Tasty Dumplings — Restaurant in Manila

Tasty Dumplings is a Taiwanese diner-like restaurant located on a quiet street near the bustling chaos of Chinatown, and when we arrived, we initially assumed that the place may be deserted, as we didn't notice any other people roaming around the area. Putting our doubts aside, we walked towards the restaurant and were surprised to see that there were indeed customers, though only a small amount. Once we entered, we were instantly greeted by a staff member, and she provided us with a menu that had a vast selection of dishes that we could choose from. 🥟

My mother and I ordered dishes that we would eat on our own, and then we also ordered a set of dumplings that we would share together, as well as some iced tea to freshen up since the scorching heat was unbearable. While waiting for our orders, I decided to observe our surroundings, and while it may not be necessarily aesthetic to take a picture of, it feels comfortable and has a cozy ambience. 💫

It is quite similar to diners in lesser-known towns, and I loved how they have an entire wall dedicated to pictures. The place feels like going to your grandmother's home, and it didn't need to be flashy; the food and the warmth of it all could speak for themselves.

When the food arrived, I was greeted by a delightful dish of spare ribs with rice, and my mother started to sip her soup filled with meatballs. I initially took a sip out of the iced tea we ordered, and it wasn't worth it for its price; it tasted similar to the juice packets you would buy at a sari-sari store, and you would be a bit appalled by the fact that this iced tea is around 65 pesos. It's not worth a try, and it's better to try other drinks instead or be content with water. 🥡

Moving on to the spare ribs with rice, it is priced around 215 pesos. I loved how tender and soft it was; it wasn't difficult to chew, and it is a bit sweet, but there's a slight hint of saltiness in the background. It is paired with an array of vegetables that I had the delight of eating, and I'm assuming some of them were strips of cabbage. The rice was perfect, and I liked how there was a small amount of sauce (perhaps a mix with soy sauce?) on top. My only complaint is that it wasn't served hot; it was more on the warmer side, and I believe that the flavor itself could've been better had the temperature been different.

My mother didn't comment much on the meatball soup, but based on my observations when she was eating it, I could tell it was delicious. As for the dumplings we shared, they weren't that hot, which affected the taste, just like the spare ribs with rice. However, it is incredibly juicy once you bite into it and the powerful flavors of the meat packs a punch while it is accompanied by some granules of green vegetables. 🍲

The meatballs soup is around 165 pesos and the eight pieces of dumplings are around 155 pesos. We had some complimentary soup, but its flavors are quite subtle so we cannot describe how it would taste other than the fact it tastes similar to vegetable broth.

Lastly, it wasn't a spectacular place by any means, but it feels closer to home since you are not entering a place with a lot of pretentious decor, nor are you bombarded with commercialized dishes. Instead, you could eat in peace since there are not a lot of people, and it's a better replacement when you couldn't get a seat in one of the restaurants you wanted to go to because of the line. I certainly had some problems with the dishes I ate, but overall, I had a fun...

Big Porkchops, Murky Vibes, Service Needs a Spark

Food & Drink Tasty Dumpling is known for its huge fried pork chop rice and that part held up. The pork chop was crispy and filling, and while it wasn’t mind-blowing, it was decent. A solid meal if you’re looking for comfort food that doesn’t try to do too much. Dumplings were alright, nothing too memorable.

Service Service wasn’t slow, but it was a little strange. When we asked for ice with our water, they said they had to check if there was any. That threw us off. Also, we asked them to adjust the air conditioning because it was blowing straight at us. They tried to redirect it, but even they could see it was still blasting our table. After that, it was just kind of left that way. What also stood out was when we asked for ice for our water and they had to check if there was any. It was such a simple request but it got treated like a big maybe, which just felt odd.

Atmosphere The place feels worn. It’s got that classic hole-in-the-wall charm, but it could really use a refresh. The interior felt a bit unclean and unloved. When a place gets popular, sometimes the small things get overlooked, and it shows here.

Final Thoughts Tasty Dumpling has name recognition and a loyal crowd, but if you're after a full experience — comfort, care, and a bit of ambiance — it might fall short. The food is passable, but everything else needs...

We just happened to be at Binondo church and on our way someplace else when we noticed this place.

The inside has photos of artists who supposedly had eaten at the place. Most customers were chinese so plus points for looking authentic.

We only tried the porkchop and hand tossed pasta. It was immediately served alongside a clear hot soup.

The food portions are very generous and for only 210 it was a good buy! The hand tossed pasta have a special sauce or so the server said. You've got to mix it well as the sauce was at the bottom of the plate. I found it delicious especially with the caramelized onions to which my friends didn't particularly like.

The porkchops were humongous! It was a Chinese styled breaded porkchop I love it, it was tender and the breading isn't too thick. The unassuming soup was a great addition as palate cleanser and it did taste good.

I advise you to add the homemade chili/pepper sauce on porkchop too lessen the "umay". Don't worry its not too spicy but tasted like green chili peppers with a little bit of dill to give you a spicy/minty veggie taste.

Unrelated but Anyways after this place we all just felt...