A Whole Lot of Chow and A Whole Lot of Fun!

Okay, so it's been a while since I blogged about food! I've been too busy (lazy is a better word) to put up a good blog and a few pictures, so there, I haven't been up here in a while.  Although I have been trying a good number of Gyudon dishes in the time I was away, I suddenly thought, why not blog about my other food adventures too?  Although the sacred Gyudon will always be my first love, I guess there's a whole culinary world out there to discover...

So, I found out about this new joint in San Juan, through reading food blogs! I was greatly intrigued by their concept (actually, it was their dessert that caught my fancy).  So, on an important occasion (my Mom's birthday!), I decided to bring them there and try it out!

And Chow Fun was surely a lot of fun!  Still in its infancy at barely 3 months old, this modern Chinese restaurant is really standing out amidst the increasing boredom of Wilson Street in Greenhills.  Sure, the area is packed with Chinese restos left and right, but they all seem so.. mundane.  But here is where Chow Fun becomes unique.

Shedding the traditional look of Chinese fare, it offers a different take.  (Damn, I forgot to take pictures of the place, I was so engrossed at capturing the food!).  Along with my mom and dad, we arrived relatively late, just past 8PM, and there were no other people inside.  That was a good thing actually, since we had the place to ourselves.  Anyway, we didn't waste time and I proceeded on selecting their best-sellers, as attested to by food bloggers.  So, here's what we ordered.

Oriental Duck Rolls, P165

This was supposed to be an appetizer, but I ordered it last haha!  It was way too good to pass up.  Each piece was crispy and fully filled, with the duck meat exuding its flavor, even without any dip!  It comes with 3 dips though, an orange dip, a chili sauce (which was just plain hot sauce, I was told), and a chili vinegrette.  It goes well with all three.  The best thing was, at first bite, I immediately knew this was freshly prepared and not just a ready-to-fry frozen piece of disappointment.

Hot and Sour Seafood Soup, P195

+10% service charge

In any food trip at any Chinese restaurant, this is an ubiquitous part of my menu! I had to try this out, and it was the perfect time, with the cold weather and dreary rain and all.  Anyway, it didn't disappoint, except for the fact it was practically just good for 1-2 persons with quite a pricey tag.  But it packed a lot of punch and was really hot and spicy!  Too bad though that it was mostly filled with tofu (maybe they should have changed the name to hot and spicy tofu soup) and I had trouble dredging around the bowl searching for any semblance of seafood in there.  But the taste was great, I could feel the sting on my tongue, with the red and green chili morsels in between my teeth.  What was surprising is that my mom, who doesn't fancy chili food, actually enjoyed this one! (with the occasional cough here and there).

Broccoli XO, P225 (i think)

+10% service charge

Sorry I forgot the actual price tag, but I wouldn't forget the name of this dish!  Just by its looks, I knew the broccoli was also fresh.  It wasn't soggy, and it retained its crisp texture, even when the XO sauce practically drenched it.  But hey, I wasn't here for the veggies! But it was a good hit with my parents anyway.

Sour Caramel Pork, P255

+10% service charge

At first glance on the menu, I thought this was quite pricey.  Especially when the dish was set down on our table, I thought I was hoodwinked.  But no, this was also the star of the night.  Served with a siding of spinach, this was unique take on the common sweet-and-sour thing in Chinese food.  The caramel touch was a welcome blend to the sour aspect, and the meat itself was soft inside with a crunchy exterior.  It was definitely a winner!

Chow Fun Chicken Fry, P290 (half order)

+10% service charge

And who would say no to fried chicken fried the Chinese way?  No, this was not your typical Savory chicken / crispy chicken with Kropek flakes on the side.  Covered in peppercorn and spices, each piece was a slice of heaven.  No, this was neither your Korean chicken fry drenched in oily sauce.  This was like KFC.  With pepper.  And vinegar.  Okay, that was an understatement.  But the chicken was so good, you'd forget the sauce altogether.  Each piece was fried to a crisp, but the inside was tender and fresh.  The vinegar just added a mild twist on the taste, but it was perfect.  I wonder if they'll come up with a 1 piece value meal for this haha! Now that would really be worth it!  And if you just had one dish to try in Chow Fun, you simply cannot, and should not, pass this up!

Overall, I did a lot of chowing and had a lot of fun in Chow Fun.  Not only that, the staff was courteous and accomodating, even offering us small plates and a knife the moment they saw us bringing out a birthday cake! (no corkage here, fellas).  Furthermore, when I asked for a microwaveable container to bring a slice of cake home, they readily obliged (at no extra charge).  They still have to improve in a few points though, since they ares still barely out of infancy.  It would help to put a few pictures on the menu, since I only knew what to order immediately just because I saw them on blogs.  Also, I hope they come up with more choices for soups and noodles (I would love to see how they twist the taste of hototay soup haha!).  Chow Fun really stands out amidst the long line of restos along Wilson street and its immediate vicinity.  No frills here, no incense smell in the air, no creepy Chinese chant music around.  It's just a whole lot of chowing and a bundle of fun!

Jones

Chow Fun Modern Chinese Bistro

Ground Floor, 103 J. Abad Santos Street, Little Baguio, San Juan

www.facebook.com/itsmorefunatchowfun

P200-499 per oder