It's Me, Gracee: Chinese Food Tomas Morato

Oriental Palace Restaurant & Banquet Hall: A feast of Authentic Chinese Food

Chinese Food Tomas Morato Tuesday, February 03, 2015

My family and I loves dining out simply because it saves more time and energy for my Mom to cook especially if there's a big occasion, we would often dine out and try different cuisines. We all know how festive it is to eat at Chinese Restaurants and I believe when it comes to big occasions, they always make it a point to serve the best dishes with a festive mood. Thankfully, I was invited to a newly opened Authentic Chinese Restaurant along Tomas Morato, you will surely notice it's location because of it's inviting signage.

Oriental Palace offers fresh and delicious Chinese food based on their perfect understanding of balance through the years of their expertise. They offer well-balances flavors and textures that will definitely suit your palette.

photo courtesy of Ms. Janette Toral

Together with fellow Bloggers, we had a chance to interview Mr. Chris Chua, General Manager of Oriental Palace. Started by the Chua family's patriarch in 1978, Oriental Palace traces its roots to Wah Yuen (Chinese Garden), a small noodle and dimsum shop across the Love Bus station in Escolta. Chua Kun, a young cook from Hong Kong, with a passion for good food and excellent cooking, established the shop with the dream of sharing authentic Chinese food to diners in Manila. Known for their flavorful dimsum, homemade noodles and traditionally prepared Peking duck, this shop quickly became the go to restaurant for the local Chinese community as well as for Filipino families from all over the metro.

Let's have a virtual tour at Oriental Palace. It has 3 entrances - one along Tomas Morato, one along Scout Gandia and one along Scout De Guia. I am more familiar with the entrance along Tomas Morato since it's just along the way.

This is the entrance along Tomas Morato where you will find there Shabu Shabu area. The ceiling is high which is perfect for shabu shabu because of the steam.If you go around the area, you will notice how simple yet elegant the architecture of the place.

This magnificent chandelier is an eye taker especially the staircase leading to the function room on the second floor.

This is the function area at the second floor, perfect for product launch, presscons and more. The stage is ready to use as well, set up just perfect.

Oriental Palace also offers private rooms for private occasions like mini gatherings for your family or friends or a business meeting, seminar and more. VIP Autmn, VIP Sapphire and VIP Summer.

If you're into seafood dishes, then you will surely love it here at Oriental Palace because they cook it fresh. They have a live aquarium where you can choose what kind of dish you want for your menu.

Oriental Palace has three Hong Kong chefs to ensure the consistency in taste and the quality of food served. Each is renowned in their respective field of expertise -Cantonese fine dining. Roasting, and Dim Sum.

The restaurant boasts of its quality ingredients from its top suppliers. Purchasing is done daily to guarantee the freshness of ingredients. More importantly, main herbs and spices are imported from Hong Kong to achieve that authentic Chinese taste.

Some of Oriental Palace's product offerings are as follows:

• Live seafood - lobster, lapu-lapu, king fish, suahe, clams, bamboo shell, et al.

• Main course - salt & pepper squid, crispy chicken, beef black pepper sauce, et al.

• Roasting - peking duck, suckling pig, cold cuts, asado, lechon macau, et al.

• Dim sum - hakaw, siomai, ham sui kok, taro puff, beancurd roll, et al.

• Congee - special seafood congee, five treasures congee, et al.

• Hot pot - seafood beancurd hotpot, 3 cups chicken, mapo tofu, et al.

• Noodles - birthday pancit canton, assorted meat fried noodles, et al.

• Shabu-shabu - cheese balls, sliced beef, satay, et al.

• Japanese - sushi, sashimi, ramen, tempura, et al.

Let's check out the food at Oriental Palace:

Dimsum

Hakaw (Shrimp Dumplings) serve in 4pcs for only Php 138.00

Siao Long Pao serve in 5pcs for only Php 138.00

Pork with Shrimp Siomai 4pcs Php 118.00

Chicken Feet Php 118.00

Jap. Crab stick Siomai 4pcs Php 118.00 it has egg white sauce in it

Steamed Bean Curd Roll Php 98.00

Beef Ball Php 98.00

Assorted Vegetable Dumpling Php 118.00

I love their Dimsum, for me, appetizer alone is simply tummy filling. My favorite is their steamed Bean Curd Roll. It's tasty and healthy too.

Main Dish

Prawn Tempura 5pcs Php 350.00

Swahe Fried Rice

Peking Duck

Suckling Pig with Maki

Steamed Lapu Lapu with Thai Sauce

Oyster XO - fried in special XO sauce

For the main dish, they all served the best. I really love their Swahe Fried Rice, just like what my fellow Blogger Alwin said, "Kanin pa lang, Ulam na!" Their version of suckling pig is really delicious, crunchy skin and tasty and soft meat on the inside. A must try as well is their Fried Oyster and Tempura which is bigger compared to other Tempura I've tried in other Chinese Restaurants.

Desserts

For their milkshakes we tried the Kiwi Fruit shake and Mango Banana Milk Shake

Then Banana Chocolate and Oreo Frapp

Buchi

Coffee Jelly

Ube Jelly

Their Fruit and Milk shakes are a must try as well, it's my first time to try Mango Chocolate and Banana Chocolate and I love it. You will definitely love the fusion of chocolate sweetness and the fresh fruit. Their Ube and Coffee Jelly and Buchi are the perfect dessert to take away the after taste of the main dishes you have eaten. Once you've tried their Buchi, you will surely want to order it for take out as well because it is really delicious, kids will love it too.

The secret of Oriental Palace lies in the care that is put in creating each dish. Everyday, Mr. Chua, handpicks the freshest catch of the day at the market and guides the chefs in preparing them with perfection. The combination of flavors in their dishes surprisingly compliments each other without overpowering the unique taste of each fresh ingredient. The seamless synergy results in a dining experience that is simple, uncomplicated and deeply satisfying. If you're looking for delicious and authentic Chinese food, Oriental Palace is definitely the place to go.

We also witnessed their opening ceremony to welcome prosperity to the business

All in all my dining experience at Oriental Palace was superb. I am recommending this to everyone simply because I want you to experience the big feast of amazing authentic Chinese dishes that they offer. Once you enter Oriental Palace, you will surely be welcomed with friendly staff and you also get the chance to meet the owner because he is very hands on and would also want to know if you love their dishes. You might also discover a new dish that is highly recommended by their Hong Kong chefs.