Shi Lin

I learned of the Siao Long Pao (or other authors have spelt it as Xiao Long Bao) in the middle 80s when Kong took me to a Shanghainese restaurant in the P. Guevara area, run by a Shanghainese lady (unfortunately the name of which escapes me at the moment).  My father emphasized that the essence of the Siao Long Pao is the hot juice that runs off into your mouth as you bite off the steamed dumpling.  For a long while, I didn't know of any local Chinese restaurant which had this fare; but after trying Crystal Jade, Lugang Cafe and King Bee, it seems that there is a market for this easy-to-make-but-hard-to-master dimsum treat after all.  Over the weekend, the family tried Shi Lin Restaurant at the Podium in the Ortigas Center, and we found out that they had exquisite Siao Long Pao (thin wrappers that don't break easily, meaty fillings, flavorful soup-juice) at very reasonable prices.  The interiors were clean and uncluttered, and service was fast (the food came within 5 minutes of ordering).  Their garlic polonchay was tasty, the peanut noodles were a smash hit with Monique, and fried squid was enjoyed by all.  Considering that it was located in the pricey Podium Mall, the bill was quite easy on the pocket as we spent some P300 per head for a delicious meal.  However, while it is a Chinese restaurant, don't expect full course Cantonese-style menus; the place is more of a Taiwan-style noodle shop for fast family meals.