MILLIE: Dining out is a daily experience for Dad, Karla and me. It’s my way of taking Dad out since he stays home the whole day when I’m at work. It’s our chance to unwind, go for a stroll and try new dining places. So I’m always on the lookout for new finds. But Dad is difficult to please and as restaurateurs, our palate is something out of the ordinary. My dear friend Dr. Larry Mallari could not hide his enthusiasm when he discovered the best Hainanese chicken rice in town!
It’s a very simple, no-frills dish, but there are very few dining places in town that get it done right. Usually, it’s not the right chicken size or maybe the chicken is not fresh. I suspect the chicken feed plays a very important role. It’s prepared by rubbing the chicken inside with Chinese rice wine and light soy, then stuffed with ginger, garlic and spring onions.
The technique is to bring a saucepan of water to boil, put in the chicken, leave the pan on the stove but turn off the heat, leaving it to stand for an hour. Drain the water from the chicken’s stomach several times during this standing process. The secret to a tender and juicy chicken is never to allow the chicken to boil. Remove the chicken after letting it stand for an hour and rub the remaining soy sauce and sesame oil before cutting into bite-sized pieces. It is best served with side dishes of chili and ginger sambal, light soya sauce and a bowl of fluffy long-grain rice cooked in chicken stock.
KARLA: Ever since I can remember, when my lolo craves for something he craves for it for a very long time. Likewise, when we find a really good place to eat, he’ll keep going back until he’s had enough. We call these food episodes of his, “Lolo’s Flavor of the Month.” The period usually lasts for about a month or two, but this time, we’ve been going back to the same restaurant at least twice a week since September 2009. Tao Yuan has by far been his longest Flavor of the Month.
One item we do not dare miss out on our meal would be the ever so succulent and plump Hainanese chicken rice. The chicken is huge; I estimate it to be at least 1.5 to two kilos, boiled, but is tender and cooked just right, not overdone and not undercooked either. The Tao Yuan version comes very close to the quality and taste of the dish from the popular Boon Tong Kee restaurant chain of Singapore. I would normally prefer the dark meat, but Tao Yuan’s white chicken meat is surprisingly juicy with a thick layer of skin. Nom nom nom!
MILLIE: At each visit, we always say we would try something new. The delightful dishes are endless and we still haven’t tried everything on the menu. On our first visit, upon the suggestion of the manager, Lourdes Chu, we also tried the chili crabs and it was memorable! It was served with yummy baked buns that one dips into the chili sauce.
The next succeeding visit, Benny, the assistant manager, insisted we try the Mango Fish (Singaporean mango lapu-lapu) but with the Hainan chicken rice as a mainstay at every meal. The lapu-lapu is always fresh, caught live from the aquariums displayed outside the restaurant and are always lightly fried and crispy, served with julienne strips of ripe mango and a sweet-sour sauce. Dr. Larry has tried to duplicate the dish and was quite successful.
Dad has invited different family members and special friends to dine with us each time and all who have joined us have gone back! Other unforgettable dishes ideal for Lent are the fish head curry, cereal prawns (fried prawns coated with oatmeal served with a sweet sour sauce); Cantonese fresh drunken shrimp, chili clams, shrimp spring roll, abalone, and more! The aquariums showcase live seafood and lobsters, exotic geoduck, and a variety of clams cooked as you please.
KARLA: I’ve always loved flat noodles, I don’t know why. So I’d definitely recommend Tao Yuan’s char kway teow made from rice noodles. I remember one evening, it was our first time to order the noodles, and we were eating with such gusto that diners at the other table, who originally just wanted shabu-shabu/hot pot for dinner, ended up ordering the same dish. I could see them at the corner of my eye watching us eat and asking the waiter what we were having. I was so amused to see this cause I’m usually on the other point of view. When we enter a restaurant, my Lolo likes to walk around and look at what other people are eating or have ordered. He then asks the waiter discreetly the name of the dish he gained the appetite for so we could add it to our order.
Do leave some room to try our favorite desserts like the Macau egg tart in a perfect flaky crust that comes with a nice consistency of semi-sweet egg custard. Each order is a serving of three tarts, all of which I can finish on my own! (Laughs). But my personal favorite, which mom got me hooked on to is the hot almond soup with masachi balls or glutinous rice balls filled with sesame seeds. We first tried this dessert at the Chinese Restaurant of Kowloon Hotel in Kowloon, Hong Kong and have been hooked ever since. We are so glad Tao Yuan serves it, now we don’t have to go all the way to Hong Kong to have his mouth-watering and filling dessert which, by the way, is usually only available during the winter months.
Believe me, in the last six months Tao Yuan has since become our favorite restaurant, patronizing the place almost twice a week and earning for my lolo Joe a VIP privilege card for frequent patronage. Dining at Tao Yuan is always a pleasurable experience. It’s comfort food at its very best and the prices, very reasonable. Tao Yuan Restaurant is almost always full and we recommend that you call to reserve a table.
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Tau Yuan is located at 508-512 General Malvar Street, corner A. Mabini Street, Malate Manila (across Pan Pacific Hotel). For reservations, call 522-7009 and 522-7010.
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Send e-mail to milliereyes.foodforthought@gmail.com and karla@swizzlemobilebar.com. Find us on facebook: Food for Thought by Millie & Karla Reyes.