NOMAMA

Tuna Spring Roll with Spicy Ponzu and Arugula (Really Like)



The  dish looks beautiful...... The type that you don't want to immediately  eat because you just want to look at it and admire the presentation.  (thank heavens for portable digicams)

It's my first time to have  raw tuna with arugula and I must say they worked quite well together.  The spicy ponzu gives a nice punch at the end and if you want more  spice, just dip in the red sauce that's in the plate. or if you want to  lessen the heat, go with the green avocado sauce.

This was my favorite dish for the evening.

Mushroom Gyoza (Semi-Like)



When  the  dish was served, we immediately asked the friendly server about  a  dipping sauce and his reply was that there was no need for one since  the  sauce is already in the dumpling. I popped one into my mouth (yes,  I  like the size of the dumpling) and immediately one gets the  strong  flavors of mushroom. (which is good because this is after all a  mushroom  dumpling)

I think my minor issue would be that the  sauce pretty  much had the same flavor as the mushroom. I personally  would have wanted  a subtle kick coming from say chilis or herbs......  another small issue  is that the dumplings are loosely sealed in that  when you try to pick  them up with a pair of chopsticks, they start to  break apart.

Nomama Ramen (Don't Like)



In  fairness to the ramen dish, I really liked the hard boiled eggs as they  are nicely cooked with the yolk still soft and creamy. Pork slices are  so-so but at least they are easy to pick up using the chopsticks.

First  issue is the broth ...... One really doesn't know which direction the  flavor profile is going. Is it pork bones? Or is it miso? I guess along  the way, the two flavors just collided themselves into oblivion. The end  result is a broth that somewhat reminds me of those Lomi dishes one  finds in Chinatown eateries. But I guess if you're a lover of Chinese  Lomi, then this one might be up your alley. (My best friend found the broth too salty)

Second issue would be the noodles itself. The  texture is pretty much like those big packs of "Cha Mi" one buys in the  local groceries or marketplace.

Third issue would be that the  ramen dish was served warm ...... we like our ramen piping hot. (I did  try out the soup before we started taking pictures)

* My friend thinks the noodles are ok but agrees with me that the broth could use an overhaul.


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NOMAMA is located along Scout Tuason corner Scout Castor in Quezon City (just a block away from Tomas Morato)

FU CHI DUMPLING

 

Been hearing good things about this place from friends and relatives for the longest time. We actually tried before to visit the place either on a Sunday or a holiday and it seems that on both occasions they were closed.

So one early weekday evening, we braved the rush hour traffic and headed over to the area to see that the fuss is all about.


Pork Stuffed Cucumber



Because of the softness of the cucumber, I thought at first that it was pork stuffed eggplant. Overall, it's nothing spectacular as I find the pork a bit under seasoned.


Adobo Tofu with Egg



Eggs were a little overcooked as the yolk already has that dry, flakey texture. Tofu, although a bit mushy was very flavorful as it probably had a lot of time to absorb the flavor from the sauce.

Speaking of sauce, Instead of the usual thicker adobo sauces, this one is more of a soupy broth. While it may look watered down, the flavor is still very much there.


Shrimp Dumpling



Ah the main reason we are here ...... And quite frankly, for a SHRIMP Dumpling, it's quite disappointing that we got very little pieces of shrimp for each Dumpling. All we tasted is pork, pork and more pork.


Clams with Oyster Sauce



Probably a little heavy handed on the oyster sauce or in seasoning as it's a bit salty for me. But I guess it should be just right if taken with some steamed rice.


Beef Noodle Soup



Beef is tender and sliced into smaller pieces so it's easy to pick up withba chopsticks. Broth is not oily but it does have that strong herby aftertaste. Noodles borders between firm and soggy.

Speaking of noodles, I asked if they make their own noodles and their answer is they buy their noodles from a supplier.


Spareribs, Bola Bola, Radish Noodle Soup



The broth tastes like what mom used to make at home, flavor is subtle and quite refreshing (if compared with the intense herby flavor from the beef noodle). Meat from the ribs are very tender, the bola bola is forgettable and noodles (much like the beef noodle) borders between being firm and being soggy.


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With the exception of the noodles and dumplings, much of what we ordered were "Turo- Turo" style which means their availability may depend on the mood of the chef/cook.


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FU CHI DUMPLING is located at 723 A-Banawe St., Brgy. St. Peter, Quezon City.

DIRECTIONS: Its somewhere between Del Monte Ave and Amoranto Ave (formerly retiro)

HONGKONG NOODLE BISTRO

Pork Siumai



Taste  of the pork is good enough though I think there is a funny aftertaste  with the skin of the siumai. While its good enough for me, it is nowhere  near the quality of some of the more popular dimsum places like  Causeway.


Xiao Long Pao (Soupy Pork Dumpling)



Soup inside the dumpling is a little thick that it comes off more as a sauce rather than a soup.


Beef Wanton Noodle Soup



Its  got a good flavor of beef, though a bit too subtle for me. (some may  even want a more beefy flavor). Well at least there is no oily  aftertaste. Noodles are really nice and firm to the bite.


Seafood Noodle Soup



Flavors  are a little subtle ...... actually too subtle that its more on the  bland side. The shrimps are quite difficult to eat as they are not  peeled yet. Noodles are firm enough but most of them are sticking to  each other. (it had me thinking, were the noodles for the seafood flavor  from a different batch??)


On a personal sidenote:

Me  thinks they stretched themselves too thin with regards to their food  offerings. If it was their intention to really showcase their noodles,  then they should concentrate more on the noodles. But if their intention  was to be just your usual "teahouse" ........ then they got a lot of  catching up to do.


Hongkong Noodle Bistro is located along N.  Amoranto St. (between Banawe and D. Tuazon). I can't remember the exact  location as I just found out about the existence of this place by  accident.