A chef friend once told me, “If you think about it, most foreign cuisines only have a handful of dishes that are popular and really stand out.” Images of dishes from other countries came to mind, in particular, Thai cuisine such as tom yum, pad thai, pandan chicken, bagoong rice, and so on. I also immediately thought of our dishes including the adobo, sinigang, sisig, lechon, inasal, etc. And I kind of agree with my friend.
An exception, though, is Chinese cuisine or, to be more specific, Hong Kong Cantonese food. The selection and variety are so wide choosing what to order can be confusing at times. Over the years, food from mainland China that is a bit laid back compared to Hong Kong has blossomed by leaps and bounds.
One of my favorite places to visit not only for shopping but also for its food is Hong Kong. I love walking the streets of Nathan Road in Kowloon, the different aromas of food cooking all over, the smoke of boiling broth, and the sight of hanging roasts of goose, barbeque pork, lechon, intestines, fat, and juices dripping from the meat.
I enjoy roaming the back alley of Tsim Sha Tsui and eating with locals, sharing a simple dish like roasted goose over rice, using chopsticks that need to be dipped in boiling tea, all to ensure one gets a good meal and nothing else. Many times, I just wander around not knowing what I’ll have for a meal until I stumble across a similar scene.
In the Philippines, we have what I call “Filipinized Chinese” food. Pata tim, mami, pares, liver with kutchay, kikiam, etc. I love these dishes when I’m in the mood for them. Of course, we also have a handful of outstanding restaurants that serve Hong Kong standard fare. These are mostly found in five-star hotels, while a few are free-standing restaurants. It’s the same case with America. They have Americanized Chinese food like mu shu pork, chow mein, orange chicken, etc. Please don’t get me wrong, these dishes are also very good but are far from your authentic Hong Kong Chinese cuisine. San Francisco and New York, though, have great authentic food in their China towns.
Most of us Filipinos who have been to Hong Kong are familiar with the look, scent, and taste of authentic Chinese food. And it is for this reason a hugely successful American-Chinese restaurant chain that serves “authentic” Chinese cuisine in the US was a flop here in the Philippines.
In the Philippines, we have what I call ‘Filipinized Chinese’ food. Pata tim, mami, pares, liver with kutchay, kikiam, etc. Of course, we also have a handful of outstanding restaurants that serve Hong Kong standard fare.
To me, there are only two free-standing restaurants that serve real Hong Kong Chinese food here in the country. Recently, I added another establishment to the list. There are two items on the menu I would order to determine how good the food is. From the dim sum menu is the chicken feet while from the mains is sweet and sour pork. If these two impress me, chances are I would find the rest of the food in the restaurant to be good. This is a personal test I take. Many of my friends criticize me for ordering the “ordinary” and “common” sweet and sour pork, but I have the last laugh because this dish is always the first one that gets finished.
Corn flake prawns 
Sweet and Sour Pork
John Sy, a foodie friend, has been telling me about Mandarin Sky in Banawe. I would pass by the place but I never really had the time to check it out. Last week, I got an invitation from my Balisong group of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) to dine at the restaurant. I skipped having breakfast for I knew it was going to be a treat. I called John and he told me what he remembered to be good.
The first dishes that landed on our table were the chicken feet, hakaw, and the siomai. Based on the taste of these three, we were in for a delicious and promising meal. There were many dishes served but those that stood out for me were, of course, the chicken feet, and the siomai. Both very good.
Then arrived baby oysters with XO sauce. It was crispy and a bit spicy, and was a new dish to me. The prawns with corn flakes were fantastic. They were similar to the hot prawn salad but a slightly different take on it. Also served was a steamed fresh lapu-lapu with lots of chopped spring onions. It was unusual but tasty nonetheless. The tender beef cube dish with lots of fried garlic and sesame seeds was new and such a winner. The sweet and sour pork was outstanding. There too was a delectable truffle rice made with sticky rice. I loved the aroma.
The winner that day was the Unagi rice. There were tender morsels of unagi over sticky, dark, and scrumptious rice. I was totally blown away by the dishes that I had never come across before. I love being surprised and most of them did that. All very good. I regret not trying the yang chow and salted fish fried rice which I am convinced will be nothing but delicious.
Its places like Mandarin Sky that widen our selection of good authentic Hong Kong Chinese food in the country. A major factor in the food quality is the owner Jaykie Penaflor, a true-blue foodie who loves to eat, explore, and discover new and delicious food. He loves it when he sees his customers enjoying his food.
So, if you’re looking for authentic Hong Kong cooking, check this place out. There are many more items on the menu I will return for.
Mandarin Sky Restaurant is located in 69 Simoun, Simoun Street corner Banawa. Quezon City, 1114 Kalakhang Maynila. Tel. no. (02) 8740 6134.
Another discovery this week were a butter cake topped with streusel and an Italian biscotti made from dark Belgian chocolate and almond. Winner! Order thru IG @missdesserts.ph and www.facebook.com/missdessertsph
Happy eating!