MODERN CHINA RESTAURANT

Modern China: Beyond the Usual Chinese Cuisine

by the WMN Team

Modern China is the brainchild of owner, businessman George Pua, an avid foodie whose travels have allowed him to try some of the tastiest things the world has to offer. His passion for food and cooking-which we got to experience firsthand as he told us interesting stories about his travels and some of the dishes we were served-led him to establishing a restaurant of his own in 2005.

With cozy interiors that forsake the usual sea of red tablecloths found in most Chinese eating establishments, Modern China is next to nothing like you’re usual Chinese restaurant. The menu is prepared mainly by four accomplished chefs brought here especially by Mr. George Pua from overseas, each specializing in their own style of cooking.

Take a look at their menu and you’ll feel like a kid at a candy store with the amazingly large array of dishes they have to offer. From favorites like suckling pig and a variety of wonton noodle soups to more adventurous dishes featuring more exotic ingredients like abalone and fish maw, you won’t find a shortage of things to order here.

We were treated to a veritable lauriat of tasty Chinese dishes perfect for any occasion. Check out the delicious dishes we had the fortune of trying:

Dimsum Family Platter, P320
The family platter comes with four different kinds of dimsum: hakaw, steamed shrimp dumplings, siomai, and spinach shrimp dumplings. Each of the proffered dimsum items we were served was stuffed to the brim with fresh ingredients, appetizing to look at, and tasted just as good as it looked.

Uni Fried Rice (P350)
With just the right amount of saltiness and great savory flavor, you definitely have to try this if you’re looking for an alternative to typical fried rice. There are ample bits of meat, veggies, and fried egg, and none of the acquired taste-texture raw uni has.

Steamed Emperor Roll with Egg White
(seasonal price)
Both the presentation and the flavors of the dish were clean and beautiful. The fish was soft, moist and filled with an ample amount of bamboo shoots and mushrooms, and the taste of the egg white complemented the dish well. We also loved that everything was already pre-portioned and the fish was
deboned which made it easier to eat.

Roast Beef Ribs (P420)
If there was any dish we’ve tried that would go perfectly with rice, it’s Mr. Pua’s recipe for roast beef ribs. With a tasty sauce/marinade that wasn’t too sweet and had a great savory flavor that brought out the taste of the tender beef ribs, this is definitely a dish you have to try!

Sesame Fried Chicken (P352/one-half)
You can’t go wrong with moist and tender fried chicken, but if you’re looking for a twist on this classic dish you have to order this dish. The sesame seeds gives both texture and added flavor to the chicken. An
order comes with a sesame dipping sauce that adds just a hint of sesame flavor.

Red Hot Shrimps (seasonal price)
If you love spicy food, you’ll definitely love this hot shrimp dish! Juicy, fresh shrimp are skewered, deep fried, and coated in spice(s) and topped with chilies. It’s easy to eat because all you have to do is pick it up and you’re good to go. You can also adjust the spice level to suit your tastes. Those who want spicier shrimp can roll their around in the chilies before eating.

Salted Egg Crab (seasonal price)
A dish that will literally make your mouth water if you love seafood as much as we do! The crab was moist and succulent and the salted egg coating gave it a delicious, crunchy outer layer that went well with the sweet meat of the crab.

Green Tea Cakes (P80/3)
If you want something light and clean-tasting for dessert, the Green Tea Cake is your best bet. With bits of tea and alternating layers of flavor, it’s definitely going to cleanse your palate.

Coconut Tapioca dessert with Corn
If you're into desserts that aren't too sweet, you’ll love this one. The bits of corn provide extra crunch and flavor to the yummy layers of coconut cream and pandan jelly (bottom layer).

Durian Puffs (P100)
What are they? Delicious flaky puff pastry shells filled with rich durian-flavored cream-this is one dessert that adventurous eaters need to hit up and something fans of the fruit will surely love.

Masachi (P80/3)
Those with a major sweet tooth are going to love Modern China’s Masachi. These sticky rice balls (with texture similar to a mochi’s) filled with sweet black sesame paste and coated with a mix of crushed peanuts and sugar are best eaten hot. And with the mix of textures and flavors each piece
has, you won’t be surprised to see yourself reaching for another one.

For Inquiries and Reservations contact:
Tel no: 752-8729 / 752-8728
Mobile no: 0922-8770091
Email Add: modernchina@yahoo.com
Website: www.modernchina.yolasite.com

George Pua, the Modern China Man
LIFE & STYLE By Millet M. Mananquil (The Philippine Star)
Updated October 21, 2010 12:00 AM

Sea treasures: The freshest of prawns and crabs fried in salted eggs. Note the decorative sculpted birds by the Chinese chefs.

George is a natural cook who will whip up a dish at the mere mention of ingredients that you like. “Cooking is something that you have to like,” he reminds me.” You either like it or not. It is a gift that is sharpened over the years, and in my case, it was honed through frequent traveling and eating everywhere, from holes-in-the-wall to grand restaurants.”

George learned to cook at the age of 10 by just observing his mother and his grandmother, who came from Xiamen. “I only have two passions — good food and rubber shoes, which I collect.”

Rubber shoes are what he wears all the time, especially when exploring eating places in China, Singapore, Thailand and Hong Kong. George has this habit of ordering as many dishes as he can when dining at an interesting restaurant, just so he can discover more new flavors, and then try cooking these at home. At a recent food trip in China, he loved a certain dish so much he couldn’t resist going back the next day. Instead of trying to memorize the ingredients and flavor, however, George decided he should do the next best thing — hire the chef!

That chef, along with three others, now form the powerful kitchen crew of his Modern China restaurant. And that certain dish George liked is the Chinese equivalent of our lechon kawali, one of his many bestsellers at present. Modern China is a favorite of Makati businessmen, foodies, local Chinese and our own Chinese Embassy diplomats.

Vegetarian dishes occupy two full pages in Modern China’s menu, thank God. My super favorites are the beancurd spring roll and the fried beancurd. Both are crispy and utterly the best in town.

For dessert, the durian puff was so refreshing. And so was the watermelon sago (an innovation by George for those who may want something other than the usual mango sago).

For a change from my usual green tea, I chose the genmaicha, which is roasted brown rice tea. What a clean, invigorating taste.

I left Modern China feeling so energized, so happy, so less stressed. Now you know why George Pua is a BFF.

George Pua is a funny and lovable restaurateur who is a BFF or Best Friend Forever of mine. Or should I say Best Friend in Food.

Naturally, I met him during a food event — the opening of his Tony Roma’s restaurant some 15 years ago. I am not a steak fanatic, but nonetheless we have become good friends. First of all, he never runs out of amusing stories. More importantly, he never runs out of delicious food.

Laughter and food are great stress busters, so I often drop by his Modern China restaurant in Glorietta 4 whenever I want to relax before a busy day. We had not seen each other for months, so when I visited George recently, he made up for lost time by treating me to a stress-busting food-tasting session.

The top chef in T-shirt and rubber shoes: George Pua learned to cook from his mother and grandmother when he was 10 years old. And he has never stopped cooking. His Modern China restaurant in Glorietta 4 (near Tony Roma’s) is his kitchen and showcase of all things Chinese and delicious.

With its walls carrying picturesque views of the Expo in Shanghai and the Olympics in Beijing, eating at Modern China reminds you of your excellent dining experiences in these cities.

My taste buds went on a nostalgic mode when George served a soup that warmed my heart and my tummy — spinach with mushroom soup with just the right addition of crab.

Then came deboned “emperor’s fish” he calls it — exquisitely served on a bed of steamed egg white. So exquisite, it melts in your mouth.

Then still another stress buster: skewered shrimps with just the right chili flavor. How do you manage to have your seafoods so fresh? I ask George. He points the answer to me — his aquarium of live fish, shrimps and crabs.

The crabs came so perfect, so deliciously fried with salted eggs! So delicious I had forgotten to try an assortment of siomai dim sum (priced from P60 up) that are also Modern China bestsellers. My favorites are the spinach dumpling and the shrimp hakaw, although everyone else’s favorite is the xiao long bao, the soupy pork dumpling.

Popular choices of Modern China regulars are the suckling pig with seafood rolls and chicken bacon cheese rolls (only P780 per half order), the sesame fried chicken and the honey garlic spareribs (only P280). For all day-dining, George says congee and noodle dishes are tops.

Hail to the chefs: Modern China’s powerful kitchen team headed by Henry Sy and chefs Li Ping and Cao whip up excellent cuisine that local Chinese foodies like.