The Foodinista: Chinese Food

Terraz, Makati (Chinese New Year Pay Day Buffet!)

Monday, March 12, 2018

It's been a long time since I've joined an eat up. Time is flying so fast I just haven't had a breather the past few months. I got so caught up with work and my private life that I rarely even go out and eat out! So when I was invited to this small gathering and I had a few time to spare, I just had to say yes to my Team Kaladkarin fam. Buffet pa! Bawi bawi din pag may time

Street View from Terraz Window

Terraz is a casual and approachable dining space featuring modern comfort cuisine within the city’s renowned LEED accredited high-rise – the Zuellig building. Simply prepared and top-quality dishes are available for lunch and cocktails with tapas and sangrias at hand as an ideal conclusion to one’s busy cosmopolitan schedule. With delightful hospitality and a relaxed atmosphere, Terraz is the perfect place to hold social events, corporate meetings, family snacks and even romantic dinners.

Terraz is a restaurant owned by Raintree Group located in Zuellig Building Makati.
Ms. Michelle Magtoto of Raintree Restaurants was the one who accommodated and assisted us the whole day. I love her presence. She's so nice, a little quiet and shy. She's very easy to talk to and we've even made chika after dinner! Lol!

I never knew a restaurant in Zuellig Building even exists cause I've always known it to be a corporate office so I actually got lost navigating for it. There's a slightly intimidating vibe upon entrance cause everyone was wearing corporate attires and it's been a long time since I've worn a corporate outfit so I felt a little out of place. Haha!

Most of the customers are employees of the building cause Terraz also caters to offices on ordinary days. Most diners are business people and professionals that ads to the intimidating and sossy vibe. The place is quiet and the mood is very calming as compared to your usual buffet restaurants where a most people are actively chatting, laughing, shouting sometimes even with kids running around; Terraz has a hotel-vibe stress-free ambiance, so it's a good affordable place for lunch meetings and corporate gatherings.

Terraz can accommodate private meetings and events. They have seasonal or themed buffet twice a month depending on the occasion that will be celebrated or unique concepts they want to incorporate in the buffet. The place can accommodate about 70 people and has a cozy vibe, TBH medyo tita-ish ang feels for me cause of the warm lighting and couches. It's an ideal place for cocktails nights and mini reunions.

This month they're celebrating the Chinese New Year so this event is called the Chinese New Year Pay Day Buffet. Next month it'll be the Seafood Pay Day Buffet!

Buffet Price: P588 (Chinese New Year Pay Day Buffet)
Regular Buffet Rate: P520

Side Note: There's a musician playing violin to add to the cozy ambiance pero na off ako cause when I entered cause he was playing Hayaan Mo Sila by Ex Batallion

BWAHAHAHA

️I gave him a chance cause the music line up changed after that song!

TOP PICKS

Minced Beef with Crabmeat Soup

Braised Yellow Noodles

I just had to eat the noodles cause in Chinese it's tradition for us to eat noodles during occasions as it is believe that it'll give us long life. It's a little dry at first try but when the tray was replaced by a new batch it tasted good!

Pecking Duck

Pork Ribs with Special Sauce

Fried Rice

Assorted Dimsum

THE BEST! Can't count how many times I went back for the Siomai! I was eating Siomai the whole night. Grabe lang, legit. Akala ko lasang master siomai lang, but nooo it tasted so authentic and even the other dimsums. Ineffortan, hindi parang binili lang na frozen dimsum tapos ini-steam. Quality siya!

Fried Siopao (No Photo)
YUM! Not a fan of siopao, I don't actually eat siopao pero but this one is good. I thought it was a custard bun at first bite hahaha! It's a lil oily but it is super good! The filling is packed and isn't too sweet for my liking.

Mango Passion Fruit Juice

I love the variety of cocktail drinks they offer! ANG SARAP NITO! To be honest, most of the food for me were just normal. Maybe cause I'm Chinese? Parang parati ko na siya kinakain so ang hirap na i-judge kung masarap ba or hindi and one of the things na hindi ko talaga nakalimutan would be this drink! Ang sarap besh! So refreshing, sana pwedeng dalhin sa beach. The sweet x sour combo is just perfect pang-alis umay!

Buchi

Others that were available in the buffet.
Sweet and Sour Fish
Sauteed Chicken, Snow Peas black fungus with water chestnuts
Peking Duck
Singaporean fried noodles
Steamed Salmon Tail And Head with Special Sauce
Hoisin Chicken
Chicken Lemon Pineapple Cucumber
Pork Ribs with Special Sauce
Almond Jelly and Mango Pudding

Mango Sago

Thank you for having me Team Kaladkarin & Raintree Restaurants! What a memorable night!

Banawe

Tien Ma's Taiwan Cuisine, Banawe

Thursday, May 04, 2017

Tien Ma's Xiao Long Bao

Banawe has been a favorite go to dining spot of me and my family because of their affordable Dimsums & authentic Taiwanese food.
Whenever there is a newly opened restaurant in Banawe, I'd be one of the first people to now. I enjoy living in this area for its numerous good local restaurants serving authentic Chinese cuisines and many more therefore when I heard Tien Ma opened in Retiro I got so excited cause i'm hearing a lot of good reviews on their Xiao Long Bao!

Xiao Long Bao is my ultimate comfort food. I can even finish more than 20 pieces in one seating Hahaha!

Tien Ma Banawe

Xiao Long Bao P200 (9 pcs.)

First thing that I ordered when I visited would be the Xiao Long Bao. I actually lowered my standards for this cause I had to consider the price range and can't just compare it right away to Din Tai Fung which my my standards of a good XBL.

I'm rating it an 8.5 our of 10.

I wish I could eat those 9 pieces but I had to share it with my boyfriend. LOL.
What made it extraordinary would be the soup which has a home-made feel and authentic taste. But the meat inside was just ordinary. It definitely passed my standards but didn't exceed, not bad if you are just really craving for a cheap and good soup dumpling!

Xiao Long Bao

Avocado Fruit Shake P90
Yey for fruit shakes! I got surprised they were serving Avocados during that day so I knew I just had to order one. I just find the price of the drink too expensive, P90 for a fruit shake, seriously?
It tasted quite blunt too that I even had to add more sugar syrup to make it a little sweeter.

Avocado Shake

Kung Pao Shrimp P199
I wanted something more cause the Xiao Long Bao's weren't that filling. I opted for the Kung Pao Shrimp which also has been a favorite by many! It's nothing extraordinary but I liked that the serving is big. When I go to Chinese Restaurants they usually overload it with sauce instead of the toppings but for this one it's the exact opposite. It is tasty but not unique enough to give me that WOW factor. I just didn't like how there were many unnecessary veggies added that didn't really make it special.

Three Cup Chicken P199
Can't explain how this exactly tasted. The waiter said it's like the Chinese Version that of an Adobo it somehow resembles based on the texture but it tasted quite far from it. It has this sweet, salty and garlicky sauce which reminds me of a milder soy chicken. I loved it! It's also a plus that the serving is big and is already good for 2 people.

Overall, it was a wonderful experience. Craving Satisfied!

Chinese Food

Serenitea: Little Baguio, San Juan

Monday, September 05, 2016

Serenitea is one of the pioneers in bringing the milk tea craze in the Philippines!

And as of 2016, they already have 30 branches nationwide. Back then, the popular drink was coffee Frappes and Lattes, but when the milk tea hype came in, everyone just keep craving for it!

My friend who's having her Make Up Workshop in Serenitea treated me some drinks and meals, hence this review. I've been going back a lot of time already on this branch because they serve good food and drink. They even have a food delivery service so you can enjoy their food at home!

Serenitea Little Baguio

Their staff are always all-smiles! The restaurant is not too big so I don't recommend this if you are going in big groups. It is ideal only for quick orders and take outs! There's also limited parking space in the area.

Serenitea San Juan

Serenitea Chicken Chops P80 / P140 Formosa Chicken

My favorite one to order would be their Pork Chops! It's big and it's good! The serving is also already good for two people. The smell is very aromatic and appetizing too! Lately, I've been ordering the Formosa Chicken version of the chops which just have additional Tomatoes, Olive Oil and Basil. I super love it! It balances the strong salty taste of the chicken.

Shabu Shabu Serenitea

You can also try their newly added food to the menu, they're Shabu Shabu. It's a bit over priced though at around P235 to P285 per order and I think there's nothing really special about it except the shabu shabu soup and the additional rice.

For their Finger Snacks, I like their Corn Peppered best seasoned with pepper and salt. It's a really good comfort food and meryenda!

Peppered Corn Serenitea

I tried their new drink Matcha Latte for P115. It's a new addition to their drink menu and I love it! The rough texture of their matcha has a little bitter-sweet taste. It's really close to the authentic ones and could satisfy your matcha craving!

This is just a quick review experience with Serenitea. Let me know your recommendations through commenting below, thank you!

Buffet

King One: Eat All You Can Rotary Hot Pot (Tomas Morato) Review

Sunday, May 01, 2016

King One Rotary Hot Pot

King One Rotary Hot Pot I must say has got to be one of my favourite rotary hot pot's in Manila. They have a rotary conveyor belt which transports all ingredients within your reach. There are even Chef's who freshly prepare the ingredients that's being transported on the conveyer belt.

It is located at Tomas Morato though they also have another branch which is at Pasay in Macapagal Boulevard. I have tried both and since this one is the newer branch, I prefer this cause apparently the food tastes better and the ambiance is much better too. I remember eating at Macapagal Branch and it honestly didn't impress me at all! The servers were very slow and they panicked easily when I keep asking for more ingredients to be cooked. The ambiance is also not as nice and the ventilation was disappointing, the place is not so clean as well. This branch is really new and the ambiance is perfect and you won't feel any pressure in ordering and eating fast.

Located on the 2nd Floor

So here's the photo of King One outside. It's very easy to locate and is on the second floor of a building, there's an elevator which will bring you directly to the restaurant or you can walk up using the stairs on the back side area of the building.

King One

Back Entrance

PRICE RANGE

Monday to Friday - Lunch (P558) | Dinner (P658)
Saturday - Lunch (P599) | Dinner (P699)
Sunday & Holidays Lunch & Dinner (P699)
Drink All You Can (P59)

This is an updated Price List as of 2016. They used to be cheaper and i'm not so sure why a sudden increase yet I still keep coming back.

We went here on a weekday lunch. Unfortunately their rotating conveyer belt was closed because there were very few people eating that time so if you want the experience of it, I recommend you go here during dinner time or on a weekend.

They accept reservations and huge events. Make sure to give them a call if you plan on visiting during dinners on weekends. A lot of parties and celebrations are being held here. This is a perfect place for friendly reunions and gatherings!

Forgot to include that they have a service charge so better bring extra cash.

As you can see the place is very neat which I would want to commend. If you can just see their branch in Tomas Morato, there's really a HUGE DIFFERENCE. The spaces between every set of tables is also good which is convenient if you love moving around to get your dipping sauce or drinks.

They also have an area which I wasn't able to take a picture of, the different sauces which you can add and other small ingredients to spice up your soup stock.

While waiting for the soup to be prepared we were asked to fill up a list of ingredients we would want to cook.

NO LEFT OVERS. NO TAKE OUTS. So make sure to order first what you think you can fully consume. Don't be overwhelmed with what you can see. Everything looks good and smells good, but it's better to be safe than sorry! Anyway, they really serve quite fast, so waiting time should be the least of your concerns.

I also got busy mixing up my own dipping sauce. I had mine with lots of garlic and the Satay Sauce which brings in all the flavor and some kick to my Shabu Shabu. Choices would be garlic, onion spring, chili and the satay. This is served in every table automatically.

Special Sauce

Drink / Beverage Station

They have very few type of drinks. Iced Tea, Lemonade, Mango Juice, Water and Coffee. Wish they had more varieties to choose from.

SOUP TIME. We ordered one Satay Soup and one Regular Soup for our soup stock. Make sure to order the Satay One too cause adding Satay Sauce on the Regular Soup doesn't really taste nice. Hindi na lumalabas yung lasa and the goodness of the satay when it's just mixed. They don't give Satay Soup Refills anymore. So sad :(

They also have the Curry but haven't tried it cause my friends don't like curry, they also have the Szechuan Soup which is the spicy one.

Crab Sticks, Dumplings, Siomai

There are lambs slices, premium cuts of U.S. Beef, and many more. One order also comes with 1 free side dish so I ordered the Yang Chow Fried Rice and it's even refillable.

Golden Mushroom Beef Roll

THIS IS DEFINITELY MY FAVORITE. I remember ordering it for around 4 to 5 times. Can't get enough of their Golden Mushrooms. Next fave is the MOZZARELLA BALLS. My boyfriend loves it too. One ingredient would take 2 to 3 minute cooking time, it's not really that long.

The variety of ingredients they have is so huge so if you can give everything a try! But as for me I already know what I want so I just keep ordering those instead.

Family Enjoying their Hot Pot

My Boyfriend Cooking For Me :D

The conveyer belt is turned off, so sad. I understand though that they won't bother opening it if there were only few customers dining. We can order the ingredients anyway.

Overall, it's a nice experience to be back at one of my favourite hot pots in Manila. I consider it as a comfort food na that I always look for when I crave for it or when I'm just hungry haha!

Tip: If you're lucky, you can avail their promos and deals on voucher websites:

Link: http://www.metrodeal.com/deals/Metro_Manila/KingOne-Rotary-Hotpot/869738676

Pages

The Foodinista

Terraz, Makati (Chinese New Year Pay Day Buffet!)

Tien Ma's Taiwan Cuisine, Banawe

Serenitea: Little Baguio, San Juan

King One: Eat All You Can Rotary Hot Pot (Tomas Morato) Review