Chef Henry Cheung's Hainanese Chicken

Ever since Chef Henry Cheung started his little teahouse way back in Magallanes, I have been an ardent fan of his creative, surprising, and even amusing delightful play of textures and flavors. Through the years, the personal development of his cuisine has consistently gone up several notches as the demands of his clientele have steadily moved upward. Henry’s restaurant is not your typical large Hong Kong pavilion but more of a personal dining place with a more limited and distinct menu.

At his new restaurant, Henry’s Place, I’m enamored by the interiors done by Henry’s wife, Rosemarie (who incidentally is one of the protégés of Ched Berenguer Topacio…). My many visits to the restaurant have immediately placed me in quite a cool disposition, as I looked at her pristine white, frosted glass interiors with cool celadon green touches.

I think she has a real formula for putting the clients and the staff in a mood of conviviality.

Of my several visits there, I never forgot to order Henry’s classics that have made him famous. His Duck Pizza, Duck Siopao, Duck Taquitos, and Tuna Sashimi have been the rave of foodies for the past years. His Lily on the Pond, which is stuffed eggplant with a light curry sauce and streaks of coconut cream, is as good as ever. And it works with his modestly priced wines, the cheapest is at P590 and priciest at P990.

Henry’s hot and sour soup is always dependable and uncompromising on the primary ingredients, as it has a solid and tasty broth as a base.

Of course, one always has to order Henry’s signature dishes. There’s the Popoy’s Delight (steamed fillet of lapu-lapu with Yunnan ham made even tastier with layers of Chinese mushroom) which is always a winning order, just like his Duck Taro in Lychee Sauce that is perfumed with Chinese wine.

For the new creations, there’s the Hainanese chicken with a glossy, yellowish glaze. What is most impressionable is the ginger sauce that is his personal stamp or interpretation. It is wonderfully flowery and fragrant, even hinting of exotic oils and Chinese wines. Then there’s the Tofu Ting that is redolent of fermented beans and vapors of Shao hsing wine, which wafts through the table.

The surprise starter is the Tunaquitos, which is cold, fresh, diced tuna in small, fried flour taco shells topped with Japanese mayo and ebiko. It displays a lot of texture and contrast, as the fried flavors of the shell go against the fresh green scallions and tuna.

I have two new favorites, one is the Crispy Duck Roll, which is crepe together tied by a scallion filled with crisp duck skin lightly glazed with hoisin. There is an exciting, light burst of mustard on the nostril as one bites into the crunchy and soft mixed textures of the Duck Roll.

My other new favorite is the Pan Fried Mantis Shrimps from Surigao. Stuffed thermidor style and pan fried with a light coating, these tasty soft-shelled crustaceans didn’t have much of a chance because even their heads were sucked out. The dish draws its different flavors from the shrimps’ different parts.

The sum can be said with his Lobster Supreme. This is cooked in drawn butter, the natural essence of the fresh lobster’s juices just mixes in with it and the chef whisks in some egg whites and puts more textures in it.

Of course, in between, one cannot do without the Good Earth Fried Rice, which has a light, pungent aroma and the sharpness of dried scallop and salted fish.

On my last visit, I tried some very simple desserts such as the Icy Hot Banana, which was vanilla ice cream with a freshly-fried, glazed banana with caramelized walnuts. If that is still too heavy, the Frozen Delight, which is frozen cubes of fruits with watermelon juice and honey poured over it, provides a refreshing ending to Chef Henry’s cooking.

Henry’s Place is located at Unit ES-3, Burgos Circle, Forbes Town Center, Rizal Drive corner West Crescent Park, The Fort, Taguig City.