Dimsum Buffet in Shang Palace, Makati Shangrila Hotel

I love dining and I love dining well. Earlier today, I had the opportunity to join fellow food enthusiasts Carlos, Richard, Jane, Fran, Chris, Peter and Grace for Shang Palace's Dimsum Buffet (nett of Php 995, which avails you of endless Dimsum, appetizers, soup, rice, vegetarian meals, dessert, and a very very attentive waiter, Joey, who played along to our quirks). Although I have an aversion to buffet dining, I gladly made an exception for this scrumptious meal.

Dim Sum had its origins with the yum cha (tea tasting) tradition. Travellers of the ancient Silk Road needed a place to rest, which pushed the mushrooming of teahouses along the road. It was formerly believed that combining food and tea led to excessive weight gain, until it was proven that tea aids in digestion. Dim Sum is of Cantonese nature, from Southern China, with its literal translation meaning touch the heart as it was meant to be only a snack. Today, it is a staple in Chinese culture, especially in Hong Kong.

Below are most of our selections:

Let the games begin: the ubiquitous peanut appetizer

Deep fried ham shui kok stuffed with minced pork and chicken

Honey glazed barbecue pork

Hong Kong style deep fried shrimp spring rolls

Steamed giant shrimp crystal skin dumplings (aka hakaw)

Jelly fish with century egg

Steamed Shanghai "Xiao Lung Pao"

Sparereibs in Black Bean sauce

Steamed pork dumplings filled with shrimp

Hot prawn salad

Steamed Lapu Lapu fillet with garlic sauce

Deep fried taro puffs with diced scallop

Deep fried sea foods with mango and salad sauce wrapped in rice paper

Marinated soyed bean curd

Baked barbecue pork pie with apple

Deep fried pork ribs in fragrant garlic and chili spices

Shang Palace

Shangri-La Hotel

Ayala cor Makati Avenue

Makati City, Metro Manila

Philippines

Tel 632 813 8888

(reservation recommended)