Shi Lin at the Podium

Right now, there are a lot of Xiao Long Bao stores opening in Manila. There's Suzhou for one, and Crystal Jade La Mian Xiao Long Bao, and now, there's Shi Lin restaurant in the 3rd level of The Podium in Pasig.



We visited a few days after it opened. They say it's one of the version of the famous Din Dai Fung of Taiwan, but I have yet to try it there. It's now a growing trend to have a see-through kitchen where you can observe how they prepare your food.



Of course, we had to try their Xiao Long Bao, to compare with all others we've tried. We loved it. I say it's one of the best, in you just consider the taste. It's not as big as the ones served in Suzhou, but a crate has 6 pcs in it. Suzhou's shredded ginger and Chinese black vinegar, the one you dip your Xiao Long Bao in, is still the best in my opinion.



We also got their version of Shrimp and Pork Dumpling, which is equally good. You could taste a good combination of shrimp and pork. Next time I would love to try their Shrimp and Pork Shaomai, which I heard tastes better.



Another dish we ordered was the Noodles with Spicy Sesame & Peanut Sauce. Although I would say that the dish was a lot smaller than we expected (because the serving size is only good for one) the overall taste is great. The noodles were cooked a bit on the al dente side, and the flavors of the spicy sesame and peanut sauce is just fantastic! I tried mixing it with the rice, and it was just insanely yummy.



The last dish we got was the Drunken Chicken. It was my first time to be able to sample a cold dry chicken dish served with soup. It was a little bit odd for my taste, but with soy and chili, I guess it worked for me.



We also tried out their Passion Berry Iced Tea (right) and their Green Mistique Iced Tea (left). I love the latter one, which is what I had :)

Subic Bay's Hong Kong Dimsum Treat

While you're in Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA), you should try out Subic Bay Venezia Hotel's New Feng Huang Restaurant which offers one of the best Hakaw I've ever tasted in the Philippines. From a certain time-frame after lunch and before dinner, the restaurant offers dimsum at a discounted rate, more of less 50% off the original price.

The Steamed Pork Siomai, Deep Fried Wanton, and the Pan Fried Radish Cake are priced at Php 49 each. The Mixed Bola-bola Congee, Beef Congee, and the Steamed Shrimp Dumplings are priced at Php 79 each. Good food at affordable prices. Try it when you're visiting the place, I'm sure you'll love it! :)

Dong Bei: Dumplings

Dong Bei （東北水餃水） Restaurant
642 Yuchengco St (formerly Nueva) Binondo, Manila

After eating at McGeary for a late lunch in Binondo, the Foodista in me made me want to explore more, and look for some fab food finds.

When talking about Binondo, I am certain that food finds (most especially Chinese food) would not escape any conversation. There are really a lot of restaurants, which my parents are calling institutions already, that date way back (30 or more years of existence) from their high school years.

But with all of my more than 10 years of coming and going and visiting in Binondo, I have never heard of 東北 Dumplings. It was just until fellow food bloggers, like Arpee Lazaro, and others went on a Binondo food tour, did I get to hear about this restaurant. Thanks to Arpee, I was able to get directions going there a while ago.

I opted to purchase the uncooked pork and kutchay dumplings. One pack (30 pcs of dumplings) costs Php 200. I ordered 3 packs; little did I know, they have a *promo - buy a total of Php 600 dumplings, and get Php 700 worth of dumplings. (*I was able to get 105 pcs of dumplings for only Php 600. Not bad!)

Later that night, I cooked the dumplings as suggested by the very friendly serving staff of Dong Bei.

First, you have to boil water. When it's already boiling, just put in the dumplings for five minutes. After 5 mins, you can take it out already, and you can now enjoy the tasty dumplings you've been wanting to devour.

I must admit, these dumplings are superb. I can't wait to finish off these dumplings I bought. :) To the next food adventure!