MANILA -- Hua Yuan Brasserie Chinoise, the Hilton Manila’s signature Chinese restaurant, introduces the third iteration of a special menu featuring the Shanghainese dishes of resident chef Xi Qiao Yuan.

Hua Yuan has been an integral part since the Hilton Manila opened five years ago in 2018. The restaurant's interiors are elegantly decked out in gold and black with function rooms for meetings and gatherings to be accompanied by lavish lauriats.

The menu of Hua Yuan is predominantly Shanghainese with a bit of Cantonese and Sichuan to ease those who are unfamiliar with the food, although it has seen a surge in popularity because of the now familiar xiao long bao (soup dumplings).

"While some of these ingredients may be unfamiliar to our guests, we are confident that once they experience the incredible taste sensations, they will be compelled to return for more.," Chef Xi explained.

For his latest menu, Chef Xi cites his 28 years of cooking as well as what is available in the local markets in crafting his new menu.

Here are some highlights from the introductory lunch.

Start with an amuse bouche of deep-fried rice cake with scallops and thick mayo.

Hua Yuan's in-house chili oil nicely adds heat to slices of cold braised beef shank and parsley.

A refreshing and umami medicinal soup made with morchella that’s first rehydrated then boiled with assorted mushrooms.

What happens when you cross xiao long bao soup dumplings with gyoza? The pan-fried dumplings! Bite a bit from one end, drain the soup, then eat the rest while enjoying the crunchy base of the dumpling.

Taking the skin off shrimp can be quite a hassle. But for his heirloom shrimp, Chef Xi recommends eating this with skin on. It makes for a tasty crunchy treat as the sweet & sour sauce sticks to the skin.

Kao fu is a spongy wheat gluten meat substitute that nicely concentrates the fish broth that it soaks up. Slices of garoupa in the soup made for a light and tasty second main course.

The sight of thick slices of Tung Po pork with the fatty layer glistening in the light topped with baby abalone invites one to slowly savor this indulgent dish.

The Shanghainese influence could really be tasted in Chef Xi’s fried rice with cumin powder. Ask for some of the restaurant’s XO sauce to enhance the cumin for fried rice that’s really different from the often ordered yang chow.

Sesame ice cream with mochi, taro balls, and coconut pudding was a filling dessert to finish the meal.

Hua Yuan Brasserie Chinoise is located at Level 2 of the Hilton Manila, 1 Newport Blvd., Newport City, Pasay City.