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New eats: Liang Crispy Roll set to open first Philippine branch in Taguig

Article (news)

Joko Magalong-De Veyra

<div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img src="http://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2021/tvpatrol/07/13/liang.jpg"/><figcaption><em>Photo by Joko Magalong-De Veyra</em></figcaption></figure></div><p>MANILA -- Liang Crispy Roll celebrates the opening of its first branch at SM Aura Premier in Taguig on Saturday, July 17, with a year&#x27;s supply of wraps for the first 30 customers and a buy-one, take-one promo.</p><p>The brand has over 12,800 branches in Asia -- from China (where it&#x27;s the No. 1 brand for scallion pancakes), Singapore, Taiwan, Malaysia, and Indonesia, and now, the Philippines. </p><p>The brand was brought to the country by the Fredley Group of Companies (Macau Imperial, Nabu Japanese Hotpot, Mistasu Yakiniku, NYFD). </p><div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img src="http://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2021/tvpatrol/07/13/photo1.jpg"/><figcaption><em>Handout</em></figcaption></figure></div><p>&quot;Liang Crispy Roll is going to be your go-to snack. We envision it to grow to 100 branches in less than 2 years. It&#x27;s a very interesting concept because the crispy roll topped with our own R&amp;D [of fillings] is something that you&#x27;re sure to crave for, as you try the different flavors every day,&quot; shared Avin Ong, CEO of Fredley Group of Companies.</p><p>If you&#x27;ve seen videos of a Chinese breakfast street food called shou zhua bing, Liang Crispy Roll takes inspiration from that, using a pancake or wrap (created by founder Chai Lei) and localized fillings.</p><p>&quot;The crispy roll (wrap) is really their recipe. It&#x27;s very difficult to replicate... We import everything from Shanghai [and] we add our own flavors to serve the Filipino people,&quot; said Ong.</p><div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img src="http://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2021/tvpatrol/07/13/food2.jpg"/><figcaption><em>Handout</em></figcaption></figure></div><p>A wrap has layers of texture and flavors. The wrap stays crispy despite the heavy filling, thanks to the smart addition of a romaine lettuce leaf separating the layers. </p><p>Additional texture and flavors come from the fillings, your choice of sauce (garlic or the spicy red), and additional vegetable condiments.</p><p>What does the wrap taste like? If you&#x27;ve had a scallion pancake in night markets in Taiwan, the texture of the wrap is similar to that -- like a multi-layered extra crispy paratha roti. </p><p>It&#x27;s a great vehicle for a lot of things. In other countries, there are fancy fillings like foie gras, lobster, and crayfish, as well as more humble additions like Taiwan sausage and mushroom omelet.</p><p>&quot;It&#x27;s totally different from the other Liang&#x27;s outlets in other countries. When we decided to come up with the flavors, we wanted to make sure that there is something our customers can choose from... From our extensive R&amp;D, we took our best tasting fish wrap, beef wrap, and pork wrap,&quot; Ong said of their chosen flavors.</p><div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img src="http://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2021/tvpatrol/07/13/food3.jpg"/><figcaption><em>Handout</em></figcaption></figure></div><p>For its first branch in the country, Liang Crispy Roll created flavors that suit the Filipino palate. </p><p>If you&#x27;re thinking that the fillings are skewed to be sweet, the wraps I tasted were neither. The Pork BBQ Wrap had a filling that tasted like a Filipino barbecue -- only with the barest hint of sweetness, savory with soy and garlic flavors, and nicely rendered fat and soft pork meat. </p><p>The addition of thinly sliced raw red onions added just the right amount of bite but didn&#x27;t overwhelm the palate (Diners can also opt to take out the onions). I had my Pork BBQ Wrap with garlic sauce, but I imagine the addition of the red sauce for some heat would be satisfying as well.</p><p>Another favorite of the early tastings was the Chunky Tuna Roll. With Liang&#x27;s crispy pancake, the simple tuna sandwich wrap with cucumber and lettuce was more enjoyable and interesting to eat. </p><p>Lest you think there was a hint of sweetness in the filling -- there was none, so much so that I wish I ordered it with the red sauce for another layer of flavor. If you enjoy tuna sandwiches, you’ll definitely enjoy this wrap.</p><div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img src="http://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2021/tvpatrol/07/13/food4.jpg"/><figcaption><em>Handout</em></figcaption></figure></div><p>Other wraps include a vegetarian option called the Veggie Delight (bell pepper, tomato, and lettuce), the 5 Cheese Melt (American cheese, cream cheese, cheddar, mozzarella, parmesan, and lettuce), Grilled Chicken (grilled chicken, lettuce, and cucumber), and the Angus Beef Steak (Beef steak, lettuce, and onions).</p><p>For drink options, there are two -- dalandan and chilled tea. Both were refreshing, but I enjoyed dalandan&#x27;s slight sweet-sour kick especially with the pork wrap.</p><div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img src="http://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2021/tvpatrol/07/13/food5.jpg"/><figcaption><em>Handout</em></figcaption></figure></div><p>With wraps starting at P95 with the most expensive at P145, the wraps are designed to be a quick snack or a light healthy meal. </p><p>While the current line is 100% savory, plans are in motion for a dessert series, to even limited-time Filipino offerings like Caldereta or Bicol Express wraps.</p><p>&quot;Opening in the pandemic is really difficult... We wanted to give people more jobs, more opportunities. We have a vision for Fredley to go on IPO by 2025 and this is one of the reasons why we are getting a lot of exciting concepts,&quot; said Ong.</p><p>With exciting days ahead despite the pandemic, Liang Crispy Roll will be treating their first 30 diners to a year&#x27;s supply of wraps. All the wraps are also buy-one, take-one during opening day.</p><p>Liang Crispy Roll is located at the cinema level of SM Aura Premier.</p>