Family Dinners at Hap Chan, SM Manila

Whenever I want cheap but delicious Chinese food, I only go to North Park (they currently have two stores along Macapagal Blvd.!). Now, there's also Hap Chan Tea House to satiate my Chinese food cravings. Since they opened a branch at SM Manila last year (I stand corrected), we've had family dinner there a couple of times already and each time, my family and I were satisfied.



Below are our some of our must-orders there:



Yang Chow Fried Rice (P230) and Lumpiang Shanghai (P250). I liked how their fried rice was not oily at all and contained lots of small shrimps, pork asado bits and veggies. Their shanghai rolls, on the other hand, were crispy, meaty (unlike others that had more veggies than pork meat) and seasoned just right. Their lumpiang shanghai actually got my mom's nod of approval at first bite.



Their Quail Egg Siomai (P75) hit the spot! It's now officially my fave siomai in the entire Metro Manila. Haha. I liked how each piece of dimsum was plump, juicy, packed with meat (and not just fat!) and was seasoned just right. No umay factor here.



These two were soya-based smoothies (P60-P65 per glass). The one on the left was strawberry and the one on the right was chocolate. I prefer the latter because it tasted more chocolate-y than tofu-flavored.

One time, we also tried their Buttered Chicken (P250) which was very good. Our order had around six to seven small chicken pieces which were fried to perfection. I could taste the butter in every bite so I could tell they didn't scrimp on ingredients.

Another time, my mom and I had dinner there and availed of their rice meals which were okay, too. Priced at P120-P150, they were quite delicious and filling.


with my mom and my two younger sisters during one of our family dinners at Hap Chan, SM Manila

Hap Chan
4/L SM City Manila
Natividad Almeda-Lopez, Ermita, Manila

(+632) 484-3229


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Sunday Family Lunch at King Bee, Daang Hari

We would drive past the King Bee Chinese Restaurant on Centennial Road in Kawit on our way to my parents' place in Naic (both places are in Cavite) and we would always wonder if it serves good Chinese food. Personally, I love Chinese food and I choose to have it all the time. Haha. In fact, I'd prefer it over Japanese and Korean food any time. The flavors of Chinese food have many depths and layers that make them so appealing to me. But I digress. Here, I'm sharing about our generally pleasant King Bee dining experience at their Daang Hari branch.

We dined there just last Sunday when the hubby and I, along with his family, decided to stroll around Alabang via the Daang Hari road. We checked out Alabang Town Center for a while and when lunch time came, we headed back to King Bee - Daang Hari branch to eat. We got a table for five and the waiter handed us the menu immediately after we got seated.

King Bee - Daang Hari is huge with big round tables and Chinese decors all over the place. There are also some glass aquariums with live fish inside, waiting to be ordered by dining customers. During our visit, several tables were already occupied by families. Outside, the parking slots were almost half-full.

Our simple lunch consisted of the following:



This Yang Chow Fried Rice (P330, medium) was tasty and filling. My PIL, who's a picky eater, liked how it wasn't oily and soggy. We ate this with all the other dishes we ordered and we got stuffed easily.



Birthday Noodles (P260, regular) is now officially my fave noodles. I love how it has everything I want in a pancit: juicy whole shrimps, squid, pork slices, pork liver, quail eggs, veggies and delicious sauce. It doesn't hurt that King Bee knows how to cook this dish perfectly. I think I can eat this everyday! Haha. By the way, the serving was big we even had to take the leftover home.



Sweet and Sour Pork (P280, small). We enjoyed this dish because the pork was juicy and flavorful. It also had the sweet and sour balance that we were looking for. For this dish alone, I believe King Bee is worth a visit. The serving was okay, too, as it could feed two to three persons with normal appetite.



Lemon Chicken, (P280, small). We found this too sweet. The sweetness overpowered the lemon-y flavor that should have been the highlight of the dish. Also, the breaded chicken strips had more bread than chicken. Just saying. The serving was okay, though, like two to three persons with normal appetite could share an order.

For drinks, we ordered one glass each of their fresh juices and iced tea. I found my calamansi juice overly sweet. I had to dilute the sweetness by adding more water and ice to it. Haha.


my calamansi juice, P60

Presentation and taste wise, the food we had at King Bee were winners in their own right. As for the price, I think it was a bit on the expensive side. We have eaten at more affordable Chinese restaurants before.

I can't say much about the service. The waiters took quite a long time before giving us a water refill and we had to ask twice to get the bill. Hopefully, we'll get better service when we go back. Or maybe, we'll just visit their other branch in Kawit to compare. :)


our group

King Bee Chinese Food
Daang Hari Road
Almanza Uno, Las Piñas City

(+632) 359-5221


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Binondo Food Trip: LGA Fastfood, Estero

My Chinese food craving this morning led me to Estero, a popular foodie haven in Binondo (Manila's Chinatown). We had a quick dinner there before going to SM Manila to do some grocery shopping. Estero has several stores inside and we just did a little wandering before settling for LGA Fastfood, one of the restos there. Just like the rest, it serves authentic (exotic is optional since they have, what do you know, frog dishes on the menu!) and affordable Chinese food.

Our quick dinner that night consisted of just three items: Crab and Corn Soup, Yang Chow Fried Rice, and Buttered Chicken. We paid a little over P300 for it. Not bad for another satisfying Binondo food trip.

Estero means "canal" in English. Here in Manila, most esteros can be described just the same: garbage-laden, stinky, and filthy. If cleanliness is a big issue to you, then I suggest dining somewhere else (like Cafe Mezzanine or Sincerity Cafe). But if you're a brave soul who's into exploring new foodie destinations, take the road to Estero and you'll be in for a delicious surprise.


the dining area


the open kitchen of LGA Fastfood

Once we got seated to our table, a waitress immediately handed us their menu filled with a variety of dishes priced according to the size of your appetite (small, medium, and large). There were pork, beef, chicken, seafood, and frog (read: exotic) dishes. There were also various kinds of pancit, soup, and vegetable dishes. Prices start at P70 up.

While we were ordering, I was looking for some familiar Chinese fares like Shanghai rolls, dimsum and kiampong but didn't find any on the menu. It made me a little sad but I recovered in a snap upon seeing our food that was served to us quite fast.


Crab and Corn Soup, P100 for Small

This soup came in a big bowl and could easily feed three to four people. It was rich, tasty and flavorful. I could really taste the rich crab flavor and even saw bits and pieces of crab shell, claw and feet underneath my bowl. Aside from corn, there were also green peas and carrot bits in the coup which made it healthier. The soup was just too much for the two of us. I felt a bit guilty we had to leave what we didn't finish on the table.


Yang Chow Fried Rice, P90 for Small

Our fried rice came in a small plate. At first, I thought it wouldn't be enough for us but since the soup was quite heavy on the tummy, we already got satisfied sharing it. It was as simple as it looked but definitely delicious. I saw some small shrimps, ground pork, and veggies which made the rice more satisfying to the palate.


Buttered Chicken, P120 for Small

Our Buttered Chicken came in several small chicken pieces. They were lightly-seasoned and the richness of the butter was evident in each bite. There was also a good ratio between the breading, the chicken and the butter which was a good thing for me. Not too thin, not too thick. The chicken definitely went well with our fried rice.

I was happy to see our drinks because they reminded me of my childhood back in the province where these sodas in vintage bottles were sold:


I love, love the vintage bottles!

At Estero, just like in most restaurants, you pay your bill after you have finished eating. I haven't checked if they had restrooms there but I could see there were more restos inside. I hope to dine there soon.

A decent parking lot is non-existent around the area (except at Salazar's Bakeshop) so I suggest not to bring a car, unless you want to risk its safety by parking it on the sidewalk of the narrow road that is Ongpin St.

Our Estero dining experience can be summed up in two words: quick and satisfying. Just like how eating at a fast food place should be, only this time around, it's not just any fast food, it's Estero's own brand of authentic Chinese food. :)

Estero
Ongpin St.
Binondo, Manila

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