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?
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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!
OPINION COUNTS…