10.258
20 (Fri) September 2019
Fried Fish in Special Sauce
3.5
at Fuyuan
-Legaspi Village, Makati, Manila, Philippines-
with the Family
Fuyuan is a Chinese restaurant. Specializes in Hunanese cuisine.
According to Chinese colleagues in the office – who are mostly from Bejing – Fuyuan is their go-to place.
Indeed, most of the customers in the busy establishment appeared to be Chinese – like, fresh-off-the-boat Chinese – which seemed to augur an authentic meal.
Even the manager behind the counter – I tried to ask him about booze options – couldn’t speak a lick of English, making me feel like I was in China.
The food was great. Ingredients = fresh and immaculate. Flavors = bright and punchy. Even the dishes that we didn’t like exhibited a high level of quality to be appreciated. Over the past few years, after nothing but Cantonese – which dominates in Manila – as well as Taiwanese renditions of Cantonese, the experience was refreshing.
The highlight dish was the Fried Fish in Special Sauce. Firm white flesh, perfectly deep-fried on the outside. Topped with fresh chilies, garlic, scallions, ginger, and dressed in a sauce that seemed to consist of chili oil, soy sauce, and touch of five-spice, making for an explosive combination.
And items were served within minutes of ordering – like, 4 minutes – the way it should be in a Chinese restaurant, given that the cooking itself only takes seconds – even though most Chinese restaurants in Manila – most restaurants of any kind here – take 30, 40, 60 minutes or more for orders to be completed.