Chinese family meal at Luk Yuen, SM Megamall

For many of us Filipinos, Chinese food has become one of our go-to cuisines when dining out.

Not only has Chinese culinary influences permeated our own cuisine, its sheer variety and rich traditions have made fans of all sorts of food lovers.

The same is true with my family. Most of the time, when craving for a break from our usual lutong-bahay, we would hie ourselves to our local Chinese restaurant.

Since my childhood, Luk Yuen has been a family favorite. After attending Mass at SM Megamall, my parents usually took my brothers and me to dinner at the Luk Yuen outlet at the basement.

Now that I have a family of my own, with each of us having our own individual preferences when it comes to food. I’m happy to rediscover my faves at the same Luk Yuen outlet that my parents used to take me to, and that, despite our widely disparate gastronomic preferences, my husbands, kids and I can all happily enjoy a meal at this restaurant.

We started our meal with complimentary Hot Chinese Tea, traditionally used by Chinese diners to help ease digestion, boost metabolism and prevent overeating, among other health benefits.

We can’t have a meal at a Chinese restaurant without ordering a platter of Yang Chow Fried Rice (Php265). This dish consists of cooked rice sauteed in a wok together with bits or char siu pork, cooked shrimp, scrambled egg yolks, along with chopped scallions, carrots and peas. While flavorful as it is, it goes so well with other Chinese dishes.

Another staple of Chinese cuisine is dim sum, and my family members are all fans of the Steamed Shrimp Dumpling (Php210). Also known as hakaw, it is made of plump shrimp and cooked pork wrapped together with aromatics in a transparent wrapper with its signature pleats. Its Cantonese name

Deep-fried Bean Curd (Php175). A tasty appetizer also known as Crispy Tofu, it is made with cubes of soybean curd, deep fried and tossed in salt, pepper and chilis.

Birthday Noodles (Php465). Also known as Long-Life Noodles, this dish is the forebear of our own pancit and is traditionally served during one’s birthday with noodles consumed without breaking to signify a wish for a long life.

Boneless Chicken in Lemon Sauce (Php345). Marinated chicken thigh fillets, breaded and deep-fried, then drizzled with a tangy lemon sauce.

Peppercorn Spareribs (Php395). Bite-sized pork spare-ribs deep-fried to crispy juiciness and topped with garlic and served with chilled vinegar.

With these dishes, the fam’s combined appetites were sated and we were able to revisit some of my favorite dishes from my childhood visits at Luk Yuen.

All the dishes were flavorful, satisfying and affordable, certainly a great choice for a family meal during a bout of shopping.

This Luk Yuen branch is located at the Lower Ground Floor, SM Megamall Building B, EDSA corner Doña Julia Vargas Avenue, Ortigas Center, Mandaluyong City. For inquiries and reservations, call +63 2 86334396 or +63 956 7366816.

Other branches are located at Cash & Carry, Alabang, Greenhills, Glorietta and Capitol Commons.