a little bit about travel, a little bit about food, a lot of everything in between; as seen, tasted and experienced by different points of view..
a little bit about travel, a little bit about food, a lot of everything in between; as seen, tasted and experienced by different points of view..
I’ve always liked the Marine Gateway complex because it has (almost) everything I want in one place. If I can afford the condos here then I would probably move into this neighbourhood haha I don’t remember when I first tried out the Ban Dao restaurant …
Name: The Jammery Address: 8038 BC-97, Lake Country, BC Date of Visit: May 12, 2019 Description: Right smack in the middle of nowhere with no other nearby food establishments in site, this jam factory slash breakfast and lunch spot is a happening place on a …
Name: Gasthaus on the Lake Address: 5790 Beach Avenue, Peachland BC Date of Visit: May 12, 2019 Description: Of the many times we’ve visited the Okanagan, we’ve never ever been to Peachland, the view of the Great Okanagan Lake from the other side of the …
Tsim Sha Tsui Dimsum and Tea Bar
2nd Level, The Terraces,
Ayala Center Cebu
Cebu City, Philippines
Three weeks ago I got to dine at Tsim Sha Tsui Dimsum and Tea Bar a restaurant that is known for their “Hong Kong style, conveyor belt table service”. I have visited this restaurant 5 years ago with @poeticnook, the place was somewhat new then so now it’s time to review and revisit it.
So I was there last October 27th and this time with fellow content contributor @Drei. I arrived around ten in the morning to make table reservations for two for an 11 a.m. brunch. But I guess I was too early because the restaurant was still closed at that time even though the mall was open.
To pass time, I went to a nearby tech store and bought a mini-tripod for my camera-phone.
I returned fifteen minutes before 11a.m. and waited for the waitress to reserve a table for me, but it seems there was no need for it because there were many tables available.
Finally, Drei arrived and we were seated alongside their “famous” table. The waitress offered us rice meal cups to compliment the dimsum dishes, I got the Yang Chow Fried Rice and Drei got the Steamed Rice. She also served us two refillable glasses of iced tea which comes with the buffet.
And then the conveyor belt moved, its time for some Chinese dimsum! First, they rolled in two appetizer dishes on three dimsum plates, which we took one of each kind. We got the mushroom and mixed vegetables side dishes. Next came the main attraction, this is why we came here. We got siomai, siomai with egg, empress roll, chicken feet, breaded pork cutlets, steamed strips of tripe, and shanghai rolls. Each were served in two’s or three’s on each plate. It was like a dimsum train that encourages you to take one, or two, or more.
They also have fried wonton, machang, and hakaw. For dessert, I finished it off with buchi and a white jell-o like maja dessert which was good, but forgot its Chinese name.
The lunch buffet cost around Php.398.00 ($8) per person with rice and drinks included.
That price is ok considering its a dimsum buffet in ACC. Some restaurants in the Terraces vicinity will charge you around 120 per dish or more depending on the place. But if you are a big eater who loves a quick dimsum fix this place is for you.
Here’s my F.A.V.E.S and R&R rating.
Food: Ok
Ambience: So-so
Value for Money: Ok
Experience: So-so
Service: Ok
Rate Guide: Bad,So-so,Ok,Good, and Great.
(R&R)
Recommend: Yes
Revisit: Maybe
Rate Guide: No,Maybe,Yes.
There are two April birthday celebrants in my family, me and my sister. One month after, we finally went out and celebrate. Priorities, I know! Our grandma came along so it had to be somewhere close so it won’t be too hard for her. So we decided to visit Wooden Horse Steakhouse at Molito Complex. I literally pass by this restaurant and I swear I never noticed it was there. Maybe the front of the restaurant was too plain. The name was in bold brown (or was that red?) letters and it just didn’t occur to me to stare at it every time. Maybe because it’s on the way out of the parking lot? Haha
When we entered, I got the feeling that it’s not a family friendly place, and when I say family, I mean being with your 92 year old grandma in a bar like environment with lights and loud speakers kind of place. But the server ushered us to the center of the restaurant in a long table and my grandma looks game so we rolled with it. There was a singer on the stage singing old songs, servers dressed in cowboy clothes, and there’s a Japanese chef behind the counter. If you ask me, it was like a circus to me, nothing came together. But they were very nice to my grandma, that’s hard to ignore.
We ordered everything family style so we can share everything. For appetizers, we had Chicken Quesadillas and Fried Calamari. Both were very good and properly cooked. The soft taco was crisp and filling was just right. The calamari were tender and not overcooked. Making it in the list is Ribeye Steak which was cooked to medium temperature, everyone loved it. We also had Grilled Norwegian Salmon which had nice grill marks on the fish without it being dry in the inside. The Baby Back Ribs were a hit as well, disappearing from the plate as fast as the server put it down on the table. The Teriyaki Chicken Steak was served on a sizzling plate and mom loved it. After the meal, we asked to see the dessert menu but they said they only had ice cream bars so we passed on that. I then asked for the bill but I didn’t receive it right away. You see, when we were seated earlier, they asked if there was anyone celebrating their birthdays in our party and we said yes, as a matter of fact, and that we had 2. So in place of the bill, we got cakes and ice cream for everyone! Now that’s a nice touch.
Verdict: 3.25/5
I think everyone had a good time. There were a lot of highlights, good music, the chefs even came out behind their bar to send us off and say goodnight. Celebrants get to have wrist bands with the restaurant’s name on it, I still have that today. The food could be improved but they have a solid menu so I think it’s just a matter of keeping it up. Very hospitable crew, as well. It’s a good place to cap the night off.
SM Mall of Asia is too far from my residence so I usually take a pass on visiting this place but gladysann is in town. She stayed around the vicinity so it was a good enough reason to go to MOA. Also, I had to …
Whenever I go to Cebu I always get to try new restaurants, some of them home grown and are not found in Manila. Brique is one of them, according to their Facebook page, they offer modern cuisine with a rustic touch in a relaxing atmosphere. Looking at the menu, they have dishes from different cuisines, I’m still deciding if that’s a good thing.
For my appetizer, I got the Eggplant Fries with Anchovy Aioli Dip. The dip was fantastic, not too rich and had the right amount of tanginess. The eggplant fries of course was a little soggy after being deep fried, and the batter helped so little. It was a fair shot, if you ask me.
And for my main, I ordered the Drunken Angus. US Angus beef brisket braised in beer and barbecue sauce. To be honest, the tart beer taste was lost and all I tasted was the sweet barbecue flavor. The beef was soft and tender but the sauce killed the dish for me. I had this with salad thinking I need my veggies, I should have gone for the mashed potato.. but oh well.
I don’t recall why but I also ordered Mint Condition. A blend of spinach, celery, and apple. Maybe I thought it was green? Haha! It was green but I didn’t expect the flavor to be so.. blech.
Verdict: 1.5/5
I’d say it’s ok for the price, it wasn’t too expensive. The food can be done better, I like the presentation but the flavor can be improved. The server, when I asked for the salad to go with my beef, and I couldn’t forget this, asked me if I was sure I just wanted the salad. I said yes, I am sure of my order, why? He was taken aback but murmured it might not be enough for me. I don’t know what he meant by that LOL but it made me feel unpleasant. So yeah, I’m judging this restaurant based on everything.
Close to 20 years ago, I remember sharing my mornings and afternoons with my sisters watching The Lion King. The animated film that propelled Disney to make numerous animated films that young people and adults come to love. So when the International play came to …
And here we are at Meat Depot, literally, another meat depot. I had the joy of dining in one of these restaurants before in Shang, where you choose from their freezer and ask them to cook it for you in the temperature you like. They …
A newly opened food hall at the Podium Mall, Corner Market, is starting to gain traction with its various food selection from every imaginable cuisine. After roaming the food hall, I was literally overwhelmed. I didn’t know what to eat haha but I decided on Char Express. It’s a Chinese quick bites establishment most known for their Charshu Pork (which I got) and their Peking Duck.
I had to ask what it was and the server explained that it’s similar to Philippines’ asado dish, but made Chinese-style meaning they marinated it for hours and then roasted it. Yum! As expected with Chinese dishes, the charshu pork was served on top of rice with steamed bokchoy as a side. The rice topping was very flavorful and hearty. And for less than Php250 a pop, it’s a great deal.
After the meal, I had to get some dessert from Bake Cheesetart hailing from Japan! Of course I can’t let this day pass without having some Japanese haha! I bought a whole box from the store and that store is just packed with yummy cheese tart smell. I paired that with Green Tea Latte from Stockwell, a cafe in Corner Market. I like the tart green tea flavor, definitely not lost there.
Verdict: 3.75/5
I like how this meal was complete, from main, dessert, and coffee! The prices were all reasonable and very filling! Check out the Corner Market for more food finds!
