Our bad experience at this certain Chinese restaurant the previous week certainly wasn't enough to put us off from eating Chinese food again. Exactly a week after, we decided to give Chinese food another go, this time at Luk Yuen, also located at the basement level of SM Megamall.
Luk Yuen has been around since the 1980s and has gained a reputation for its noodles, congee, and dimsum, which are its main specialties. Unfortunately though, competition has overtaken this family-run business, and there hasn't been much in terms of growth for this restaurant these past few years. This restaurant also gained some notoriety in 2007 when it was initially believed that the deadly explosion which killed 11 people at Glorietta in Makati was caused by an LPG explosion at Luk Yuen. Still though, many know this place as a restaurant that serves good, home-style Chinese food at reasonable prices.
The SM Megamall branch has been around for quite a while now. I remember eating here with my parents and other relatives during the mid and late 90s. Since then it has undergone quite a number of cosmetic changes, but they haven't really changed anything much aesthetically these past few years.
Luk Yuen's SM Megamall branch was unusually busy that evening. On the occasions that we would dine here on a Saturday night, the restaurant wasn't normally this full of customers.
After we had settled down and had our orders taken, I began to take note of the similarities and differences between Luk Yuen and that other Chinese restaurant (see link above). In terms of floor space, Luk Yuen is certainly much bigger, and despite the number of customers at the time, the waiters at Luk Yuen seem to better exhibit grace under pressure.
Soup is served to all customers for free as they wait for their order. It wasn't as hot as I expected it to be, but still tasty.
4 pcs Pork Siomai. My brother already took one piece before I could even take a photo. *facepalm*
The ubiquitous Yang Chow Fried Rice. The serving size at Luk Yuen is only good for two people, so I suggest you order more if yo're really hungry or there are a lot of people in your group.
The Fish Fillet with Taosi Sauce, which we ordered as an alternative to the (apparently popular) Peppercorn Spareribs which was already sold out. This one could use a bit more flavor. It was a little bland.
The Sizzling Beef was actually good. The beef was juicy, and the sauce and the veggies used really helped add flavor to the dish.
The Fried Shrimp Balls was...interesting. It comes with a special sauce to make it tastier and spicier.
The winner of the night: Boneless Buttered Chicken. The meat was very soft, and the butter and the spices used made it really tasty. I strongly recommend this one!
For the month of December, customers who order P700 worth of food are entitled to free Snowballs (made of sticky rice) for dessert. Hooray for free dessert!
Overall, our experience at Luk Yuen was pleasant. The food was good (with some noteworthy dishes), and service was certainly better (if not by a bit) compared to the restaurant we ate in the previous week. There are, of course, certain aspects that they could also improve on. For one, I wish they would just serve the dishes all in one go. As I had pointed out in my previous blog post, I just hate having to restrain yourself from eating since you still have to wait for the other dishes to arrive, even if you're already really hungry but you don't want to finish one dish before the rest get to your table. I mean, if other restaurants are able to serve the food all in one go, then I don't really see a reason why others can't.
Again, similar to the previous week, we also had to call the attention of the waiters a few times before our water glasses were refilled, though the waiters at Luk Yuen responded a bit faster than the waiters at the other Chinese restaurant. Ummm...that's pretty okay, I guess? Still, a bit of initiative and pro-activeness wouldn't hurt, really.
Despite these hiccups, Luk Yuen, I believe, is still worth coming back to. For quality Chinese food at prices that won't drive your wallet to commit suicide, Luk Yuen is definitely the place to go!
Luk Yuen
Lower Ground Floor, SM Megamall
Store hours Sundays-Thursdays: 10 am-9 pm; Fridays-Saturdays: 10 am-10 pm
Other branches: Alabang Town Center, Cash and Carry Mall, Glorietta 5, Greenhills Shopping Center
Website: http://www.lukyuen.com.ph
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