chinese food – Page 3 – Jellybeans in the City

A delish taste of Asia at Wangfu Chinese Cafe, Tomas Morato

Stuck at home but want a break from your usual home-cooked dishes?

Why not go Asian?

If you live near Tomas Morato, don’t worry; there’s no need to go out to buy cookbooks and exotic ingredients (stay at home, people!). You can simply have Chinese and Singaporean dishes delivered right where you are because Wangfu Chinese Cafe in Il Terrazo Mall delivers via GrabFood and FoodPanda!

Based on my previous #HappyLunch experiences with my officemates at this resto, may I recommend some dishes included in its pick-up and delivery menu for your enjoyment?

Hot and Sour Soup (Php288). A spicy and sour soup made that whets the appetite for more.

Spare Ribs (Php98). Steamed pork ribs that you can gnaw on as a starter to your meal.

Pork Siomai (Php128). The traditional Chinese-style dumpling filled with ground pork mixed with vegetables that also serves as a great appetizer for any Asian meal.

Hong Kong Style Pork Chop Rice (Php198). This Singapore-style hawker rice toppings dish features crisp deep-fried chops doused in a cheesy cream sauce over a bowl of steaming-hot rice.

Singapore Bihon (Php138). A hearty noodle dish that combines meat bits and veggies with stir-fried thin noodles made from rice flour.

For me, the real winners among Wangfu’s offerings are the personal meal sets. These already come with rice, soup and salad (refillable if you’re a dine-in customer), giving you a complete meal.

General Tso’s Chicken Set (Php268). Named after the Qing dynasty statesman and military leader, this chicken dish features deep-fried chicken thigh pieces and crisp brocolli doused in a sweet-savory sauce.

Salted Egg Fried Chicken Set (Php268). Crisp fried chicken pieces covered in salted egg yolk.

Wangfu Hainanese Chicken Rice Set (Php298). One of Singapore’s all-time favorite dishes, this dish combines flavorful poached chicken with rice seasoned by the chicken’s fatty poaching stock and served with cucumber garnishing and three sauces: minced ginger in oil, chili paste and dark soy sauce.

I found that the Salted Egg Chicken also goes well with the chicken rice.

I also miss Wangfu’s Nanyang Milk Tea (+ Php48 to any order of Singaporean Hawker Rice Toppings), which is, unfortunately, not among the offerings available in the pick-up/delivery menu. Given that summer is here already, I would love it to be served cold to counter the spiciness in these Asian dishes. I’d definitely get myself another glass on my next visit after the community quarantine.

With such a yummy and hearty repast ready for delivery, staying ar home won’t be so bad now, would it?

Stay safe and I’ll see you on the other side, fellow foodies!

This Wangfu Chinese Cafe branch is located at Ground Floor, Il Terrazzo, Tomas Morato Avenue Corner Scout Madrinan Street, South Triangle, Quezon City, open daily from 11am to 10pm for pick-up (call +63 925 8035810) and delivery via GrabFood and FoodPanda.

Download the Grab App on the App Store or Google Play. Get a discount on your first food order when you use my code: GRABJELLYBEANS.

Use this link to download the FoodPanda app and get Php100 off your first order

Other branches are located at:

Ground Floor, Serendra, Bonifacio Global City, Taguig
Ground Floor, Phase 1, UP Town Center, Katipunan Avenue, Diliman, Quezon City
Level 1, Ayala Malls Vertis North, Bagong Pag-Asa, Quezon City
Ground Level, Ayala Malls Cloverleaf, A. Bonifacio Avenue, Balintawak, Quezon City
Lower Ground Floor, The Parkway, SM City Fairview, Novaliches

Check out my reviews of other Asian restaurants:

Fun feasting at Lido Cocina Tsina, New Manila

Chinese cuisine has left an indelible mark on the Filipino palate.

Step into any Pinoy celebration and you will be hard-pressed to avoid dishes such as the pancit, lumpia, asado and lechon Macao or the use soy sauce and soybean products as well as produce such as pechay (Chinese cabbage) and mustasa (mustard greens).

This strong influence is rooted in the trading relationships between the Chinese and Filipinos before the Spanish era, and the waves migration among the ethnic Chinese to the Philippines.

This mingling of culinary influences is celebrated in Lido Cocina Tsina, established in 1936 by Mr. Lido, a Cantonese chef. Aside from classic Chinese favorites like noodles, dimsum and siopao, Mr. Lido would also roast porkloin in his wood-fired brick oven every morning. It has since then become Lido’s signature dish that customers kept coming back for.

Together with fellow foodies from #WeLoveToEatPH, I visited. Lido Cocina Tsina’s E. Rodriguez Avenue branch where sampled some of Lido’s much-loved dishes which include:

Chunky Pork Siomai (Php121). The traditional Chinese steamed pork dumpling is best enjoyed dipped in soy sauce with calamansi juice and a bit of chili-garlic paste. This is always a winner with me, more so here at Lido because the siomai pieces are packed with meat without extenders.

Shrimp Foo-Yong (Php446). This saucy egg dish with a healthy serving of plump shrimp folded in is one of Lido’s best-sellers.

Lumpiang Shanghai (Php255). This Filipinized version of the spring roll is always a hit with the kiddies. Ground pork mixed with finely chopped carrots, onions and shallots is wrapped in lumpia wrapper to form cylinders which are then fried to golden brown. It is great as an appetizer or as a viand paired with rice.

Yang Chow Fried Rice (Php121 for solo | Php297 good for two to three persons | Php605 good for eight to ten persons). This fried rice is arguably the most famous Chinese rice dish in the Philippines. Char siu (barbecued pork) is chopped and sauteed along with shrimp, peas, onions and eggs in a wok together with cooked rice. The reason for its enduring appeal seems to be in the way it complements the other viands.

Spareribs in Salt and Pepper (Php285). Simply seasoned with salt and pepper and lightly coated with an egg and flour mixture then deep-fried until the pork attains a slight crispy exterior surrounding tender meat. This dish is usually served tossed with sauteed peppers, garlic and green onions.

Manchurian Wings (Php374). Tender fried chicken wings doused in savory-sweet soy ginger sauce. This is one of those dishes that are so good they make you reach for another serving of rice again and again.

Chami Special (Php176 solo | Php292 good for two to three persons | Php726 good for eight to ten persons). Asian wheat (miki) noodles sauteed in a flavorful sauce with pork bits, shrimp and crisp vegetables, this is a welcome break from the usual pancit guisado.

Pugon-Roasted Asado (Php391 for one-fourth kilo). This cured pork loin freshly roasted every morning in the restaurant’s pugon or wood-fired brick oven which adds smoky flavors to the already flavorful meat. Its flavor meshes well with the Yang Chow Fried Rice but is also a good filling for Lido’s hot pan de sal.

Buchi (Php110). These deep-fried sesame balls with lotus cream filling are staple desserts in many Chinese restaurants and are a fitting end to this Chinese feast.

Want something to perk you up after a heavy meal? Check out Lido’s Siphon Brewed Coffee, available hot and iced.

So if you want a taste of Chinese food that captured the hearts and tummies of Pinoys, drop by your nearest Lido Cocina Tsina branch!

Many thanks to Elaine and John of Lido Cocina Tsina for the warm welcome and the fabulous feast and to EJ of #WeLoveToEatPH for extending the invitation!

This Lido Cocina Tsina branch is located at 1014-1020 E. Rodriguez Sr. Avenue, New Manila, Quezon City, open daily from 7am to 10pm. For reservations and inquiries, call +63 2 34145436 or +63 2 84776878.

Other branches are located at:

Shaw Plaza One Building, 561 Shaw Boulevard, Highway Hills, Mandaluyong City
Quezon Avenue corner Examiner Road, West Triangle, Quezon City
16 Visayas Avenue, Vasra, Project 6, Quezon City
Block 8 Lot 9 Commonwealth Avenue, Batasan Hills, Quezon City
43 Mindanao Avenue (beside Phoenix Gas Station, Project 8, Quezon City
Upper Ground Floor, Z Square Mall, Banawe, Quezon City
Unit 6-7, La Fuerza Plaza, Chino Roces Avenue corner Sabio Street, San Lorenzo, Makati City
Ground Floor, Radiance Manila Bay, Roxas Boulevard, Buendia, Pasay City
Avenue Garden Building, 532 UN Avenue corner Bocobo Street, Ermita, Manila
35 Dona Soledad Avenue, Betterliving Subdivision, Don Bosco, Paranaque City
Ground Floor, Puregold Sucat, Dr. A. Santos Avenue, San Isidro, Paranque
South Park High Commercial Complex, 262 Alabang-Zapote Road, Talon, Las Pinas City

No time to drop by a Lido branch? Have your favorite Chinese dishes delivered to you by calling +63 2 8888-LIDO (5436) or visit lidodelivery.com.

Disclosure: Together with other food bloggers, I was invited to attend a food tasting held in this restaurant. Food items mentioned here were served to allow us to sample the fare and were not paid for by the attendees, including myself.

Check out my reviews of other Chinese restaurants:

The Alley by Vikings, UP Town Center

It’s great to have officemates who love to eat (not as much as I do, but still).

Before we took our holiday break, my boss decided to treat our team to dinner at The Alley by Vikings in UP Town Center.

What sets this buffet restaurant apart from the others is that it takes the form of a street-style food hall which incorporates concepts from around the world. Walking around the stations, you get a feel of touring the streets of the countries where the featured food items originate.

Instead of filling your plates yourself, you can request for small servings of the dishes from their respective stations, similar to the street food tripping experience. For example, our “food trip” here included the following stations:

Hao Chi – for Chinese dimsum and Peking Duck
Yatai – for Japanese sushi, sashimi and okonomiyaki
O’Sean Eleven – for seafood chowder
Just Steak a Minute – for freshly grilled steaks and other meats
Ferino’s Bibingka – for freshly made puto bumbong
Hunnycomb – for cakes and pastries

Buffet Rates:

Weekday Lunch: Php738 for adults, Php188 for kids 3ft for 4ft, Php388 for kids 4ft to 4ft 6in
Weekday Dinner/ Weekend or Holiday Lunch and Dinner: Php938 for adults, Php288 for kids 3ft for 4ft, Php588 for kids 4ft to 4ft 6in
Kids below 3ft eat for free

There are a lot of food choices, and more food stations than the ones I mentioned, which can be quite overwhelming. Refilling the more popular stations such as the sushi and the muscovado sugar for the bibingka took a long time.

I would also guess that the air-conditioning couldn’t cope with the volume of diners as it was quite warm where we were seated.

All that said, it was still a good time spent with my office buddies.

This branch of The Alley by Vikings is located 2nd Level, Phase 2, UP Town Center, Ayala Mall, Katipunan Avenue, Quezon City, open daily from 11am to 2.30pm and from 5.30pm to 10pm. For inquiries and reservations, call +63 2 82771888, +63 2 82772888, +63 917 6735888 or +63 918 9078888.

Other branches are located at:

2nd Level, Ayala Malls Cloverleaf, A. Bonifacio Street, Brgy. Balingasa, A. Bonifacio, Quezon City
C1, Upper Ground Floor, Bonifacio High Street Central, Bonifacio Global City, Taguig

Planning a visit to The Alley by Vikings? Here are some promos you can take advantage of:

20% off Weekday Lunch for every group of 5 pax from January 2 to February 28, 2020

Birthday celebrants eat for free on the day of their birthday if accompanied by one full paying adult, or within their birth month if accompanied by four full-paying adults

(Note: Terms and conditions apply for the above-mentioned promos.)

Maximize your buffet restaurant visit. Read the tips in my buffet survival guide.

Check out my blog posts on other buffet restaurants in the Metro:

Dimsum time at Jade Garden, International District, Seattle

Touchdown Seattle!

After three years, I’m back in the Evergreen State for a much-needed and well-deserved (if I do say so myself) vacay! And even better, I’ve got the whole fam with me in this US adventure.

And being Jellybeans (see what I did there?), the family’s vacay will not be complete without some food trips here there.

So which Seattle establishment did the brood try on our first few hours in the city?

Well, my bro treated us to one of his favorite Chinese dimsum haunts: Jade Garden in the International District.

Having stepped out of the airport quite late last night, we were lucky that this restaurant was still open. It’s a small casual dining Chinese restaurant where, for a relatively large party such as ours, the food is served on the lazy susan on the lazy susan on top of the table. Hot tea was also provided while we waited for our orders.

Our meal consisted of:

Minced Beef Soup Westlake Style. Traditionally, soup is served last during a Chinese meal but we requested that it be served first. This soup is made of tofu, minced beef, thinly slice shiitake mushrooms and coriander in a steaming hot starchy broth. Quite a wonderful way to warm our tummies this chilly spring evening!

Salted Fish and Chicken Fried Rice. A flavorful rice dish that complemented the viands we ordered. Did you know that the earliest record of fried rice appeared in the Sui dynasty? Stir-frying rice in garlic and soy sauce with meat and vegetables was thought to be a way to re-use leftovers from previous meals into a new hot dish.

Mongolian Beef. Strips of tender beef sauteed in a mildly spicy (as we requested) sauce of onions and chilis.

Fish Fillet with Roast Pork Hot Pot. One of the resto’s off-menu daily specials, it has quite a lot of everything: fish, pork, tofu, mushroom and veggies.

Deep-fried Stuffed Shrimp Tofu. A variation of Hubby’s favorite crispy-on-the-outside, creamy-on-the-inside battered tofu dish, this one has a plump piece of shrimp that adds to the flavor and texture of the dish.

Steamed Pork Siumai, Steamed Shrimp and Scallop Dumplings and Steamed Pork Buns. These steamed dimsum fare are quite familiar to us since they have counterparts back home.

The food was served promptly by friendly and helpful wait staff. The servings are quite large and we had some leftovers which we heated up for an unusual yet still tasty breakfast the next day.

All in all, it was a nice welcoming meal for the fam!

Jade Garden is located at 424 7th Avenue South, International District, Seattle 98104, open Mondays to Thursdays from 9am to 2.30am, Fridays to Saturdays from 9am to 3.30am and Sundays from 9am to 1am. For inquiries and reservations, call +1 206 6228181.

For more details, visit www.jadegardenseattle.com.