FOOD POST: A disappointing Valentine’s Day date at Modern Shanghai

Valentine’s Day – a simulated celebration, not really considered a legal holiday but one of the most celebrated time of the year.

Le boyfriend and I decided to have dinner in Modern Shanghai in Mall of Asia. It was packed since there was also an ongoing Pyro-Olympics happening in the area.

Let me walk you through the items we ordered.

PAN FRIED SHANGHAI PORK BUNS (138pesos/3 pieces)

This is supposed to be a good way to start the meal. Fluffy, soft bun and slightly crispy bottom with sesame seeds. The filling to dough ratio is perfect. This was my favorite dish that evening.

Unfortunately, it came mid meal after the dessert and the noodles were served (NAPAKA disorganized), and oh, I believe there should be 4 pieces but we only got 3.

NOODLES WITH SPICY SOUR SOUP (188 pesos)

These are hand pulled noodles in a spicy sour soup with tofu, mushrooms and leeks.

They served it cold though and the noodles were already soggy. The soup was also bland.

DEEP FRIED CRISPY CHICKEN WITH CRISPY GARLIC (588 pesos / half chicken)

Forgettable! Chicken was well seasoned but dry. They served this last after we ate all our food. (HAYS)

SHANGHAI VEGATABLE RICE (110 pesos/cup for 1 person)

The rice was sticky, wet and not flavorful at all. We were also not informed that this is just 1 cup. The server told us it will be good for 2 and got surprised when it came.

FRESH MANGO PUDDING (108pesos)

This is ok but nothing spectacular that will make you cry for joy.  

ICE TEA (108 pesos)

It’s not even a home brewed kind of ice tea; rather, it was the powdered one.

NOTE: I don’t have pictures of the rice and less of the chicken, because those came after more than 2 hours. I was very annoyed and starving so I didn’t bother taking pictures anhymore.

I got this photo from Google just to show you how the chicken and rice looks like

TOTAL BILL: 1,483 pesos (including the service charge)

WHAT ARE MY THOUGHTS??? AND could this be the most terrible dining experience I had?

Actually, we started out extremely thrilled to dine here. Very excited!!! But we got our first let down right away. The first was when we were just ordering. Most of the items on their menu are not available anymore. (Xiao long bao, other dimsums etc), that’s why we ended up ordering the not so good items.

Second, the server was very unprofessional. How? He yawned and stretched while he was taking our order. He also seemed to not know their menu which is a point less for me. I believe that it is a necessity for staffs to know what food they are serving, otherwise, they shouldn’t be out taking orders.

Third is the wait time. We waited for almost 2 hours for our food, and guess what? The first thing they served was the dessert. The noodle soup was served cold. The chicken was served like it came from a carinderia (ang baboy ng pagkalagay).

Fourth, I followed up our order and suddenly the waitress asked me “Mam, what did you order?” I was like, it’s been 2 hours and you’ll ask me what my order is? C’mon! She left and didn’t return and I have to call another waitress. (By this time, ready na akong manigaw)

Fifth, I asked for a manager but he kept on ignoring every single person who was already complaining. It got chaotic inside the restaurant.  Customers were complaining, some others were shouting and no one seemed to care or even pay attention, so it’s not only me but other customers as well that were already pissed off.

Lastly, the food that was served to us was mediocre and again, most of the items are not available – I would say around 60 percent. It is a total waste considering that they only have a small menu that’s why we didn’t get the chance to try out their famous Xiao Long Bao as it is not offered that time.  (Yun lang ang ipununta namin dito)

Is this a review or just plain rant? HAHA! Sorry but I’m still very frustrated. They ruined my date that night. It was supposed to be happy and sweet but it came out to be irritating and sour.  The ambiance is nice BUT the service was hell and the food was ordinary. For the price (+ 10% service charge), I’m expecting more from this place.

I know that there are a lot of people during that time, but aren’t they supposed to be ready for that kind of occasion? Is this the kind of service you will get every time there’s a surge of customers? Aren’t they supposed to pacify the angry diners rather than firing it up by showing no scale of professionalism at all?

And yes, this was the most awful dining experience in my 27 years of existence and even if they’re going to offer me a complimentary meal for the rest of my life, I wouldn’t accept it. That’s how bad it is, at least for me. 

Mall of Asia Complex (MOA) 

Second Floor, Entertainment Mall

Mall of Asia Complex (MOA), Pasay City

FOOD POST: A Super Diner at SUPER BOWL OF CHINA

Since me and my hubby loves Flavours of China so much, we wanted to try similar restaurants that lead us to – Super Bowl of China.

We arrived during their dinner service and the place is fully packed, which is a good thing right? We waited for around 20 minutes to be seated.

The place is nice – nothing spectacular with the ambiance or the decorations. I love the Chinese inspired lights though, hanging all over the place. 

Busy Counter

Like other Chinese themed restaurants, Super Bowl of China offers an assortment of dishes – Dimsum, Noodles, Fried Rice, Chicken, Beef, Vegetables, and so on.

3 Cup Chicken (260pesos)

Three Cup Chicken is actually a Taiwanese - Chinese dish made of chicken (of course) cooked in soy sauce and sesame oil loaded with cloves of garlic and slices of ginger. It’s like Adobo, but better.

I love how the sauce permeated in the chicken.  The chicken is tender and very flavorful. 

Shrimp and Mushroom with Brocolli (365pesos)

This is one of their NEW dishes which are not in their regular menu and only available for a limited period of time.  It’s basically sauteed shrimp w/ mushrooms, broccoli, & other vegetables in a special white cooking sauce.

The shrimp is plump, juicy and not overcooked. The broccoli is half cooked which I loved – and the white sauce is divine.

The savor is the exact opposite of the chicken. The chicken has this very strong bold taste while the shrimp is very delicate.

Yang Chow Fried Rice (250pesos)

The fried rice is fluffy but not that flavorful. It tasted ok – but then again I had better.

 Mango Sago (95pesos)

Mango Sago is a very popular dessert in SE Asia especially in Hong Kong where it is believed to be invented.

I love mangoes and I love sago – so this is just the perfect way to end our dinner.

I am just happy how our impromptu dinner turned out. We were full and satisfied. We are definitely coming back to try their other dishes.

Mall of Asia Complex (MOA) 

Ground Floor, South Wing

Mall of Asia Complex Pasay City

Opening Hours: 10AM - 10PM

FOOD POST: WHAM BURGERS

I consider myself more of a Pizza lover than a burger lover. But who doesn't like to have a nice serving of burger once in awhile, right?

Monster and I stumbled upon Wham Burgers while looking for a place to have a quick bite. Their posters look appetizing. And like what Andrew Zimmern use to say – “If it looks good, eat it!”

I ordered Wham Burger with Cheese. (160pesos)

Signature 1/3 pound pure beef patty topped with ketchup, mustard, lettuce and tomato.

I asked the lady to cook it to medium only. JinLovestoEat said - If you want a well done burger, go to Burger Machine. HaHa!

The burger was nice but I had better.

Monster ordered Premium Chicken Sandwich (155pesos).

Crunchy fried chicken on a brioche bun with lettuce and mayonnaise.

Sad to say, the chicken was overcooked, dry and tasteless. One of the worst chicken burgers I had tasted.

Potato Wedges (70 pesos). Forgettable. 

For drinks, we just ordered Iced Tea – which as usual, was just the powdered one. 

OVERALL

We ate here around 5 pm and the place was empty. Not half empty, but empty. (Not a good sign at all). Even the drinks display is empty. (Refer to the first photo)

Price is reasonable. Food is just OK.  It is nice but we definitely had better.

The only good thing I can say is that they don’t use MSG.

Maybe it’s just this branch? I don’t know! I have seen some reviews about this and it looks pretty good.

What do you guys think? Let me know!

Ground Floor, North Wing, 

Mall of Asia Complex (MOA), Pasay City

FOOD POST: Xin Wang Hongkong Cafe

 

We went to SM Mall of Asia for a quick lunch not knowing that they are currently having a 3 DAY SALE, making almost all food establishments jam packed.

I know a place that is not too familiar and hoping that the place is not as occupied as the others, and 

VOILA! Only a few are dining and there’s a lot of room for me and chaka (my hubby).

I’ve been here only once and since their menu is so vast (and I’m already starving and I don’t want to waste any time looking and deciding within their menu), I opted in ordering the most familiar and for him, the safest.

Black Pepper Chicken with Fries (225pesos)

The chicken was tender and flavorful on its own. The gravy is just ok. It is not spicy at all and very salty (I think it is soy based and just loaded with lots of pepper, hence the name). The beans are just the ordinary pork and beans in a can, sunny side up lacks flavor and overcooked. The French fries is crispy but bland.

Cheese Baked Rice with Fish Fillet (245pesos)

For me, this is a must try. The fish fillet blended well with the tomato based sauce mixed underneath the generous topping of melted cheese. It is like a comfort food – Singaporean/Chinese style.

I like this but it has an UMAY factor because it is very oily.

Yang Zhou Fried Rice (200pesos)

Now this, I can’t even explain. It tasted horrible. I was wondering if fried rice in Singapore – Macau – Hongkong tastes like this, or is it supposed to be like this? I have no Idea.

The rice looks fluffy but in reality it is very sticky, almost the same consistency with a nearly spoiled rice.

It is also very bland compare to the other Chinese fried rice I’ve tasted. Chowking’s Chao Fan is much, much better than this. (and take note , hate ko ang food sa Chowking)

Iced Peach Tea (70pesos)

This is YUM. My taste buds scream HAPPINESS every time I take a sip of this lovely concoction.  I love that it also has sliced peaches inside the drink, thus the presence of the spoon so you can get it and eat it.

Our total bill is 735pesos for 2.

OVERALL

I have mixed feelings regarding this place. Some are nice and some just went wrong. According to my research, their food is a mix of Singaporean, Hongkong, and Chinese influence – with a Western twist for the modern generation of those places.

First would be the service and ambiance. For that I will give it a 2 Thumbs up. I like the minimalist look of the place. The interiors will really make you feel that you are dining in Singapore / Hongkong. The servers are attentive and very courteous.  The place is also very clean.

Second would be the food. The food arrived very quickly (like in 5 minutes), making you wonder – Are they just reheating the food? I was thinking if they already have a pre cooked food and once the order comes, they will plate it and serve? If that is the case, it should be tagged as a fast food joint rather than a restaurant.

Anyways, some of the food I’ve tasted even from my previous visit is pretty good. I just really hated the rice now and how ordinary the sauce and side dishes of the chicken are.  One thing I would like to blame also for the inconsistent and bad food is the gigantic variation of food in the menu. It’s just so many and very confusing. Food variation is a good thing, but only in moderation. If you will look them up in Zomato, their menu is 17 pages long (SCREAMING 17 PAGE), and that is not all, some items are still missing from there.

I will still go back to try their bestsellers like the bamboo rice and their noodle selection. I mean, it’s not that bad, maybe I just ordered the wrong dish or maybe my palate is just hard to please. J

Rating: 6/10

Read other food bloggers review here and here.

Xin Wang Hongkong Cafe
Ground Floor, North Wing
Mall of Asia