Taiwan Kitchen 小台北下午茶 Cafe - Dela Rosa (Paza1) — Restaurant in Makati

The Xiao Long Bao is far from authentic. It's obviously frozen, and the quality of the wrapper is subpar so the tendency is there are holes, hence all the soup inside the dumplings are drained before you even touch them. If one dumpling's soup isn't drained yet, then it's a delicate game of lifting it up slowly with chopsticks and eating them fast or else you risk holes and the soup draining fast. Taste of the actual XLB and the sauce is also far from authentic.

Also the steak is subpar. Some pieces are tough. Taste is just OK, far from Taiwanese flavors that you expect from a supposedly authentic Taiwanese restaurant. Considering its price per serving, the least you'd like to expect is the meat not being tough.

The saving grace from our experience is the fried milk. It's as authentic as it can be, and the quality is great. Yet either way, it's pretty hard to mess up deep frying.

It was quite busy on a Sunday night, an hour shy of midnight. Place seems popular for partygoers looking to either sober up after a night of drinking, or to fill up before an all-nighter party. Place was close to full when we dined, and all the staff visibly looked overwhelmed. Forget requesting for virtually anything from them once you're seated. It's almost a perfect guarantee they'll say yes to your request of merely 2 extra plates, and rest assured everything is forgotten as they pass by you multiple times to serve other guests.

Overall, it was a forgettable experience. I think there are other menu items worthier of your time and money that we just didn't get the chance to get, but the initial experience puts us off from giving it another go again. It's like going to an "authentic" Japanese restaurant and them messing up your ramen, or an "authentic" Vietnamese resto messing up your Pho.

Hot tip for the establishment: make the Xiao Long Bao better at the very least, maybe then you wouldn't have to rely on heavy celebrity...

Service: Rating: 4/5 The staff exhibited a commendable level of friendliness and assistance, though a more consistent display of warmth, such as smiling, would elevate the overall customer service experience.

Ambience/Place: Rating: 4/5 The establishment was clean and well-maintained, offering a pleasing and presentable environment conducive to a comfortable dining experience.

📍Milk Tea: Rating: 0/10 Regrettably, the milk tea was an utter disappointment. It lacked any discernible flavors of milk or tea, leaving the drink remarkably bland. Even though I typically opt for 0% sugar beverages, this particular tea felt devoid of taste altogether. It is not a drink I would recommend to anyone, and I would advise steering clear of it.

📍Grilled Chicken Chop: Rating: 4/10 The grilled chicken chop was excessively greasy and lacked texture, with a mushy consistency that left much to be desired. The flavor was minimal, though the condiments, such as the plum sauce and chili powder, offered some relief. Despite this, I would not recommend this dish.

📍Mee Sua with Pork Chop: Rating: 9/10 The mee sua with pork chop was undoubtedly the highlight of my meal. The dish was flavorful and satisfying, though a touch more Chinese coriander would have brought it to perfection. Nevertheless, it was the one dish that truly redeemed the dining experience.

Conclusion:

Having visited Taiwan twice and experienced its vibrant culinary scene firsthand, I developed a deep appreciation for the rich flavors and authenticity of its food. I’ve often found myself enthusiastically raving about the incredible dishes to my friends, eagerly sharing my admiration for the remarkable taste and quality. With such high expectations set by my past experiences, I approached this meal with anticipation, hoping to relive the same satisfaction and delight that Taiwan's cuisine had once...

Meal person: 180 without drinks

We went here for the first time, which was an outstanding experience. First, we contacted the staff to check if they allowed dogs. The good thing is that they allow pets on the 1st floor.

We tried their rice in bowl sets. I had Adobo Rice (Lourofan), and my wife had Chicken Rice (Jiroufan). The serving for both dishes was enormous, especially the rice. We suggest having one rice bowl and another ala carte dish instead of two rice bowls.

They have an ongoing promo of free Taiwan Wheelcake when you post a selfie or groupie and upload it on FB. We availed of that promo and had the salted egg cake. It was weirdly delicious, as my wife would describe it. The combination of salted egg and the sweet taro was delicious.

They have a condiments area for spices, utensils, sauces, water, & ice. They also have a designated smoking area. The ambiance is nice and cozy. It is perfect for family gatherings or bonding with friends and colleagues.

We will come back here to try their bento meals and their milk tea.

Update: We ended up going back here after two days. We tried their bento meal (Braised Pork Bento) and Curry Porkchop Rice. Again, the rice servings were very generous. The bento meal has various dishes on top of the rice. We think their bento meals can be good for two people because my wife ended up taking her half-eaten meal home.

They also have free WiFi if you're planning to...