Hai Kang Seafood Restaurant: A Chinese Gem in Greenhills

Monday, October 22, 2012
Coming from a Chinese-Filipino family, I've already gotten used to eating Chinese cuisine whenever we're out. Honestly, it has become a drag since we always get the same dishes almost every time, even in different Chinese restaurants. However, I've recently discovered Hai Kang Seafood Restaurant which boasts of new and exciting dishes for the youngsters like me, while still carrying the tried and tested Chinese favorites.
Hai Kang Seafood Restaurant

Located along Wilson Street in Greenhills, Hai Kang Seafood Restaurant is a twelve-year old Chinese dining destination formerly known as Harbour City Restaurant. And while it changed its name three years ago, its time-tested menu remained to carry the same flavorful Chinese fare that its loyal patrons love. However, as the Chinese community evolved to include an adventurous bunch, Hai Kang Seafood Restaurant has decided to add new and modern items sure to satisfy the foodies of this generation.

Seafood Pumpkin Soup P500 P750 P1000

To start off, we had the Seafood Pumpkin Soup (S P500; M P750; L P1,000). While seafood is already a staple in Chinese restaurants, this is my first time to have tried one which is infused with the hearty goodness of pumpkin. Unlike the pumpkin soup in most Western cuisine restaurants, this bowl is not too thick nor too heavy yet very smooth, earthy and calming on the palate. It also has generous amount of shrimps, scallops, clams, squids, crab sticks and fish, perfect for seafood lovers like me.

Eggwhite Seafood P600 P900 P1200

We then had the Eggwhite Seafood (S P600; M P900; L P1,200) which is a light, fluffy and airy ensemble of egg whites, assorted seafood shreds and pork floss. While I wouldn't normally go for an egg white item, I really liked how flavorful this simple dish is. Aside from being satisfying taste-wise, it's also healthy and wouldn't mess up your diet.

Laksa Prawns P180 per piece

My favorite for the night are these Laksa Prawns with Fried Mantou (P180 per piece). While everything we got to try was out of the ordinary when it comes to Chinese restaurant dishes, this serving was the most unusual yet the most satisfying. Each prawn is plump and very succulent with a thick coating of the rich, savory, spicy and coconuty laksa sauce. Seriously, never leave the restaurant without ordering this!

Fried Soft Shell Crab with Salt and Pepper P600 P900 P1200

Runner-up is the Soft Shell Crab with Salt & Pepper (S P600; M P900; L P1,200) which comes breaded, crisp-fried and served with salted eggs. Although this dish may look simple, it definitely tasted amazing and really had me digging in. It was flavorful, very well-seasoned and with a harmonious blend of savory, salty and peppery.

Fried Taope Roll with Country-Style Sauce P500 P750 P1000

We also had the Fried Tao-Pe Roll with Country-Style Sauce (S P500; M P750; L P1,000). While you may think that this is just your regular spring roll, don't be fooled. Instead, these are minced pork covered with fried bean curd skin, and served with a rich and creamy shrimp, potato and mushroom sauce. Every bite unlocks not just an explosion of flavors, but also a lovely crisp yet delicate texture from the bean curd skin.

Shredded Beef Tenderloin Strips with Japanese Sauce P600 P900 P1200

Last viand for the night was the Shredded Beef Tenderloin Strips with Japanese Sauce (S P600; M P900; L P1,200) cooked with onions, flat beans and cut corn cobs. And while beef tenderloin is already a regular on most, if not all, Chinese restaurants' menu, Hai Kang updates this time-tested favorite by using its own recipe of a Japanese sauce which is generally sweeter than most salty Chinese-style beef tenderloin sauces.

Hot Almond Soup Dumpling P250 P375 P500

To cap off our meal, we veered away from the regular mango sago and went with a comforting Hot Almond Soup Dumpling (S P250; M P375; L P500) instead. Being a big fan of everything with almonds, I was glad that this bowl really tasted like almond, just sweetened. It also had sticky rice balls which complements the hot soup really well.

Masachi P80 per 4 pieces
Fried Masachi

We also had some Masachi (P80 per 4 pieces) which is similar to buchi, but contains black sesame paste instead of lotus or red bean paste. They're also not covered with white sesame seeds, but are crusted with finely chopped peanuts. And while I personally prefer this than buchi, make sure to eat with care 'cause these treats can stain the teeth.

THE VERDICT

If you've been a regular reader, then you've probably known how much I try to avoid eating in Chinese restaurants because of taste fatigue. However, after this trip to Hai Kang Seafood Restaurant, I've realized that I can still enjoy our family visits to Chinese restaurants, especially those that offer new and exciting modern takes on Chinese fare. And since Hai Kang still carries its tried and tested dishes on top of the newer ones, I can get my fix while the rest of the family can enjoy their good ol' Chinese favorites.

Taste - 4.5/5
Ambiance - 4/5
Service - 4/5
Price - 3.5/5
Overall Value - 4/5


Hai Kang Seafood Restaurant, Greenhills
227 Wilson St., Greenhills,
San Juan City, Metro Manila
Philippines
(02) 570-6325; 570-6177; 381-2833
Facebook Page

27 comments:

  1. Looks really really good! :) Good thing they changed their name. Maybe to avoid confusion with the Cebu resto, Harbour City Dimsum House

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    1. I think the owners weren't satisfied with the previous name? Oh, and maybe that's a reason too! :)

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  2. Wow I want to go there asap for the laksa prawns and tao pe. I live so near Hai Kang but haven't eaten there in years!! Time to go back.

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    1. Go Ms. Leslie! :) Will definitely be waiting for your blog post when you visit Hai Kang again soon.

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  3. i wanna try hai kang ever since.. i have to convince the fam to eat here one time haha! :)

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    1. Go Berylle! :) I'm sure it won't take a lot of convincing, family mo pa! XD

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  4. I wanna try eating there kaso ang layo. The eggwhite seafood looks pretty interesting ;)

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  5. I want to try the Laksa Prawns with Fried Mantou. It looks really delicious and mouthwatering.

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  6. laksa prawns, softshell crabs, fried mantou, and masachi will really make me full already, wish we could dine in there one of these days too :)

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  7. I would love to try the laksa prawn. I have tried asam laksa in KL and it was good...

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  8. It's kinda pricey noh? But I think it's perfect for special family meals. I know what you mean about Chinese restaurants serving almost the same dishes. Glad to see this one offering some variations and I'm actually excited to try this, especially the seafood pumpkin soup and the prawn laksa! :D

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    1. Yup! There was actually a phase when I don't want to eat Chinese food na muna because of the repetitiveness.. haha :D

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  9. I'll try to convince your Ahya to visit this place. Kaso...pareho kaming vegan. :D

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  10. As always everything looks great! You better help me check out spots there when I visit again. :) Also, that last photo of Masachi ... I really would of mistaken it for Buchi if you didn't say so that it wasn't the same. :P

    Although it kinda seems more expensive ... compare to your other food places where you seem to have more to share. Nonetheless it looks great. Envy! :P

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  11. omg! how do you managed to take gorgeous photos like that? mmh.. they all look yummy and tempting!! xx

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  12. The Seafood Pumpkin Soup is just deliciously creamy. I love soups and this will surely satisfy my taste buds.

    "Sabaw pa lang... ULAM na!!"

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  13. Darn it ... now I'm hungry. I want the Masachi and the Almond thingie ...

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  14. the dishes all look mouth-watering, but the laksa prawns particularly caught my attention. i would love to try that! i love prawns! now, if only i can get my dad to brave traffic and drive me all the way to greenhills...

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  15. I love crabs so I would like to try their Soft Shell Crabs. They look like appetizers to me.. are they?

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  16. WOW THAT LOOKS GOOD. I used to live in the Philippines and go to Greenhills often! I'd love to try that place sometime if I ever go back. :D

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  17. Their food looks interesting and their desserts are better than the usual. Sayang I'm sure my family won't reach that side of town. >.<

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  18. How true. Day in and out, we are always looking for a food adventure although my family prefers Chinese food. Thank you for sharing, now I know where to look before going out on a food journey.

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  19. This is a great find. I'm looking forward to trying this out when I'm in the area.

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  20. Great blog! Thanks!

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  21. I like the Shredded Beef Tenderloin Strips with Japanese Sauce. East meets west kind of dish.

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