 |
| shi lin's dumpling, noodles & rice meal |
I won't deny it, I was quite intimidated when I first visited Shi Lin on their branch at The Podium. It looked so classy and polished in its minimalist design that one would expect to burn thousands of pesos to get to try the wonderful dimsums and shiomais in this Chinese/Taiwanese resto. But, I was sooo wrong. This restaurant boast of wonderful, hearty Chinese food at an affordable price. Delightful!
 |
| shi lin, the podium |
 |
| pretty minimalist interior |
 |
| kitchen folks busy making dumplings |
I also won't deny, I first learned about Shi Lin after reading a delightful post about the restaurant on Lori Baltazar's website, Dessert Comes First. So, right after a hectic shift from the previous company that I worked for, despite the torrential rains, I braced it so I could kill my curiosity and get to know what the fuss is all about this place.
I like the total ambiance of the place, its so very relaxing. The restaurant has that cool color combination of peach, amber and brown. Its very feminine in tone that appealed to me very much. The glass enclosed kitchen that showcased dimsum preparations was a sight to behold. Delightful!
 |
| green peppermint tea |
 |
| xiao long bao |
 |
| shrimp & pork shiomai |
I sooo wanted to try the Green Mystique iced tea that time because I really like the svelte glasses that they use for their iced beverages. But I have to forgo that in this visit because I felt quite chilled because of the very bad weather outside. I opted instead to try their hot tea pot, the Organic Green Peppermint Tea (P138.00). I felt delightfully soothed in an instant after that first sip of the tea.
Not to miss, of course, are the dumplings. I had the Xiao Long Bao (P138.00/6 pcs.), a staple dumpling on most Chinese restaurants, and the Shrimp & Pork Shiomai (P148.00/6 pcs.), my favorite dumpling and the prettiest of them all. It seemed to me they're like sunflowers proudly looking upward toward the radiant sun. And the flavorful broth and ground pork fillings delighted me no end.
 |
| Fried Rice w/ Pork Chop & Egg |
I cannot say the same, though, with the Fried Rice w/ Pork Chop & Egg (P178.00). The pork chop was quite tough to chew. Maybe its just my unlucky day with this pork dish. No delightful points here. But the fried rice with egg was a sure winner. Its so flavorful I was able to finish it even without the aid of the pork chop viand.
 |
| cool almond jelly w/ lychee |
To cap off my wonderful meal, I had the Cool Almond Jelly w/ Lychee (P88.00). I love the silky, velvety feel of the almond jelly and the right sweetness of the lychee. Delightfully delish!
 |
| shi lin, table setting |
A few days before Christmas Day, I felt a little under the weather and wanted to get that needed boost through food. I was in Bonifacio Global City that day and it was a toss-up between Cuillere, Draft's and Shi Lin. I inevitably chose Shi Lin, suddenly the craving for the dumplings was unmistakable.
 |
| shi lin, the fort |
 |
| very laidback dining area |
 |
| kitchen abuzz |
Based on looks, the Shi Lin branch in BGC is stark darker than the Podium branch. I mentally branded this branch as the male "counterpart" of its more feminine-looking Podium branch. It still has the clear glass kitchen room where you could see how they artfully create the dumplings for the diners' viewing pleasure. Delightful!
 |
| green mystique |
 |
| shrimp & pork shiomai (second round) |
Here, I was finally able to order the Green Mystique Iced Tea (P60.00), it wasn't placed in a svelte glass, though. Bummer! And I must have those prettified dumplings, Shrimp and Pork Shiomai, back to my table.
 |
| noodles w/ spicy sesame & peanut sauce |
 |
| noodle dish (up close) |
 |
| fried rice w/ chicken chop & egg |
On this visit, I tried other bestselling dishes they offered. My favorite would be the Noodles w/ Spicy Sesame & Peanut Sauce (P138.00). An umami exploding dish, with the noodles cooked al dente and the sauce, so yummy and peanutty with spicy undertone that made my throat tingle a little. And the Fried Rice w/ Chicken Chop & Egg (P245.00) very much reminded me of Big Daddy's Chicken's own chicken chop. Crunchy exterior but still retaining the juiciness of the meat. Delightfully delish!
 |
| cheesecake |
 |
| hot almond cream w/ sesame balls |
 |
| yummy sesame filling |
The Cheesecake surprised me. Its more of a sponge cake, similar to mamon cake that you can buy from any Goldilocks or Red Ribbon stores. I'm not complaining though, since the cheesecake was very soft and fluffy. However, the dessert that captured my heart was the Hot Almond Cream w/ Sesame Balls (P105.00). I thought the Almond Jelly w/ Lychee dessert that they have is already good, not until I tried this one and I was totally blown away. A hot dessert in a creamy (and milky) sauce and those sesame balls. The filling was sooo good. Outstanding! I'm going to order two of these the next time. Delightful balls they are! He-he!
 |
| single dumpling on a saucer |
 |
| shi lin, bgc |
On these two separate visits, with the number of food items I ordered, my bill doesn't even reach a thousand pesos, or even nine hundred pesos. That's already a steal! If you're looking for excellent dumplings and wonderful rice meals, do try Shi Lin. And please, don't forget to order those hot sesame balls. You won't regret it! *wink*
3/F Podium Mall
ADB Ave., Ortigas Center, Mandaluyong City
477-4108
BGC Branch
31st., cor. 3rd Ave., (Beside HSBC & DeutcheBank)
No comments:
Post a Comment