Hello, dolls!! Hello, wonderful April! I know I have been expressing how exhausted I have been lately but man do I love being busy — the irony, right? I think that’s just how women are, we are born as “doers”. I once read an article online that mentioned how vital a woman’s role in a household is. That before we could even think of sitting down, we make sure we have everything covered, and for most of us, that happens right before bedtime! Now, I am not trying to say men don’t do their fair share of responsibilities at home. I like to think I am fortunate more than others when it comes to my husband being involved in our daily chores, but I sometimes wonder, if women stopped doing the things they do, and men are left with no structure at home, would it be as efficient as it would be?
Anyway, I am still reliving our Austin trip and all the amazing food that we had. After 3 consecutive delayed/canceled flights from our last two trips, I can’t believe that I am finally telling myself to go on a break from jet setting and just stick to road trips until our big family trip in December! So I guess I am going to let my blog travel for me for a while by reliving my great adventures.
Before I move on to my Quezon City lunch food guide, let me promote the giveaway I am hosting right now in Partnership with Maryland Families for Safe Birth. If you want to win a swag bag worth $300, please click here for the giveaway! <3
One of the hardest decisions we face on the regular is choosing a restaurant to eat with friends or family. How many times did you get stuck thinking about “that place” you can all agree with? Whenever we are in Manila, A is all about eating Chinese food. Lucky for him, Quezon City has a lot of places to offer — especially since we are very close to Banawe aka the Chinatown of Quezon City.
Option 1: Wan Chai
Wan Chai is one of the oldest Chinese restaurants in the Philippines. I remember how excited my Dad was when he told us to get ready for lunch because he wants to eat Peking Duck, especially with A.
A loving the dim sum cart.
Nothing like hot-soft-pillowy siopaos to start our Chinese feast.
We got our favorites! Fall off the bone chicken feet, steamed spareribs, fish in black bean sauce, and yang chow fried rice.
‘Pancit Canton/ Noodles for long life — cause A has to have noodles when at a Chinese restaurant lol
…and the main reason why my Dad took us to Wan Chai for lunch — Peking Duck! The manager told him it’s advisable to order the Peking duck in advance (not sure if it’s because they run out or because it takes a while to prepare). We had 3 ways and everyone was just ready to dig in!
First way: Crispy peking duck skin is delicious BUT lethal!! I used to eat a lot of this but now that I am more conscious about calories and all that I limit myself to 3 pancake wraps of it.
Second way: Stir-fried peking duck in lettuce wraps. MY FAVORITE! The sweet and savory flavor that fills the crunchy lettuce makes me crave for more. I almost feel like I shouldn’t worry about calories when eating this! lol
Third Way: Peking duck as a soup. I went to some restaurants that would deep fry the bones with aromatic spices and then serve it just like that. It was my first time to try it in a soup and it was pretty good!
Where to have dessert/snack after:
Rockies in Fisher Mall. Have you ever seen those cool looking rolled ice cream? Do you go for the toppings or to watch the person behind the counter turn that yummy milk mixture into ice cream? I am all about the toppings! I guess since I’ve worked in the kitchen for so long, seeing certain ingredients turn into “something” is pretty normal for me. I know my siblings love watching so to those who like to be entertained with something new, Rockies is the perfect spot for ice cream and a little bit of that.
Option 2: Elarz
Elarz Lechon
Were you even in the Philippines if you did not have lechon??
One of my favorite memories with my Lolo was going to Elarz for lunch to eat homestyle Filipino food and delicious lechon. I remember going there with him and feeling like we were just having lunch at home because all the servers knew him and made us feel comfortable.
Where to have dessert after: Mr. Binatog
Binatog is boiled white corn topped with coconut shavings, salt, and condensed milk (if you like). It’s one of Filipinos’ favorite street foods and I am so happy someone decided to open up Mr. Binatog in most shopping malls because I do not have to wait for the street vendor to pass by our house when I am in the Philippines.
I love mine sweet and salty! I put coconut, salt, and extra condensed milk. YUMMMM!!
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Option 3: Tasty Dumplings
Tasty Dumplings is one of my favorite go-to restaurants in Quezon City. I remember in high school I would get excited during exam week because we get to go home early — meaning, I can go to Tasty Dumplings for late lunch.
I am always torn between getting an order of pork chop or 2 orders of dumplings 😛 Their crispy fried pork chops are perfectly crispy and HUGE! The dumplings have the best filling, just as good as one of our favorite Chinese restaurants in Binondo – La Mien.
I love how A looks forward to going to Tasty Dumplings too whenever we are in the Philippines. This year, I know little A will love it here too because of their wintermelon juice and delicious dumplings! My little Asian boy :P
What to eat for dessert/snack after : Milk Tea
There are milk tea stores all over the country in every corner. What better way to push down mouthwatering Chinese food than to have milk tea, right? Lol
I wanted to check what baby products I won’t be able to easily find here in the US. The malls are always too crowded and I get overwhelmed with the amount of sales ladies in the department stores asking if we need help every 3 minutes. I’ve been following The Parenting Emporium on Instagram even before our trip and thought it’s a great place for me to discover new brands and products.
I’ve been using the mosquito repellant stickers on little A ever since my cousin Ate Carla gave us a box of it. We love it so much especially during summer when he is out every day.
It was nice of them to post about us on their Facebook and Instagram page after our visit! 😛
I had to make sure our trip won’t affect my milk supply so I stocked up on lactating treats!
Little A is looking forward to his trip to the Philippines too! He’s been telling my Dad he wants to go to Jollibee because of the fried chicken — sounds like his Daddy! LOL
Soon I will have two babies in my arms <3
xx
R <3
That looks amazing!! I could eat way too many of those dumplings in one sitting, they look so good.
It will be hard for me to choose among all these yummy food. Lovely photos you have here.
That’s our dilemma every time lol
Wow this is so well written, love the photos! Thanks for all the tips on where and what to eat!
That all looks so good. I’ve never even tried dim sum if you can believe that.