MANILA, Philippines – EDSA Shangri-La’s Summer Palace – a well-loved venue for many a family gathering or dimsum brunch since it opened in 1992 – is getting a makeover.

The Chinese restaurant has been undergoing renovations but is re-opening on Sunday, September 25, and serving up a few new dishes along with their classic Cantonese cuisine.

Rappler tried a few of their new creations on Wednesday, September 21, where the media was served a set menu that cost P2,600++ per head. Some of the individual dishes will be available in the ala carte menu too.

Here’s a look at the feast Summer Palace’s chefs cooked up.

There were 4 appetizers at the preview, including a baby lobster in salted egg yolk and chilled goose liver with mushrooms and crabmeat. If goose liver has too strong a flavor for you, have it with the fried beef ball sandwich (P650) that the two are served with – it comes in a sweet baked bun.

Another appetizer was the pecking duck (P3,700), and it’s been upgraded! At Summer Palace, they serve peking duck in 4 different kinds of colorful wrappers – the original one, beetroot, pumpkin, and squid ink.

In between courses, we were served a clear broth: double-boiled “maca” (a rootcrop) with US Kurobuta pork (P460), marbled in fat.

Creal prawns are a familiar favorite at Chinese restaurants, but Summer Palace’s tender chicken steak in coffee sauce with oatmeal was a welcome change.

Along with the chicken, there was also a steamed codfish filled with sea urchin and egg white, all swimming in a rich fish broth.

Of course, no Chinese meal is complete without some sort of rice. The mini machang in this set menu is an old favorite. Not all of Summer Palace’s meny items have changed, so you’ll still find some of the dishes you loved before.

If the usual – like mango sago – are getting a bit old, though, the chilled avocado cream with sago is a good option for dessert too, along with with the black charcoal bun filled with salted egg custard.

Will you be trying out Summer Palace’s new menu when they re-open on September 25? Let us know which dish you want to try the most in the comments! – Rappler.com