Their restaurant frontage can barely be seen in 2010 with the long queues outside that wait to get seated. Flocks of families and foodies have trooped to Crystal Jade for their famed Xiao Long Bao and authentic Chinese dishes. You cannot spell authentic any less with the Chinese expats that are rebased here to head and run the Crystal Jade kitchen to ensure quality standards.

Crystal Jade is one of the largest restaurant chains and is just about everywhere in Singapore. They have established a strong presence in San Francisco and across the Asia Pacific region –in Beijing, Shanghai, Hangzhou, Hong Kong, Thailand, Vietnam, South Korea, Indonesia, Japan, Qingdao, Guangzhou among numerous places. The successful opening in Manila added to that portfolio, bringing in that passion of dishing out the finest delicacies served contemporarily.

We usually think of comfort food in the form of burgers, fries, and wings but when I want to eat a little more stylishly minus the grease and the common taste of diner items, I find my comfort at Crystal Jade.

Whenever I’m in the Greenhills area, there’s a magnetic pull to eat at Crystal Jade. I’ve been a long fan of their original Xiao Long Bao, Cantonese barbecue meats and noodles. In fact, I don’t order outside my usual of two orders of Xiao Long Bao, Noodle with Beef in Chili Oil (P228) and my all-time favorite Noodle with Dried Shrimp and Peanut in Spicy Sauce (P328 for sharing and P198 for snack portion).

I have visited again some weeks ago and noticed that they have renovated their interiors. It has maximized their seating capacity to serve more patrons and have shifted to vibrant welcoming hues of purples and pinks. I’m happy to report that their menu still retained their classic dishes and happier to tell that it has expanded to add more dishes that are surefire imminent bestsellers. Cuisine has delved into an authentic mix of Cantonese and Shanghai offerings that get your palate incessantly interested.

On the Table

Crispy Eel in “Wu Xi” Style P288

Prior to the recent visit, someone has made me try this before and it’s an appetizer that’s a staple on the table. It’s wonderfully crunchy that it cackles biting into it. The crispy eel has a dark sweet soy coating leaning towards a barbecue taste.

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