Lao Beijing, quite frankly, won't win awards for the best Chinese restaurant in Metro Manila. I wouldn't even rank it in the same league as most of Binondo's time-tested favorites. Lao Beijing, however, is conveniently located in Makati City and is very accessible for delicious, affordable dimsum - most especially their tasty Xiao Long Bao.
It's not often that I blog about a restaurant that scores 3.0 or lower on my rating system, but Makati should know that they can get affordable dumplings just a ride away. Here's what you should order to maximize your Lao Beijing experience...
Lao Beijing's Xiao Long Bao (Php 148) is the main reason I come back here quite often. An order gets you a basket of eight, but somehow that doesn't seem to be enough. Every bite has that burst of hot, delicious broth that makes you long for the next one. The skin isn't paper-thin to perfection, but it'll do.
It's probably not the best Xiao Long Bao you'll ever taste, but it is delicious. For a basket of eight, that's what I call 'sulit'! Highly recommended!
The Petchay Pork Dumpling (Php 125) was also quite tasty and filling. Honestly, I can have a plate of this and the Xiao Long Bao it's already good as a meal! I love the pork and petchay filling and it pairs quite well with soy sauce and some chili. It's a dish I would highly recommend.
The Special Beef Noodle (Php 148) is another one of their specialties, but I found that the broth was a bit lacking in flavor. The beef and the noodles were just okay. Nothing really special but a nice option if you're looking for some noodles and beef.
The Beef Noodle in Chili Oil (Php 158) tastes like the soup above except that it's also filled with a lot of chili oil. It literally tastes like chili oil soup, and it gets a bit boring after a couple of sips. Don't get me wrong, I love chili oil when paired with dumplings but I wasn't prepared to sip an entire bowl of it.
I didn't finish the bowl, but do try it out if you dare. Maybe it just isn't for me.
The Rice w/ Sweet and Sour Spareribs (Php 148) was disappointing. The spareribs tasted okay but it just didn't have enough meat to fill you up for a meal.
The Rice w/ Chicken and Mushroom (Php 148) was another 'okay' dish. I found that it lacked seasoning and you'd be better off with the Rice w/ Chicken and Mushroom from Waiying in Binondo. Again, nothing wrong with this dish but it wasn't wow either.
The Braised Beef w/ Soy Sauce (Php 295) is another ofne of their specialties and it probably the most expensive dish in their menu. It's probably the best non-dumpling dish I've tried from Lao Beijing, but do know that it's served cold, which may not be something you're used to. I love the combination of the seasoned beef with the garlic on top. Nicely flavored and yummy.
It's a tasty dish and I recommend you try it out if you haven't tried a lot of cold Chinese dishes yet.
It's a tasty dish and I recommend you try it out if you haven't tried a lot of cold Chinese dishes yet.
Service Quality: 2.5
Ambiance: 3.0
Overall Rating: 3.0
Overall Rating: 3.0
Lao Beijing isn't your typical top-notch, must-visit Chinese restaurant - restaurants such as those are typically expensive or nestled at the heart of Binondo. They admittedly serve some pretty good dumplings that's very affordable considering the quality, but I found that their non-dumpling menu had more misses than hits. Eventually, I just kept on ordering the dumplings on my subsequent dishes because I gave up on the other dishes.
I'm not from China so I can't judge the authenticity of the food they serve. However, I do notice that the plate is always packed with customers who are from mainland China (which is a good sign that the food might be quite authentic). I guess you just have to judge for yourself, but do let me know what you think about it on the comments below.
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Cheers,
Chef Jay
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