Ha Yuan The Kitchen

Maki Mi from Ha Yuan

I've mentioned Ha Yuan and its Maki Mi before. However, that post did not do justice to one my favorite eateries.

I grew up eating Ha Yuan at the Food Court of SM Cubao at its Basement. Due to our home's proximity to SM Cubao, we were there almost every week, and almost every time I would get either taho (soy curd and tapioca with syrup), the Beef Noodle Soup, or the Maki Mi.

Sometime in the late 90s, the Cubao Branch was replaced by another eatery and I lost my beloved Ha Yuan. During my mother's routine check ups at the Capitol Medical Center, we find Ha Yuan The Kitchen nearby but never got to drop by and eat. Years later, I visit Ha Yuan The Kitchen, now with a husband in tow, to eat an old time favorite that my palate never forgot after all these years.

"Shark's Fin" Dumpling

The sharksfin dumpling is an amalgamation of vegetables, mushrooms and  rice noodles . I doubt if it has any trace of sharksfin in it. However, it has a slightly chewy/ gummy texture which I imagine what a sharksfin would taste like. I used to be a fan of the Kowloon House version of this but the quality of dumplings took a nosedive at the start of the millennium. 

Pork Loin and Egg Noodles in Sticky Soup

To those who missed my earlier post, Makimi is a pork and noodle dish in thick or rather sticky soup best eaten with a splash of black vinegar. My husband is not too fond of the consistency nor the texture of the soup. He says it reminds him of phlegm or snot. :)) It is sticky and slippery at the same time but the taste of this soup is just full of umami goodness; sweet and salty with the black vinegar providing a bit of tang. I am guessing the black vinegar breaks down the starch in the soup so as you finish your bowl, the soup will become thin and slightly watery. The noodles with the Maki, slightly submerged as a tangled bundle, are cooked just right with a little bit of bite.  

Fresh Lumpia

The lumpia was labeled as a vegeratian dish. Thick (regular flour? or rice flour?) skin covers a mixture of vegetables and wrapped into a package the size of a can of softdrinks. There are no overpowering tastes in this lumpia. It has the right amount of aromatics, including wansoy, an herb not usually found in this dish (or at least in recipe books that I own.). This is a healthy choice for a snack though my husband grumbles that it is not as good as his favorite fresh lumpia from Globe Lumpia House.

Ha Yuan The Kitchen is located at Number 84 Mo. Ignacia St. Quezon City, Metro Manila, Philippines.

Any restaurant or eatery dare contest the Makimi of Ha Yuan? Please share so we can try it.