"Average" Dinner at Xiu Fine Cantonese Dining, Greenhills, San Juan City, Philippines

We were in the mood for something new and fancy. Heard about the newly opened Xiu Fine Cantonese Dining in Connecticut Greenhills. This was previously Lugang, a restaurant I have purposefully avoided for personal reasons.  It was too late when I learned that Xiu was from the same management group. >.<

Made reservations days before and learned that they provide 2-seating schedules for dinner; 6pm and 8pm. We got the 6pm slot and drove all the way to Greenhills. 

As you enter, no one greets you or guides you to your table. It took awhile before someone came over to assist us. Soft opening jitters perhaps? 

We were seated by the huge windows, near the fountain/waterfall decor. There was a friendly fly that kept on coming back to our table. It was starting to get irritating but they soon offered a candle for the table. Krystle arrived a little after six. While waiting for our dishes to arrive, they served us the traditional peanuts for snacking.

The first dish that piqued our interest was their Honey-glazed Prime Cut Char Siu (Php 680). 

Honey-Glazed Prime Cut Char Siu (Php 680)

The name alone makes your mouth water; expectations were definitely high for this one. It didn't take long before they placed this on our table. Serving size is 3-4 people. Right off the bat, you'll notice that they cut the pork much thicker than usual which unfortunately bit them in the ass. This was tough to cut & chew, looked a bit pale and lacked flavor. Needless to say, for something that advertises itself as a "prime cut", it sure wasn't evident in this dish. Food-Stars Verdict? With the hefty price tag & lackluster taste, this was a miss.

Sweet and Sour Pork (Php 480)

The next dish they served was the Sweet and Sour Pork (Php 480). We requested it to be crunchy and they were able to deliver on that. Food-Stars Verdict? More sauce would've made this better. 

Disappointing Afternoon at Tuan Tuan Chinese Brasserie, SM Megamall Fashion Hall, Madaluyong Philippines

After checking out the newly opened H&M store at SM Megamall Fashion Hall, we were famished. The long lines to our first choice was a bummer so went walking around some more & soon found ourselves in front of this brightly lit Chinese Brasserie.

Chinese with a French twist; definitely something different.

Loved this magazine stand. If you look closely, you'll see that they're all the same. 

Inside are articles about the restaurant & its dishes. Flipping through, you'll soon get to the menu section of this newspaper/magazine/menu. Took pictures of the place while waiting for our food to be served.

Fancy-Shmancy

French knickknacks adorned the walls. 

At the far end of the restaurant, there's this "green wall" of... well greenery. This area fit in nicely with the wooden tables & chairs. 

Food arrived quickly. 

Shrimps Ahoy at Bubba Gump, Greenbelt 3 Makati City

While walking around Greenbelt at 8:30 in the evening, hunger struck. We couldn't decide on where to eat when we remembered that we haven't been back to Bubba Gump for the longest time. Shrimps & Southern Fried Chicken memories soon led us to Forrest's food haunt.

Nothing changed! From the movie memorabilia to the "flip-it" Stop and Run Sign, everything was just like the first time we walked in.