Entering Dragon Court, the signature Chinese restaurant of Manila Prince Hotel in Ermita, feels like a time travel to old Beijing.
Decked in red and gold, including dragon decors and lanterns, the restaurant even has traditional arches that serve as sculptural partitions from the entrance to the private rooms.
Dragon Court reopened its doors last month after being shuttered during the height of the pandemic, allowing guests to enjoy authentic Chinese cuisine in an old-world opulent setting.
“Manila Prince has always been the wallflower when it comes to the hotels in the area. But with the current management’s direction as well as Dragon Court’s re-opening, the prince of hotels is set to make waves in producing high quality, true-to-standard offerings,” said Chef EJ Yap, the hotel’s assistant F&B director.
The hotel’s commitment to delivering accessible luxury is reflected in Dragon Court’s menu — the dishes are affordable yet do not skimp on the ingredients.
There’s classic dim sum such as hakaw and siomai as well as premium items like steamed grouper and fried shrimp ball with mozzarella.
“Traditional and home-style Chinese food that warms up the soul — that’s how I can describe our menu,” Yap said.
For Yap, the best items on the menu include the siomai, which is bigger than what is usually served in other Chinese restaurants, the fried fish roll that uses grouper fillet instead of cream dory, and the stewed eggplant in a clay pot.
The last item, in particular, is a nod to the culinary expertise of the Dragon Court’s team, elevating the humble eggplant dish into a tasty main course that can hold its own even in a sea (or in this case, a Lazy Susan) of meat dishes.
“Dragon Court is set apart from the competition by simply going for the home-style cooking that we all love. We are bound by our commitment to preserve the original recipes of home as opposed to modernizing and revising the recipes to suit today’s so-called ‘discerning palate of modern influencers,'” Yap added.
