Crystal Dragon

♧Elvina♧

4.0

Hidden behind giant imperial doors like a slice of Shangri-La in the Crown Plaza Hotel at City Of Dreams is Crystal Dragon ,a Cantonese Fine Dining Restaurant. The interiors of the restaurant are filled with beautiful Imperial Chinese decor while the purple and gold color scheme exudes oriental allure without being too ostentatious.. We were lucky to dine in one of their luxe dining rooms which seats 15 with its own powder room (available only upon request so make sure to get here early). The walls are lined with golden brocade embroidered with peacocks and a huge fringe lantern chandelier hangs on the ceiling which amps up the luxurious feel. Me and my fellow website Foodies were treated to an exclusive feast featuring their best selling dishes for lunch. Here’s the rundown‣‣Braised Supreme Seafood Treasures Soup: The chef himself told us that this was his favorite dish. The soup was simple yet had complex nuances of sweet, savory, and a hint of sour. The thin slices of seafood and mushroom added a nice chewy texture to the thick,hot soup.‣‣‣Cantonese Steamed Three Dimsum Combination: This is probably the most extravagantly presented hakaw i have seen yet. Three huge pieces of dumpling have been carefully colored to mimic fishes from the coral reefs. One in a zebra pattern was topped with a gold foil which was a nice touch. The dumplings themselves are marvelously decorated and the flavors of the different seafood used were kept pure so the delicate flavors of the sea stand out. I particularly liked the Steamed Abalone and Pork Siew Mai which had a nice mild flavored pork dumpling base while the slice of abalone added an intense fishy flavor which was a great contrast.‣Crispy Golden Swan Dumpling with Salted Duck Egg Yolk: This one was another beaituflly prepared dish I’ve seen this presentation before but the attention to detail has never failed to impress me. This dish was sort of a cross between a pastry and dumpling however, i felt like the salted egg yolk was too overpowering for my liking.‣‣Steamed Rice Roll with Crispy Seafood: This dish was a nice play between two distinct textures, the sheath of rice wrapping was soft and almost gelatinous while the crispy seafood was like a crispy dumpling. The flavors were mild and pleasant and you could eat it two ways by dipping in peanut sauce or soy based sauce.‣‣‣Wok-Fried Turnip Cake with Seafood XO Sauce: Now we’re moving from dumpling dishes to stir fried dishes and this one was spectacular. Although it doesn't have the pzazz presentation wise compared to the rest, the generous servings and the appetizing mix of colors was already enough to make you hungry. The flavors we’re absolutely spot on and captured that familiar flavor that you could only get in Chinese restaurants. The turnip cake cubes were sweet and savory with a nice soft almost tofu like texture while it was cooking it in XO sauce added a nice garlicky-spice which went perfectly well together. I couldn’t stop myself from reaching for a bite one after the other.‣‣Wok-Fried Egg Noodles: At first, I wasn’t quite excited upon seeing this dish because the serving was a little small but after finishing this dish i realized that size doesn’t matter if the flavors are spot on. The familiar flavors in stir fried noodles or Pancit as we normally have it are condensed, almost concentrated into a small plate of flavorful noodles, crisp veggies, and tender slices of pork. Its a little oily but its definitely worth indulging on.‣‣‣Mango Sphere Coconut Mousse: They truly saved the best for last with this stunning dessert. The mousse was served in a crystal goblet which felt futuristic and experimental and so it was according to the chef who told us that this was his take on molecular gastronomy. Although it looked deceptively simple, there was a bright yellow mango sphere reminded me of an egg yolk, desiccated coconut, almond jelly and pale white chocolate cream actually contained a beige coconut cream which oozed from the inside and the. This dessert was also a nice play of textures between the cream, the crispy pinipig, the gelatinous jelly, and the fruity “yolk”. The coconut creme in particular was heavenly and i couldn’t get enough that i finished two servings. Although the preparation was quite complex, the dynamic textures and delicious yet familiar flavors (think of a deconstructed Maja Blanca) made this dish truly spectacular.Overall, Crystal Dragon offers a truly luxurious dining experience fit for a luxurious destination like the Crown Towers at City of Dreams. This restaurant is perfect for families as well as dates and they offer a vast selection of splurge worthy authentic Cantonese dishes like dim sum, wok-fried dishes, and roasts. The service was also excellent and our hosts, including the Head Chef provided us with great and entertaining company. Such a delightful dining experience will definitely warrant a revisit in the near future!

Ayomakan

4.0

If you're after a quiet ambience and love premium-tasting Cantonese food, I highly recommend Crystal Dragon in Crown Towers Hotel. It's hidden somewhere in the VIP gaming section of City of Dreams that's why not too may crowd pass by or flock in here.MY FAVE:When you've literally enjoyed every food you ordered, it's really hard to tell which one is your favorite dish, right? I suggest you try a little bit of everything each time you visit and let me know if my conclusion made sense. Haha! 👌👌👌

Tintin Lanzar

4.0

Crystal Dragon is one of the signature restaurant hiding in the gigantic and luxurious walls of City of Dreams Manila. This restaurant is very well known for its' Traditional Cantonese Cuisine. It was awarded as one of the Top 20 restaurants in the Philippines. Crystal Dragon promises to give their diners a premium Cantonese fine dining.