I’ve eaten at Shi Lin for 3 times already this month and I haven’t written anything about it yet. Please don’t think I’m keeping it a secret (hehe!). A lot of food blogs have raved about their dumplings already so my post is actually kind of late na.
The most talked about ‘dumpling’ at Shi Lin is their Xiao Long Bao, which is basically steamed pork dumpling with soup inside. Yes, soup! Notice how delicately wrapped the dumplings are, and that they rest on piece of steamed cloth to prevent them from bursting.
To enjoy the soup inside, place a Xiao Long Bao in a spoon first and bite the top to slowly sip the soup in it. After sipping the soup, you may dip the dumping in its sauce (a mix of shredded ginger, light soy sauce and vinegar) and enjoy the very tasteful meat!
The Xiao Long Bao is available in serving of 6 (at P148.00) or 10 (P246.00). The 6 pieces serving actually looked bitin to me and the hubby, but we don’t want to order the 10 pieces serving either, because we might surprise ourselves if we finish all 10, too!
Aside from the Xiao Long Bao, we also liked their Shrimp and Pork Dumpling (6 pieces per serving at P148.00 also) but it tasted almost the same as Xiao Long Bao. It also has soup inside.
Perhaps the difference between the two is the dumpling wrap. This one has thicker wrapping (which reminds me of mochi), so between this and Xiao Long Bao, I’ll go for the latter anytime.
Another bestseller of Shi Lin is the Fried Chicken Chop (P195.00). It’s crispy on the outside, juicy in the inside. Also, I didn’t find it oily (as in most Chinese restaurants) and the 5-spices powder dashed on top of the chicken chop added a nice flavor in it. Kids will like this, too!
We also liked this very simple but delicious vegetable dish, Stir Fry Bok Choy (P118.00).
The fried rice at Shi Lin is also something else. We ordered Fried Rice with Shrimp and Egg (P128.00, good for 2 persons) and we liked how flavorful it is, you can eat all in itself – no need for ulam! (viand). AJ thought this serving will not be enough for the 2 of us but he’s wrong – it’s more than enough for the 2 of us! The bowl is kind of small, that’s why, and you won’t notice that it’s actually deep.
Shi Lin has branches at Rockwell Power Plant (Makati), The Podium (Ortigas), Fort Bonifacio (Taguig), Alabang Town Center (Alabang, Muntinlupa) and Lucky Chinatown (Binondo, Manila).
Have your fix of Xiao Long Bao now at Shi Lin!