Tunglok Signatures Opens First Philippine Restaurant in City of Dreams Manila
TungLok Signatures [同乐经典] recently opened its first flagship store in the Philippines at the City of Dreams Manila. This popular restaurant from Singapore has now made its way to the country courtesy of Eric Teng, who also owns and manages other local favorites such as Mango Tree, Genki Sushi, Kureji, and Sen-Ryo. He is also the president of RestoPH which has helped and guided so many local establishments during the pandemic. Established in 1984, TungLok Group is Singapore’s leading restaurant chain offering a distinct and multi-sensory dining experience at more than 30 restaurants in Singapore, China, Japan, Indonesia and Vietnam.
You can find the newest location of Tunglok Signatures at The Shops at the Boulevard on the upper ground floor of City of Dreams Manila. This is right along the integrated resort’s retail strip and restaurant row and just a few steps away from the casinos and Dreamplay. Tunglok Signatures is a quintessential Singaporean icon of Cantonese and Chinese cuisine and The Hungry Kat was invited a few weeks ago to sample some of its specialties. It is open daily from 11:00am to 11:00pm and closes at 12:00 midnight on Fridays and Saturday.
The restaurant is quite spacious, with a total seating capacity of more than 200 guests. The elegant interiors make it a great venue for celebrating special occasions with the family, as well as inviting important guests and business acquaintances.
TungLok Signatures sets itself apart from the usual traditional Chinese restaurants by offering a mouthwatering range of traditional Chinese cuisine from Cantonese, Shanghainese, and Sichuan dishes with a dash of Modern creations. TungLok 同乐 means being happy together, and true to form, TungLok has been a part of many happy occasions from birthdays to anniversaries and other celebrations.
TungLok Signatures aims to continue to provide the best of Cantonese delicacies with warm service in the Philippines. Aside from the main dining hall, it also has several private dining rooms which can cater from 12 to 36 guests. The biggest room comes with three round tables to accommodate big groups.
There’s also a private room with a 14-foot long table. This is better suited for more formal occasions or even board room meetings.
As for our group, we were seated in one of the smaller VIP rooms which is intimate enough for a group of 10 persons. The walls are decorated with Chinese landscapes while the gold dinnerware matched the elegance and opulence of the entire restaurant.
I was excited to experience the authentic Chinese-Singaporean cuisine with TungLok’s distinctive touch. Their master chefs’ skillful execution and innovative vision has produced a unique dining concept that has impressed many for decades. I have not dined at any of the Tunglok outlets in Singapore before, so it will be my first time to try their masterful creations.
I ordered a Buko Shake (P250) for my beverage. They also offer other fruit shakes, sodas, and beers aside from the complimentary house tea.
We started with some warm Pumpkin Seafood Soup (P420). I love pumpkin and squash so this is really one of my favorite soups, especially since it is also packed with seafood.
I used to buy and carry home with me dozens of Irvin’s Salted Egg Fish Skin whenever I traveled to Singapore. This was before Irvin’s had its own stalls here in the country. But did you know that it was the Tunglok Group which started selling the Crispy Fish Skin with Salted Egg (P420) in their restaurants? They actually invented this amazing item even before Irvin’s.
So what did the original salted egg fish skin taste like? It was unbelievably crispy while bursting with salted egg flavors. I really loved every bite of this, especially since it was still fresh and hot off the fryers, unlike that of Irvin’s which has already been stuck in their packages for a long time. I highly suggest ordering this for the entire group.
You might even find a very cute “waiter” serving the dishes for you. Meet Tunglok’s very own robot server, Bella. She will take care of bringing the dishes from the kitchen direct to your table. This minimizes physical contact for a safer and healthier dining experience. She can even sing and greet happy birthday if there’s a celebrant in your group. If you want to know more about Bella and her other smart robot siblings, check out (www.pudurobotics.com.ph).
Now let’s get to the main courses. The Fish Prepared in Two Ways (market price) is a very unique way of presenting seafood. Half of the fish is deep-fried while the other half is filleted and steamed. These are both served in one plate so you get to have both versions at the same time.
The Tunglok Signature Chili Crab (market price or around P3,600 per kg) is a Singaporean specialty that is also a favorite here in the country. The Philippine Mud Crabs are big and meaty, so you will need to get your hands messy for this one. The sauce comes with a spicy kick, so it’s good to have it with some rice.
There’s also some fried mantou buns provided, so another option is to scoop up the extra sauce using the bread.
We also tried the Salted Egg Yolk and Curry Leaves Crab (market price). This is a deep-fried crunchier version that is covered in salted egg yolk coating. Your crab crackers will surely be very busy with these crabs.
Other cooking methods you can order for your crabs include the Black Pepper and Fresh Peppercorns, and the White Pepper, Leeks, and Fresh Peppercorn. Regardless of the cooking style, these juicy crabs are definitely a must-try when you visit Tunglok Signature.
Next up is the Steamed Lotus Chicken (P1200) which comes with a combination of chicken, red dates, and black fungus covered and steamed in lotus leaves. This has that traditional Chinese aroma and taste which you won't easily find in other restaurants.
I love eating prawn salads so the Deep-Fried Prawns with Wasabi Mayo Sauce (P1380) was obviously on my radar. These plump pieces of coated prawns are deep fried then combined with Tunglok’s signature wasabi mayo sauce. It’s quite different from the usual prawn salads I have tasted, with the wasabi mayo giving it a unique flavor.
The highlight of our evening was definitely the Crispy Roast Duck (P2,500-half / P4,800-whole). This is as authentic as you can get with the savory duck meat covered by its rich and crispy skin.
Unlike the Peking Duck, this one is served in just one course so you can get all the meat and skin that you want. I actually do prefer having the roasted duck served like this so I can really eat all the yummy pieces.
Our lauriat dinner also came with the Beef Fried Rice (P700) and the Duck Fat Fried Rice (P800) at the end. Chinese lauriats usually serve rice at the end of the meal so that you can savor all of the courses without getting too full. The rice serves as the filler after everything has been presented.
For our desserts, Tunglok Signatures offered its very pretty Taro Puree with Ice Cream (P250) which is a more interesting option compared to the usual mango sago. It comes with real chunks of taro so it is quite filling for a dessert. They also have the Bok-Nee (P300) which has a combination of snow fungus with red dates, longan, and lotus seeds.
We would like to thank Eric and Emelda Teng plus their daughter Mia Teng for hosting our small group and showing us all these specialties at Tunglok Signatures. We now have another five-star restaurant to recommend to family and friends who are looking for an authentic Singaporean-Cantonese dining experience. Visit them at the City of Dreams Manila and enjoy this new fine-dining adventure.
Tunglok Signatures
Upper Ground Floor, The Shops at the Boulevard, City of Dreams Manila, Parañaque
(0917) 702-4024
www.tunglok.com
www.facebook.com/tungloksignaturesPH
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