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Posts Tagged ‘chinese

Apr

AN EVENING OF LIGHTS AT KHOO KONGSI

*Ornate details of the Prayer Pavilion, Khoo Kongsi

27 April 2013. Saturday. While most people in Penang were probably watching Iron Man 3 in cinemas or perhaps, resting at home after an entire work or school week and a whole day’s household chores as in the case of my wife and our kid, I left our place at around 5PM, hopped on the bus, took the 15 minute ferry ride from Butterworth to George Town and rode another bus to Lebuh Chulia, then strolled my way to Cannon Street with nothing in mind but to revisit one of the incredibly majestic clan houses in Penang, the Khoo Kongsi.

Yes, I’ve been to Khoo Kongsi before and I’ve blogged it a few times already but I’ve never experienced the “Evening of Lights At Khoo Kongsi” celebrated every last Saturday of the month at 7PM. It is when the entire Prayer Pavilion of Khoo Kongsi beams and shines against the royal blue sky!

Since I still have prepaid Rapid-Penang-Bus unlimited-ride-card for the month of April, and the usual admission rate of 10 ringgit (USD 3.30) to Khoo Kongsi was waived during this event, I only spent 1.20 ringgit (USD 0.40) on the roundtrip ferry ride and 13.50 ringgit (USD 4.45) for a personal favorite Indian plate with Mango Lassi from Restoran Kapitan at Little India.

*Chicken Tandoori Set at RM10 (served with Cheese Naan) washed down with Mango Lassi, RM3.50. Dinner solb!

The gates of Khoo Kongsi located at Cannon Street were guarded and only opened at 7PM. After grabbing some bites at Restoran Kapitan, I went back to this famous clan house and simply waited for moments when everyone’s done with their obligatory photo-ops with the gorgeous Prayer Pavilion as their backdrop. I was lucky to have a chance to capture the beauty of the Prayer Pavilion of Khoo Kongsi with less tourists and visitors as people began to flock after I left the area.

*Once again, I marveled at the grandiosity of Khoo Kongsi with all elegance from Fujian architecture.

“From the late 18th century to 1850, the Khoos migrated from Sin Kang Village in China to Penang and involved themselves in trades and other careers. They formed a closely-knit community, took care of each other and gathered on the 5th day of the 5th Moon every year to celebrate the birthday of Tua Sai Yah. In 1835, they founded the Ee Kok Tong as an early form of clan association. The basement of Leong San Tong has been converted into the Leong San Tong Khoo Kongsi Museum.” sourced from www.khookongsi.com.my

Who would not be in awe with this excellent Oriental structure built from exquisite craftmanship in woodcarving, stone carving, coloured drawing, stucco sculpture, cut-and-paste decoration and tiled roof?

The Prayer Pavilion faces a courtyard intended for gatherings then and now, and a huge stage built for Opera and other performances. And for this weekend’s event, Chinese drums were installed that provided the beat and accompanied the traditional lion dances.

This is how big the Khoo Kongsi compound is!

I was silently jumping for joy when the blue hour (at around 7:30-7:50PM here in Penang) came! Happy to capture photos of Khoo Kongsi during this time despite the lack of tripod.

Good thing the lion dance performers and “prosperity mascots” with the drummers and cymbals on stage deviated the attention of the people from the Prayer Pavilion; I had a few minutes of camera clicks without tourists and other photographers around it.

This monthly Evening of Lights At Khoo Kongsi was supposed to end at around 10PM with other entertainers to performs but I left the place at around 8PM. En route back to Chulia Street, I failed to resist and captured a couple more photos of the corner of Cannon and Armenian Streets…

plus that iconic landmark in George Town which is a Muslim worship place, the Kapitan Keling Mosque…

Over all, I enjoyed my Saturday evening and considered it a blessing that eased out my stress from work. Engaging in activities and sights like this is a welcome respite from my almost routinary life at my desk in the Faculty Room and in the classrooms.

*How did you spend your weekend?

*More photos on my earlier blog post about Khoo Kongsi –> HERE!

Feb

WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE : FORWARD

By docgelo 21 Comments

*Must step FORWARD to usher a more prosperous Chinese New Year!

Here’s a teaser to my next blog post about the very festive Cultural and Heritage Chinese New Year Celebration in George Town, Penang. More photos and blog post soon! This also serves as my entry to the Weekly Photo Challenge : Forward

Feb

DRAGONS IN KUALA LUMPUR & PENANG

By docgelo 12 Comments

As I am an ordinary spectator of the biggest annual event for the Chinese community here in Malaysia, my eyes continue to feast on the colors and festive moods extremely associated with the Spring Festival, the Lunar Year or simply, the Chinese New Year. It’s such a delight to learn that at the end of every grandiose day of celebration, a family reunion dinner and gatherings with friends remain to be the occasion’s most inspiring spirit!

Apparently, 2012 is the year of the DRAGON.

“In Sung Dynasty (a Chinese imperial dynasty lasting from AD 960 – 1279) texts, the dragon is described as having the head of an ox, muzzle of a donkey, eyes of a shrimp, horns of a deer, body of a serpent covered with fish scales, and feet of a phoenix. The dragon usually clutches a pearl symbolic of its super-natural powers. Invariably accompanied by thunder and rain, dragons move like lightning and whirlwinds – - all powerful yet totally unpredictable” (-sourced here).

And because Tina and I, together with my mom who’s with us currently here in Penang, are all under the DRAGON sign, behold my blog’s tribute to the ultimate auspicious symbol representing success and happiness…

In KUALA LUMPUR, dragons come in varied elegance…

At Suria-KLCC Shopping Complex at the foot of the Petronas Twin Towers, Kuala Lumpur, My

Detail shot of one of the dragons in Pavilion Mall…

Pavilion Mall, Bukit Bintang, Kuala Lumpur

And its entirety…

Pavilion Mall outdid Suria-KLCC Shopping Complex in terms of volume and size of their dragon displays. This is how Pavilion Mall’s 600-foot-dragon looks like…

And what’s a Chinese New Year celebration without dragon dances?

Embroidered dragon in a man’s court suit on display at Pavilion Mall…

In PENANG, the Chinese community also shows solidarity and unity in welcoming the New Lunar Year…

Drum rolls and beats make the atmosphere so stellar!

Armenian and Kapitan Keling Streets welcome everyone with this dragon-designed arch.

Dragons in Pulau Pinang are everywhere! From stage…

to novelty stores selling stuffed dragons…

and street kiosks with paper ones…

fifteen ringgit is two hundred ten pesos. mahal!

The streets of George Town, particularly the laterals of Lebuh Chulia display a lot more dragons…

Do you like your dragon on textile?

which are obviously hand-painted…

Or would you care your dragon be inked on you?

To environmentalists and those who care for Mother Earth, a dragon made of recycled bottles surely looks awesome!

but to foodies like my family and me, these last two photos certainly seems enticing!

Gong Xi Fa Cai, everyone!

*CNY in Malaysia this year starts 23rd January 2012 until 15 days after.

Dec

HONG KONG

By docgelo 21 Comments

Categories: FOOD & MORE FOOD! and MALAYSIA
Tags: canton-i, chinese, chinese food, dimsum, dimsum & dumplings, dragon-i, dumplings, family, family bonding, food, food trip, foodie, gastronomic, gastronomic adventures, hakao, hakaw, peanuts, rice toppings, shanghainese, shanghainese food, shrimp dumplings, siomai

How would you react if and when your weekend morning’s greeted by this message?

yee-haa!

I am a strong believer of the cliche that “best things in life are free!” And you?

That message simply made my Friday morning. I immediately emailed the sender and noticed her email address and company’s name are both from Malaysia. I got an “out-of-office-automated-reply” but few seconds after that, I received an actual email-response from Ms. Jaclyn. What even delighted me was the fact that she mentioned that the blogger’s wife and 2 kids (I only have Gabby now) will be sponsored too. Ang husay! Tara, let’s go!

If you must know, I have been with famous Filipino bloggers and media people, the lovely couple of hanna and vince whose names were mentioned on the email-invite when we went to (my lone sponsored trip) that Grecian-inspired, lavishly beautiful beach resort in Northern Luzon last year; it was days before I went to Penang (peek at my blog post about Thunderbird Resorts,HERE! ). And after reaching home, I sent a PM to hanna and she confirmed that Ms. Jaclyn is actually her friend and the invite is legit. Now, I am really EXCITED! I hope it pushes through because it’ll be a great treat for GABBY! It’s been 4 years since the 3 of us went to HK Disneyland.

Talking about Hong Kong, I remember we enjoyed an early dinner in a Hong Kong-themed restaurant here in the island of Penang months ago.

With casual but stylish ambiance, CANTON-i in Queensbay Mall is simply charming.

bird cages used as lights adorn the ceiling of Canton-i.

When Chinese, it must be RED! I like the red-painted walls and ceiling infused with those white gorgeous floral and butterfly and dragonfly panels. It definitely draws attraction and makes diners more eager to eat! That auspicious color seems to be so enigmatic!

Appetizer was nutty.

Canton-i has a sister-company, another Shanghainese food place with branch on the same mall called Dragon-i (view our dining experience at Dragon-i HERE!)

My bowl : the photo can't give justice to how good it was.

While Tina shared a wanton-soupy noodle bowl with Gabby…

And apparently, we’re keeping a love affair with dimsum…

One of our favorites : Hakao or shrimp dumplings.

Siomai-mommy!

fish roe-delight on shrimp-pork siomai

Let’s see next year if we’ll take our love for dimsum back to HK….*crossed fingers*

family over Chinese food = simply awesome!

Oct

HALLOWEEN IN PENANG, 2011

By docgelo 22 Comments

At two years old, he was dressed as a pumpkin. The following year, as Count Dracula. And with his 3 years in Preschool –Nursery, Kindergarten and Preparatory, he wore ninja, scarecrow and tiger-chef costumes with appropriate face-paint makeups done specially by Tina.

From his school to malls in the Philippines such as our favorites, Greenbelt, TriNoma and Gateway, Gabby enjoyed collecting candies wearing his costumes we fancied every Halloween. He was even awarded as a student with “Most Creative Costume” in their school parties for 2 consecutive years.

Being abroad with limited budget doesn’t deter him from celebrating Halloween with other kids. Despite the fact that his school here and our appartment do not have similar activities, some malls here in Penang also conduct such events that add to priceless childhood happiness. Although admittedly, it’s still best and more FUN doing all these things in our own country (read : we miss the malls and almost everything in Pinas!).

29 October 2011, Saturday –We arrived 10AM, so early at Queensbay Mall and headed directly to Starbucks Coffee, not only to grab quick morning drinks and bites but to be strategically near to the venue and stage where the Halloween Costume Contest for kids would be held. As I went to the counter to order a couple of ventis of frappuccinos (chocolate for Gabby, and dark mocha shared by Tina and me) and a plate of sausage roll, Tina didn’t waste any second and prepared her stuffs to do Gabby’s face paint.

If you must know, Tina doesn’t have any formal training, whatsoever on doing make ups. In fact, she only began wearing them few weeks after she first met me (she’ll kill me for this!). Apparently, she’s doing great with her face and with Gabby’s, isn’t she? This proves that Tina has many skills and talents. My wife isn’t only a diligent Operating Room nurse, a dedicated mother, a passionate educator herself, but also a creative makeup artist in her own right! She even managed to work well with the face paint I bought from Toys R Us here despite it was far from the brands she told me to buy (supply of those things is rare in this part of Malaysia).

In character before he ate his lunch!

Gabby requested one of his favorites, Pizza Hut for lunch. We’re delighted with a pitcher of Mountain Dew, a small loaf of garlic bread, soup of the day and a large 7-cheese-pizza!

Pizza Hut's Seven Cheese Pizza : Romano, Monterey Jack, Parmesan, Philadelphia Cream Cheese, Provolone, Mozzarella and Cheddar. So heavenly!

Gabby remains to be a purist when it comes to pizzas so he wants it nothing but cheese. This new offerring from Pizza Hut was welcoming to him and in fact, we all found it sublime that I am craving for another slice as I write this.

We finished lunch a few minutes prior to 1:30PM call time for all participants. We went back near Starbucks, confirmed Gabby’s attendance and got his number-tag. He was contestant # 6 out of 33 (or was it 34?) kiddie participants all in all.

His royal blue Chinese-inspired satin tunic was a hand-me-down costume from his eldest cousin, that was worn at our wedding reception almost 8 years ago. We only added a few accessories that Gabby chose himself from a store also in Queensbay Mall for him to look more like a Chinese pirate (uniquely wearing a Beijing Opera mask).

Each contestant was called, asked to walk on the ramp and introduce themselves a little and greet everyone a “Happy Halloween!”. It was the very first time we saw Gabby became shy on stage (read : he doesn’t have stage fright for he had won and placed in several declamation contests in his former school back home).

They paraded on the entire Ground floor before the winners’ names were announced.

He lost but nonetheless, we’re definite that he enjoyed the experience this year. Tina and I had fun too being with these kids! As token of participation, we’ll be issued after a week, a free 8R picture officially taken by Queensbay Mall photographer during the event.

Honestly, when Tina and I saw her and her props, we knew she deserves to be the contest’s grand winner, but this 10-year old girl geared as a ‘Halloween dinner table’ only bagged second place.

First place went to…

Tina and I told Gabby that he had done a good job on stage and made him feel our very own champion. He is and he’ll always be, of course!:)

Group shot!

One more time!

Gabby had fun, he even retained his face paint and costumes on until we reached home; except the fact that he only got candies and chocolates from the organizers of the event themselves because the shops and stores inside the mall didn’t prepare sweets like the way it’s done back home and else where.

How’s your Halloween?

Because obviously, we cannot visit cemeteries of our departed, we’ll just utter prayers for our late grandparents and relatives. It’s what we practice back home on top of trick or treating.

Oct

MY 2 HOURS AT PINANG PERANAKAN MANSION

By docgelo 46 Comments

*Please make sure you view the ENTIRE post; it’s a visual feast! Thank you!*

Heritage.

Opulence.

Grandeur.

Heritage…Opulence…Grandeur –all in one roof.
Pinang Peranakan Mansion is impressively stunning!
With just an entrance fee cheaper than a venti of Starbucks Coffee, ten ringgit actually (RM10 =PhP 140 or USD 3.16), I took the chance to spend a couple of hours inside this fantastic place with Chinese carved wooden panels, English floor tiles and Scottish ironworks and a thousand and more fascinating pieces. I freely wandered and marveled inside Pinang Peranakan Mansion at my own pace, without time limit. In an instant, my senses were brought back to the bygone era when the Peranakans, also known as Babas and Nyonyas, reigned as a community of acculturated Chinese unique to this part of the world.

Tucked in the heart of George Town, in Church Street or Lebuh Gereja, the mansion in mint green was beautifully restored to its glory meant to be enjoyed by the present and future generations.

The mansion’s second floor boasts of the Bridal Chamber, Family Hall, Glass room and an enormous display of finest porcelains.
But before your steps take you to these lifestyle galleries, must comply….

An ornately decorated bedroom is transformed into a bridal gallery.

Continue reading ‘MY 2 HOURS AT PINANG PERANAKAN MANSION’

Jul

OUR SPLENDID AFTERNOON AT THE BLUE MANSION

By docgelo 31 Comments

With Feng Shui perfection, this magnificent dwelling that fused aesthetics and opulence was built with the doors fronting the sea and its posterior on a mountain slope, the Penang Hill, described as “house on the back of a dragon” figuratively.

Its front doors have Chinese inscriptions that read, “Dancing Phoenix and Flying Dragons” which, according to Chinese beliefs can only be found in Heaven. These and more enticed me and my family to listen and enjoy the very engaging one-hour-guided tour at The Cheong Fatt Tze Mansion also known as The Blue Mansion.

23 July 2011. Saturday. My initial plan was to bring my family to the biggest Buddhist temple in Southeast Asia located in Penang but I guess it had to be rescheduled some other weekend thus, one thing led to another.

The suggestion to pay the Blue Mansion a visit came from one of the Tsinoys I admire, who described himself in his website as “a self-designated life-long citizen and ambassador of Manila”, Ivan Man Dy of Old Manila Walks when he left a comment on my post about our beautiful experience in Yeng Keng Hotel.

With my parents, wife and our son in tow, I arrived with them at Cheong Fatt Tze Mansion with ample time to take photos of its exteriors, prior to our scheduled 1:30PM guided tour.

Located in Lebuh Leith or Leith Street, the mansion site stretches 56,000 sq ft (5,202.4 sq meters) with a total floor area of 33,000 sq ft (3065.7 sq meters). What’s amazing with Cheong Fatt Tze Mansion isn’t its expectedly vast than usual land coverage but its other remarkable uniqueness. For instance, its lot and its neighbors do not follow the alignment of Leith Street which runs in a North-East to South-West direction. This unusual construction was believed to be guided by Feng Shui or geomancy as preferred by Cheong Fatt Tze himself.

With my almost a year of being an expat in Penang, I’d say it is hard to miss this indigo blue structure that can be seen along George Town’s main thoroughfares such as Jalan Penang (Penang Road) and Lebuh Chulia (Chulia Street). However, I didn’t have any idea of its cultural and historic significance until my family and I set foot on its courtyard.

with Komtar, the tallest building in George Town at its backdrop.

The entire tour of the Cheng Fatt Tze Mansion was truly worth indulging! The RM 12 (USD 4.03 or PhP 171) per pax rate of fee was nothing compared to the fascination and amazement we’ve experienced. Imagine stepping on the same venue where the 1992 notable Academy-award winning (1993 Best Foreign Language Film) French movie, Indochine that starred Catherine Deneuve and Vincent Perez was filmed. The Blue Mansion is equally interesting as the man who built it.

In Tuxedo and in Chinese Mandarin Suit. The New York Times called him “The Rockefeller of the East”. Having rags to riches story, with perseverance in his pocket, he conquered himself and had engaged in businesses dealing with pepper, rubber, tea, coffee, tobacco, rice and even opium; eventually became an investor in banks, trader of glassworks, cattle and textiles. He became philantropist and had abundant wives of 8 (of whom wife #7 was the favorite), concubines and hand-maidens. He had his last will and testament that ordered the Mansion would only be available for selling after the death of his son (1989). Photo sourced via www.penang-vacations.com

CHEONG FATT TZE

“Arriving penniless from Guandong province, China,to this part of the world at the age of 16, Cheong Fatt Tze grew to become one of the most historic and colorful personalities of the era. “One of China’s last Mandarins and 1st Capitalists”, such was his aura and fame that the Dutch and British authorities ordered that flags be flown at half mast throughout their colonies when he passed away in 1916. Of his vast empire, Cheong Fatt Tze chose Penang to build the most elaborate of his homes and to raise his sons. It is reputed to be one of two such buildings of this size, outside China and certainly the most perfected. While the Mansion’s floorplan is essentially Chinese, the overall effect is ecclectic and typical of 19th Century Straights Settlements architecture. Gothic louvered windows, Chinese cut-and-paste porcelain work, Stoke-on-Trent floor tiles, Scottish cast iron works and Art Nouveau stained glass are among the features to be found in this inspired work of art. The aura and “chi” of the man pervades the entire edifice.

The dilapidated Mansion was acquired in 1990 with the prime intention of achieving a return to an authentic original form. Traditional materials and methods have been utilized and the end result has been nationally and internationally acclaimed. Winner of “Most Excellent Project” Award at the UNESCO Heritage Awards 2000, the Cheong Fatt Tze Mansion has earned its place as one of Penang’s foremost tourist destinations, a historical reminder of a past era and a man whose dream will live on it the majesty of his home.” *Sourced from the Cheong Fatt Tze Mansion, Georgetown bookmark giveaway at the gate.*

Couplets, such as this door found at the side of the Mansion after its restoration are symbolic as the proverbs, “There is permanence in the rising of the sun and moon.”

The only disappointment I had was the fact that photography’s forbidden inside the Mansion. Nonetheless, I confirmed from our excellent tour guide, Ms. Lyn Fong a.k.a Sally, that once a guest checks in in one of the 16 rooms for a bed and breakfast (or any room or event package preferred), –yes, The Blue Mansion is one the gorgeous boutique hotels in Penang) taking of photos is allowed except during tour hours (11AM, 1:30PM and 3PM).

Chien Nien, or the technique of porcelain cut and paste shard works of art were very prominent in every corner of the house. The process entails the use of small and colored porcelain bowls, each intricately cut to form a 3D effect on the designs that tells Chinese tales; piece by piece -the work was tedious but wonderfully restored!

We absolutely marveled at these features : The center of the mansion has the greatest “chi” according to Feng Shui experts. That beautiful spot was surrounded by 4 metal pillars with intricate designs, made by Macfarlanes in Glasgow, Scotland.

The Mansion also has timber filgree paneling with gold leaf gilding which was also painstakingly restored to its full glory.

The walls and the ceilings were perfectly built in such a way that water collected from rain will be running quickly (water in feng shui means MONEY!) and the basin which has 2 openings in the center of the Mansion will let it run out slowly.

In the middle Ms. Lyn Fong’s tour guiding when we were at the center of the mansion and while she was discussing about water and money, I had my widest smile when she told me that I am sitting in one the luckiest spots of the Mansion which is one of the water openings.

The Cheong Fatt Tze Mansion has all the essential elements : Metal, Wood, Air, Water, Fire (fire represented in the house by its generous oil lamps). Its stairs are made of 28 steps (28 in Chinese is good luck) of which the first 3 are made of granite, a good foundation to swiftly bring wealth.

The Mansion has fantastic glass stained windows with pineapple and fan designs to fan-in wealth inside the house. Windows have wooden shutters without nails but close and open with its Yin and Yang designs.

The tiles at the floor of the entire house came from Europe.

Obviously, red is auspicious color in Chinese and not blue. We learned that the Mansion was only painted indigo blue because at that time, almost entire George Town, Malacca and Singapore were painted with the same hue.

The beautiful day is incomplete without souvenir shots even only from its courtyard…

Gabby’s paternal lola and lolo.

If you’re planning a trip to George Town and a pit stop at Cheong Fatt Tze Mansion, make sure your tour will be flawlessly guided by Ms. Lyn Fong (a.k.a Sally) whose passion to her work emanates to what she does best. Thank you, Ms. Lyn! We hope to see you again in the near future!

Once again, I am impressed with what Penang has to offer. It seems almost every weekend is a surprise! George Town has been consistent in drowning me and (now) my family in its diverse cultures and colors but one thing is definite, we are not complaining!

Tina and I hope that with Gabby’s smiles, he will soon appreciate his early exposures to the influences of this multicultural state, and may his inevitable immersion to such diversities contribute to his being positively.

Visit their website at *The Cheong Fatt Tze Mansion

Feb

CONFESSIONS OF A DIM SUM MONSTER

By docgelo 15 Comments

Categories: FOOD & MORE FOOD! and MALAYSIA
Tags: butterworth, butterworth penang, chinese, chinese cuisine, chinese food, dim sum, dimsum, doc gelo, docgelo, dumplings, food, hakao, hakaw, malaysian food, penang, penang malaysia, siopao, steam basket

Admittedly, I love to eat, who doesn’t? And few of my favorites are basically Asian dishes, obviously because of my roots. Other than Filipino food, I like Japanese! Sushi, sashimi, tempura and teppanyaki which I have tasted as authentic as it gets when I was in Tokyo for 2 weeks last year. From Pinoy and Japanese gastromic delights, I also love Chinese food! Yang chow fried rice, Peking Duck, some Schezuan dishes and yes, dim sum and dumplings!

Can you honestly differentiate a dim sum from a dumpling? Certainly, I cannot until this post (or perhaps when I blogged about them few years ago). It only proves that I haven’t started dwelling in the food that I eat the way a righteous foodie should be. (google translate : I only love to eat but too lazy to read!).

“Dim sum is a Cantonese term for a type of Chinesedish that involves small individual portions of food, usually served in a small steamer basket or on a small plate. Going for dim sum is usually known in Cantonese as going to “drink tea” (yum cha, 飲茶). (Sourced via Wiki)

“Dumplings are cooked balls of dough.They are based on flour, potatoes, bread, or matzoh, and may include meat, fish, or sweets. They may be cooked by boiling, steaming, simmering, frying, or baking. They may have a filling, or there may be other ingredients mixed into the dough. Dumplings may be sweet or spicy. They can be eaten by themselves, in soups or stews, with gravy, or in any other way. While some dumplings resemble solid water boiled doughs, such as gnocchi, others such as wontons resemble meatballs with a thin dough covering.” (Sourced via Wiki)

As an expat for 7 months now, I am still in the process of absorbing everything in my new ground and that includes diversity of everything. Penang celebrates the presence of its 3 predominant races -Malays, Indians and Chinese. And indubitably, with their religions and cultures, food also varies and offers quaint appeal to everyone’s taste buds.

I have been keeping my love affair with Chinese food long before I decided to work here in Penang.

And so I heard that there’s a cheap but authentically great dim sum place tucked in Butterworth called Orient Precious Restaurant, which is actually an upscale side street eatery (or in Pinas we call it, “turo-turo“) but to me and the rest of my fellows, a haven of irresistible dim sums. However, I regret the fact that I passed on the first chance to sample them for I didn’t join my colleague-friends who came in troop (15+ of them!) when they dined there last week. It was because I was waiting for a Skype conversation with my family.

Sunday came and a suggestion from my housemates was raised that I should try it and come with them. And so I did. But luck wasn’t on my side because we found out that Orient Precious Restaurant is closed every Sunday evening.

Last night (Tuesday, 22 February), we decided to go there again and finally, we’re not disappointed.

Here’s my shameless display of what I pig-out :

FIRST ROUND!

After several minutes of waiting for the second serving…

ROUND TWO!

Burp!

Plus, I ordered an enormous Bola-bola siopao as takeaway which I had for breakfast the next day.

Was everything worth my RM 22.60 (PhP 316.40) ? You bet!

That scallop-dim sum in thick soup and those seafood siomai and others which I didn’t bother to ask the names, are so tasteful that it can give the Chinese-restaurant and eateries in Ongpin and Binondo Streets in Manila, or even in Hong Kong a run for their money.

We’re all ready to go but one of my friends asked me to photograph the only pet in sight that evening in that the dim sum place…

Of all living creatures, I hate to see cats in food places that serve dim sum and dumplings, don’t you? If you’re Pinoy like me and you’re familiar with that running joke associating those yummies with those furry pets, you know what I mean, hahaha!

_____________________________o

Feb

T’SAI SHEN TAU : 3RD & LAST PART OF A SERIES

By docgelo 12 Comments

Who would not be enticed to enter such spectacular facade leading to a street of festivities?

It was half hour past 4 in the afternoon last Saturday when we reached Lebuh Chulia (Chulia Street) in George Town, Pulau Pinang to celebrate the diversities of 3 predominant races here in this side of Malaysia.

the Malays…

the Indians…

and the Chinese…

The year of the rabbit has officially ushered in and they have the occasion here in Penang for 15-long days of merry making, fireworks and whatnot that started last February 3 and will end today, the 17th. Part 0f the reasons for the event was to commemorate the inclusion of George Town as one of the UNESCO’s World Heritage Cities (read : Penang Island is a must visit!).

The theme for this year big event’s T’sai Shen Tau which means The God of Prosperity has arrived…

As everyone began to trooped to this group of chinky-eyed males clad in orange, Dr. Yambao, Dr. Carlo and I positioned ourselves to capture such unique street procession called CHINGAY…

“Chingay originated from China, and the Penang Chinese first performed Chingay during deity processions. It is a street art where the performer balances a giant flag that ranges from 25 ft to 32 ft in height and about 60 pounds in weight.”

Every attempt to throw the bamboo pole to the air and catch and balance it on someone’s forehead was done harmoniously with the beat of the drums and cymbals played by these Chinese of younger generation…

Look at the pure reaction of amazement from these kids…

All in all, this very first photo-walk with colleague-friends, Dr. Yambao and Dr. Carlo was a day well spent.

We witnessed unity amidst diversities in Penang.

It was tiring but our experience remains priceless.

Indeed, the God of prosperity has arrived…

—————————————o

Read the first 2 parts of this series :

T’SAI SHEN TAU PART ONE

T’SAI SHEN TAU PART TWO

—————————————o

Feb

T’SAI SHEN TAU : 2ND OF 3 PART-SERIES

By docgelo 23 Comments

T’sai Shen Tau means The God of Prosperity has arrived…

The event last weekend was part of the Chinese New Year celebration and to commemorate the inclusion of Georgetown, Penang in one of UNESCO’s World Heritage Cities.

In few cities I’ve been to –there are always a Chinese community and a Chinatown and Penang is not an exception. Being one of the three races in this part of Malaysia (with Malays and Indians), the Chinese people are not to be disregarded. Whether in business, in schools, in malls or just about anywhere and everywhere, their presence is always felt.

On my seventh month of being an expat, it was my first time to experience Chinese New Year in Penang. The celebration stretches from February 3 to 17–or fifteen long days of fun and festivities.

Versatility is one of their strong characters. They can be so reserved…

Or appear to be on top of the world…

Their concern to protect Mother Nature and giving importance to one’s roots were so apparent in the street tableaux…

back to the basics…

Even ‘lending a helping hand’ was depicted on the streets…

The Recycle-Reuse-Reduce echoed in the streets of Georgetown last weekend…

What fellow medical educators, Dr. Yambao & Dr. Carlo do for this hobby called photography...

And while my 2 companions were busy clicking their D7000, I didn’t let my chance to taste this Chinese Sharksfin soup pass… For RM 3 (PhP 42) it was thick and flavorful, enough to complete my delight.

Soon after my tummy’s warmed by that tasteful soup, I continued the experience of immersing myself to bits and pieces of Chinese lifestyle in Penang back in those early years…

There were young ladies who acted as vendors…

Sugar canes as one of their commodities…

Oriental pieces never fail to fascinate me…

Even the skies were decorated for the event.

No detail was overlooked…

Chinese decors are a real feast to the eyes…

And the vivid colors of their decors and ornaments are a reflection of their people…

Would you agree that they also have a natural thing for humor? Check out this kid’s hair piece…

And when it drizzled, this couple didn’t mind putting on egg trays to cover their heads; how amusing!

The streets were geared for the occasion from afternoon…

to sun down…

“Nothing and no one can destroy the Chinese people. They are relentless survivors.” -Pearl Buck

Gong Xi Fa Cai!

————————————–o

Feb

A WALK WITH DRAGON + LIONS

By docgelo 46 Comments

Categories: EVENTS, FOOD & MORE FOOD!, HEADLINES and TRAVEL
Tags: binondo, binondo church, binondo food wok map, binondo manila, bloggers, chinatown sidewalk, chinese, chinese charms, chinese community, chinese new year, chinese new year celebration, chinese temple, chives dumplings, doc gelo, docgelo, dong bei, dong bei dumplings, dragon dance, family, family and living, Filipino, food, food blog, fresh lumpia, fruits, glutinous rice, glutinous rice cakes, ivan man dy, kuchay dumplings, lawton, lion dance, lion dances, liwasang bonifacio, lumpia, manila, manila central post office, manila chinatown, manila post office, new po heng lumpia, nian gao, ongpin, ongpin binondo, ongpin manila, Philippines, pinas, Pinoy, plaza lawton, po heng, po heng lumpia, seng guan, seng guan si, seng guan si temple, seng guan temple, te ya kong, te ya kong temple, the big binondo food wok map, tikoy, valentine, valentine's day, vegetable spring rolls, vegetables

Mr. Sun was shining its brightest as everyone celebrated Valentine’s Day + Chinese New Year. There was never a day better than last Sunday to take a walk through the streets of Manila China town.

I arrived at Manila Central Post Office fronting Liwasang Bonifacio, now known as Plaza Lawton, a few minutes before 10:30AM. This majestic building served as our meeting place for Dong Ho’s KaESKAPO sa Binondo.

I was lucky to be chosen as one of the 5 among the many blogger-followers of Dong Ho’s ESKAPO to explore Binondo on foot using The Big Binondo Food Wok Map by Ivan Man Dy of Old Manila Walks.

The blog contest winners were selected based on Dong Ho’s querry :

Why do you deserve this map and join this food trip ?

It was a pleasure meeting young breed of fellow bloggers Chyng, Cher, Josh, and Ann (with her BF); all of us were recipients of this map from the Dong himself. Although I was the most senior of the group, it just felt like I was only with my students, less the toxicity of classroom lectures We were all amazed how The Big Binondo Food Wok Map was conceptualized; it points out heritage trail and of course, the most interesting food shops in the heart of Manila, from the cheapest finds to the most upscale restaurants. The coupons in the map for some freebies were certainly not left unnoticed.

After a short briefing about the activity and a casual intro to ourselves, we started the walk that led to one-of-a-kind-Binondo trip.

I am not new to the place. I have been to Binondo and Ongpin areas up to Recto and Divisoria countless times actually. But exploring it with strangers bloggers whom I haven’t met is a new experience for me and perhaps the same thing for them. Gladly, we instantly gelled as we enjoyed several hours together.

We’re fortunate to witness a Dragon Dance just few steps from the gates of Manila China town after Escolta.

We had a short stop at Binondo Church…

Then after I uttered my prayers, we headed off to Ongpin…

A festive welcome to the Chinese New Year isn’t complete without Lion Dances…

The colors of Ongpin and its side streets never fail to fascinate me… I’m sure my fellow bloggers were also delighted with such vibrant hues!

From freshest fruits to veggies, lucky charms and figurines; gold jewelries and more; almost everything is in Ongpin!

Although our son, Gabby had been to Ongpin more than a couple of times recently, I’d also wished him to experience Chinese New Year in Binondo. But his mom and I agreed for them to stay at home to avoid too much crowd and all. He’ll surely enjoy the celebration soon when he grows older.

After a few steps and shots, we headed to our food tripping!

Our first stop : the immediate left street at the back of Binondo Church for some remarkable dumplings!

It was only my second time to try DONG BEI DUMPLINGS - the famous KUCHAY or CHIVES DUMPLINGS of Binondo. I’ve written something about these dumplings May of last year, after I’ve tasted them and compared with the same steamed delight from a Chinese resto in a mall (view HERE! ) The major difference : Dong Bei’s version is more flavorful but doesn’t have overpowering taste. Plus, you get to view how it is prepared…

Freshly made dumplings, anyone ?

Your options : Plain Kuchay or Plain Pork; Combinations of Kuchay + Pork (last year I had Kuchay + Shrimp) either steamed or fried; 13 -14 pieces for only PhP100+. Guess what our team had? All of them! Have you tried Dong Bei’s Kuchay Dumplings ? How do you like them ?

Their both best dipped in chili sauce! Some of my co-bloggers didn’t like them that much, perhaps because it’s quite new to their taste buds or they’ve been more familiar with other Chinese dumplings than chives.

Dong Ho (not the owner of Dong Bei, LOL!) also introduced as to Dong Bei’s PANCAKES! These aren’t your usual pancakes served with butter + syrup *yum!* but it’s fried with stuffings of ….surprise –> Kuchay +Pork again! But its thin fried dough was more sticky than the fried Kuchay dumplings and thankfully, both were less oily.

And since I vowed with Tina and Gabby not to drink Coke and other sodas again (deliver us not into temptation, hehe!), I tried for the first time this Chinese iced tea on a can (but forgive me, although i hope it has less sugar, it’s carbonated too!)

My co-blogger Chyng didn’t like the canned Chinese cold tea that much; it was OK for my taste but nothing to rave about and would not cause you to crave for it.

After that quick bite at Dong Bei, the walk continued to the corner of Tomas Pinpin + Ongpin Streets where a shrine is venerated by Tsinoys.

SANTO CRISTO DE LONGOS

Note that incense sticks are used by the prayerful to adore the Holy Cross. It’s an apparent fusion of Catholic and Chinese beliefs.

Moving on… Do you like Tikoy ? What’s a Chinese New Year without Tikoy a.k.a. NIAN GAO / YEAR CAKES or Glutinous rice cakes ? What’s Binondo without horse-driven kalesas? (Note to Gabby : We’ll ride kalesa one day either in Manila or in Vigan!)

My wife knows how we share the love for FRESH LUMPIA. This made our next pit stop as one of my favorite food places we’ve been to. I recall one of my kind readers, JP recommended this when I posted SOMETHING ABOUT LUMPIA few weeks ago.

Tucked inside Uysubin Building beside HSBC, located along Quintin Paredes Street, is a courtyard where New Po Heng Lumpia House is.

I guarantee you satisfaction from these freshly rolled Hokkien-style lumpia! For only PhP 45 per roll, you can taste heaven in every bite! What I like about Chinese Fresh Lumpia is the inclusion of fried vermicelli + seaweeds and lotsa ground peanuts! It’s so delicious even sans sauce! I give my two-thumbs up to New Po Heng Lumpia! Definitely, it won’t be my last there; i’ll surely bring my family and friends there soon.

As we entered New Po Heng, we’re lucky to see the Ivan Man Dy in person on his last leg for that day on his Old Manila Walks. Dong Ho introduced us to him and to my surprise, he said, “Oh you’re the doctor who joined Chuvaness’ contest. Did you win?” I smiled back and said “No” (It was another blog contest with his map and his TOUR as one of the top prizes–The question was : If you were a Chinese dish, what would you be and why? My answer : Chinese Fortune Cookie -Because I believe I am more than meets the eye). I wasn’t only starstruck but was literally in awe because Ivan actually reads comments and entries! Wow!

Chyng had taken the chance to have photo-op with Ivan. I was shy to do so. Perhaps when I and Tina find time to join his once-a-month-Malacanang tour. Ivan is nice; he even offered us tikoy, part of the freebies he was giving to his local and a few foreign tourists who joined his walk.

Another treat for us bloggers was when Ivan introduced the next guy to our table as the TUTUBI of BACKPACKING PHILIPPINES AND ASIA. It was really one lucky day!

Still following some suggested heritage trail in The Big Binondo Food Wok Map, our group went to Ongpin again and went up flight of stairs to visit TE YA KONG TEMPLE…

Seeing almost all people in red, lighting incense sticks and praying, I can’t help but to admire the Chinese-Filipino community for their strong faith.

After several minutes, we’re on to our next merienda stop (I like the way we took this “NO-RICE”- Binondo Food trip; LIGHT & YUMMY) : SHANGHAI FRIED SIOPAO! Have you sampled one already ? It’s more flavorful than ordinary siopao.

The Dong bought fried siopao for all of us and split the bill just before we part ways. We brought them to Eng Bee Tin restaurant where Dong Ho suggested to have refreshing avocado shake; but it wasn’t in season so we all went for the next best thing : mango shake! (I like riped mango). I just forgot to ask Dong Ho how much fried siopao a piece but the mango shake was so good at PhP 50+.

Then after another hearty snack, we’re on our feet again for our last pit stop… On way there, we passed by Plaza Calderon dela Barca right in front of Basilica Menor del San Lorenzo a.k.a. Binondo Church…

I like fountains. (note to self : work for you to bring your family to Europe one day!). The sight of dripping water somehow recharged me to walk a few kilometers from Binondo to Reina Regente, Recto and finally reached Narra Street at the back of Tutuban Mall where the biggest and grandest of Chinatown’s Buddhist temples…

SENG GUAN SI TEMPLE

The facade of Seng Guan Si Temple is already amazing but there’s more than that beautiful front this place of worship has to offer.

The first floor was awesome. But the second floor of this temple was even more fantastic! There was even an enormous section that’s probably considered as the most sacred of them all. I thought that part of the temple is comparable to the Catholic church’s Adoration Chapel.

It was indeed a loooong tiring day but believe it or not, I enjoyed it to the fullest! Although I wasn’t with my family (Gabby + Tina), I’m glad to meet and gain new blogger-friends. Thanks, Dom (a.k.a. the Dong Ho)! Sa uulitin!

We could not let the day pass without taking photos of ourselves of course! So meet my Ka-Eskapo sa Binondo :

from left to right : The Dong Ho and docgelo; right : Chyng, Josh and Cher. photos by Cher Cabula (thanks, Cher!) these photos were taken at New Po Heng Lumpia courtyard.

Newbie and young blogger, Ann with her BF Archie and on right photo, the Chinese charm Dong Ho got for each of us.

One last group shot before parting ways… photo by Dong Ho

You may want to view (again) my previous posts about this most interesting part of Manila called Binondo. Thanks!

CHINESE NEW YEAR 2009 AT MANILA CHINATOWN

ESTERO EATERY IN ONGPIN

WAI YING

MR. UBE

DONG BEI DUMPLINGS

BINONDO EXPLORED

JANUARY 2ND 2010 IN ONGPIN PART 1

JANUARY 2ND 2010 IN ONGPIN PART 2 : PRESIDENT’S TEA HOUSE

Jan

ON THE SECOND DAY OF THE YEAR (PART 1)

By docgelo 24 Comments

Categories: FAMILY : LOVE KO 'TO and TRAVEL
Tags: binondo, binondo manila, buddha, buddha statues, chestnuts, chinatown, chinese, chinese charms, chinese restaurant, doc gelo, docgelo, dong bei, family, family and living, family fun, family life, gold, jewelries, kuchay dumplings, lakwatsa, manila, manila chinatown, ongpin, ongpin manila, oriental

with less traffic and while everyone was still enjoying the holiday spirit, we went here….

Tina, Gabby and I with my in-laws — docBibs (my wife’s sister) and Daddy Larry (who’s on vacation here from San Leandro, Ca) roamed almost the entire Chinatown in search for good food and best buys. You might be thinking that my family was in the spending mode and I’ve already disregarded my annual wish to save, save and save (so help me, God!) as early as the second day of twenty ten but we just accompanied my dad-in-law to buy himself Chinese medicine for arthritis that he heard (not from me, definitely) from his friends who have been using such. He also had a taste of what Manila has been since he left it decades ago.

We got the snake-bone-in-capsules (read : I am not yet prescribing and am not aware of effects) in this drugstore across DONG BEI (where the freshest kuchay dumplings are and I am so recommending!) in Yuchengco Street, at the back of Binondo Church..

A walk through Binondo and Ongpin Streets in Manila is always amusing…

For a healthy start, here’s a cart full of veggies found usually in sidewalks…Cauliflower sells for PhP 40 per kilo, sarap sa chopsuey!

or fibrous and vitamin-rich, fresh fruits; they’re very round too! perfect to attract prosperity for New Year!

Are you fascinated with chestnuts roasting on an open fire ?

Tina and I asked the manong about cooking kastanyas. The small and black pebbles which are warmed in oil prevent the chestnuts to stick together during roasting and sugar is added to make everything sweeter. Entire roasting lasts for about half an hour before they sell it for PhP 120/kg. We bought 2 kilos.

This altar of a cross with Chinese incense sticks and sampaguita leis with red ribbons (not the bakeshop but for good luck!) never fails to draw attention veneration. Imagine Catholicism and a bit Chinese beliefs unite to strengthen a community!

Gabby wasn’t complaining of our walk from Binondo all the way to Ongpin. He even managed to grin when my generous balikbayang-biyanan bought 2 boxes of tikoy or glutinous rice from a stall vendor who also sells dried seafoods. See those huge packs of hibe (dried shrimps)? It made me crave for ginisang monggo.

Among those Oriental charms and ornaments we saw in Ongpin…

I fell in love with this…

It’s a smiling-fiberglass-Buddha in jade color that stands more than 2 feet. I like it’s almost perfectly round stout belly that believed to bring best luck when rubbed. It’s affordable at PhP 4,800. And if only we have extra budget for unnecessary things, we’ve brought it home in a blink.

Our Daddy Larry didn’t buy a Buddha statue but two cats and a tiger (2010 is a Tiger year). He also didn’t forget to buy my lovely mom-in-law who was left with their kids in Ca, a little surprise pasalubong…

Gold loop earrings as big as a peso coin that weigh almost 3 grams; I’m sure my mom-in-law will be delighted.

Now, what’s this blog a trip to Binondo and Ongpin without eating Chinese ?

–that will be on my next post!

What do you like best in Ongpin and Binondo?

Is there anything you hate about Manila Chinatown?

Dec

HALF-BLOOD CHINESE (PART 2)

By docgelo 29 Comments

We love Chinese foods.

It would probably require me or my wife, Tina (or worse, wait for our son, Gabby who’s only in Kindergarten) to enroll in culinary school (which we love to do in the near future) or to have several attempts at home-cooking before we can come up from scratch, a perfectly prepared and steamed dimsum!

We value money.

How do you stretch your budget nowadays on food without compromising your own cravings? Your thoughts may be relative with mine –either you cook at home, or eat out at those food places where figures on the menu won’t injure the pockets.

We love value-for-money Chinese foods!

We’re just glad that we have finally tried EMERALD GARDEN right across US Embassy and beside Bayview Park Hotel in Roxas Blvd., Manila. Yes, you read it right; it was only yesterday that we’ve experienced what we’ve been missing! We’ve proven truth to a few posts about how this restaurant offers affordability coupled with great tasting dishes!

This Chinese restaurant is unique on its own. When we entered Emerald Garden, we were politely greeted by the wait staff who immediately led us to our table. Gabby liked its spacious dining area that’s far from being intimidating. Emerald Garden, in fact has a homey-casual ambiance without pretentious decors whatsoever. We also noticed that all servers, neatly clad in office attire-looking uniforms, were generally geriatric ’matured’ compared to other restaurants’. We took that as a plus points on them for being focused and attentive, most of all friendly to their clients.

On our table :

FRIED CRAB STICKS, PhP 140 + and HAKAO, PhP 75+

One of Gabby’s favorite finger foods (at least for him) is kani tempura in Japanese or fried crabsticks for Chinese; so automatically, in the absence of pizza that he also likes, this should be ordered. Emerald’s version is simple, logically priced and more importantly, it satisfied gabby’s picky appetite.

I love almost anything with shrimps, so Hakao is also a must for us when dining Chinese. Tina and I shared similar views on Emerald’s Shrimp dumplings : they were only 3 compared to other restos that serve 4 per order; their Hakao’s wrappers were a bit dry but at least they came with those plump shrimps!

It was only 2005 during our 7-week-vacation in Auckland, New Zealand when Tina and I first tasted steamed dumplings called Cheong fan after we enjoyed a lunch treat by one of my cousin’s relatives. After the first bite, it has always been one of those Oriental dishes we look in a menu. But sadly, not all Chinese restaurants here offer Shrimp Rice Rolls a.k.a Shrimp Cheong fan. We haven’t explored the rest of the Metro’s food places yet but I only know of Le Ching’s Tea House and Gloria Maris that serve these shrimp goodies until we truly fell in love with Emerald Garden’s.

SHRIMP RICE ROLLS, (I forgot it’s exact price but probably more or less PhP 75+ too). Believe me, they actually taste greater than how they look in my photos. The wrappers were not-too-thin-neither-too-thick; they’re almost perfect in consistency. Its sauce isn’t too salty nor too sweet.

Despite our instant infatuation for Emerald Garden’s Shrimp Rice Rolls, most of its loyal patrons would never let a dining experience pass without having SIOPAO!

BOLA-BOLA SIOPAO, small PhP 30; large PhP 85. We were still lucky to order even the small ones at nearly 2 in the afternoon for we heard they easily ran out of these great steamed yummies especially the large siopaos as early as few minutes after 7AM (Emerald Garden opens at 7AM; closes at 2PM and reopens for dinner at 6PM onwards).

I cannot blame them. These Bola-Bola Siopao are really delicious! The buns were the softest like that of Kowloon’s. The filling has those chives but surprisingly not overpowering and just flavorful! We would not mind having these for breakfast!

After stating my 2-cents worth about some yummies from Emerald Garden, our votes also go to this noodle dish that sky-rocketted our palates to other planets, LOL

EMERALD FRIED NOODLES, small PhP 140 (also available in medium & large orders). Look at those fuchsia colored quailed eggs that are far from being usually orange! Aren’t they enticingly different? This Fried Noodle dish has generous volume of veggies and very tender breaded meat, all cut into strings and mixed with its tasteful thick sauce! The noodle itself was so good sans other ingredients making this as one of the best I’ve tasted! …Excuse me, I’m salivating as I post this.

In one phrase, it was absolutely, heaven on a plate!

How many restaurants can serve all these or at least similar dishes for less than PhP 700 all in ?

Before me paying the bill, my wife with her sweet smile asked me if there’s Emerald Garden branch near our place in Quezon City; an evidence that this resto won even Tina’s discriminating taste

We’re going back, definitely!

Have you tried dining at Emerald Garden? What dishes do you like best?

Where do you go on your usual Chinese food craving?

————————————

EMERALD GARDEN, 1140 Roxas Blvd., Ermita, Manila.

PS : Why do you think Tina, Gabby and I had to be in Manila on a Tuesday afternoon ? Abangan!

Feb

LE CHING TEA HOUSE

By docgelo 3 Comments

Categories: FAMILY : LOVE KO 'TO and FOOD & MORE FOOD!
Tags: affordable food, cheap food, chinese, chinese food, food, foodie, greenhills, Le Ching, Le Ching Tea House, manila, san juan, trinoma

One of our favorite, very affordable chinese resto is Le Ching Tea House in Greenhills. It’s well known for most hungry shoppers who look for quick & tasty meals particularly for Le Ching’s rice toppings. The ambiance isn’t best but the menu always satisfies our cravings for chicken mushroom rice (others like spareribs rice which is also good!), hakao (shrimp dumplings) with generous ingredients, and our very own favorite their shrimp cheong-fan but it’s only available in the morning in Le Ching and quite hard to find in other chinese resto except one in in Auckland, New Zealand when we where there, haven’t seen & tried it in HK (Can someone tell me wherelse can we find shrimp cheong-fan?, I’ll appreciate it, really.) Le Ching has another branch on the same site few steps away from its original resto, it’s called “Le Ching too” and another in Trinoma foodcourt. But our favorite is the original branch in Shoppesville, Greenhills.

Here’s our latest merienda in Le Ching Tea House in Shoppesville last 17 Feb… I had halo-halo congee, hakao & Tina had beef wanton noodle, bola-bola siopao hong-kong style…BTW, their food is greatest when you add some of their chili sauce + calamansi & soy sauce = yummy!

17022009842

Le Ching Tea House
66-67 Level A, Shoppesville Arcade
Greenhills, San Juan City, Metro Manila

Feb

first try at MONGKOK and CERAMIC PAINTING

By docgelo Leave a Comment

Categories: FAMILY : LOVE KO 'TO and FOOD & MORE FOOD!
Tags: art, art work, ceramic painting, ceramics, chinese, chinese food, color me mine, dimsum, dimsum & dumplings, dumplings, family, fun, mall, malling, mongkok, paint, relaxation, shangri-la mall

It was unplanned but we surely enjoyed it.

Tina, Gabby & I went to Megamall last Sunday just to pick up the package from my 22-year-old sister-in-law based in San Leandro, California which she sent via her friend who went home to Manila for a reason. We got the package of branded shirts -Gap & Lacoste for my son Gabby and Lancome makeup & kit for my wife Tina at little past 11AM. Then we decided to go to Shangri-la mall for our lunch. Initially, I’d like to treat my family to Pepper Lunch at the basement of the mall but found long queue of hungry stomachs so we opted to eat somewherelse. We found our seats at Mongkok dimsum & dumplings at 6th level of Shangri-la mall. It was our first time to taste Kuchay dumplings and we like it!

After enjoying another chinese eat-out, our feet brought us to a lower level where a ceramic shop called Color Me Mine is located. Few seconds after and we’re seated at a table of that shop painting a ceramic candle holder that we selected from their shelves.

It was so cool! It was not only Gabby who had fun, but we all did. I haven’t done any art work since God knows when. (Believe or not, I used to collect medals from poster-making contests back in High School) And it was so RELAXING to enjoy selecting colors, doing paint-stencils in between, and just having bonding with my wife & kid.

One of the staff of Color Me Mine-Shangri-la was accomodating to my querries about the process that the ceramic art work will undergo after being painted by their clients. Customers will paint a ceramic of choice (price range from PHP300 plus up) with unlimited colors (for only PHP 180). The fee is inclusive of the unlimited (?)hour of stay (we stayed for more than 3 hours), paint, materials such as brushes, bowl of water, sponge, use of electric hair dryer and for the process that takes 10 days to complete after painted ceramic has been submitted to them. Once painting is finished, client submits it to the counter, pays fees and wait for 10 days before he can claim the art work. The 10-day waiting period is for the staff to glaze and bake the painted ceramic that will make it look as the client’s own ceramic masterpiece.
Claiming it on a specified date gives as another reason to try painting new ceramic(s) and enjoy another fun-filled art activity with my family.

Color Me Mine, franchise holder of a US-based company, has branches at Trinoma in Quezon City, Greenbelt-3 in Makati and Bonifacio High St. at the Fort both inside Hobbes, but the largest inventory is still at Shangri-la. Call 6870801 for information.

Sep

CHEAPEST CHINESE BUFFET

By docgelo 1 Comment

Categories: FOOD & MORE FOOD! and whatever
Tags: buffet, chinese, chinese cuisine, chinese food, chinese restaurant, Eat all you can, Eat all you want, eating, food, foodie, manila, manila restaurant, Pinoy, restaurant, timog, tramway, tramway garden buffet

Two days ago, my mom suggested over the phone that Tina and I should try eating at Tramway Garden Buffet in Timog Avenue, Quezon City. Inspite of the fact that we’re on a tight budget these days, we still love to eat good food, and we live quite near the place so I decided to bring my family there.

Tramway Garden Buffet serves chinese food, around 14 of them I guess, includes dimsum, dumplings, fried chicken, some chinese-cooked veggies, sweet and sour pork, chinese-cooked fish, and others with two types of soups and a salad bar with fresh fruits and guinatan. They mixed Chinese with Filipino dishes even Japanese for they also serve California Maki beside their butchi.

Advantage over other buffets : CHEAPEST at P199/pax inclusive of VAT and no service charge. Sunday buffets are at a higher price of P300 plus for it includes Peking Duck, Roasted pork, shrimps & other seafoods.

Disadvantages compared to other buffets : Since the buffet price is so cheap, the place is chaotic at dinner (they also serve lunch). Smiles and courtesy of the staff are not as cheap as the buffet price. I’m not sure if they’re so stressed out that night when we ate dinner but there should be no excuses for courtesy if one works in a restaurant or any other people-businesses where smiles to customers are mandatory.

Taste review : I haven’t heard of any buffet cheaper than P199 but when it comes to taste, I must admit my gastronomic craving was satisfied. Taste of the entire buffet is good enough for its price, but it should be improved to be at par with the others.

Tramway Garden Buffet is at #65 Timog Ave, Quezon City near the old Ozone Disco.

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