Cycle 5 – Item 213

6 (Wed) August 2014

Shrimp Balls

3.0

at Ping Yang Hot Pot and Dimsum Restaurant, Inc.

-Malate, Manila, Metro Manila, Philippines-

with BJH et al.

Ping Yang is a Chinese restaurant.  Odd juxtaposition of dimsum (a southern/Cantonese thing) + hotpot (a northern/Sichuan thing).  The hotpot menu offers both meat/seafood/veggie sets and items à la carte. Very popular among locals and Korean expats (though not Korean WPRO staff, not yet).

After this latest batch of interns, current students by definition, who tend to come for a few weeks during the winter and summer holidays, I’ve decided henceforth to stop making an effort to get to know them, support them, etc.  Just not worth it.  They come, and they go.  I’ll definitely take care of my own, whenever that may be, but forget about the rest.

The food was quite good across the board.  Starting with the dimsum, we were pleasantly surprised to discover that everything was fresh and appeared to have been made in house, whereas most dimsum in the area is mass-produced, frozen, then thawed upon order.  More important, the flavors were well-balanced, the textures expertly done.  Same with the shrimp balls for the hot pot, made from fresh shrimp and hand-rolled on the spot.

(See also GLOBAL FOOD GLOSSARY)

(See also RESTAURANTS IN PHILIPPINES)