Charlie's Wanton Special is a Hole-In-The-Wall Chinese Restaurant in Mandaluyong. It reminds me a lot of Hap Chan and Mann Hann but this one is more straight forward and cheap! It's like an air-conditioned canteen pina-level up! The set up is not fancy at all, just your typical no-frills chinese restaurant from the outside. They have a lot of parking space in front of the restaurant and I was surprised that it still gets full during weekdays.
According to my boyfriend who lives in San Juan, it's a popular Chinese restaurant since he was a kid. It often gets jamp-packed and it's popular among the residents in the area. On my first visit I wasn't able to try their Siomai so I tried their Fish Fillet Taosi instead for P185. Their serving is pretty big and can be good for 2 people already. There's nothing distinct about the taste so I won't review it anymore.
 |
| Fish Fillet Taosi (Photo Taken from my Zomato Account) |
I went to Charlie's three times just to have a taste of their famous Siomai. Unfortunately every time I go there it's already out of stock! So if you really want to try it make sure you drop by on a lunch time on weekdays and weekends. Ubusan daw talaga, that's how legit it is!
 |
| Beef Wanton Mami P185 - Regular |
The Beef Wanton Mami is probably the most worthy one that we ordered. It is super worth it because of the serving and the taste reminds me a lot of Pares. AUTHENTIC CHINESE PARES. The beef was tender and tasty. The broth was beefy and aromatic. The noodles were hand-pulled, I can't believe i'm only paying P185 for this. It is really good! |
| Charlie's Siomai |
Charlie's Siomai - one of the most hyped hole-in-the-wall Siomai's in town so I was happy to finally be able to try it. It's priced at P82 per order for three big pieces. The meat is really tender and it tasted like authentic pork and not the usual processed ones. It's freaking huge as compared to siomai stalls in malls. Though I won't give it a 5 out of 5 stars cause I think there's something lacking on the flavor of the meat but in terms of texture and authenticity, it is something i'd recommend to everyone!
 |
| Charlie's Asado Rice |
Aside from the Siomai, my boyfriend insisted in ordering the Asado Rice for sharing. I really wanted a rice topping so this was the perfect meal to satisfy my craving.
THIS IS THE BEST ASADO RICE I have ever tried. The sauce is overflowing and I was surprised that it wasn't too flavorful or nakaka-umay. I just love how the meat was tender and just the perfect viand to the sauce rice. MUST TRY for rice-lovers like me!
If you're looking for cheap-eats Chinese Restaurant around San Juan then this is the perfect place to visit!