yang chow fried rice – Jellybeans in the City

Chinese family meal at Luk Yuen, SM Megamall

For many of us Filipinos, Chinese food has become one of our go-to cuisines when dining out.

Not only has Chinese culinary influences permeated our own cuisine, its sheer variety and rich traditions have made fans of all sorts of food lovers.

The same is true with my family. Most of the time, when craving for a break from our usual lutong-bahay, we would hie ourselves to our local Chinese restaurant.

Since my childhood, Luk Yuen has been a family favorite. After attending Mass at SM Megamall, my parents usually took my brothers and me to dinner at the Luk Yuen outlet at the basement.

Now that I have a family of my own, with each of us having our own individual preferences when it comes to food. I’m happy to rediscover my faves at the same Luk Yuen outlet that my parents used to take me to, and that, despite our widely disparate gastronomic preferences, my husbands, kids and I can all happily enjoy a meal at this restaurant.

We started our meal with complimentary Hot Chinese Tea, traditionally used by Chinese diners to help ease digestion, boost metabolism and prevent overeating, among other health benefits.

We can’t have a meal at a Chinese restaurant without ordering a platter of Yang Chow Fried Rice (Php265). This dish consists of cooked rice sauteed in a wok together with bits or char siu pork, cooked shrimp, scrambled egg yolks, along with chopped scallions, carrots and peas. While flavorful as it is, it goes so well with other Chinese dishes.

Another staple of Chinese cuisine is dim sum, and my family members are all fans of the Steamed Shrimp Dumpling (Php210). Also known as hakaw, it is made of plump shrimp and cooked pork wrapped together with aromatics in a transparent wrapper with its signature pleats. Its Cantonese name

Deep-fried Bean Curd (Php175). A tasty appetizer also known as Crispy Tofu, it is made with cubes of soybean curd, deep fried and tossed in salt, pepper and chilis.

Birthday Noodles (Php465). Also known as Long-Life Noodles, this dish is the forebear of our own pancit and is traditionally served during one’s birthday with noodles consumed without breaking to signify a wish for a long life.

Boneless Chicken in Lemon Sauce (Php345). Marinated chicken thigh fillets, breaded and deep-fried, then drizzled with a tangy lemon sauce.

Peppercorn Spareribs (Php395). Bite-sized pork spare-ribs deep-fried to crispy juiciness and topped with garlic and served with chilled vinegar.

With these dishes, the fam’s combined appetites were sated and we were able to revisit some of my favorite dishes from my childhood visits at Luk Yuen.

All the dishes were flavorful, satisfying and affordable, certainly a great choice for a family meal during a bout of shopping.

This Luk Yuen branch is located at the Lower Ground Floor, SM Megamall Building B, EDSA corner Doña Julia Vargas Avenue, Ortigas Center, Mandaluyong City. For inquiries and reservations, call +63 2 86334396 or +63 956 7366816.

Other branches are located at Cash & Carry, Alabang, Greenhills, Glorietta and Capitol Commons.

North Park delivers via GrabFood Signatures

With many of us still having qualms about dining outside, it’s no wonder that food delivery services have been our lifeline, not just to good food, but also towards supporting our favorite restaurants in this time of pandemic.

In its bid to bring good food to people staying at home, leading super app Grab launched its GrabFood Signatures Program, wherein it partnered with leading food brands. These popular establishments then deliver their famous dishes plus offer irresistible discounts and other promos via GrabFood.

Among GrabFood Signatures’ partner restaurants is North Park, a homegrown Chinese restaurant which brings old fashioned and well-loved Chinese food that have found a place in the hearts and palates of Pinoys.

Wanting to give my fam a break from out usual lutong-bahay fare, and to also give my yaya a break from the stress of cooking and preparing the family’s lunch, I decided to order in via my Grab app and I chanced upon a Grab Signatures promo granting Php150 off my order.

Well, I lost no time ordering my family’s faves from North Park:

Yang Chow Fried Rice (Php228). Delicious egg fried rice with shrimps, chopped BBQ pork, carrots, and green peas.

Pork Sionai (Php348/12pcs). Steamed dumplings made with ground pork, vegetables and aromatics.

Boneless Honey Lemon Chicken (Php263). Boneless chicken marinated in freshly squeezed lemon juice and seasonings, thickly coated with a sticky sauce made with honey and lemon.

Braised Noodles with Wanton (Php218). Wanton made with paper thin flour skin filled with diced pork and shrimp generously poured with premium oyster sauce over Hongkong Noodles.

The fam had wonderful meal with such a delicious and hearty fare from one of our favorite restaurants.

North Park branches in Metro Manila include:

Pasig: The Strip Commercial Complex Ortigas
Mandaluyong: Greenfield District
Quezon City: SM Hypermarket Cubao, Tomas Morato, G. Araneta Avenue, Trinoma Mall, Banawe, Tandang Sora, Ayala Fairview Terraces, Eton Centris
Taguig: Market! Market!, SM Hypermarket FTI
San Juan: P. Guevarra Street (opposite Petron)
Makati: Makati corner Kalayaan Avenue, Glorietta 3, Salcedo Village, Legaspi Village, SM Hypermarket Market
Paranaque: SM City Bicutan, ASEANA Square
Manila: Manila Ocean Park
Pasay: Mall of Asia Arena Parking Building
Valenzuela: South Supermarket
Alabang: Alabang Town Center, South Supermarket
Muntinlupa: SM Center Muntinlupa

Want to enjoy similar offers? Just check the Messages tab in your Grab App for promo notifications.

About Grab

Grab is the leading super app in Southeast Asia, providing everyday services that matter most to consumers. Today, the Grab app has been downloaded onto over 185 million mobile devices, giving users access to over 9 million drivers, merchants and agents. Grab offers the widest range of on-demand transport services in the region, in addition to food, package, grocery delivery services, mobile payments and financial services across 339 cities in eight countries.

About GrabFood

Operating under the Grab super app, GrabFood is an online food delivery service that connects local food businesses to people. GrabFood presents a variety of food based on what’s available around consumers: Filipino, Western, Asian, European, Fusion and so on. Today, GrabFood’s services are available in areas of Metro Manila, Rizal, Cavite, Laguna, Pampanga, and Cebu, with plans to continue expanding to reach more areas in the country.

Download the Grab app here.

Birthday lunch from Lido Cocina Tsina, C. Raymundo

Celebrations call for good food enjoyed with loved ones and my recent birthday was no exception.

My family and I sat down for a sumptuous birthday lunch of delicious Tsinoy comfort food in hearty servings delivered right to our doorstep from Lido Cocina Tsina.

This homegrown Chinese food chain came about in the 1930s when Cantonese chef Mr. Lido started a modest eatery in Binondo called Panciteria Lido. Rebranded as Lido Cocina Tsina, it has become a byword for Chinese dishes that appeal to Pinoy taste buds.

During my recent birthday, I was able to introduce the fam to some of my favorites from Lido Cocina Tsina as well as tried some new dishes:

Yang Chow Fried Rice (Php132). For me, a Chinese meal wouldn’t be one without this egg fried rice mixed with shrimp, pork, carrots and spring onions.

Sweet and Sour Fish (Php374). Lightly battered and fried fish fillets served in a sweet and sour sauce with carrots, bell peppers and onions.

Manchurian Wings (Php392). Crispy chicken wings coated with a gingery, sweet and spicy oriental sauce, another showcase for the Pinoy’s penchant for flavor combinations.

Spareribs Salt and Pepper (Php380). Crispy pork spareribs sauteed in Chinese five-spice mix, and then served with house-made vinegar, another mainstay in my Chinese food spread.

Shrimp Foo Yong (Php468). Ever since I had my first taste of this Lido-style egg omellete with shrimps, mushrooms and vegetables, and served in a nice and light oyster sauce a year ago, I haven’t been able to resist it.

One thing I’ve noted about Chinese food, especially the ones here at Lido that have been adapted to the Pinoy palate, is that varied combinations tend to mesh well together. The dynamics of sweet, sour, salty and spicy, as well as the different textures from various ingredients complement and play off one another, making it easy to select a new dish to add to your go-to orders when you’re feeling adventurous or looking for a change.

My sumptuous birthday lunch was a delicious revisit of my Tsinoy food favorites. Why don’t you give these a try and tell me how your Chinese food adventure went?

This Lido Cocina Tsina branch is located at GA 1-GA 2, 8003, C. Raymundo Ave, Barangay, Rosario, Pasig City, open daily from 10am to 9pm for dine-in, take-out and delivery. For delivery, call +63 2 88885436 (LIDO) or visit lidodelivery.com.

Other Metro Manila branches are located at:

Quezon City: New Manila, Project 6, Batasan Hills, Project 8, Z Square Mall Banawe,
Makati: San Lorenzo
Manila: Ermita
Paranaque: Don Bosco, San Isidro
La Pinas: Talon

Check out my previous posts on Lido Cocina Tsina:

Tsinoy food feast at Lido Cocina Tsina, New Manila

More often than not, a dish with Chinese origins would make its way into a Filipino’s hapag-kainan.

This is hardly surprising as the Pinoys and the Chinese have been trading since even before the Spanish colonization.

Through the centuries, various waves of Chinese migration occurred, each bringing their own cultures, especially their culinary traditions, into the country.

In the 1930s, a Cantonese chef known as Mr, Lido established a modest eatery in Binondo called Panciteria Lido. In the next eighty years, this eatery has grown into a chain of restaurants – now under the Lido Cocina Tsina brand – that are renowned for serving tasty Chinese dishes that also appeal to the Filipino palate.

Before the pandemic hit the metro last year, I was able to sample some of Lido’s signature dishes. These left quite an impression on me that when restrictions on dining out were recently loosened in the metro, I quickly grabbed the opportunity to bring my fellow foodie unnis – Jen of SandUnderMyFeet.com and Nix of IEatAndIWander.com – to the resto so they can taste for themselves what I had beem raving about for the past year.

That day, the unnis feasted on delectable Tsinoy food which included:

Yang Chow Fried Rice (Php132). I couldn’t fathom a Chinese meal without this egg fried rice made heartier and more flavorful with shrimp, pork, carrots and spring onions.

Pugon Roasted Asado (Php436). Mr. Lido’s claim to fame from his eighty-year-old recipe of pork loin basted in precise proportions of Chinese herbs and spices, and then cooked in the a wood-fired brick oven which infuses the meat with a rich and smokey flavor. It’s great as a viand for the Yang Chow Fried Rice but it’s wonderful when used as a filling for hot pan de sal.

Sweet and Sour Pork (Php374). A dish that appeals to the Pinoy penchant for the sweet and sour combination. It’s made with fried pork pieces sauteed with pineapple chunks, bell peppers and onions and served in a sweet and sour sauce.

Shrimp Foo Yong (Php468). Ever since I had my first taste of this egg omelette with shrimp, mushroom and veggies served in light oyster sauce, I’ve been obsessed with it. Taste it for yourself and you’ll see what I mean.

Buchi (Php138). Deep-fried sesame balls with lotus cream filling make for a satisfying cap for a hearty Chinese meal.

This visit to Lido Cocina Tsina has sated my year-long cravings and made believers out of my fellow unnis.

We sure are looking forward to our next Lido Cocina Tsina adventure!

This Lido Cocina Tsina branch is located at 1014-1020 E. Rodriguez Sr. Avenue, Barangay Mariana, Quezon City, open daily from 8.30am to 6.30pm. For inquiries and reservations, call +63 2 8885436, +63 2 84145436 or +63 947 4925752.

Other branches are located at:

16 Visayas Avenue, Barangay Vasra, Quezon City
Unit 6 and 7, La Fuerza Bldg., 2241 Don Chino Roces Avenue Corner Sabio Street, Barangay Bangkal, Makati City
Block 8, Lot 9 Commonwealth Avenue, Barangay Batasan Hills, Quezon City
43 Mindanao Avenue (beside Phoenix Gasoline Station), Barangay Bahay Toro, Quezon City
Upper Ground Floor, Z Square Mall, Banawe Street Corner Del Monte Avenue, Barangay Manresa, Quezon City
532 United Nations Avenue cor. Jorge Bocobo St., Barangay Malate, Manila
35 Dona Soledad Avenue, Barangay Don Bosco, Paranaque City
Ground Floor, Puregold Building, Dr. A. Santos Avenue, Barangay San Isidro, Paranaque City
262 Alabang-Zapote Road, Talon Dos, Las Pinas City

To have your Chinoy food feast delivered right where you are, order online.

Check out my reviews of other Asian restaurants:

Chinese food feast delivery from Yang Chow

Did you know that Chinese food has three key flavors? These are sweet, sour, salty, bitter and spicy.

The combination and degree of intensity of these flavors have brought forth one of the most varied of the world’s cuisines. As you hop from one region to the next, you will see variations in the dishes they produce: Sichuan, for example, is famous for its numbingly spicy food while Hong Kong leans towards the sweet-salty dynamic. It just goes to show that one of the world’s richest cultures can produce a very diverse culinary heritage.

Those are some of the flavors that came into play when I decided to give the fam a break for our usual ulam fare and order in a Chinese feast from a nearby branch of Chinese restaurant chain Yang Chow.

Our delightful repast included:

Yang Chow Fried Rice (Php298 for large). Pre-cooked rice is stir-fried in a wok along with chopped char siu, scallions, veggies and scrambled egg. I wouldn’t dare order a Chinese meal without this staple. The kiddos would surely revolt!

Beef Steak Chinese Style (Php398). Tender beef slices stir-fried and doused in a savory sauce. A new fave for my daughter #ExhibitA!

Lemon Chicken (Php278). Another staple Chinese dish with crispy pieces of chicken served in a tangy lemon sauce. A Chinese food meal won’t be complete for my son #ExhibitB without it!

Brocolli Flower with Oyster Sauce (Php218). Crisp and lightly blanched brocolli flowers served with and oyster-flavored sauce and topped with toasted garlic flakes. It’s the healthy part of the meal our meal and counter-balances the rich flavors of our other orders.

I’m glad to know that every time the fam tires of our go-to ulam dishes, we can just have an exotic Chinese feast delivered to us.

This Yang Chow branch is located at Industria Mall, Indusria Street, Bagumbayan, Libis, Quezon City, open daily from 10am to 6.30pm. To order for delivery, call +63 2 79009907 or +63 915 4470765 or course your order via GrabFood or FoodPanda.

Download the Grab App and 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.

Check out my reviews of other Asian restaurants:

Chinoy lunch fest at North Park, Tomas Morato

I may have said this several times before: the workday lunch hour is a sacred time.

It is that one spot in the day wherein people can pause their daily labors, recharge their batteries by resting and refueling, and maybe even spend time with their coworkers.

One busy workday, I went to North Park Noodle House in Tomas Morato with a few of my officemates to spend our lunchtime with good food and good company.

For over twenty-five years, North Park has been the destination of Pinoy foodies who want Chinese food in large servings that they can share and enjoy with family and friends. The dishes that this restaurant chain offers may not be strictly true to their Chinese origins but they features tastes and textures that we have grown to love.

For our lunchtime food fest, my coworkers and I feasted on:

Century Egg and Jellyfish Salad (Php188).

Yang Chow Fried Rice (Php203).

Taiwan Pechay with Black Mushroom and Pacific Clams in Garlic Sauce (Php238).

Salt and Pepper Spare Ribs (Php238).

Salted Garlic Squid (Php258).

Sweet and Sour Fish Fillet (Php278).

Boneless Honey Lemon Chicken (Php238).

There’s nothing like a fine time spent with great people and great food!

This North Park branch is located at Tomas Morato corner Lazcano Street, Barangay Laging Handa, Quezon City.

Want some Chinoy food goodies but can’t go to North Park because of the enhanced community quarantine?

North Park Noodles delivers through its delivery hotline +63 2 87373737, through its website, and through GrabFood.

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.

Other branches in the metro are located at:

Pasig: The Strip Commercial Complex Ortigas
Mandaluyong: Greenfield District
Quezon City: SM Hypermarket Cubao, G. Araneta Avenue, Trinoma Mall, Banawe, Tandang Sora, Ayala Fairview Terraces, Eton Centris
Taguig: Market! Market!, SM Hypermarket FTI
San Juan: P. Guevarra Street (opposite Petron)
Makati: Makati corner Kalayaan Avenue, Glorietta 3, Salcedo Village, Legaspi Village, SM Hypermarket Market
Paranaque: SM City Bicutan, ASEANA Square
Manila: Manila Ocean Park
Pasay: Mall of Asia Arena Parking Building
Valenzuela: South Supermarket
Alabang: Alabang Town Center, South Supermarket
Muntinlupa: SM Center Muntinlupa

Check out my reviews of other Asian restaurants:

Fuss-free Chinoy dinner at home, thanks to North Park Noodles, Cainta

This year’s Valentine’s Day dinner at home was easy and fuss-free, thanks to a nearby branch of North Park Noodles.

That Friday came at the end of a very busy work week and I was in no mood to worry about elaborate food preparation.

Well, technology came to the rescue. At that time, North Park Noodles offered a special Sama-Sama Bundle – a combination of dishes good for sharing available at a discount – to orders made through GrabFood.

For the past twenty-five years, North Park has been serving freshly cooked Chinoy comfort food – Pinoy takes on popular Chinese dishes – to its clientele.

For only Php888 (+Php45 delivery fee), the fam and I were able to feast on some of its best-sellers which included:

Yang Chow Fried Rice. A mainstay in many Chinese meals, this fried rice is made with white rice, char siu barbecued pork, shrimp, green peas, green onion, and eggs, which all come together to make for a filling rice dish.

Sweet and Sour Pork. Made with marinated pork pieces lightly covered in cornstarch, deep-fried to a golden brown then doused with a sweet-sour sauce.

Shanghai Rolls. The lumpiang shanghai we all know and love, served in bite-size pieces with a sweet chili sauce.

China Chicken. A half-serving of the simple Chinese-style fried chicken with crispy skin and tender meat.

All of these dishes – though Chinese in origin – feature familiar flavors that that we grew up with.

The fam’s Valentine’s Day dinner at home may be lacking in polish and pizzazz, but it allowed me to spend more time talking and bonding with the people I love.

This North Park branch is located at SM Hypermarket Cainta, Felix Avenue, Barangay Santo Domingo, Cainta, Rizal.

North Park Noodles delivers through its delivery hotline +63 2 87373737, through its website, and through GrabFood.

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.

Other branches in the metro are located at:

Pasig: The Strip Commercial Complex Ortigas
Mandaluyong: Greenfield District
Quezon City: SM Hypermarket Cubao, Tomas Morato, G. Araneta Avenue, Trinoma Mall, Banawe, Tandang Sora, Ayala Fairview Terraces, Eton Centris
Taguig: Market! Market!, SM Hypermarket FTI
San Juan: P. Guevarra Street (opposite Petron)
Makati: Makati corner Kalayaan Avenue, Glorietta 3, Salcedo Village, Legaspi Village, SM Hypermarket Market
Paranaque: SM City Bicutan, ASEANA Square
Manila: Manila Ocean Park
Pasay: Mall of Asia Arena Parking Building
Valenzuela: South Supermarket
Alabang: Alabang Town Center, South Supermarket
Muntinlupa: SM Center Muntinlupa

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: