Food Glorious Food: The Shabu Shabu Experience
When things hot pot, the first thing that comes to a Manileño's mind is Tong Yang. I used to like Tong Yang about, oh, 10 years ago. The last time I was there was last summer when I suffered a billion-intensity migrain attack less than 30 minutes after the meal. The food was good while you chew it and not after you digest it, for apparently the broth has too many MSG in it for flavor (as all the ingredients you put in the pot is raw and unseasoned, the MSG does well for flavor). After that incident I swear I'd never go back there again unless a cure for AIDS is available over-the-counter.
And so the hunt for the worthy hotpot/shabu-shabu hole begins. There's Mini Shabu Shabu in Rockwell (and also in SM Manila, I think) but I don't really find the place worth the money. You just get your usual fare of raw food + broth combo without the soul-soothing after-taste. So last night, while thinking for an alternative to my sashimi-craving, Penha and I decided to traverse Pasay Road to find a shabu-shabu bar, only to find Ha Shin Lou intimidating with all that nifty interiors and expensive cars parked out front. In short, mukang mahal. Not being frugal but I just wasn't in the mood for fine dining then, and I actually refuse to believe that the best tastes in the world always always come with a hefty price tag. So we gave Ha Shin Lou a pass, and walked back towards the direction of Makati Avenue.
At the corner of Makati Avenue and Pasay Road just outside San Lorenzo gate stood quietly Tian Tian Hot Pot, a ragged-looking chinese restaurant that, well, serves hot pot. The sign was missing apparently due to typhoon Milenyo, so they had a temporary banner displayed out front. I have always been curious about Tian Tian and actually wanted to go inside a couple of times, and a couple of times I forgot to actually try. The outside facade doesn't offer much to stimulate the grumbling stomach, barely through the glass door you could see the aquarium where eels, cherry snappers and other sea creatures patiently await their doom. As we went through the door we were crossing our fingers that the menu would not chase the livelihood away from our wallets, and boy, WERE WE SURPRISED IT DIDN'T! The pot looks like it has endured many years of glorious dining, being divided into two for not one but two kinds of broth (as it is for many old-school hot pots), one for plain broth and another one for sate or spicy. Dining inside were chinese folks who seem moneyed but no qualms in eating in places like this as long as it serves good food, and apparently this place does. The interiors looks like it has seen better days with its yellowing walls and lack of decor, but I just couldn't care!
Now, the dining experience. The usual condiments can be availed for free upon sitting down, namely garlic (chopped raw or toasted), ginger, spring onions, and chili peppers. Plus a saucer of special soy sauce. Then the attendant starts filling up the pot with broth, and instantly you could smell the devilish aroma of the sate. They'd give you a sheet of the entire menu and a pen where you'd tick the items you wish to order, and one by one they start serving them on individual plates. Because I was hungry and he was hungrier, we ordered not much:
- Squid
- Pork slices - served in a bed of pechay tagalog
- Beef slices - served in a bed of cabbage
- siomai
- kailaan (chinese broccoli)
- black mushrooms
- white mushrooms
- sea cucumber
- young corn
- pechay baguio
Flowing broth is already included (meaning bottomless soup for the pot).
Each serving is quite hefty. Imagine the kailaan serving is big enough for one whole serving in a chinese restaurant (read: isang order). The veggies cost P90 per plate, beef and pork and perhaps chicken as well costs P130, and everything else priced in between. Quite reasonable, I must say. All in all, we were sick full to our throats, and there was plenty left to feed another person. Plus pineapple juice and coke in can, total bill: P1,500. Like P500 per head, it costs the same as eating in Tong Yang, without the MSG. That's soul food for you, bebeh!
We could've saved a lot more if we only knew the pork and beef slices already came with veggies so we'd forget asking for the pechay baguio and kailaan. Plus, we refused to order rice and go on an all-ulam frenzy. :) We also weren't sure how big each serving was, so we ended up ordering more stuff than we can gobble. All in all, I'd say a satisfying meal for two would cost about P700.
The verdict? I'M DEFINITELY GOING BACK THERE!!!
Labels: food bits
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