Luneta: Shanghai’s Only Filipino Restaurant Successfully Reopens
We were fans of Luneta’s Filipino cuisine when they were located on Julu Lu. So after they shuttered that shop, we were happy to hear that it was a relocation and not a full closing. The bad news is that they are now in a mall on Sichuan Lu in Hongkou district. The good news: the food is still fantastic.
We normally have the fried lumpia, but went with the lumpia sariwa (RMB35) on this visit. We were blown away by the fresh, paper-thin wrappers stuffed with cabbage, carrot and mushroom and topped with a sticky garlic peanut sauce. Who knew garlic and peanut was such a good match?
The kalabasa at sitaw (RMB52) combines shrimp, squash and green beans in a luscious and spicy coconut cream, and its best atop a bowl of long-grain garlic rice (RMB10). We ordered the crispy tilapia (RMB62) mainly because we wanted the mashed sweet potato it comes with, but were surprised by how much we loved the flaky meat and crunchy skin dipped into a bowl of soy sauce with chili and a burst of calamansi juice. We were also surprised that the mashed sweet potato we imagined was more of a shredded Southeast Asian salad than standard mash.
Luneta also has good sinaigang na baboy (RMB45), a sour and vibrant tamarind broth with rich pork belly, string beans and eggplant. Our only quibble (and this is a matter of personal preference) is that we wish they would cook the beans for a shorter time.
They may have a new location, but have stayed true where it matters. The fare is worth coming back for, and even the service here is really great—our meal came complete with a quick lesson in Tagalog.
DETAILS
What: Luneta
Where: Sheng Bang Building, 1318 Sichuan Bei Lu 四川北路1318号盛邦国际大厦
Tel: 6289-2689
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