Spread Some Awesome

Budget : ~Php100-200 per order of dumplings

 

Duration : ~1-2 hours

 

Bummers : none so far

 

 

 

The only Taiwanese food I know is milk tea. Yeah, the milk tea craze in the country is the closest I got to being familiar with Taiwanese food.  However, upon meeting Shi Lin, my choice for Taiwanese food widened. Shi Lin offers different selections of dumplings, noodles, and desserts (mostly in form of dumplings too).

 

When I first entered Shi Lin, I thought that it was a Chinese restaurant because most of its offerings are similar to the Chinese menu. Anyway, that’s not really very shocking since the Taiwanese culture is a bit related to the traditional Chinese culture. The ambiance is also similar to most high-end Chinese restaurants.

 

 

I enjoyed the food at Shi Lin but aside from that, I also enjoyed watching their cooks create different dumplings.

 

 

The process of creating dumplings is very meticulous. They roll out and flatten the dumpling wrappers one by one. Then, they check it thoroughly for evenness and for any holes. I can see them raising the wrappers up into the light to see if they are made perfectly.

 

 

I ordered the Fried Rice with Shrimp, Pork, and Egg (Php 128), which I consider the rice dish that has the best of all worlds. It is served in a good portion where 2-3 people can share. It’s like a Taiwanese version of the Chinese’s Yang Chow Fried Rice.

 

 

Also got the Noodles with Braised Beef Soup (Php 248). I wasn’t a fan of this soup because they used a certain herb that is so overwhelming for me. But I liked how soft the beef is.

 

 

Of course, you haven’t experienced Shi Lin if you will not try its dumplings. I sampled two savory dumplings and two sweet dumplings for dessert.

 

The Xiao Long Bao (Php 138 for 6pcs./Php 230 for 10pcs.) from Shi Lin is one of the best dumplings I tried. It has ground pork and savory liquid placed inside a soft dumpling wrapper.

 

 

 

The Shrimp & Pork Shaomai (Php 165 for 6pcs.) is similar to Chinese pork siomai but it is sealed with a little piece of shrimp on top. The shrimp closes the dumpling and seals in all the flavor inside it.

 

 

As desserts, we had the Taro Dumpling (Php 110 for 6pcs.) and the Red Bean Dumpling (Php 110 for 6pcs.). I liked the red bean dumpling better. It’s sweet and creamy filling is perfect for my palate.

 

 

Eating the sweet dumplings is a new experience for me. In the past, I have only tried savory dumplings. Through Shi Lin, I was exposed to a different side of dumplings that I never knew existed.

 

 

I also downed a glass of Passionberry Iced Tea (Php 60). It was a bit bland, like sugar water but it smelled really nice. It’s also quite refreshing. Oh, and I really loved those Xiao Long Bao. I miss them..

 

 

I had so much fun with the dumplings. Obviously.

 

 

Spread some awesome..ness..

 

Tags: beef, dumplings, Taiwanese food