My 1st Taiwanese Cuisine Encounter Courtesy of SHANG TSU

I never thought I'd like their dishes so much! Seriously!


Since I had no idea and haven't been there before, I made a visit a week before our official review so can assure I knew what to expect..if I like it or not..if it's worthy to be featured or not because the hardest part in this kind of field is when you're asked to feature and recommend a place which I am not confident about. To lie is something I'm not comfortable in doing. Credibility is very important for me as a person whom people ask whenever they crave for something.

During my unofficial visit, at first I pretended to be a regular customer to check out how they would treat people who visit. I'm happy to say that the staff was very courteous and helpful. I asked her for the best sellers and some recommendations and she (my waitress) undoubtedly told me to go for the fried chicken!

hmmmmmmmm I was a little skeptic at 1st because if I didn't like it, I knew it would give me this not so good first impression. She had no idea I was a food critic! I love fried chicken and I'm very picky when it comes to it. I'm kinda hard to please when it comes to fried chicken because I already have my mental list of favorites! Aside from the fried chicken set meal, I also ordered their dumplings!

I never thought I was in for a lot of surprises that day! When my order finally arrived, it was served on a huge platter with rice and 3 side dishes. I knew it was good just by the looks of it! After my orders arrived, it was when I looked for their owner for a short interview to orient me more about Taiwanese cuisine. You see, when you don't know about something, never be shy to ask. You're not expected to know everything and I think as a food critic, this is really a good learning experience. Not many people get to talk with restaurant owners or chefs so I believe I'm one of those lucky souls who aren't afraid to interact with people.

My interview with Kyle was a pleasant one! It was just a very casual meeting. By the time I started my meal, I became an instant fan! The chicken was like,"OMG!!" The first fried chicken experience wherein I never asked for any sauce! It was "that" good!

The side dishes composed of the sweet bean curd, adobong tofu and cabbages each had their own unique character into it which added to that glorious symphony of flavors with every spoonful.
I really enjoyed the side dishes I lot to the point that how I wished Pinoys also had this tradition of having side dishes  with our meals. It really makes eating more fun due to the various tastes and textures you get to have. Never a boring meal!!

The dumplings were also good. Not bad for 60 pesos. I think they can improve on the presentation more though to make it look more appealing.


Kyle let me taste their Crispy Tofu and was impressed with how tasty it was. We often make fried Chinese Tofu in the house but this one was really nice and different from the other Chinese restaurants I've tried!


With all the new infos I got from Kyle and after trying out their specialties, I got sooooo eager to do the shoot and the feature!
I was very excited to invite my guests for the food tasting. I knew we were gonna produce very good shots because personally as the artist, I'm confident about my subject.. I knew it was something worth my time and effort.

I asked Kyle to lend me some props to make the frame more interesting. I loved the props a lot especially the news paper for it made it feel very homey and casual... like it is a part of your daily life to enjoy something like this.

Relaxing, homey, oriental.... this was the story I wanted to convey.

I hope you enjoyed our photos! I'd like to thank Badeth for helping me out with the lighting and Ashyah for holding the reflector. We really learned a lot that time. Of course I missed my partner Frank a lot. Too bad he wasn't free that day. I missed on how we would interact and exchange ideas..how meticulous he could be with every detail and every frame. I love the way on how he would give direction on things. The way he would make the props look a little messy to give it more character. He's one of the very few men which I respect and listen to. I do hope he liked the results of what me, Badeth and Ashyah did. I'm very confident that our skeds will permit us to do more projects again because I believe that as long as you follow your happiness and enjoy the things which make your existence worthwhile, everything else will take care of itself. The universe has more plans for us I'm sure. More places to see and things to experience!

My passion for food writing doesn't just end with the photos and the smiles captured... it's so much more than that. People often ask me how do I make my articles unique from one another when there are many restos offering the same cuisine and the limited food adjectives available...... hehehehehe this would have to remain a secret for now. It is something you must figure out on your own!

Have a wonderful week my friends! Be sure to check out my official review on wheninmanila.com and of course, it's a must to try Shang Tsu! I do hope they will use my photos on their menu and wall. It would really be an honor to see them there. I will surely invited more and more people so they can also see my work!

Thank You so much Vannah and Kyle! It's such a pleasure to know you guys! =)