Chinese food is pretty hard to come by more so if you are looking for authentic regional cuisine like Hunan. Whoever thought that in a quaint place like San Juan there could be the place to go? No frills, no thrills, affordable Chinese style servings at the posh Ronac Art Center's ground floor. Almost all the ingredients are even imported! That's what we got to taste that evening at Mao Jia Hunan Cuisine!
The Interiors
Let's try and look around the place shall we?
First up that kinda sparked interest in me are the revolutionary items like these pop art pieces of Chairman Mao. It was fun and whimsical to shy away from the normal look. Best of all this is also for sale, which might interest a couple or more Filipino Chinese design enthusiasts so you should really visit this place at the Ronac Art Center. :)
Seating could probably accommodate 50-75 people including a VIP room that can probably fit around 20 on a good day (you should reserve for it) for intimate dinners or lunch.
There are several artsy outlet stores too when you decide to go out on a spin while you wait for your orders. I love the Secret Fresh Gallery that houses several prime original toys that could pass for the big boys. You must try and check out the basketball gym located on the top floors, surely one that I could use for my birthday coming real soon LOL! The place is pretty neat, posh and I saw a couple of sports cars outside (Porsche!). But don't let that scare you because the prices of food in Mao Jian Hunan Cuisine is very affordable. Let's check that out next!
The Food
Bean Curd with Kuchay 160 - would be the perfect starter but you typically would probably eat this also with rice. I love Kuchay with eat but when going healthy this Bean Curd would be a nice substitute!
Stir Fry Frog Legs 380 - I'm not a fan of amphibians but this packs quite a good meaty consistency of Chicken and the Chinese style cooking just made the sweet - salty combination just would be so good with a hot bowl of rice so get your chopsticks ready, get adventurous and grab this one soon!!
Spicy Fried Chicken 220 - If you are up to it, try this moderately spicy fried Chicken smothered in onions, leeks and dry chili. It's something to be paired again with hot steaming rice. I had 3 of these so you kinda understand how that means in a plate for me right? Delish!
Chili Fish Head 380 - It might look intimidating and quite spicy but it's not at all. The chili probably provided more flavor rather than heat. This thing is so cheap compared to the huge serving and it tasted more like Salmon. For those who love Bangus belly or that fatty fish you adore for lunch or dinner, this would be a perfect accompaniment to hot steamed rice again. I dig this!
Sour and Spicy Cabbage 120 - This is one of the best things I've ever seen done of vegetable. It tasted like sweet barbecue but oh so SPICY just the way I like it! This is my favorite in the menu!
Sour and Spicy Shredded Potato 120 - Extremely spicy so proceed with extreme caution too! :)
Spare Ribs 380 - Salty ribs fried to just the right consistency. Not crunchy but a great accompaniment with hot steaming rice (again) if you are up to oiling your fingers and getting your hands on the food this is great!
Diced Beef with Corn 220 - Old school and probably all chopped by hand this beef dish just has the right amount of kick but you won't be too tired of eating it. Even though there are a lot of hot chili in the menu, they have different executions and whoever said I didn't like spicy?! :) I DO!
Wintermelon Spareribs Soup 200 - The perfect thing to have in a cold stormy night, this wintermelon soup is reminiscent of a non gingery tinola. There were a few ribs boiled in the soup and would be something to look forward to together with rice. But I'd rather have this just plainly hot and soupy... it's nice if you plan to stay at home and keep warm.
Stir Fried Vegetables 120 - I think this is the bok choi with garlic. I think they cooked something else even if it's out of the menu. If they have something fresh they'll suggest to have it cooked right on the spot. The Chinese Sausage with pepper was so good I didn't get to see it for a photo anymore. It was that good!
This bread was AH MA ZING! I think they call this
Homa Bread if I'm not mistaken and retails for only 90 pesos. This is recommended to be eaten right after they take it out of the oven and heat. Yes this is kinda cooked twice. The sweet bread and the crunchy exterior was just the perfect way to end an imperial meal. I love it!
For those who would like to take a break and check out something AUTHENTIC that's cooked by a real Chinese Chef then this is the right place to go!
Visit their restaurant at
Mao Jia Hunan Cuisine
Ground Floor Ronac Art Center
Ortigas Ave., Greenhills,
San Juan, Manila. Philippines
+63917-6306196 , 02-5860700
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