I'm going to let you in on a little secret ~ there is this hole-in-the-wall Chinese restaurant along Granada St. in Quezon City called Shifu Master's Kitchen that blew me away. The combination of affordable prices and downright impressive food made it a winner for me. Trust me on this, I have been to a lot of hole-in-the-wall restaurants here in Manila and rarely do I tag one as a "gem" worthy to be discovered, but Shifu Master's Kitchen deserves such description.
I have been very honest that I am a sucker for restaurants serving great food with an equal respect for the overall look of the place. I love beautifully decorated restaurant interiors because truth be told, ambiance matters to me. Especially when I am eating. However, in my years of food blogging, there are food places here in Manila that made me forget about the ambiance because the food they are serving is enough for me to forget everything else. Shifu Master's Kitchen is one of them - on top of my list even.
I am not saying that Shifu Master's Kitchen's ambiance is dirty and somehow despicable. As a matter of fact, it is quite the opposite. Yes, it is suggestive of the usual eatery you can find elsewhere, but it is definitely clean. Coupled with great price range and even greater food, the charm of Shifu Master's Kitchen lies in its simplicity.
Located along Granada St. just a stone's throw away from the Greenhills Town Center, Shifu Master's Kitchen is an unpretentious nook that focuses mainly on serving good food to its customers. One need not to dress up to savor the goodness of eating out at Shifu. No judgement and demeaning look will ensue when you go there in your simplest shirt and pants, as a matter of fact, even shorts and slippers will do. Because at Shifu, what really matters is the fact that you are going to have a great time feasting on your food without burning a hole in your pocket.
On the table there is the proverbial cup filled with water where spoon and fork where nestled just like in your usual hole-in-the-wall restaurants. Condiments are also present for the customer's disposal. House tea is always given with generosity. Hole-in-the-wall this restaurant is, but everything is impeccably clean.
I have been to Shifu Master's Kitchen for number of times already because
for a while I find it surprising that everything I have tasted on their
menu was a sure winner. I came back with several different companions on
different occasions and the same good reaction was always consistent.
Really impressive, this little restaurant is.
During my first visit with some foodie friends, the first dish that blew my mind away was the Lechon Macau (Php205). Sinfully crisp skin that crackles in every bite and succulent meat that surprisingly never dried out of its juicy composure, Shifu's Lechon Macau is the best Lechon Macau that I have tasted by far! There were angels singing upon every bite, I believe.
There are several lechon Macau I have had in the past that broke my heart into a million little pieces, but Shifu's rendition of it brought back my faith to humanity. I am THIS close to believing that there was a magic tucked somewhere in the hidden part of this porcine treat because believe it or not, it took us 20 good minutes of photo taking before we devoured this goodie but it still retained its crispness and succulence. Good heavens, I am aware that my words are failing me in describing how good Shifu's Lechon Macau was. Pardon me, amigos.
Another dish that was utterly breathtaking was Shifu's Pata Bihon (Php215). Essentially, it is your usual bihon made all the more savory by using pata tim (braised pork leg) sauce. As if it is not already good on its own, chunks and pieces of pork pata were spread generously on top. The known gelatinous texture and softness of the pork leg was remarkably present. Equally noteworthy was the distinct taste of savory sweet sauce that obviously penetrated every morsel of the pork. It was so good I remembered having devoured its goodness for three consecutive days in one week, alongside the lechon Macau, of course.
Now for those who dig rice on their pata tim dish, Pata Rice (Php115) could be more apt for an option. It is technically a fried rice mixed with all the goodness of the pata tim - sauce, meat, flavor and all. One can skip viands when having this because it is already a meal on its own. But for the love of anything good, delicious, and filling, go get the other dishes as well because it will be worth it.
Equally filling was the Sate Fish Fillet Soup (Php215). Generous slices of fish fillets, seafood balls, soft tofu, and vegetables made this rather thick soup hearty and filling. It was the kind of soup that is a perfect meal starter, but its goodness can be extended all throughout the entire meal. There was a little kick of spice, something that even a non-spicy food lover like me could tolerate.
Shrimp Fuyong (Php225) is a hefty egg omellete packed with generous pieces of shrimp and vegetables on a thick sweetened soy sauce. I was adamant to try it the first time because I was under the impression that it was just your usual shrimp omellete only way fluffier, but I was wrong. The combination of the savory sweetness of the sauce and the creamy texture of the egg was a winner. I love that they did not scrimp on shrimps the way normal restaurants would. In the end, I ate more than my fair share of this dish (I think) because it was so good.
Not everyone I know took particular liking for Shifu's Three Eggs Polunchay (Php205) Maybe it has something to do with the overall texture of this dish or the strong flavor of garlic on top. But regardless, this dish is one of the reasons why I would still go back at Shifu. This dish is essentially composed of spinach leaves and sliced fried garlic combined with the proverbial three kinds of egg; century egg, salted egg, and the usual egg combined with the thick sauce.
Pleasing to both the eyes and the palatte, Shifu's Congee (Php145) with all its generous toppings on top could put your favorite congee in some fast food restaurants to shame. The rice porridge was flavorful on its own, but it was the toppings that made it really special.
Shifu Fried Chicken (Php205/half, Php385/whole) is yet another dish that one should not miss when visiting Shifu. Crisp and utterly savory, I deem that this chicken dish can be an instant favorite among kids and kids at heart.
If one does not want to deal with chicken bones, Shifu's Chicken Chops (Php145) can be a good option. Its flavor hinted of Chinese five spice with a pronounce peppery flavor to it. I swear by this dish, it was the best chicken chops I ever had, bar none. And that came from someone who is not really big on chicken chops. This one is definitely a pleasant exception.
Shifu Master Kitchen also boasts of variety of dumplings on their menu. The Kutchay Dumplings (Php180/10pcs.) are little pockets of minced vegetables best eaten with chili soy sauce. We were told that Shifu's dumplings are homemade, hence each is more hearty and filling.
I had a great time munching on the kutchay but it was the Pork and Shrimp Dumplings (Php65) that made me realized that Shifu really take their dumplings seriously. As with any other dish at Shifu, no scrimping transpired when making these dumplings. One bite, and you would know that each was packed with generous meat.
Beverages options comprise of the usual drinks but Shifu takes pride on their Milk Tea (Php70/glass, Php110/bottomless). I have nothing but good words about this milk tea so let me just tell you that I can easily down two tall glasses of it in one visit. Fair enough.
Days after I first tried Shifu Master's Kitchen along Granada St. in Quezon City, I was still raving about it. Several visits after that first encounter brought me to the realization that Shifu may look like your usual hole-in-the-wall restaurants by the street, but its affordable prices and great tasting food are what sets it apart, several notch higher than the usual.
Shifu Master's Kitchen
58 Granada St. Quezon City
(Near Greenhills Town Center)
Contact No.: 726-1135 / 707-4577
Facebook: Shifu Master's Kitchen
