplants added to its texture, making it the best dish of the meal.

C: My favorite! Forget the pork, the eggplant is the real star of this dish. Other than the fact that I like spicy stuff, the eggplant was cooked perfectly for me- not too stringy, doesn't crumble or fall apart when you pick it up with your chopsticks. It doesn't feel mushy when you put it in your mouth and you could actually chew the thing like a real vegetable. Everything on the dish is perfectly coated with the spicy sauce. Yummy!