Wan Chai Tea House - Benavidez St, Manila

Wan Chai started as restaurant in the Binondo area that serves dimsum and ala carte items hot and fast. Later on, it had opened branches in different cities around the Metro. We have always loved going to the original branch in Binondo. And here is our food trip
It tends to get crowded during weekends so be prepared to wait for a seat..

Chicken feet
Elle: The chicken feet were large! Glad to not have been served just “chicken bones with skin”. It was spicy and slightly different in taste form your average chicken feet.
Cody: now this is chicken feet, unlike some restaurants that would serve under nourish feet, this was good…
Soup
Elle: I really liked this soup. It was clear and refreshing but still very tasty. There was a good amount of chicken, vegetables and other ingredients.
Cody: no MSG detected… the soup captures the essence of the chicken… Huge quantity of ingredients also.. very filling even if it was not cream based.

Fried rice
Elle: Comfort food!! Yumyum! it had lots of shrimp and was not too tasty which makes it go well with other viands.
Cody: If a Chinese restaurant in Binondo cant cook good fried rice, they should close… this one does it well, delicious, has lots of “sahog”.
Crispy Fried Chicken w kropeck
Elle: The meat was soft and the skin was crispy.
Cody: Tender, juicy with crispy skin, no complaints here.
Vegetables with century egg
Elle: I LOVE century egg! This one had large chunks of century egg and soft veggies. Perfect combination!
Cody: The gravy went well with the veggies and eggs. Veggies were cooked just right, bright colors! i also love the whole roasted garlic.. sweet
Shrimp cake
Elle: Now this is what shrimp cake should be! It was loaded with shrimp! The cake was soft but the edges were golden brown and crispy. Even without the sweet and sour sauce the cakes were scrumptious!
Cody: My fave Wan Chai dish.. u can taste the shrimp here and not flour unlike other restaurants.. crispy exterior.. perfect to pair it with sweet and sour sauce.

Padrino - A.venue Mall, Makati City

Padrino - is one of the chain restaurants or L'Opera group.. Aisde from Balducci and Tratorria Gourmet.. THe place is quite small compared to the other restaurants. ENJOY card has one of the better offerings with this restaurants. So we are very happy to give this place a try. And knowing the great quality of Italian food tha L'Opera serves.. I hope we dont get disappointed.

Hmmm.. is it just us or the food here seems to be cheaper than L'Opera....

Insalata Caprese
Elle: The mozzarella was delicious, fresh basil leaves, lightly seasoned. It was a very light and fresh appetizer. Yum!

Cody: Sliced Mozzarellla... was good, not as fresh i want it to me but still better than other restaurants. Tomatoes were sweet and tangy...

Insalata De Mare

Elle: fresh seafood with a bit of freshly squeezed lemon with just the right tang; tastes like the sea! I could eat a whole plate of this

Cody:. I love how they cooked the seafood.. with just salt and pepper.. very lightly seasoned so as nto to distract the taste from the fresh seafood.. wonderful and the dressing just wakes up the taste buds

Four Cheese pizza

Elle: thin and crispy but as you eat it, the insde is gummy which I really like. Smells amazing. The bleu cheese wasn’t too overpowering.

Cody:I always like my pizza with a tomato sauce base... this was just okay for me..

Duck Ravioli
Elle: Pasta was soft and al dente and the sauce was amazingly delicious and creamy. the truffle oil added another level of flavor to the sauce. You can only have a few bites of this cause it was a bit too rich.

Cody: this was good, the gameyness of the duck was not overpowering. The truffle cream sauce was simply divine.. Ellle just had a few bites but i could finish this dish.. with bread :)

Spaghetti Pescatora

Elle: Pasta was cooked perfectly and it had a little bit of a bite to it. The sauce was a bit tangy because of the tomatoes but I loved it with the fresh seafood. It was a light meal and yet it was still very satisfying.

Cody: Pasta cooked just right.. seafood were a plenty.. THe tomato sauce getting the flavour form the seafood... perfect..

Grilled swordfish

Elle: The fish was soft, not at all fishy in taste. The veggies were also grilled well. however the serving was small.

Cody: nice size fish.. grilled perfectly.. moist and sweet tasting. Vegetables were also grilled correctly..

Would definitely give this restaurant another visit if we want to eat italian food. Keep us the good work

Kim Garden - Paseo de Magallanes

Another food trip in Paeo de Magallanes brought us to this noodle place which was quite unique that you woulnt find a similar kind in Makati area. THe name of the restuarant is Kim Garden, located at the 3rd floor of the building where Brothers Burgers is located.

At first we thought it was a Koream restaurant btu looking thru the menu.. its more of a Taiwanese restaurant.

Here comes the food.

Roasted Chicken Noodle Soup
Elle: I was surprised since they served the chicken separately from the noodles. The chicken was cooked perfectly seasoned but still complements the noodle soup. The noodle soup had a nice burnt sesame taste to it and the fresh cilantro gave it a fresh clean hint. The noodles were thick and chewy.
Cody: THe noodles were similar to Japanese soba, thick and have a bite to it. So for people who are not into thick noodles, orfer something else. I love noodles in general. The chicken was marinated in a sweet glaze which penetrated into the meat.

Fried Shrimp Puff
Elle: It looked a bit like a small empanada, the skin was thin and crispy. It had a lot of shrimp (looked fresh cause the shrimp wasn’t whitish it was still a bit salmon in color). It was a bit bland though but the crispiness of the dough made up for it.

Cody: very cute little fried parcels. delicious, cruspy, not oily. inside are wonderful crunchiness of fresh shrimps. i could eat 10 of this little treats,.

If you guys are tired from eating at Shakeys, Racks, Brothers, give this place a try.....

Bob's - Paseo de Magallanes, Pasay City

First and foremost we would like to apologize for a 2month delay in posting. We were busy adjusting to our new environment and this blog got affected. So to our few readers:) we are so sorry. Thank you for checking us out again.

Walking throught the stretch of Paseo de Magallanes one would find a lot of restaurants. And this place being one of the new fixture... but you have to walk a bit further because it is almost at the end when ur enter the car park through Rustans Supermarket.

THe name Bob's is leganday in the City of Smile.. which is Bacolod. THe are famous for being family oriented, serving meals that warms the tummy and the heart.

We were glad to see this place open in Manila for us Manilenos to get a chance to try it.

WE werent so hungry do we ordered one dish and a drink

Chicken Milanese P195- breaded chicken fillet stuffed with mozzarella cheese served with spaghetti and tomato sauce

Elle:The pasta was al dente and tasted like an Italian dish. Not just regular trying to be Italian pasta. It had an authentic taste to it which I really liked. The chicken was soft and had a crunchy coat and was oozing with melted cheese. I would have like a bit more pasta sauce on top of the chicken to make it a bit more mushy. Overall it was a good dish.

Cody: Hmm.. when i saw the dish, i find it a bit small.. serving size is good for just one person. THe breading for me was a tad thick, but otherwise the chickenm was soft, tender and juicy plus the cheese inside was good... who doesnt like cheese stuff foods right?:)

Fruit punch P90

Elle:YUUUUM! Cool, icy and sweet. I liked the watermelon balls and all the other crunchy bits inside. It was very refreshing.

Cody: This one i have to disagree with my one and only..for me the coconut juice clashed with the taste of the watermelon.. well, i might ust be my taste though.. cause its the best selling drink here. And i find the price a bit too steep for coconut juice and watermelon

Red Mango - multiple branches

Yogurt ice cream with Mango and Mochi Balls
Elle: I have to say that this is one of the best tasting yogurt ice creams I’ve had. It’s sweet and tart at the same time but it lacks the smoothness of really creamy yogurt ice cream. Fresh mangoes really go well with this dessert. It gives a fresh twist to the rich yogurt flavor. I usually order something crunchy to contrast the smoothness of yogurt but this time I ordered mochi balls cause it was the first time that I saw this being offered in any yogurt store. The mochi balls were just ok… they were not too sweet but they were too soft that it didn’t really add character to the dessert.
Cody: Indeed it is one of the best tasting frozen yogurt around. Service was fantastic and fast. Price wise it was affordable. I love the creaminess of this yogurt that you don’t usually get from the other fro-yo, plus they have a lot of topping choices that only they offer.

Museum Cafe - Ayala Center, Makati City

This restaurant caused such a big buzz when it first opened in the early 2000s.... first specializing in fusion cuisine but now after a reformat in its menu, they are more towrrds asian cuisine. Place is still the nice sleek interiors. Clean and fresh smelling.

Now for the food

Tuna Carpaccio
Elle: Very thinly sliced tuna pieces served with a very light Japanese inspired sauce. This was delicious and had that “I want more” effect. The tuna was fresh and did not have a fishy taste. The raw bean sprouts added to the freshness of the dish.
Cody: One can’t go wrong with a dish like this as long as you use fresh tuna, and they use very fresh tuna as evident in the color. The combination of the bean sprouts added a nice crunch to the dish. The dressing was very Japanese and didn’t overpower the tuna.

Char Kway Teow

Elle: The noodles were overcooked and served cold. I would have appreciated it more if it were served hot. It had three pieces of seafood which did not have any distinct taste. Overall the dish was bland.
Cody: All I liked here was the huge pieces of seafood but aside from that, the noodles were soggy and I would appreciate it if it was served a bit warmer.

Kung Pao Chicken

Elle: Wow! The dish was big and had so many colorful ingredients that made the dish pop and come to life. The chicken was soft and very flavorful. The spiciness was just right and had that light throaty action. The grilled pineapples added a bit of sweetness and tanginess to the dish. I could have done away with the peanuts and cashew nuts because they were bland and overcooked and coated with the same batter used for the chicken.
Cody: Apprehensive by the look of the dish, but upon getting a piece, it was done pretty well. It was able to deliver the flavors of a real kung pao chicken. Slightly spicy with hints of sweetness. The chicken was cooked thoroughly but still keeping the flesh moist and savory.

Hainanese Rice

Elle: The rice was very aromatic and flavorful. Each grain was bursting with flavor. Although they said it was good for sharing, the serving was small.
Cody: The flavors of the ginger and the other herbs used in Hainanese chicken was present in this rice. But the rice was a bit dry.

Roasted Duck Yang Chow Fried Rice

Elle: The serving was bigger than the other rice dish we ordered. It had a good amount of duck meat and smelled so much like roasted duck…you wouldn’t miss it. The dish was not at all oily and did not leave a coat of fat/oil in the mouth. This dish alone was very filling.
Cody: This rice dish I love more than the Hainanese rice. This was packing in roast duck flavor. Very very good and it has a lot of duck pieces.

Shang Palace- Shangri-la Makati Makati City

Shangri-la Makati Hotel - Arguably the best hotel in Metro Manila.  Being the best hotel, they are suppose to house the best restaurants. Circles is indeed one of the better buffet restaurants. RED is really not out type, it is.. for us, a bit overrrated. Inagiku is indeed a wonderful japanese restaurant. But for today we are concentrating on SHANG PALACE

Dimsum:  Elle:The dimsum wrapper was so shiny, glutinous and gummy…I loved it! Super chewy and delicious! No scrimping on ingredients here.  Hakao had a ton of shrimp inside, siomai was real pork and not just pork fat.  They were fresh off the steamer and bursting with aroma and flavor! My first favorite would have to be the Steamed crystal dumpling with vegetable. The shiny wrapper was glistening with freshness! One bite had a lot of textures- crunchy, soft, jelly-like.  It had cilantro in it which added a certain freshness to the dish.  The deep fried seafood with mango in rice wrapper was also delicious! The delicateness of the seafood was contrasted by the crispiness of the rice wrapper and the mango sauce gave it a nice twist. 

Cody: This is the pinnacle of dimsum eating here in Manila. Everything was done to near perfection. From the skin to the filling. Everything was made using high standards. It is like you were eating in Hongkong and not in Manila. My favorite was the Hakao, delicate skin yet it holds everything inside. Inside was plump prawn pieces that I could eat everyday. My least favorite was the hong kong style fried roll. It was a bit oily.

Soup:  Elle: The hot and sour soup had loads of mushrooms and it was heartily-good! It was not as spicy and it was really good that way because it wasn’t the kind you’d get sick of after a few spoonfuls. The corn soup tasted like fresh corn chucked off the cob. It was not creamy which I also liked because the corn can get a little overpowered by the cream.  It was a light and refreshing soup.  Something to clean the palate with after a few servings of dumplings.

Cody:  The soups were sad to day, for me,  just ordinary.  It wasn’t as outstanding as I would hope for. 

Vegetables:  Elle: We ordered the Steamed Mui Choy with sliced bean curd. I was a bit disappointed because the bean curd didn’t taste so good. It had a slightly sour unpleasant taste to it that just made the dish taste a bit off.  Bean curd is one of my favorite things on the planet and this dish didn’t live up to my expectation.

Cody: This dish was presented beautifully but tastewise, it wasn’t a hit for me. I like the tofu and the vegetable, but the sauce on top of the tofu wasn’t really to my liking. It tasted like fermented veggies that I think is more of an acquired taste than anything else.

Main dish: Elle:The sauteed scallops with broccoli in X.O. sauce was a winner.  The scallops were sautéed in a lot of green onions which gave the dish so much flavor.  However the picture was so different from the actual serving.  The actual scallops were so much smaller and a bit “drier” in texture than the ones on photo the menu.  Slightly disappointed by the size but it was still delicious. 

Cody: Scallops was cooked perfectly, the veggies was also done right, the problem here was the size, they slice the scallops very thin. Too bad, the sauce was also great.

Elle: The fish fillet in orange sauce was another disappointing dish.  I found it too sweet and too orangey that I couldn’t really understand if it was supposed to be savory or not.  The fish pieces were soft and had a creamy texture but it was overpowered by the sauce.  A little sauce does go a long way. 

Cody:  It was nice that they used real lapulapu fillet. Size was good. Fried perfectly. My rant here would be the sauce that tasted like SUNQUICK.

Dessert:  Elle: Mango sago puree had bits of mango in it.  The sago was a bit too overcooked and had that melt in your mouth texture.  I like sago that kind of fights back when you bite into it.  I was also disappointed with the almond jelly with fruits because it did not have the almond taste I was looking for.  The almond-taste was very mild you’d miss it even after a few bites. 

Cody:  Here is were all the Chinese restaurants fail and falter. And Shang Palace didn’t fare better. It could be done better and I hope they can improve.  The mango sago lacked in taste. The almond jelly was just ordinary.