Robinson's Galleria, Mandaluyong City
Type of Cuisine: Chinese
Average cost per person: 200-300 (US$5-8)
Overall Rating:
Finding authentic Chinese cuisine in Manila is not necessarily a difficult task. With the fairly large population of Chinese Filipinos in the country, there are many places to go for food that is comfortably familiar. Looking for a quick bite to eat, we decided to try this updated looking Chinese restaurant. The clean lines, paneled walls, and warm yellow lighting set the ambiance. The cliched restaurant name aside, this is a good place to go to for a casual dinner, but not somewhere to go to be surprised.
Hakaw (Php 105, US$2.50)Somehow, whether it be in a hole in the wall dimsum shop or at a high end Chinese restaurant, you can never go wrong with ordering Hakaw. This version understandably has less shrimp and more bamboo shoots, but nevertheless these slightly pink translucent dumplings are a great start to dinner.
Hot Prawn Salad (Php 260, US$6.50)Still steaming, the battered prawns dredged in mayonnaise and fruits that comprise this dish could very well be stomach churning for some, especially if it isn't done well. What was different with this salad was the addition of vegetables, when it is usually made with fruits and shrimp. We would prefer it if they left out the fruits and just left the vegetables as fruit with mayonnaise isn't really our thing.
Seafood Fried Rice (Php 160, US$4.00)Yang Chow Fried Rice is a staple in every Chinese restaurant, and the Seafood Fried Rice is not very much different from it. In fact, the only difference seems to be the addition of slightly more seafood, but not enough to change the dish drastically. This is one of those dishes, along with Hakaw, that seems to taste the same everywhere you go.
Beef with Broccoli (Php 195, US$5.00)Unusually, the star of this dish was the broccoli, which came in generous servings. The beef itself was slightly rubbery, and did not lend itself well in the dish. But for the price it was more than enough to satisfy us.
I find that you can never go wrong with Prawn Salad and Hakaw... just a question of finding a place with reasonable price.
ReplyDeleteYou guys didn't feature the unique baked rice dishes - these dishes (especially the seafood baked rice) were responsible for the times I craved for some Mr Choi's Kitchen. :)
ReplyDeleteTo be honest it seems to be a imitation of the restaurant of "glora maris" thats my opinion but they do serve so-so food. Its nothing too spectacular but if you are after that simple chinese feel, you can come here for the sake of it... and ya its cheaper then many other good chinese restaurants, i agree with the 3 stars.. not bad.. but not yet excellent
ReplyDeleteI agree with Anonymous. Their nice baked rice dishes are huge and cheap. (At least they were the last time I checked... haven't been there in ages.)
ReplyDelete@tchukasa: You must be talking about Choi Garden (under the same owner of Mr. Choi Kitchen). That one is really a "Gloria Maris" imitation with slightly more dish to choose from. You should try Choi Garden (hot pot section), food is excellent with price range just like that of Causeway Bay.
ReplyDeleteThe first time i ate at Mr. Choi's was at their Waltermart branch in Makati upon a client's invitation to try it since it was new then. Most of the reviews about this resto i agree with. There is nothing to be surprised, nothing spectacular - for me it's a restaurant that offers comfort Chinese food. For its clean premises and comfortable ambiance, the price is reasonable. But it has its merits too. I like their roast pork asado, tender, juicy though a bit sweet. Nevertheless, for its quantity and price; it is way better than the others. It even reminds me of a restaurant i frequent in HK just for the roast pork.
ReplyDeleteI love Mr. Choi! It has become part of our family's routine to have dinner at their Robinson's Galleria Branch almost every Saturday! Their food is very tasty and filling which makes it worth your money. ;)
ReplyDelete