FRIDAY, March 29, 2024
nationthailand

A taste of Taiwan

A taste of Taiwan

Chinese chain Lugang opens in Bangkok with a menu to die for

CHINESE FOOD, so long a favourite around the world, has taken an unkind licking from Japanese and other types of cuisine in recent years, particularly among the younger crowd. The attention-deficit generation prefers small portions, sushi style, not family feasts with platters piled high, and they cling to the common misconception that Chinese food is oily and expensive. 
Thailand’s first branch of Chinese chain Lugang Cafe at Asiatique the Riverfront sets itself apart from such perceptions by offering Taiwanese-style cuisine in just the right portions for a solo diner or a group of two or four. 

A taste of Taiwan

Breaking away from the conventional d้cor of a Chinese restaurant, the two-storey eatery has a sleek, contemporary design in which wood and glass play a leading role. A Chinese element is on the ceiling and decked out with different sizes of bamboo baskets.
“This is a casual dining restaurant where you don’t feel reluctant about coming alone to enjoy the delicacies. We don’t have typical big round tables. The prices are also pocket-friendly because we don’t go for fancy ingredients such as shark fin or abalone. The main ingredients are chicken, beef, pork and fish,” says Malida “Candy” Chinsupakul, the executive director of CJ Food, the franchisee of Lugang in Thailand.

Candy is not a newcomer to the food business. At Asiatique the Riverfront, her company also operates another three restaurants including the Thai eatery and bar Why 97, the Italian trattoria Capri and Japanese chain Ibushi Ginjiro. 
“I had a chance to sample Lugang’s foods when I visited Shanghai and Beijing and found its casual style and food concept was exactly what the new generation of diners looks for. Lugang is a well-known eatery in China with more than 70 branches and Asiatique is a popular destination for Chinese tourists. At Asiatique, there is only one Sichuan-style restaurant, so I believe there’s room for us. And the familiar name draws in Chinese tourists while the casual dining concept attracts Thai diners as well,” she adds.
Operated by Bellagio Group of Restaurants, Lugang cafe first opened in Shanghai in 2001 as a stylish Taiwanese restaurant and quickly expanded, with outlets in Beijing, Qingdao, Nanjing, Suzhou and Chengdu as well as in Macao and the Philippines.
“The menu features the signature styles of different regions. We offer the traditional Taiwanese dish called three-cup chicken, xiao long bao dumplings from Shanghai, steamed chicken from Hainan and spicy fish soup from Sichuan. About 90 per cent of the menu is identical to the original outlet and we’ve added lobster and mango with sticky rice as special dishes for this branch,” says Candy.

A taste of Taiwan

The Shanghai branch, Candy adds, has no xiao long bao on its menu because the dish is easily available throughout the city. However, the branch in Manila of the Philippines – the first outlet outside China – reinstated this classic dish and it became a best seller. She decided that the dumplings would probably go down well here too and diners can watch the chefs at work making the dumplings in the open kitchen. 

A taste of Taiwan

Xiao Long Bao dumplings with minced pork filling 

The dough is made daily in small batches to maintain its freshness. Watching them work quietly and efficiently actually whets the appetite. One of the chefs rolls out a thin disc of dough and cuts into identical pieces of the required weight. His neighbour adds the filling while a third is in charge of the fancy pleating which requires at least 16 folds and a twist at the top. The dumplings are then put in the steamer, and once cooked must be served immediately. 
You can add a vinegar mixture to the dish of shredded ginger, prick a hole in the dumpling, and sip the piping hot broth. Or dip the dumpling and a little ginger to the sauce. I personally prefer the “original” unadulterated – hold the dipping sauce. The dish costs Bt160 for six dumplings with a juicy minced pork filling and a steamed vegetable dumpling for non meat-eaters is also available at the same price. A new addition is crab with minced pork for Bt200.

A taste of Taiwan

Appetiser Combo 

The Appetiser Combo (Bt240) is a perfect starter to the meal. On offer are peeled cherry tomatoes marinated in plum sauce, marinated mushroom and peanut, pickled napa cabbage with salted egg, and pigeon peas dressed with chilli powder.

A taste of Taiwan

Three-cup Chicken 

Next up is the traditional Taiwanese dish san bei ji or three-cup chicken (Bt280), which gets its name from the three cups of rice wine, soy sauce and sugar in which it is cooked along with ginger, garlic and sweet basil leaves, giving it a well-balanced sweet and savoury taste.

A taste of Taiwan

Shrimp Stuffed Crullers with Pineapple 

Another Taiwanese-style dish, Shrimp Stuffed Crullers with Pineapple (Bt290), boasts crispy Chinese-style crullers with a shrimp stuffing that go well with sweet-and-tangy pieces of pineapple topped with cream sauce. 

A taste of Taiwan

Stir-fried Crab with Garlic and Butter 

Garlic lovers should opt for the Stir-fried Crab with Garlic and Butter (Bt990), in which a hefty crab is topped by a mountain of garlic, chopped ginger and scallion. The dish is not seasoned with any sauce, allowing the natural sweet taste of the crab – and the garlic – to take centre stage.

A taste of Taiwan

Mixed Mushroom with XO sauce

Dry sauteed Mixed Mushroom with XO sauce (Bt220) with shiitake and eringi mushrooms is delicious but the Roasted Spare Ribs with Plum Sauce (Bt250) is a little too sweet for my liking.

A taste of Taiwan

Steamed Chicken Soup 

The Steamed Chicken Soup (Bt180) is aromatic and flavourful. Domestic chickens from three breeds give a succulent texture and the broth is simmered for six hours with salted ham and ginger. 

A taste of Taiwan

Bubble Milk Ice 

The restaurant offers an extensive range of shaved ices and desserts in portions big enough for sharing. As Taiwan is known for its bubble tea – a milk tea drink with chewy tapioca balls known as bubbles or pearls, Lugang has Bubble Milk Ice (Bt140) made with shaved milk tea topped with caramel and condensed milk and bubbles on the side. 
Equally refreshing is the Mango Supreme (Bt180) made from mango puree, ripe mango cubes and two scoops of coconut cream ice cream.

DUMPLING DELIGHTS
Lugang Cafe is at Warehouse 10 of Asiatique the Riverfront on Charoen Krung Road of Bangkok.
It is open daily from 4pm until late. Call (02) 254 8379.

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