Shi Lin

The first time I heard of Xiao Long Bao, I couldn't wrap my head around it. How can you put broth inside a dumpling? Wouldn't it spill? How do you eat it? After trying some Xiao Long Bao a couple of times, I now understand not only its anatomy, but also why people love it. I recently got to have some again at Shi Lin and it was such an exciting moment for me!

I was with my mom and sister one time in BGC, when we decided to go to Shi Lin for lunch since my mom highly recommended it. Of course, we couldn't dine in a Taiwanese restaurant, and not have some Xiao Long Bao. For those who are unfamiliar with this, it's basically a dumpling with soup inside aside from the usual meat. Not only are these so delicious, but they're so fun too eat! We dipped ours first in some black vinegar and ginger, then we made an incision in the skin, and slurped all the soup out. There's just something so satisfying about breaking that chewy skin, and tasting that warm soup in your mouth! 

My sister ordered the Shrimp and Pork Shaomai (P188 for 6 pcs.). First of all, how cute are these? Normally, for these kinds of dimsum, the shrimp and pork are already mixed together inside the wrapper (making you wonder if there really are shrimps in it). For these, you can see the actual shrimps on top. 

However, what's unique about these Shaomai is that they also have soup inside just like the Xiao Long Bao! It was definitely a pleasant surprise, and the broth inside just makes this dish even more delicious that it already is! There's a lot going on with every bite -- soup, pork, shrimp -- but the flavors are very simple and light. You definitely won't have a problem finishing all six of them. 

I had the Noodles with Vegetable and Pork Wonton (P175), since my mom recommended this to me. I know it's vegetable and pork wonton, but you can definitely taste the vegetable flavor more, which I like. It has a very fresh taste, which goes perfectly with the light broth. The noodles are nice and firm, and the serving is actually quite big that I didn't even get to finish this bowl (even though it was absolutely delicious).

I feel like I keep on using the word "light" in describing the dishes in this blog post, but that's exactly how everything tastes. I love how Shi Lin's dishes are not too oily and not too salty, but are well-seasoned. Taiwanese cuisine flavors are known to be lighter than that of Chinese cuisine, and Shi Lin definitely got it right.

Shi Lin

Fort Bonifacio

G/F Commercenter Bldg., 4th Ave. cor 31St

Fort Bonifacio, Taguig

(02) 859-7012