ANOTHER certified blockbuster of a restaurant is set to open tomorrow, Saturday, October 25, 2014, at the Mega Fashion Hall of SM Megamall, Mandaluyong City. It’s called TuanTuan Chinese Brasserie, and it serves Hong Kong comfort food with a French flair.
The famous Mui Garden and Deer Garden, which have created international culinary recognition for Chinese food in North America, have forged a local partnership to bring these restaurants’ renowned Halibut Fish Soup and other recipes to Manila. With the Halibut Fish Soup comes TuanTuan Curry, an heirloom recipe of multi-awarded Chef Gordon Mui, whose family started Mui Garden in the 1960s and brought it to Canada in the 1990s when the family migrated there. After conquering North America, Mui Garden and Deer Garden now expand their reach to Asia via TuanTuan Chinese Brasserie in Manila.
TuanTuan creates a distinct dining experience because it serves undeniably Hong Kong comfort food but does so in a sophisticated yet cozy French-inspired ambiance. Its name means “round and round” or “gathering things together,” and that’s exactly what TuanTuan aims to do—bring together the best of Hong Kong comfort food and serve it the French brasserie way, which is delicious, quick and authentic, and setting. The interiors of the restaurant gives no trace of a typical Chinese restaurant, as square and rectangular tables, wooden chairs, mementos on the walls, an industrial-type ceiling and chandeliers dominate its interiors.
Diners will be happy to find the best Hong Kong specialty dishes that they’ve been queueing for in other restaurants at TuanTuan. Yes, all under one roof! This means not just the Halibut Fish Soup and Curry but also Pork Buns, Congee, Macanese Dishes and Hong Kong Style Coffee and Milk Tea.
Pork Buns. Yes, Pork Buns! TuanTuan calls its take on the delicious bite Snow Buns. They come in two variants: Crispy Barbecued Pork Snow Buns (warm, pillowy soft, freshly baked golden buns with a crisp, sweet, streusel-like top that flakes beautifully and a delectably addicting filling of tender, sweet-savory pork); and Crispy Pineapple Snow Buns (the same flaky golden buns but with a pineapple filling), both priced at Php128 for a 3-piece order.
What’s great to know is that these Snow Buns are available not just for dine-in but also for takeout at the takeout counter at any time of the day.
TuanTuan’s Signature Halibut Fish Soup is bound to give the best Ramens in Manila a run for their money, as it is a luxuriously milky yet light, silky and supremely delicious delicious soup base made from specially chosen fresh Pacific cod or halibut imported from Canada. And because its soup base is made with fish and not pork, as is the case with Ramens, it is healthier. It is rich in Omega 3, which is good for the heart and the body and is lower in calories than other proteins.
The menu actually offers a number of noodle soup, side dish and drink combination, but sure to be a hit is the Make Your Own TuanTuan Noodle Soup, which allows diners to choose their preferred soup base from a given list, two toppings to do with it, the kind of noodles they want and a chosen drink. Soup bases to choose from include Watercress and Almond Fish Soup, Tom Yum Goong, and Tomato and Pumpkin Soup. Toppings range from Spinach to Fish Balls, Prawns and Mushrooms; while the noodles can be Korean Sweet Potato Noodles, Rice Vermicelli or Shanghai Thin Noodles, among others. Every order of noodle soup, priced between Php388 to Php428 for a huge bowl, comes with cabbage, fresh button mushrooms and beancurd.
As for the TuanTuan Curry, there are also several variants to choose from, although the U.S. Premium Beef Rib and Tendon Curry (Php488 ) reigns supreme. The curry is decadent and rich with the perfect blend of over 20 meticulously blended spices and creamy coconut milk, made even more luxurious with perfectly soft potatoes and beef brisket. It’s the same Mui Garden Curry that has satisfied countless diners in both Hong Kong and Canada for over 50 years.
Also big at TuanTuan is Congee. Rice is lovingly cooked for many long hours until it blooms into the water, wonderfully disintegrating to create a distinctively smooth and creamy consistency that people love about Hong Kong style congee. Try Chicken and Mushroom Congee or Pork and Century Egg Congee, both priced at Php168 per order.
TuanTuan is likewise proud of its wide range of Portuguese-inspired Macau dishes. Must-tries are the House Special Trio (Baked Seafood, Wild Mushroom and Pork Chop) on Rice (Php398 ) and the Macau Style Cajun Chicken Fillet on Rice (Php328 ).
To wash all these delicious dishes down, TuanTuan serves a good selection of hot and cold drinks, starting with its signature Hong Kong Style Coffee (Php98 for the hot coffee and Php108 for the cold concoction). It’s a silky smooth coffee with just the right amount of froth. The key to a perfect cup of Hong Kong Style Coffee (and Tea) is a secret ingredient—Holland’s Black and White Milk—used only by the most reputable tea masters in Hong Kong. Diners should also try TuanTuan’s Thai Iced Tea (Php128 ), Horlicks Milk (Php88 ) and Mixed Fruit Tea (Php128 ).
Then end the meal with Fried “Black and White” Milk Bread (Php16, Special French Toast with Butter and Peanut Butter (Php168 ), Merry Moo Ice Cream (Php128 ), or Warm Banana Bread Pudding with Kahlua Crème Anglaise (Php188 ).
