Showing posts with label taiwanese. Show all posts
Showing posts with label taiwanese. Show all posts

Taipei Spa Pasay: Post- Massage Taiwanese Dinner (Pasay City Metro Manila)

Pasay, Metro Manila, Philippines

If you got half a day for food and relaxation, we highly recommend spending it in Taipei Spa Pasay (台北 SPA庭院店).

台北 SPA庭院店
Although Taipei Spa has several branches, this is the grandest one.

台北 SPA庭院店 Pond
It has a spacious dining and massage area.  For special occassions, you can splurge and avail of their VIP rooms with jacuzzi.  Alternatively, you can enjoy a foot massage while relaxing by the scenic fish pond.

Food
Xiao Long Bao
Xiao Long Bao

Best part of all is that they offer a wide selection of affordable Taiwanese food.

Mushroom Skewers
♥ Mushroom Skewers

It ranges from Taiwanese street foods to a full-blown meal.

Cold Tofu
Cold Tofu

Best to visit in groups because most dishes are great for sharing.

Braised Beef Shanks
♥ Braised Beef Shanks

Everything we tried was satisfying.

Oyster Omelette
♥ Oyster Omelette

Most of the dishes were actually quite new for us.

Oyster Noodles
♥ Taiwanese Oyster Noodles

My favorite was the Taiwanese Oyster Noodles.  It is served with rice vermicelli noodles.

Taiwanese Pig Intestine Noodles
Taiwanese Pig Intestine Noodles

The Taiwanese Pig Intestine Noodles were also good.

Seafood Noodles
Seafood Noodles

You could also go for egg noodles like the Seafood Noodles.

Onion and Leeks Noodles
Onion and Leeks Noodles

You definitely cannot go wrong with the noodle options.

Taiwanese Halo-halo
♥ Taiwanese Halo-halo

An interesting experience for us too was the Taiwanese Halo-halo where you will get to pick the toppings. 

Complimentary Fruits
Complimentary Fruits

If you get a massage, you also get to enjoy some Complimentary Fruits.

Free fruit plate
Complimentary Green Apple Slices

Tsinoy Foodies Verdict
Taipei Spa is not only great for having a luxious spa experience.  It is now also a great food stop for affordable Taiwanese food that's open 24 hours!

Tsinoy Foodies Review Rating Taipei Spa Pasay Menu
Ambiance ★★★★★ N/A
Taste ★★★★
Service ★★★
Price ★★★
♥=Favorites or Recommended 
Taipei Spa Pasay
Business Address Corner Cuneta Ave. Pasay City near Roxas Blvd and Heritage Hotel
Business Hours 24 hours
Payment Options   Cash
Service Charge 10%
Budget/Person 500-1,000
Free WiFi Yes
Contact (0966) 504-7076
Other 
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Taipei Spa Pasay: Post- Massage Taiwanese Dinner (Pasay City Metro Manila)

Formesa Frozen Foods Online Grocery Experience (FormesaFoods.Com)

With the non-stop rains and the escalation of COVID cases, we're so glad we discovered Formesa Frozen Foods where we could buy premium Taiwanese frozen foods online.  It also offers in-store shopping and pick-up in Binondo and Makati. 

 

As they say, the contents of your fridge tells a lot about you.  We have a one-door freezer dedicated just for Asian Frozen Foods and it is usually full!  We're really fortunate to have access to Asian frozen foods because they are usually easy to prepare (i.e. by steaming, pan-fry or boiling) and they are healthy and nutritious too.  

 

Abalone Salad, Shrimp Pork And Kutsay Frozen Home Made Dumplings, Taro Cake, Taiwan Black Bridge Sausage (Garlic), Grass Jelly and Frozen Baked Pineapple
Abalone Salad, Shrimp Pork And Kutsay Frozen Home Made Dumplings, Taro Cake, Taiwan Black Bridge Sausage (Garlic), Grass Jelly and Frozen Baked Pineapple

Allow us to show an example of our easy to prepare lunch, all of which are Taiwanese Frozen Foods bought from FormesaFoods.Com.  


formesafood.com

FormesaFoods.Com is easy to navigate and it comes in three languages too: English, Simplified Chinese 简体中文  and Traditional Chinese 繁体中文 .  We love how the site is updated is so you can see how many stocks of the product are available for purchase.  If you see your desired product are already sold out, don't despair because there is also a schedule above on when its new container will arrive.  

 

A useful function in its website to take note is the messaging icon on the lower right which allow you to anything about the ordering process and also information on how to use or cook the products.


When we posted about FormesaFoods.Com in our Instagram (IG) Stories, one of our followers who is from Taipei, Taiwan (currently working in Singapore) checked out the website and told us that it contained a lot of goodies.  

 

formesa food order

So as our friend said, there a indeed a lot of good finds at Formesa Frozen Foods and our shopping cart is proof of that!  Upon checking out from its website, you will receive an email confirmation.


 

formesa food website

Click "View Your Order" and you will see the full delivery details too.

 

formesa food customer service

On the day of the delivery date, we received a text and viber regarding the booking of delivery.

 

frozen Abalone Salad, Shrimp Pork And Kutsay Frozen Home Made Dumplings, Taro Cake, Taiwan Black Bridge Sausage (Garlic), Grass Jelly and Frozen Baked Pineapple
Abalone Salad, Shrimp Pork And Kutsay Frozen Home Made Dumplings, Taro Cake, Taiwan Black Bridge Sausage (Garlic), Grass Jelly and Frozen Baked Pineapple

We were very impressed with the packaging of all the products.  And, they came with a printed list of our orders too.

 

Abalone Salad (310 php/500g)

The Abalone Salad turns out to be Master Yen's Calamari Salad with Abalone Flavor (顏師傅 鮑魚風味沙拉).  Yens is a popular Taiwanese seafood salad brand since 1968.   It was our first time to try it and it was really good!  It had a dominant wasabi flavor and chewy abalone-like texture complimented by the crunchy Capelin roe (a.k.a Masago). 


Grass Jelly (195 php)

The Grass Jelly is YuanLin Shimmering Black Gold since 1900 (員林食品仙草凍).  YuanLin is a Taiwanese maker of purely natural grass jelly since 1900!  It focuses on a specialized product line: Mesona and Grass Jelly from seedling to canning.  As expected, the quality is top-notch.  The Grass Jelly is refreshingly light and jiggly, you can add milk, brown sugar or ice if the sweetness is not enough for you.

 

kuchay dumplings
Shrimp Pork And Kutsay Frozen Home Made Dumplings (350 php/24-pc. pack)
 
Aside from imported products, Formesa Frozen Foods also offers its home-made frozen foods like the Shrimp Pork And Kutsay Frozen Home Made Dumplings.  As you can see, it is made with quality dumpling skin and is filled with generous stuffings so everything was intact upon steaming.

taiwan black ridge sausage
Taiwan Black Bridge Sausage (Garlic) (1,280 php/600g)

The highlight of our orders is the Taiwan Black Bridge Sausage (Garlic).  We've actually been looking for this and we're surprised to find it at Formesa Frozen Foods.  Black Bridge Sausage 黑橋牌香腸 is like the King brand of Taiwanese Sausage.  It even has its own Museum in Taiwan.  Black Bridge Sausage now has over 26 product varieties but its best seller is still its 50-year old Original Sausage.  Since we've tried that before and Formesa has several varieties available, we decided to try the Taiwan Black Bridge Sausage (Garlic) which was a good choice because we usually eat Taiwanese Sausage with leeks and garlic.

 

taro cake
Taro Cake (250 php/1kg)
 
We've shared before that we're not fond of Taro dishes because it triggers our memory of the bland dishes served by Buddhist temples.  But, the Taro Cake which was hand-made and Hongkong-style (港式芋頭糕) according to the packaging was really good!  It beats the raddish cakes that are of similar style that are locally available.  Definitely worth ordering  again!

Frozen Baked Pineapple
Frozen Baked Pineapple (265 php/6 pcs)

Just for fun and good luck, we also ordered the Frozen Baked Pineapple (老實旺來冰烤鳳梨).  Earnest Farms (老實農場) is a Taiwanese Brand established in 2000 which aims to make natural, organic and healthy fruit products. We're quite surprised that Formesa's pricing is even cheaper than the official shop price with this item.  The Frozen Baked Pineapple is a new snack that quickly became popular in Taiwan because its delicious and also healthy - made with 100% fresh pineapples without any preservatives. 


Overall, this is our first time to shop online for Taiwanese Frozen Foods.  We'll surely order from Formesa Frozen Foods through FormesaFoods.Com again!  Highly recommended! 

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Formesa Frozen Foods Online Grocery Experience (FormesaFoods.Com)

Caffe Dolce: Dessert and Coffee Night in Banawe Quezon City

Quezon City, Metro Manila, Philippines

One of my little sister's friend from college is a Buddhist Taiwanese and he has long been recommending Caffe Dolce.

Caffe DolceCaffe Dolce
So one night, my mom once against drags as all out just to have some dessert and coffee there.  If you've been reading my posts... that is usual for my mom.

Caffe Dolce
We were surprised upon reaching the mezzanine level that there is a cute and coffee cafe hidden therein.  

Caffe Dolce

And despite being late for an ordinary night, there were numerous couples and groups who seem to be enjoying the comforts of the serene place.  Caffe Dolce also has an Al Fresco area.
Caffe Dolce
While waiting for our orders, the family had fun taking photo ops with these teddy bears.

Cafe Selection
Caffe Dolce
Marshmallow Caffe Hot (135 php)
The Marshmallow Caffe was enjoyed by my little sister.  The marshmallow adds a mellow tone of sweetness and a lovable puffy and creamy texutre. 


Caffe Dolce
Rose Caffe Latte Hot (135 php)
My other sister chose the Rose Caffe Latte which she loved till the last sip.  It's fragrant rosy flavor and aroma complements their coffee well.
Caffe Dolce
Caffe Jelly (135 php)
I had the Caffe Jelly which passed my picky standards.  The froth and jelly brings a liveliness to the coffee coffee.

Saint Petersburg Selection
Caffe Dolce
Chamomile with Apple Hot (120 php)
Their pot of Chamomile with Apple is good for sharing.  I loved the combination of the real apple bits and refreshing chamomile tea.

Classic Tea Selection
Caffe Dolce
Iced Pomelo with Peach (109 php)
My youngest sister who isn't much of a coffee and tea fan ordered the Iced Pomelo with Peach.  We were all thrilled when she finished this.  She rarely fully consumed what she orders.


 Honey Toast Selection
chocolate matcha honey toast
♥ Chocolate Green Tea Honey Toast (209 php)
A must order for me in every Taiwanese Cafe is their honey toast.  My majority vote, we got the Chocolate Green Tea Honey Toast.  It was good but not the best we've tried.  The toppings were great but I guess it was the honey toast which could be better.

Tsinoy Foodies Verdict
When you're in the Banawe Area and looking for a place to relax, definitely give Caffe Dolce a try.  Their ambiance and drinks offers a unique cafe experience.  The price is affordable too.

Tsinoy Foodies Review Rating Caffe Dolce Menu
Ambiance ★★★★★ Caffe | Tea | Frost | Soda
Soup | Salad | Appetizer | Sandwiches
Pasta | Pizza | Set | Set2 | 
 Waffle | Honey Toast |  Group
 
Taste ★★★★
Service ★★★
Price ★★★
♥=Favorites or Recommended 
Caffe Dolce
Business Address 848 Banawe Corner Linaw Street, Sienna, 
Quezon City, Metro Manila
Business Hours 11am-11pm
Payment Options   Cash
Service Charge 10%
Budget/Person 150-800
Free WiFi Yes
Unlocked Foursquare Perks None
Contact (02)  806-1103
Other  Facebook Fan Page
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Caffe Dolce: Dessert and Coffee Night in Banawe Quezon City

Din Tai Fung Philippines: Taiwanese Cuisine at its Finest (SM Megamall)

Metro Manila, Philippines

It was January 2, 2015 and Mom had an epiphany to eat at Din Tai Fung (the only Michelin starred Taiwanese restaurant in the world) because she sensed that he queue wouldn't be long since it was the start of the year, people would be lazy to dine out.  Thus, because of this baseless hunch we went all the way to SM Megamall.  

din tai fung

On the way, we were observing the streets and MRT feeling that people prefer to be at their homes.  To our surprise, SM Megamall had an End of Season Sale so the parking was so loonnnnnnggggg.  And since the family had a tight-leash when it comes to patience and I had a beach camping trip to Layag-Layag Island the next day, I volunteered to be dropped off and get us a queue number at Din Tai Fung while they line up for the parking.


din tai fung

I got to the counter and was issued a queue number 5107 with a time stamp of 19:12:42 (7:12 pm).  Along with the queue number is their order slip so while waiting you can already decide what to order.  The family arrived the Din Tai Fung at around 7:25 pm.  (We had to be complete before we could enter otherwise, we'd forfeit our slot)

din tai fung
While waiting, we watched how the xiao long baos were made and we also watched the video where the employees of Din Tai Fung are interview on how much of a good boss the owner Mr. Yang is.  We also read the menu on the legend of Din Tai Fung which is a great story on the factor of resilience to success.

din tai fung
It's pretty cool that they have a stool step for kids.  There's also a photo spot (which that guy used as a watching spot) so you can have a souvenir.  

din tai fung
We also ordered in advance.  There's a list of items not available on the counter.  We were partly sad that the Stir-fried Organic Kale and all items with Pork Chop was not available but there's so many options to order instead anyway.  Upon giving the order slip at the counter, the staff confirmed each item with us by encircling them as she read them out.

din tai fung
At around 7:45 pm, we saw our queue number on their LCD display.  As we approached the counter, we saw our order slip being passed on to the kitchen an we were ushered to our round table.

din tai fung philippines
No wonder the queue moves fast.  Aside from the efficient queuing system (where there are 4 categories: 2 persons, 3-4 persons, 5-6 persons and 7 persons and above), they have a lot of staff, big kitchen and tons of seating.  Upon seeing the high chairs, I also understood why they ask if you have kids when you get a queue number.  Aside from high chairs, they also provide bag holders which they cover with brown cloth.  Just like in abroad, you can pay your bill on the payment counter on your way to the exit.  They also sell there their merchandise like their chopsticks, x.o. sauce and soy sauce.

Food

Appetizers
din tai fung special
♥ Din Tai Fung House Special (155 php)

We ordered the Taiwanese Kao Fu because it looked really good from the menu.  We were looking forward to it when a staff came with a tray with the Din Tai Fung House Special and Spicy Pickled Cucumber and informed us that the Taiwanese Kao Fu was unavailable.  (Great gesture of sincerity right?)  We chose the Din Tai Fung House Special and we are quite pleased with our decision.  It was so good!

cold chicken with scallions
♥ Cold Chicken with Scallions (200 php)
 We loved the Din Tai Fung House Special but it didn't feel filling enough for an appetizer so we ordered the Cold Chicken with Scallions.  Again, we were impressed!

 Xiao Long Bao
din tai fung
Prior to serving our Xiao Long Bao, our server assisted us with our dipping sauce.  My brother wanted to confirm if our way of eating Xiao Long Bao is correct so he asked and we were given their "Guide to enjoy the Xiao Long Bao or Gabay sa pagkain ng Xiao Long Bao" (yes, it has a Tagalog translation).  Step 1 which involves preparing the dipping sauce is as you can see voluntarily done by our helpful server.

pork xiao long bao
♥ Pork Xiao Long Bao (315 php/10 pcs)
 We've never encountered a restaurant with a menu section of Xiao Long Bao before so we had a difficult time deciding.  We had the classic Pork Xiao Long Bao so we could compare it with the other xiao long baos we've tried.  These beauties are the best we've had!  Perfectly thin shell and the broth is heavenly!

green squash and shrimp xlb
♥ Green Squash and Shrimp Xiao Long Bao (160 php/5 pcs)

Between the Pork Xiao Long Bao and the Green Squash and Shrimp Xiao Long Bao, it's really difficult to decide which is better because they are equally good!

truffle and pork xiao long bao
♥ Truffle and Pork Xiao Long Bao (135 php/piece)

We had to follow up the Truffle and Pork Xiao Long Bao because it wasn't serve even when all our orders came in.  Before it was served, we were given a new set of spoon and small dipping sauce plate.  We were advised that we should cleanse our palate and not to use the dipping sauce so we could savor the truffle taste.  We delicately placed it on our spoon, slurped slowly and indulged on the truffle essence broth which is so heavenly!  Gosh! I want to have this again asap!

Pot Stickers & Snacks
shrimp and pork pot stickers
♥ Shrimp and Pork Pot Stickers (220 php/6 pcs.)
Pot stickers or more locally known as fried dumplings are so common here in the Philippines but never have I seen it presented like DTF's Shrimp and Pork Pot Stickers.

shrimp and pork pot stickers
♥ Shrimp and Pork Pot Stickers (220 php/6 pcs.)

These Shrimp and Pork Pot Stickers are superb.  With the bottom part thin and crisp, the rest delicately soft and tender and filled with tasty shrimp and pork, I'd say this is the best one I've had yet!

Featured Dishes
salted egg yolk prawns
Salted Egg Yolk Prawns (375 php)

The Salted Egg Yolk Prawns is good but compared to the other dishes, for me this is the least impressive.  On my next visit, I'll skip this to try the other dishes and just go after the Golden Lava Salted Egg Yolk Bun for dessert.


Fried Rice

chicken cutlet fried rice
♥ Chicken Cutlet Fried Rice (285 php)
I was never one to be crazy for chicken chops.  I didn't even understand the craze before for Hot Star.  But, Din Tai Fung's Chicken Cutlet with flimsy thin batter coating, moist and tender chicken and subtle pepper seasoning got me hooked.

Soups & Noodle Soups

braised beef noodle soup
♥ Braised Beef Noodle Soup (295 php)

With the Braised Beef Noodle Soup, you can choose between: All Tendon, All Meat or Half Tendon Half Meat.  We chose the latter.  This is a bowl of perfection!  From the broth to the meat and the noodles, everything is A+!

 Sauteed & Fried Noodles
noodles with minced pork sauce
♥ Noodles with Minced Pork Sauce (145 php)

The Noodles with Minced Pork Sauce is one of the best (if not the best) dry noodles I've encountered.  The noodles are consistently springy even long after it was served, the portion of sauce to noodles is precisely right!  I'd say this is the most sulit or bang for the buck item we've gotten.

Hot & Cold Desserts
chocolate lava xiao long bao
♥ Chocolate Lava Xiao Long Bao (115 php/3 pieces)
The saying "Always save room for dessert" great applies here at Din Tai Fung.  My mother is not a fan of chocolate desserts.  While we were outside, adding this to the order slip, she declared she will not have one.  When I let her taste mine, she quickly called a waiter to order another one!  The fine, smooth and bitter-sweet dark chocolate filling is to die for!

golden lava salted egg yolk buns
♥ Golden Lava Salted Egg Yolk Bun (85 php/2 pcs.)

We all thought we were full by the time that this Golden Lava Salted Egg Yolk Bun arrived.  But, upon tasting this, we had to order more so we could have one each because no one wanted to share.  Be careful in being excited to eat this, mom was so excited that she bit this while it was steaming and smoking hot and squirted the filling all over her plate!

Drinks
lemongrass tea
♥ Lemongrass Juice (45 php)

We were a bit disappointed that the Iced Rose Tea was unavailable so we were all forced to order the same drink for all of us which was the Lemongrass Juice.  To our surprise, it was refreshingly good!  We're so used to the sweetened drinks here that we were pleasantly surprised that this isn't. 
 

Tsinoy Foodies Verdict
We will definitely come back for more of Din Tai Fung's dishes.  In fact, I'm now imploring you for suggestions on what to try next!  I strongly agree that it deserves a michellin star or maybe even more stars in the future.  The service and food quality is superb.  With Din Tai Fung here, we can now enjoy Taiwanese Cuisine at its finest whenever we want.

Tsinoy Foodies Review Rating Din Tai Fung Menu
Ambiance ★★★★ Appetizers 1 | Appetizers 2 |
Xiao Long Bao 1 | Xiao Long Bao 2 |
 Pot Stickers & Snacks 1 | Pot Stickers & Snacks 2 |
Vegetable Dishes | Dumplings, Wontons & Shao Mai |
 Featured Dishes 1 | Featured Dishes 2 |
 Fried Rice | Soups & Noodle Soups |
Sauteed & Fried Noodles 1 | Sauteed & Fried Noodles 2 | 
Hot & Cold Desserts | Drinks |
Taste ★★★★★
Service ★★★
Price ★★★
♥=Favorites or Recommended 
Din Tai Fung SM Megamall
Business Address
GF Mega Fashion Hall, SM Megamall, Ortigas, Mandaluyong City, Metro Manila
Business Hours 11am-9pm (mal hours)
Payment Options   Cash
Service Charge 10%
Budget/Person 250-1,000
Free WiFi No
Unlocked Foursquare Perks None
Contact (02) 997-1936
Other 
Din Tai Fung SM Megamall Map  Like This Post? Subscribe here                               
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Din Tai Fung Philippines: Taiwanese Cuisine at its Finest (SM Megamall)
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