Gia needed to have her eyeglasses replaced so we went out last Sunday. Heard mass first at SM Marikina, went to the optical shop after, then shopped around. Lunch time came and we decided to indulge into Chinese food which, aside from my dad's specialties, is one of my family's favorites.
We usually frequent Mongkok or Hap Chan, and it was just last Sunday that we got to try HAI.
The place was jam-packed so we had to wait a little, good thing we were first on the waiting list. Unlike in other restaurants were they usually let the ones in the waiting list place their orders ahead, this was not allowed in HAI. The manager said that we can only place our orders once we're seated.
We were finally seated but no one was attending to us to get our orders. We even had to call for the waiting staff's and manager's attention several times.
Here are some photos of us, trying to keep our cool, while waiting...
Daddy ordered 3 fresh lumpia and a couple orders of pork siomai for appetizer and asked to have them served first. My mom and Gia then took charge in placing the rest of the orders.
We were all hungry that we immediately gobbled up the siomai as soon as it was served. :p The siomai was gone in no time, but the lumpia hasn't arrived yet so we again had to follow up our orders.
Pork Siomai - Php 125 (6pcs)Yang Chow and Lechon Macau Sisig finally arrived. The menu said that the rice was good for 2-3 persons, so daddy insisted that we get 2 orders, but we were surprised at how generous the serving was when the rice was served.
Yang Chow Fried Rice - Php 170The Lechon Macau Sisig, which was mommy's choice, was a big hit for all of us. It really came close to that of Dencio's. Yummy!
Lechon Macau Sisig - Php 215Next to be served was the Seafood Soup. This one's oh so good! It had shrimp, tofu, squid, mushrooms, and veggies. Tasted just like my dad's hot pot. :D
Seafood Soup - Php 170The Chili Prawns were another hit for us. The prawns were deep fried and then sautéd in sweet chili sauce. I love that the sauce was not really spicy. The prawns were cooked perfectly that you can eat every part, even the shell and head, just like what Gia did. :p
Chili Prawn - Php 395The lumpia, which was supposedly for appetizer, was served in the middle of our feast. This again got us surprised because of its generous serving. We ordered for 3 servings, but seeing the actual thing, a serving could already satisfy 3-4 persons haha!
Fresh Chinese Lumpia - Php 80Whenever we dine out, Jaoey would always get the menu and pick an order or two for himself. And as always, he would pick pancit and fried chicken.
Jaoey enjoyed the Chow Mien...
Vegetable Chow Mien - Php 215...but didn't really like the fried chicken, because he said it tasted like kikiam. And well yes, he was right, it really did haha!
HAI Style Fried Chicken - Php 215If it's Gia who's placing the orders, desserts will surely be present haha! So here are what we had for dessert:
Gia's: Mango Sago - Php 70
Mommy's: Black and White Gulaman with Lychees Php 70
Chino's: Black Gulaman with Tropical Fruits - Php 70
Mine nd Daddy's: Almond Jelly with Lychees - Php 160Jaoey said he wanted banana split for dessert, but eventually changed his mind. We weren't able to finish all our orders so we just had the left overs wrapped.
If there are 2 things that keep us wanting to dine in a certain restaurant, it would be superb food paired with good customer service. It's a given that HAI serves mouth-watering dishes, but their customer service was REALLY poor. So HAI, you better keep working on it if you want us to keep coming back. :p
HAI Chinese Restaurant and Chill-Out Bar
113 G/F SM City - Marikina
Marikina City
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