Tita Juliet's Birthday Dinner at Mr. Choi Kitchen

After having some summer fun with my family, Mark and I went out on a date with his mom and cousin the day after, last Tuesday, April 9. Aside from it being a holiday in the Philippines (Day of Valor), this day is very special for Mark since it's his mom's birthday. :)

The Birthday Girl and the Mama's Boy :p

We had a lunch feast at Mark's house and then we headed to Robinsons Magnolia in the afternoon as per Tita Juliet's request. We had some snacks and then we watched a movie. After the movie, we roamed around to search for a restaurant for dinner. There were a lot of food choices and after a few minutes of rummaging, Mr. Choi Kitchen was what caught the heart of the birthday girl. :p

Though I've already tried dining in different Chinese restaurants, I actually didn't mind that we're dining in another one once again since Chinese food has already become my second favorite, next to Filipino/Ilocano dishes. Serve me with yang chow fried rice and some pork siomai and hakaw and I'll surely have a happy tummy! :D

Mark took charge of the orders, keeping in mind his mom's request to have Yang Chow Fried Rice and Camaron Rebusado. :)

Yang Chow Fried Rice - Php 210.00

The waiting staff who welcomed us and ushered us to our seats was also the one who got our orders. He said that the Yang Chow Fried Rice is only good for 2 persons, which made Mark think of getting two orders. Good thing I insisted to get just one order because the actual serving was huge. We were four and each of us got to have our share of the rice, yet we still had to take out some of it. The generous serving was also loaded with generous ingredients. Veggies, ham, and shrimps were overflowing when I started to dig in.

Very pleasing to the eyes with the rice's bright yellow color which was made more playful and lively by the contrast in color from the veggies and the meats, this dish was equally pleasing to the palates. The rice was seasoned just right. The combination of sweet and salty coming from the ham and shrimps was very evident. The crunchiness of the veggies and the shrimps also gave the dish an interesting texture.

The rice has set the bar high on what we'll have to expect with the rest of the dishes, so I was kind of disappointed when the Camaron Rebusado was served.

Camaron Rebusado - Php 325.00

Although the serving was generous, it didn't look appetizing. It tasted as bland as it looked. The sweet chili sauce that came with it didn't help either.

I must say though that the dish wasn't oily at all and the breading wasn't soggy and still had that crunch. The shrimps were also cooked just right and were still crisp to the bite. But it still really lacked flavor. :(

The Sweet and Sour Pork redeemed Mr. Choi Kitchen back. :) The vibrant and playful color of the dish itself was very appetizing. Taste-wise, it also did well. The rich sweet and sour sauce was seasoned just right and also had a little kick of spiciness.

Sweet and Sour Pork - Php 275.00

The veggies were cooked just the way I like it having that crunch and the pork chunks were cooked to perfection, crunchy on the outside yet very tender on the inside. The breading of the pork had the right amount of saltiness which goes well with the sauce. This dish was definitely a hit!

With two pieces each of Japanese siomai, pork siomai, hakaw, sharksfin siomai, and fried pork, shrimp, and sharksfin dumplings; Mr. Choi Dimsum Combination was another hit that night!

Mr. Choi Dimsum Combination - Php 300.00

I would have loved it more if it was served early on, since they're appetizers and they're supposed to fuel up the appetite. We had to follow up a number of times before this dish was finally served.

Although it was served the last, I still enjoyed the dimsum combination. I personally loved everything, except for the Japanese siomai and fried pork dumpling. The shrimps in the hakaw and shrimp siomai were what I loved as they were fresh-tasting, well-cooked and sweet. Mark on the other hand loved the Japanese siomai! The fried pork dumpling I guess was a let down. :p

Maimai (Mark's cousin) and Tita Juliet (Mark's mom )

Tita Juliet, being somewhat meticulous when it comes to food, didn't like the Camaron, but overall enjoyed her birthday dinner so that's another plus point for Mr. Choi Kitchen.

Happy Birthday Tita Juliet!!! :)

Although the service wasn't really that commendable, it was still okay because the staff was very attentive. A little improvement on the serving time and I think they're good to go. The food was also good and all with generous servings, which made us all enjoy our dinner. We even had a lot for take home. :D

My first time at Mr. Choi Kitchen will definitely not be my last! :)

MR. CHOI KITCHEN, Robinsons Magnolia