Lunch at Jasmine, New World Hotel

I had always wanted to try Jasmine the new Chinese restaurant at the New World Hotel in Makati. When I got the invitation from my friend to eat lunch at Jasmine on a holiday Monday last October I enthusiastically said yes.

There were 6 adults for lunch and we ordered mostly dim sum, soup, 1 entree and fried rice. I loved everything we ate. The others didn’t love it as much as I did. Either I was very hungry or I was just easy to please since dim sum is comfort food for me.

vegetable dumplings w/ bamboo pith and celery P200

The xiao long bao was very good although a bit too salty and definitely more expensive than other local restaurants.

xiao long bao P 225

Do you see any oil glistening on the fried bean curd sheet? There was none! That was very unusual and I applaud them for that.

crispy bean curd sheet roll w/ assorted vegetables P300

They really do a great job with fried food. In other restaurants I have to blot fried dim sum of excess oil. The ham sui kok was so crisp it almost seemed delicate even for a dense and sticky rice dumpling.

fried glutinous dumplings or ham sui kok P180 (3 pcs.)

The cold chicken appetizer was one of my favorites. The sauce was very peanutty with slight sweet and spicy. The execution was even better than the ones I’ve eaten in Hong Kong.

chilled shredded chicken w/ sesame & peanut sauce P280

BBQ pork puffs are my most favorite thing to order in dim sum. I though the ones at Lili at the Hyatt Hotel were good but these were even better. The crust was super light and flaky and the filling was moist and sweet.

My friend complained that the one she ate tasted a bit soapy. I tried it and it did taste a bit soapy but I’ve tasted soapier ones in Hong Kong. I wonder why this dish had the tendency to taste like soap even in the swankiest restaurants. Maybe of an ingredient they used? Soapy or not I still loved it. Told you I was easy to please.

baked barbecued pork puffs w/ sesame seeds P200 (3 pcs)

The jelly fish had too much sesame oil. Too bad since it was tasty.

century egg w/ sour ginger P200

The soup was what drove our bill up at P340 per bowl but it was worth every peso. The flavor was intense yet sublime and highlighted with dried scallops. It tasted like chicken liqueur instead of soup. Delish!

double boiled chicken soup w/ wintermelon & conpoy P340/bowl

This was one of the best beef dishes I’ve ever eaten. Tender cubes of beef that were salty at first bite then a mild heat explodes in your mouth only to be tamed with a piece of sweet, crunchy walnut.

beef tenderloin w/ sweet walnuts in x.o. sauce P760 (small)

Look at the picture. Again no shimmering oil. Despite the lack of oil the fried rice was fabulous. Tender grains of white rice filled with abundant fresh seafood bound together with healthy egg white and topped with fragrant conpoy or dried scallops and pine nuts. Next to Century Seafood’s fried rice this is tops in my list.

fried rice w/ seafood, egg white, crispy conpoy & pine nuts P720 (small)

Sorry but I don’t rave over veggies. Well except for this.

taiwan pechay in fish broth P420

chilled mango cream w/ pomelo P300/bowl

I didn’t even want to try this but they forced me to. It was surprisingly good. Think muscovado flavored gelatin.

chilled sugar cane cake w/ water chesnuts & osmanthus P130

The mochi filled with chocolate was just ok for me.

glutinous dumpling stuffed w/ chocolate & tossed w/ fine peanuts P160

I really, really liked the food in Jasmine except it was a bit too expensive. Our bill amounted to over P1,000 per head and we didn’t even order any seafood or fancy dishes. It was pretty expensive and we haven’t gone back again. But if anyone wants to invite me to eat there I will never, ever say no.

Jasmine Menu

Jasmine

New World Makati City, Manila Hotel
Esperanza Street corner Makati Avenue, Ayala Center,
Makati City 1228, Philippines
telephone: +63 2 811 6888