Tuan Tuan Chinese Brasserie

After battling the crowds and the long lines in H&M, finally it was time to eat!  I was already to tired to think of where to eat.  Luckily, we stumbled upon Tuan Tuan - a Chinese restaurant that was having their grand opening that very same day!  (Little Trivia:  Tuan Tuan is brought to you by the same group that brought Lugang to Manila!)

Nai Cha (Cantonese Milk Tea) 

There are milk teas, and there are MILK TEAS.  What's the difference?  Milk teas are those bubble tea places all over the Metro.  MILK TEAS, on the other hand, is the original Cantonese milk tea, which offers a very strong tea flavor mixed with creamy milk.  The latter, my friends, is the best milk tea on this planet that no bubble tea place can ever replicate.  If you've ever been to Hong Kong and tried the milk tea in Cafe de Coral or any small corner snack shop, then you know what I mean.  I've tried one or two authentic Cantonese milk teas here in our country, and this one, though just a bit lacking in the strong tea flavor, is good enough to satisfy a quick nai cha craving.

Crispy Barbecued Pork Snow Buns

Ah, barbecued pork buns.  Ever since Tim Ho Wan started the craze here in Manila, it seems that everyone has gone cuckoo trying to outdo them.  Tuan Tuan's version is extremely crispy on the outside, with big juicy pieces of barbecued pork inside.  A perfect mix of sweet and savory indeed.

Grilled Ox Tongue

Tender and melt-in-your-mouth, with just the right amount of saltiness to balance off the strong flavor.

Honey Garlic Spareribs

Would have been great, but it was more bone than meat.

Pork Meatball and Liver Congee

Not a fan of liver, sorry.

US Premium Beef Rib and Tendon Curry

Ooooh.  This was the creamiest of all curries I've ever tasted.  The beef rib was soft and tasty.  I'd definitely get this again the next time I go!

Pan Fried Halibut Belly with Soy Sauce

This was tasty while hot.  But when we went back to it after having a few other dishes, it started smelling really fishy.  Was a bit tougher too.  Wish they had the fillet version - I spent too much time separating the fish from the fish bones.

Pan Fried Boneless Chicken

Nicely crisp and sweet chicken skin with very soft dark meat.

Pan Fried Pork Chop

This one was pretty tender too.  But paled in comparison when compared to the other dishes.

Original Halibut Soup with Beef Tendon, Bean Curd and Lanzhou Flat Noodles

One of the specialties in Tuan Tuan is their make-your-own noodles where you can choose the soup, noodles and toppings.  We had the original halibut soup.  When a soup base is made out of fish, there's a 99% chance you'd expect it to smell and taste fishy.  Boy was I wrong.  The soup was tasty and a bit milky, but void of all fishy smell and taste.  The flat noodles was cooked just right too - not too hard and not too soggy.

The verdict?  We loved Tuan Tuan!  In fact, my Mom loved it so much that she even dragged my Dad and Brother to dine there the very next day.  LOL.  Admittedly, I'm not much of a fan of Chinese food.  Blame it on my parents who fed me mostly Chinese dishes while growing up.  That said, Tuan Tuan surprised me.  So if you're sick of the usual Chinese fare and want something different, I would highly recommend this new Chinese kid on the block.  Heehee!  4 out of 5 stars!

Tuan Tuan Chinese Brasserie is at the 3/F, SM Megamall Fashion Hall, EDSA cor, J. Vargas Ave., Mandaluyong City