Shanghai Bistro

I first tried Shanghai Bistro when it opened at the Eastwood Mall some 10 years ago.  If I recall right, Vicky and I were invited to a baptismal party; the place was very new and the food was delicious.  A couple of weeks ago, I was all by myself in Makati, famished for lunch, when I passed by the Paseo Center along Paseo de Roxas.  In the seventies, this building used to house the regional offices of IBM, and I understand that the Megaworld group bought the property sometime in the nineties, earmarking it for future redevelopment.  I would imagine that in some future time, the building would be torn down to give way to some monstrosity of a skyscraper (FAR in the area is 16), but for the present, the spaces on the lower floors are leased out, and Shanghai Bistro occupies a spot at the second floor.  Admittedly, the interiors show signs of aging, but are still presentable.

The food, however, is still nicely done and delicious.  I had beef ho fan and steamed chicken.  The ho fan was gooey and bouncy to the bite, and cooked with enough beef strips that I can say I got my money's worth.  While the steamed chicken isn't exactly authentic hawker grade (one must use Singaporean birds), it was a worthwhile competitor.  On these two dishes alone (no rice, no drinks), I spent P380, including tips.  The flavoring really reminds me of the way dishes were cooked in Toh Yuen at the Manila Hilton, which was among the city's best Chinese restaurants in the seventies.