Suzhou Dimsum Mandaluyong

Anybody who knows me even for a short period of time understands that I LOVE food.  And I love to eat.  So that means I explore a lot of the places were one can find food.  Since I spend most of my time at work and in and around Manila I have to find places that interest my palate.

So I get most of my leads through my Facebook timeline (I know sad) but sometimes I get a tip from friends and family that this resto is good etc so on and so on.  And the other day someone talked about Suzhou Dimsum Mandaluyong.  Naturally I had to go check it out.  One, it's in Mandaluyong, and second, I heard that they had a great Xiao Long Bao.

This Chinese restaurant has been around for a while, practically over 10 years and is a family run business like most Chinese restaurants are.  This particular branch is located in Mandaluyong but there are other branches near you.

This branch is a bit out of the way but that doesn't stop regulars from going there.  When we arrived there were a few people there and that's already a good indicator that the food is worth it.  If there are regulars - it means the food is good enough to return to.

We immediately got our hands on the Xiao Long Bao (P135 - 4pcs).  And good thing we did because this one is really worth it.  If you're familiar with the one restaurant in Megamall that offers this same dish you won't be disappointed with this one from Suzhou.  It's a fraction of the cost and that means more Xiao Long Bao for us!  Yehey!

Xiao Long Bao

And in true family fashion the wife ordered dessert immediately.  She got the Fried Banana Nuggets (P140).  They taste like, well, Banana, fried outside, soft and tasty on the inside.

Fried Banana Nuggets

The next dish that was served was the Kuchay & Pork Dumpling (P195).  Yet again, a worthy dish to be eaten.  Just dip it into the vinegar sauce and you're all good.

And another worthy dish to add to any meal are not even meat dishes.  They are tofu!  Tasty and healthy so that's always a great combination.  Tofu with Century Egg & Pork Flakes (P220) and Salt & Pepper Fried Tofu (P135).

For a complete meal syempre, dapat meron rice and beef.  Steamed beef in Garlic (P360) & Pork and Vegetable Fried Rice (P180).  These two go great together as the rice has a mild taste while the beef dish has a very strong garlic and beef taste.  Put together they make a team.

 And when the wife wasn't looking I snuck in some more dishes.  Pancake with Spring Onions (P130), Special Taiwan Beef Noodle Soup (P255).  And the veggie dish I believe is called Suzhou-style Vegetable (P220).

I guess by this time you're saying that wow, they've eaten a lot but that's normal for my family.  We added another dish: Stir Fried Noodle Beef (P220).

At this point we were quite full already.  So I decided to check out the place.  The restaurant does some local deliveries if you're craving Chinese Food.  And they also do some catering and special events.  The restaurant offers two rooms that can be rented for special events.  Each room can take an estimated 30 persons each.

Room 1

Room 2

I try to keep my blog short and sweet but it's hard to do when you have plenty to write about.  Suzhou Dimsum has plenty to offer and I'm quite glad I got to visit and experience their food.  For now, I'll let the pictures do the talking and entice you to a good meal at Sizhou Dimsum.

Kodanda Archery at MOA

For those coming from Cavite do I have great news for you!  Kodanda Archery indoor range has opened up another branch!  This would be their third branch and just like the previous branches this one has a great location. The new branch is at the MOA Annex in Pasay, which is just a short walk away from the Mall of Asia itself.  So that is great news for those who want to try out archery and right after you can relax at the mall.

We had a bit of a hard time finding the range but that was due to the building being renovated by SMDC.  We didn't see an external sign that there is an archery range so we asked one of the guards. Turns out that the archery range is inside the building on the ground floor.  It's right beside the parking area so you'll have plenty of parking if you're taking your car with you.

At first we didn't know that we were walking in the right direction.  You have to walk into a dark corridor into the parking area and turn right.  Once you turn right you see that the archery range is right there.

Kodanda MOA

The great thing about Kodanda is that they always have friendly staff willing to answer all of your questions.  That is a big plus for any business.  Their staff is well trained and will help you put on your gear if this is your first time to try archery.

Adjusting my sights.

Kodanda staff providing archery instruction.

Kodanda MOA is fully airconditioned and has a 12 lane shooting range.  That is so far the largest of the 3 branches.  They have brand new equipment for your use.  You get professional archery instruction and use of equipment for a mere P580 only.

12 lanes

Recurve bows for your use.

If you've always wanted to try archery, now is the right time.  This branch is open from 10am to 10pm daily.  For reservations and inquiries you may contact the following numbers:  0943-627-9748 or 02-805-8858.   If this branch is too far from you, you may opt for their other two branches which are located at the Makati Cinema Square and at the Metrostar Mall on Aguirre Avenue.

My Beef with Grab and Uber

I love the service that Grab and Uber provides.  Ever since they started operations I never had to take public transpo again going home from the mall or whenever the family needs to do something that necessitates travel.  Previous to their service we had to wait in line for 1 to 2 hours before being able to board an FX going home.  Now, within 5 minutes I can hail a car and get home.

I was contemplating purchasing a car a few years ago but that changed when Grab and Uber came along.  That’s because it’s more convenient for me to just pull out my phone than drive and find parking on my own.  Also, with Manila traffic I’d rather just sit back, relax, and spend time with my daughter in the car.  With me not driving I can pay attention to her instead.  I also don’t have to pull out cash to pay for my fare.

And an additional plus to being driven around is the fact that I get to ride in all manners of cars!  So far it’s been mostly Toyota’s and Mitsubishi’s but there is the occasional Chevy, Ford, Suzuki, and other cars.  I would have never experienced riding in these cars if it weren’t for Grab and Uber.  Too bad I missed that time when James Deakin was driving around with a Lambo.

But with all the good also comes the bad.  Below is a list of the things I have noticed with their services.

1.       No seatbelts.  I feel so uncomfortable when I get into a car without seatbelts.  I usually ride in the back and around 70% of the cars I ride in do not have seatbelts!  I mean they do have them but are hidden beneath the car seat covers.  Not cool.

2.       Rush hour traffic.  With Uber it’s ok because you can get a car pretty much anytime even during rush hour.  But be prepared to pay.  But that’s how it works and I’m cool with that.  But with Grab, that’s a whole different story.  With Grab I have NEVER been able to book a car during rush hour.  Last time I tried I got 3 cancellations in a row before I switched to Uber and got a car right away.  One cancelled, the other asked me to cancel, and the third made up a story that he forgot his license at home.  It’s virtually impossible to get a car with Grab during rush hour even if you’re willing to pay the extra pesos.

3.       Grab and Uber are being infiltrated with the same rude behavior of taxi drivers.  I suppose it’s because taxi drivers are now driving for Grab and Uber.  The same attitude is what they bring along.  From asking for additional money, to the obvious taking you for a longer ride.  

4.       Grab customer service is ridiculously slow.  I mean really slow.  It takes them like 3-4 days to reply to any issues.  Last time it took them over 1 week to provide credit for P200 when a driver accepted my fare then tagged it as completed without picking me up.  Compare it to Uber who reply within an hour or two.

5.       Uber is not driver/worker friendly (anymore).  I have talked to countless drivers and they all say that it’s no longer viable to work for Uber.  They have pretty much cut off all good incentives and/or have set ridiculously hard to achieve parameters for incentives.  When incentives were good, drivers earned a living wage.  And me as a customer, I was always able to get a ride at anytime of the day near my home.  But now cars have disappeared and it takes more than 10-15 minutes (sometimes even up to 40 minutes) to hail a ride now from my house.

6.       Drivers are generally in a somber or dismal mood.  Must be because of the lower incentives and longer driving/working hours to make up for the lower amount earned.  You can really feel that negative energy unlike when Uber/Grab was starting.

So those are some of my current observations.  I’m pretty sure I had some more but I can’t think of them right now.  But even with these issues I would chose Grab and Uber over public transpo anytime of the day.  It’s convenient, safe, fast, and affordable.  The only way I would stop using their services is if Manila would get a modern commuter train system like in Singapore and Hong Kong.  And we all know that’ll take years to accomplish.  So Grab and Uber, you have my business for a few more years to come just please address above issues.