Friday, November 09, 2007

not another Greenhills Chinese resto review

First off, shout out to YUMMY for being crazy enough to feature a delinquent blog like ours. Now we feel the pressure to keep this place up.

Anyway, back to my Greenhills-based Chinese restos. While Greenhills on weekends is such a chore, Greenhills on weekday mornings isn’t so bad. When I have the time, I make sure to work out at the gym early so that I can get a big lunch at Le Ching Too (the second one, orange interiors, not the first one, green interiors, food is the same though).


Le Ching Too is my mother’s worst resto nightmare. She questions the restaurant’s hygiene and food preparation techniques. Personally, I turn a blind eye. You do that for love.

Le Ching is best at what it does. It doesn’t have an extensive menu. And from that short menu, stick to what you know. You either get a rice topping, or noodles. A lot of people like the Beef Brisket Rice, I’m not a big fan though. I like the Chicken and Black Mushroom Rice a lot. But what I really love is their Spareribs Rice. It’s a load of tender, tasty pork ribs on top of steamed rice. Served in a steel bowl. I wonder if the steel bowl is for making me feel that eating at Le Ching is an authentic Chinese peasant/proletariat dining experience. I’m not quite sure.

When I was there last, I sort of veered off the tried and tested path. I tried their Shrimp Cheongfan. Not so good. The flour-y(?) wrap was too thick, and sort of overwhelmed the pitiful shrimp stuffings.

Next time, I’m sticking to the rice toppings. Or I’ll finally try their noodles. Like I said, I’m not a big noodle fan, but I’ve been… growing up. I saw someone order the Stewed Beef Brisket Noodles. The noodles get served with a hearty amount of brisket on top, and the soup is served separately. I’m looking forward to that.

It has to be said that a large part of Le Ching’s success are the little things that come with the food. Like their famous chili garlic. I want to know how they make it. Or at least where they make it. I want to raid the place, and steal a whole vat. That ought to give me half a lifetime’s worth of chili garlic. While I was there, there was a guy at the next table who raved that he takes his sinigang with Le Ching’s chili garlic. Weirdo. But hey, I want to know where he gets his stash. No local Chinese resto has duplicated the truly garlic-flavored Le Ching mix.


And so as not to be overpowered by the wonderfully spicy chili garlic, order their cold soya milk too. It’s not too sweet, and it retains the subtle flavor of soy, unlike the over-flavored, commercial variants.

Le Ching’s been around for years. I started eating there in high school. It’s not really a secret, given by the large lunch and dinner crowds at both Greenhills branches. But I haven’t seen anyone write about the place. Lately, at least. So I’m giving it my stamp of approval: It’s the only place where I’m happy to pay to eat out of a steel bowl.

Le Ching and Le Ching Too are both located in the basement level of Shoppesville, Greenhillls Shopping Center. Le Ching (green interiors) is across McDonalds, Le Ching Too (orange interiors) is closer to the tiangge, the row of Ricky Reyes. I hear there’s a branch at Trinoma, but I haven’t been. Dishes are large single servings, and are mostly in the P70-100 range.

10 comments:

Anonymous said...

I almost gave up on your blog as you said, you've been rather deliquent.

So all you need is a little Yummy feature pala to get the blog adrenalin going. Good for you and for us readers and would-be resto visitors.

Anyways, I like your honest, no-frills, down-to-earth reviews. I'll make sure to check out the places on my next Greenhills trip.

Look forward to more resto revelations.

Anonymous said...

Iba yung ambience sa Trinoma. It's in the food court area kasi. It looks so much like Cafe de Coral in HK.

mignac said...

sharma! interesting. worth the trip? pareho ba yung food? :)

Anonymous said...

you are so right, le ching is much too under rated. i remember feeling dejected in law school (which was about, erm-everyday) and coming to le ching for spare ribs rice and shark's fin...their chili sauce is the best i've tasted so far. as i eat my steel bowl of succullent, salty sweet spareribs and hot white rice all is right in the world again.:-) we used to frequent the le ching in banawe though. is it the original? been to the one in greenhills, but i felt claustrophobic in there. but not, of course, when i am faced with a steamy bowl of spare ribs rice. hoo-ha.:-)

spanx said...

i read your YUMMY contribution, dude.

congrats!

and yes, if that will force you to blog more, all the better for us japanese food fans ",

mignac said...

reyna, the banawe branch might, indeed, be the orig. i'll ask around. and i wish i expressed my appreciation for le ching as well you did :)

spanx, salamat! although i'm more of a chinese food fan. si bogchief ang resident japanese foodie. haha.

Tisha said...

Why do you write for Yummy and not for us? Hmmm. Really, you should try it once. Let's shake things up a bit. Issa can take the photos, I'll style, you'll write. Game?

mignac said...

hey tish, sige next time may tiendesitas shoot, kayo na ha! i'll rent you my gear :D

Pam said...

Rent??? Free na dapat. Oo nga. It would be interesting to read you in RL. Migmig, I swear, my tummy aches from too much laughter. You write the way you talk, together with the jumping from one topic to another! Hahaha!!

Botch said...

i really loved this resto! it's been like a decade now and still nothing changed! sarap parin! nice blog!