Binondo has always been the go-to place for Chinese food in Manila, but it is now facing stiff competition in Makati.

More and more regional Chinese restaurants are opening in that part of Metro Manila, thanks to a growing Chinese expat community that live and work there. Diners can now sample and enjoy the different flavors of China, from the spicy Sichuan cuisine of southwest China to the different offerings of noodles and buns from up north, all in Makati.

Ahead of the Chinese New Year (mark the date: Feb 8), allow us to list seven Coconuts-approved Chinese restaurants in Makati that will give you a wider taste of Chinese cuisine.

Gong Xi Fa Cai!
 

1. LSQ

This is as good as any place to start your culinary adventure in Makati. LSQ serves a wide range of dishes that represents different parts of China. We were told that the chef at the helm of this Chinese eatery worked for a hotel on Roxas Boulevard before coming into his own and opening up LSQ a good six years ago.

While the menu is dominated by Sichuan province delicacies, a wide range of dishes coming from different parts of China are available here: northern-style Chinese boiled dumpling stuffed with pork with pechay and leek (PHP180), Cantonese-style beef stir-fried with black pepper corn (PHP240) and spicy Sichuan fried chicken cutlet (PHP195). We also tried out the spicy cabbage in casserole (PHP240) and spicy cold noodles (PHP180).

Must-order: The cabbage casserole came up as the best from the lot we ordered. It’s a simple dish of cabbage stir-fried with dried chili and pork belly slices. Oh, how the flavors hit the right balance: The heat from the chili and the saltiness of the pork belly gave the sweet and crunchy cabbage the right flavor boost it needed. It was light yet spicy and an easy-to-like dish.

The stir-fried beef and the cold noodles also won approval from us for their good texture and wonderful flavors. The chicken cutlet could have been better as we felt the kitchen was holding back the heat. The dumpling wrapper was a bit pasty, but the stuffing was generous and tasty.

Get here: 4966 Guerrero St, Brgy Poblacion, Makati City. +63 2 5857947. 11am-3pm, 5pm-11pm.

2. You Jie Xiao Chao

Five years ago, this homey Chinese restaurant sparked the interest of local diners who gladly took the narrow streets of Guadalupe Viejo to try its spicy Hunan and Sichuan cuisine. It was a challenge: the restaurant did not have a sign outside. Five years later, management has successfully made the interiors of You Jie Xiao Chao look and feel like a restaurant. But they still have yet to put up a sign outside.

Must-order: The dish that created the name for this eatery is the steamed fish head with chili (PHP500). It is a massive dish made with the head of the maya maya. Upon ordering this dish, the waitress asked us if we wanted the sauce to be mild or spicy. We opted for mild, but the taste was far from lame. The fish head itself tasted fresh and was full of hidden morsels waiting to be dug out.

The hot and spicy eggplant (PHP150) and the home-style fried tofu (PHP180) are both good supporting cast for the fish, as their flavors neither clash or overwhelm the fish head. The tofu dish, meanwhile, with its mild saltiness and texture proved to be a good counterpoint to the spiciness of the two other dishes. On its own, it might not stand out, but combine it with the two other spicy dishes, and its mildness becomes highly appreciated.

Find it: 6404 Camia St, Guadalupe Viejo, Makati City, +63915 4252972. 10am-10pm.

3. Chuan Xiang

This 24-seater Sichuan bistro at the A.Venue Mall proves that Sichuan cuisine is more than just spices and chili. Case in point: the home-style watercress fish (PHP300) that features two steamed tilapia draped in a brown sauce polka dotted with little specks of red chili flakes. The flavors are sweet with just a tinge of heat.

Must-order: Have a go of the stir fried bitter melons (PHP 200). Cooked with ground pork and Sichuan spices, it reveals flavors of the ampalaya as you never tasted before. In one bite, you can taste bitterness, saltiness and spiciness! Which doesn’t mean that this restaurant holds back when it comes to using chili. You can see this with the sliced pork in garlic chili oil (PHP240). It features tender thin delicate slice of boiled pork on top sliced cucumber and covered in fiery garlic flavored chili oil. The flavors of this dish guarantee to light up your palate like a firework!

Get here: G109 A. Venue Mall, 7829 Makati Ave, Makati City. +63 2 7513760. 11am-1030pm.

4. Hot Space

Judging from the conversation in Putonghua (aka Mandarin) that fills the air in this restaurant, we’d say that a sizeable patronage from the Mainland Chinese community loves this place. While many come for the hot pot, many also come to sample from their ala carte menu.

Must-order: One of their specialties is what they refer to as a “roast fish”, in which two whole fishes are served in a deep tray with Sichuan style sauce; prices depend on the type of fish you chose. The sauce’s curry tinge aroma should clue you in of this dish’s real firepower; upon tasting, our pores began gushing out sweat, the raw and powerful flavors climbed through them and seared itself into our memories.

The plate of frogs (PHP480) proved a respite from all the Sichuan spiciness. One of the ways Hot Space serves it is by putting them on sizzling iron plate, complete with diced green peppers and onions. It’s a good dish to order, considering 2016 is a leap year.

Hot tip: Handle the heat better by biting into tiny Sichuan peppercorn. It will achieve a tingling sensation on our tongues and lips, which should provide a protective cover from the chili oil.

Get here: Unit 202 2/F 1 Juno St, cor Makati Avenue, Bel Air Village, Makati City. +63 2 2469069. 1130am- 230pm, 530pm-11pm

5. Lao Beijing

In the last five years, the 16-seater Chinese restaurant has been winning over diners, thanks to its tasty Northern Style Chinese cuisine. Since this is where China’s wheat growing regions are located, steamed buns, noodles and dumpling dominate the menu.

Must-order: Check out the Gan Ban Mien (PHP118). The wheat noodles (served chilled with a sliced cucumbers, carrots and bean sprout) are tossed with a mild soy and vinegar dressing to make for light and refreshing flavors.

Northern China is known for its boiled dumplings and Lao Beijing has three variants on offer, an order of which gets you 12 dumplings: Pork with Petchay, Pork with Leeks, and Pork and Kuchay (PHP115), which I ordered. After dipping them in black vinegar and chili, we found the filling to be tasty and juicy, but the skin was a little too thick for my taste.

For my daily protein, I got the Kou Shui Chicken (PHP235). It is similar to the more familiar Hainanese Chicken. But with a sauce made with soy and vinegar poured on the dish right before serving. The result was tender sliced chicken with a tasty salty flavor.

Get here: G08 Makati Cityland Tower 3, Gil Puyat Avenue (formerly Buendia Avenue) Makati City. +63 2 4255700. 24/7.

6. Liu He

The restaurant formerly known as Panda Kitchenette has now been renamed Liu He or the Six United with a menu that offers a mix of Sichuan and Shandong cuisines. Where Sichuan cuisine is known for its spiciness, Shandong cuisine is characterised by its preference for salty, tender and crispy taste.

Must-order: We ordered one of Shandong’s signature dishes, Guo Bao Rou (PHP480). It consists of fried slices of pork tenderloin served in a sweet sauce with a tinge of ginger. The sauce really stood out. It’s almost like the lemon sauce of all those Chinese-style lemon chicken, except it’s sweeter, with a mild tanginess coming in as aftertaste.

Shandong cooks are known for their insistence of maintaining the flavor and texture of the main ingredients. This can be seen with the dish Disanxian (PHP280), which roughly translates as the “Three delights”. It is easy-to-love dish that features potatoes, eggplants and green pepper stir fried in a mild brown sauce. The kitchen here succeeded in retaining each ingredient’s texture and flavor without becoming a soggy mess.

The chili tofu pie (PHP 280) definitely won our approval. The firm bean curd is cut into strips and then combined with sliced green pepper and served with a chili dressing. It was spicy, but not in the way of Sichuan cuisine.

Get here: De La Rosa Cityland Tower 2, De La Rosa Street, Makati City. +63905 2543888. 8am-2am

7. Mao jia Hunan Cuisine

Upon noticing the bust of China’s revolutionary leader Mao Ze Dong in the main dining, the manager confirmed my suspicion that that the restaurant was named after him. Aside from the owner’s personal admiration of Mao Ze Dong, the restaurant is named after him because he was a native of Hunan province, where chili is used to flavor the food.

Must-order: The two tone steamed chili fish head (PHP380) is a kick-ass dish that features the head of an Asian carp covered with green and red chili. The meat from the fish head, the chili and the soy dressing all worked together beautifully.

The shredded pork in garlic sauce (PHP220) consists of pork stir fried with sliced bamboo shoot, black fungus, spring onion and carrots. Crunchy with a sour spicy taste similar to that of hot and sour soup, this is best ordered as an appetizer or as bar chow to go with your ice-cold beer.

As a counterpoint to all these spicy flavors, we got the stir fried cucumber and pork (PHP220). It turned out to be a good choice as the cucumber was still firm to the bite and the flavor remained intact. Despite the cucumber mild taste, it still managed to stand out despite the strong flavors from the two other dish.

Get here: 7467 Bagtikan St, San Antonio, Makati City. +63 2 8312271. 10am-12am