Saturday, October 04, 2008 Lai-sho By Luis A. Quibranza
IT'S spelled wrong for a reason. But should we even bother correcting the spelling of an “un-official word” in the first place?
Laysho, a now commonly used colloquial term is a play on the English word “social,” referring to almost any thing, place or event perceived to be in relevance with the lifestyles of the rich and famous.
The Lai Garden Seafood Restaurant, which caters to a sophisticated market in the lifestyle center Crossroads, has now expanded and opened a branch right on the second level at SM Northwing.
Laysho indeed, now mall-goers can avail themselves of good Chinese food by simply stepping on the escalator after strolling. Behold, the Lai Garden Teahouse.
“Basically, we just wanted to extend our services for a wider market. We have heard a lot of questions from our customers why we wouldn’t expand to malls. So here we are. Great, same quality —affordable prices,” explains Boy Te, feneral manager of the Crossroads and SM Northwing branches.
Families, students, tourists, and even nearby store tenants, flock the Chinese restaurant when they are in need of a sure and gratifying fill.
“We are the only Chinese restaurant here in Cebu who hires chefs from Hong Kong. We really got chefs from there so that we will be able to maintain quality and taste. Para dili mag usab-usab,” states Kenneth Yu, the finance officer of Lai Garden.
The teahouse specializes in Cantonese-influenced dishes and even with a degree of exclusivity perhaps.
Take the Hofan for example: A wonderful noodle dish with “smoked” flavors exuding from it. These rice noodles go perfectly with the bean sprouts, beef and scrambled egg toppings. And because rice noodles are not that easy to prepare, Kenneth takes pride in Lai as “the only Chinese restaurant in Cebu that can prepare this dish.”
As for the steamed chicken with ham and mushrooms, the ham slices provide the punch in this dish, accompanying the tender chicken pieces. The flavor given off by the slices of ginger is absorbed perfectly by the black mushrooms, making this an enjoyable treat.
The prawns with chicken liver and broccoli is also a dish that well represents the balance of flavors. The prawns do not deviate from its natural texture and taste while the chicken liver and broccoli are surprisingly tasty yet not overpowering.
And if you’re a meat lover, but maybe one already fed up (no pun intended) with the usual sweet and sour pork or garlic spare rib orders, you might want to try the steamed Lapu-Lapu topped with sliced pork and mushrooms. This truly is a complete meal in itself.
Besides these dishes, the establishment fails not to live up to its name.
According to Boy, a teahouse in Chinese culture “is where people just relax, spend more time with each other and converse and, of course, eat some dimsum.”
Thus, the teahouse has a wider variety when it comes to their menu compared to their old branch.
In fact, they serve here the classic steamed rice. And the perfect merienda which, according to Boy is “a big hit,” is their meatball siopao.
So it’s no lie when you hear word going around that Lai Garden’s got two branches now existing to serve you better. Happy eating.
