Date # 28: Crystal Jade / Su Zhou Dimsum

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There’s a lot of buzz going around about the new Xiao Long Bao (Soupy Pork Dumpling) place in town. As you may know, Xiao Long Bao is my favorite food, so I had to check it out as soon as I could.

Crystal Jade has been making an impression since it opened a few weeks ago because of their Xiao Long Bao and their La Mian (“Hand pulled noodles”). This franchise is famous all over Asia, having branches in Hong Kong and Singapore.

Wait for the crowd to die down before you try bringing a date here because you can barely talk with one another due to the multitude of people making noise. The acoustics are kind of horrible. The space is kind of cramped too.

Normally, open kitchens face the diners already inside restaurants. But in Crystal Jade, their open kitchen actually faces the people outside. I think it’s a marketing strategy to get passers by interested, because it’s entertaining to watch the chefs make hand pulled noodles because their hands are so swift and skillful.

Douglas says that it’s good that the chefs are mostly Chinese. I called him a racist for saying that—but I suppose we all know that makes this place quite authentic.

We got a basket of Xiao Long Bao (P158/5pcs) to share, although I give Douglas a deadly glare every time he picks up a piece.

The magic lay on the thin but sturdy and chewy wrapper. It doesn’t easily get punctured even if you get careless in picking it up.

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The meat inside was juicy, moist and fresh. There was also balance in the delicate flavors of the dumpling; from the hot soup inside, the ball of meat, to the black vinegar dipping sauce.

Douglas said it’s now the best Xiao Long Bao he has had in the country.

We ordered two more baskets of the heavenly things because I sort of live to eat them.

We also got a bowl of Noodle with Dried Shrimp and Peanut in Spicy Sauce (P288).The bowl is enough for 2-3 people. The peanut flavor is very pronounced all throughout—careful with this if you’re not a peanut fan. It’s not too spicy though, which could either be a good thing or a bad thing depending on your preference.

We didn’t finish the sauce because it was quite overpowering, but the noodles were great. They were made from scratch by hand. They were very chewy and tasty.

Overall Verdict: We’re definitely coming back to try other noodle variants and possibly the other dumplings. There’s not much on the menu yet, but we’re hoping they’d add other kinds of dimsum. It’s a place that’s more fit for Chinese comfort food rather than fine dining.

After eating, Douglas told me that, “Akala ko mayabang sila—they deserve it.” Well, it looks like this Chinese restaurant just got the approval from my Chinese boyfriend.

After eating in Crystal Jade and watching a movie, we revisited an old favorite of mine, Su Zhou Dimsum, to compare which Xiao Long Bao reigns supreme.

This is Su Zhou Dimsum’s version of a Pan-Fried Xiao Long Bao (P110/4pcs.). Su Zhou is one of the few Xiao Long Bao places with fried Xiao Long Bao—although I have yet to notice the difference between the two in terms of taste. Right now I just know that the pan fried version has spring onions on top and also has a coating of oil. You can have it steamed, though, if you’re really iffy with having oil on your dumpling.

The Xiao Long Bao in Su Zhou is noticeably larger because the dumpling wrapper they use is much thicker. That makes it difficult for anyone to gobble this in one big bite, which is something people don’t like. I don’t mind eating this bit-by-bit though. It’s a good way of savoring it, after all.

In terms of flavor, this one has a stronger flavor which comes mostly from the soup inside—contrary to Crystal Jade’s version which has a balance between the different ingredients. The soup taste is a simple broth, unlike Crystal Jade’s or Peking Garden’s soups which seem to have their own original recipe.

What I like most about Su Zhou is that their dipping sauce is not ordinary black vinegar. I don’t know what this gingery colored vinegar is, but it tastes a little bit like sweetened white vinegar, and it appeals to my taste far more.

Overall Verdict: I still love Su Zhou, and I’m not listening to anyone who says that it’s not the Xiao Long Bao favorite in town anymore, now that Crystal Jade is around. I just… can’t compare the two, you know? They’re just that different.

Crystal Jade La Mian Xiao Long Bao
V-Mall, Greenhills Shopping Center
Greenhills, San Juan City, Metro Manila
Website: www.CrystalJade.com
Telephone: +632 570-6910, 570-6912
Operating Hours: 11am to 3pm; 5pm-9pm

Su Zhou Dimsum

Greenhills Promenade

Greenhills Promenade, Greenhills Shopping Complex
Ortigas Ave., Greenhills
San Juan, Metro Manila, Philippines

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With and For Love,

Rina Caparras and Douglas Chong

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