The Dimsum Place at Fisher Mall

I discovered a good restaurant offering Chinese cuisine at Fisher Mall just before 2019 ended and it got me hooked. I was no doubt charmed by the food and ambiance at 
The Dimsum Place that I went back for three consecutive weeks, with company 
on two occasions. Not everything was good, though, but I would 
definitely come back for those delish offers that I loved. 
Here's what I/we had tried.

Xiao long bao (soup dumplings)

This was love both at first sight and first bite (or should I say first slurp? Hahaha!). 
See how big each piece is? They're soupy and yummy, too!

Pork asado egg noodle soup

This was the bomb, my top favorite so far. The soup was absolutely delicious - hot, flavorful, immensely satisfying and comforting to my hungry tummy. 
There was also a lot of pork slices, you won't be left wanting. 

Chicken wings fried rice plate

Loved this one too! The chicken was crunchy and flavor-packed, and the rice delicious, too. My beloved dog named Taco, who was with me, loved it too. 
Fried chicken is his absolute favorite! 

Breaded porkchop rice plate

My son's lunch on one Sunday. I had a bite and loved the meat slices 
that were fried to perfection: crunchy on the outside, tender on the inside. 

Bihon guisado

This was a miss for me, sadly. Pancit bihon is one of my top comfort foods, so I felt kinda let down. It looked good with lots of veggies and some meat 
but it was bland for my taste. Adding some soy
 sauce and chili helped, though.

Vegetarian rice rolls 

Another miss for me, sorry to say. I'm not familiar with this dish and don't know what the ingredients are but there's a pungent odor to it that put me off. 

Oolong Tea

I loved the clean taste of this tea. Perfect for washing 
the palate after a good meal. 

Lemon iced tea
My son's default choice of drink. The Dimsum Place makes a good blend.

Tie guan yin tea

Not as great as the oolong tea but nevertheless good in cleaning off the taste buds.

 Menu

 Inside the restaurant

The Dimsum Place at the second floor of Fisher Mall in Quezon City

I could say that The Dimsum Place is one of the best restaurants at Fisher Mall. Though not everything of what I/we have ordered is crave-worthy, the ones I loved outweigh the misses. I would definitely come back for the xiao long bao and noodle soup. I want to try other dishes, too. I could say that the food is of high quality, the place is elegant and clean and the prices reasonable. 
Most of the crew are friendly and attentive and service is fast. If you come starving, don't worry, you won't wait very long for your food to be served. The Dimsum Place 
is definitely one of my new favorite restaurants at Fisher Mall. 
Try this place today, folks, to celebrate Chinese New Year. 
Kung Hei Fat Choy! 

The enduring Ma Mon Luk

In my five decades and one year of existence, I have only visited the iconic 
mami-and-siopao place Ma Mon Luk in Quiapo once, about seven years ago. So last week, I thought of making a second visit, this time with my friend, who decided to treat me 
for her birthday at the Quezon Ave. branch.

Ma Mon Luk may not ring a bell for millenials but for us Gen X members and older, it is an institution. It is even believed by some food historians that it was the Chinese man named Ma Wen-lu or Ma Mon Luk as he became known in the Philippines after whom "mami" was named (Ma, his name, and "mi", meaning noodles in Chinese). The man migrated to the Philippines from China in 1920 and thereafter opened his first noodle restaurant in Binondo. The Quiapo and Quezon Ave., Quezon City branches 
opened next but for some reasons, the original store closed down 
while the two have remained open to this day.

Anyway, my friend and I came for dinner on Saturday last week. Fortunately, the place wasn't full so we immediately caught the attention of servers. Well, I was there by myself just a few days earlier but had no luck. I waited for about 20 to 30 minutes trying to get noticed by the crew but they were all super busy! I decided to 
just leave and transfer to another restaurant because I was starving! 

Anyway, here's what my friend and I ordered:

Original mami

The broth was quite thick compared to other bowls of mami that I've had elsewhere and looked milky, too. However, it was bland for my taste, but a dash of salt 
and pepper could lend more flavor to the soup.

Bola-bola siopao

This, I loved! It was delish, with a generous amount of pork filling. 
No wonder Ma Mon Luk siopao is well loved by patrons.

Pork rice

My friend and I were surprised when this was served because we were expecting a dish of pork with rice. We thought we were given chopsuey rice by mistake. The server assured us, though, that it was their pork rice. Well, the veggies tasted good, 
although it was essentially chopsuey in both look and taste.

Pork fried noodles

We were expecting a plate of crunchy noodles but these were already drenched in sauce and already soft when it came on the table. Nevertheless, 
the pancit tasted good so my friend and I still enjoyed it.

Menu

Inside Ma Mon Luk along Quezon Ave. in Quezon City

Ma Mon Luk may be really old and quite rundown, with no air conditioning system, but the fact that it still exists decades after decades, attests to the fact that Pinoys love this Chinese restaurant. I know it will still be here for my future grandkids 
to visit, to enjoy good food and a slice of history.