Chopsticks: A Sunday Night Special

Last Sunday was a rainy one. After meeting with one of our married couple friends for a light lunch, we drove back to my place for a quick PC time. Once done, we were back on the road for church time at Mr Kyme's favorite place of worship, Sacred Heart Church. After the mass, we were hungry. Driving around the city for around 30 minutes while texting fellow blogger Kategracea for suggestions on where to eat within Cebu City  limits (she's such a foodie that she has become a highly reliable source of inputs for me when it comes to dining places in the metro), the driver and I opted to try out Chopsticks.

We've been longing to try this one out since the first time we saw it. However, we were highly dependent on our credit card at that time, and they do not accept one. So, we had to wait. Unfortunately, we tend to forget about it when there are chances of going there with family or friends. Currently, I've been planning to bring my family there for my b-day celebration this year, which would be within the next few weeks. Since my mom is a sucker for Chinese food, I have no hesitation my family enjoying the place. Mr Kyme, though, pointed out that we should try the place first to be completely sure. Hence, our Sunday post-church dinner for two.

I like the interiors. It is spacious and neat. This green bamboo-like plant is a nice addition to the interiors. It was a fresh escape from the neutral shades inside.

 

Counter Wall

Caged lights & Chopstick-Related Facts 

 

There's the counter right there! 

We got there at around 8:30PM, and the place was empty. That made us really happy because it meant faster service. We were not disappointed. It was only the spring rolls that took a little more than 15 minutes. 

 

Steamed Fried Rice @ P55

I like how they placed both chopsticks and spoon&fork right there because I can choose to use either of the two whenever I want to. The latter pair is usually necessary when ensuring absolutely zero leftovers :)

 

A closer look

Mr Kyme thinks the serving is smaller, which he really does not like. I think it is about the same amount as the ones in the usual mini-bowls in other Chinese restaurants. Whichever of us is right did not matter in the end. Compared to the other steamed fried rice that I have tried, this one had a little more oil, which might not be good for the health, but I like it. There were also some shrimps in it. It was the first time I noticed shrimps in steamed fried rice, making me more convinced about bringing my Chinese-at-heart, shrimp-loving mom there soon.

 

                               Plain Siomai @ P55                                                                             Chili Sauce
It was not the most tasty siomai I've had, but it was better than others. The chili sauce was one of the unforgettable ones that do not stick in your mouth and tongue but actually gets into the inner part of you. That's the kind of "hotness" I adore.

 

Spring Roll @ P55

The spring roll was served a bit late. Not too late though. The rolls were larger than the usual I've had. I'm not really fond of spring rolls, but this is one I am proud to offer to my brother, whose favorite Chinese food is spring rolls.

While Mr Kyme opted for a canned soda at P40, I had their houseblended iced tea at P60. No regrets on my part, and Mr Kyme even enjoyed a sip or two of my drink. 

Houseblended Ice Tea

To rate Chopsticks:

Billed: P300 plus. Not bad at all.

Service: Quick and relaxed. Probably because we were the only ones there at that time.

Ambiance: Spacious. Perfect for families and large groups. There might be some aspects that do not go with the entire interior theme though such as the large round table beside the counter. Very nice lighting because everyone and everything is visible even for someone with an imperfect eyesight. This is one of the places to eat in Cebu that I can recommend to friends and acquaintances alike. 

Chopsticks

Ground Floor

JP Morgan & Chase Building

I.T. Park, Lahug, Cebu City

(032) 5133388

 

Cebu Lumpia House: A Cheaper Chinese Cuisine Alternative

Yes, it is cheaper. And yes, it is Chinese. I first heard (actually, read) about this restaurant when Ensogo  offered coupons for food items served at this place. I did not get one since I really had no idea where the said restaurant is located. It was only when I chanced upon it at its Country Mall foodcourt location that I was able to get a taste of what they had to offer. I had no camera then so no pics for that particular visit. The Chinese Lumpia was something new to me at that time though, so I can still remember about it clearly even though the experience was a couple of months ago. Basically, it was served like embutido with the tin foil wrapping. Inside it, there was the fresh lumpia looking delight. It had a small amount of meat and around 80% vegetables that included carrots and bean sprouts. 

 A couple of weeks ago though, I was slightly feverish and needed some hot soup for my hungry tummy. Mr Kyme and I went around the foodcourt of Robinson's (the original one) in Fuente and found this.

 

Right where we want it to be!

They had a wide variation of noodle soup, but me and Mr Kyme both choose the fishball noodle soup. It was huge for its price at P40.

Dinner

 Me with mine

Him with his

It was perfect for dinner. It was not too heavy to actually make us feel sinful and guilty. It was good enough to keep us full for the entire night, too. The best thing is its price. It was definitely something we can afford to have anytime of the year. As a matter of fact, it is currently on our dinner options.

To rate Cebu Lumpia House 

Billed: Less than P100 for two noodle soup, which came with a regular-sized cup of iced tea

Service: The staff was friendly and accommodating. With a matter of minutes when I ordered and paid for the food, she was able to tell me a short background about the restaurant.

Additional Comments: Food presentation was nice. There were three people manning the entire counter, and they were efficient at what they were doing, so customers did not have to wait for a long time.

Harbor City Dimsum House: Wo Ai Ni

As indicated in pre

vious posts, I am a Chinese-food lover (influenced by my Mama). Hence, I am not a complete being if I have not dined at one of my favorite dimsum places in Cebu, Harbor City. As a matter of fact, I frequent their branch in Ayala Center.

It is our favorite especially when the mall starts to close because it is one of the few that takes time to close their doors to hungry people like us. Me, my partner and two of my lovely gang had dinner their one weeknight and had the following.

Spicy Pork Siomai (Sharing)

Yang Chow Rice (Yangi's)

Traditional Steamed Fried Rice (Lao's)

Mixed Hotpot (Soul's)

Pork Hotpot (Kyme's)

We had a glass of flavored ice tea each, and the output was below.

3 Happy People And An Eye

I cannot give the prices for each item highlighted here simply because I forgot to take note of them. However, I can remember how we ended up paying around P600 for the entire meal. Not bad eh!

For those who wish to be as happy and full as we were that night, visit
Harbor City Dimsum
3rd Level
Ayala Center Cebu
Contact Number: +63 32 2312284

Tsim Sha Tsui Dimsum & Tea Bar: Going Chinese

My mama loves Chinese food (and follows a number of Chinese traditions) despite the fact that she and my papa do not have an inch of Chinese blood anywhere in their bodies. Because of that, we grew up loving Chinese food. Unknowingly, this has slowly rubbed in into my partner's own gastric preferences.
So, one night, my partner invited my papa for some Chinese indulgence with the two of us. Too bad my mama is not around all the time. She missed this one. We opted for the bright green and white dimsum place in the terraces of Ayala and had the following for a sumptuous dinner for three.

Steam Rice, Spring Rolls & Four Seasons

Ngao Yuk (Beef Siomai) @P68

Vegetable Dumplings @P68

Meat Spring Rolls @P68

Sweet & Source Sauce for the Rolls, Garlic & Pepper Sauce for the Siomai

Raspberry Iced Tea @P50

Choco Bavarian Cream @P60 (I AM IN-LOVE WITH THIS!)

From a regular gal's point of view, dining at TST is definitely worth the hard-earned money shelled out. I haven't been to China though, so I cannot attest to the true taste of Chinese food. However, the dishes were as tasty as I expected them to be. My favorite is the vegetable dumpling, and it is one of the things I am having anytime I would be at TST again.

Food Cart (for fast gastric delights)

Eat-All-You-Can Area

My Partner-For-Life

My Papa - Our guest for the night

I'm a hotpot fan. It's what I always get when I go to Harbor City, another great dimsum place in the same area. TST's hotpot is on my list of to-try's :)

Dimsum-lovers like me should check out
Tsim Sha Tsui (pronounced as Jim Sa Joy)
204B, Level 2
Terraces, Ayala Center Cebu
Contact Number: +63 32 238 9209