Tong Yang Venice McKinley — Restaurant in Taguig

I was invited for dinner to celebrate the graduation of our niece. Our group got discounts for the graduates (turns out we had 2), June celebrants (we had 2), and senior citizens (we had 3).

It was my first time to dine at Tong Yang. I surveyed the choices and figured out how to get the most and the best dining experience.

Available were various meat and chicken cuts (some seasoned mostly not), seafood (shrimps, fish, shellfish), vegetables, mushrooms, and processed items for soup like squidballs, etc. There were also prepared dishes like tempura, mixed vegetables, and sushi. The dessert station had halo-halo, ice cream, and assorted pasties. There was a condiments station as well.

For drinks, there were choices for juices, beer in cans, soya-based drinks, and coffee. This was a pleasant surprise for me.

I was satisfied with the hotpot choices as I was able to eat healthy and cook a very tasty broth.

I found the meat choices underwhelming until we realized that 4 special meat choices were available by the halo-halo station upon request. Also, I figured out the best way to season my meats (mix the condiments and sauces of your choice in a bowl then mix in your meat; you'll get great tasting meat).

With those findings, I happily cooked the "pulutan" for our group. I am now looking forward to...

Food and services were all fine in the beginning. However, when I requested the bill, they informed me that I needed to pay a penalty for the sauce I didn't finish. I'm willing to pay for it since I was already full and had thoroughly enjoyed my dinner. I prioritize the dining experience over forcing myself to consume all the sauce. It's my responsibility to adhere to the restaurant's rules, and the cost of the leftover sauce is affordable for me.

Nevertheless, the attitude I encountered from the restaurant made me feel unwelcome.

For me, this restaurant deserves a rating of 4.5-5 stars solely because their sauce is delicious. Finally, I can experience authentic Chinese sauce here in the Philippines. I love it! However, I deducted 2 stars because I went home in a bad mood after feeling humiliated during my date with my girlfriend.

In the end, they decided not to charge me the penalty as an act of mercy. Honestly, I don't understand why they felt the need to show mercy to me, considering the embarrassment I experienced as a customer who appreciates good food. My main concern is simply enjoying my dinner.

I believe it's reasonable to share my...

Slithering through an ancient canal, Taco Bell on the second floor with a diary queen in sight, I long for something more.

Under a bridge we go, so close to all hallows Eve, a zombie nun waives to me, beckoning me to the spirit world.

Abuzz with life and sizzle, boiling pots and slabs of beef, shrimp and chicken, pork and fish balls, a sea of hungry customers laps against the shore, closing in on the goods, picking away at the remnants of the buffet stations.

We dine.

A plethora of sauces, a bowl of soup, steak wrapped in lettuce with kimchi and grilled leek.

This ain’t the Venice I know, but a staple of the Philippines.

A stop along the faux Adriatic, a bowl of ice cream and a mango roll.

A well deserved reprieve from the madness of the hallways here at the Venice grand canal, a bite to eat before we make our way to the street and back to an ice cold room and beer.

She’s worth the stop to fill your belly.

It’s more than just a bite to eat.

Hats off folks, it was a buffet experience to be expected, nothing more, nothing less.

But just enough to start a food coma and leave a smile...