A REVIEW: Chef Chang's Dimsum House - authentic Hong Kong dining in the heart of downtown Cebu!

I’ve always been a fan of dimsum food. From steamed rice to siomai (or siaomai), chicken feet, hot tea and even their chop sticks! (ofcourse the latter not being eaten..)

That is why, when I first laid eyes on this little red place in Magallanes area (before you reach Carbon area) and saw that it was a dimsum restaurant, I promised myself I would try it out! The first time I was going to try it, the place was already closed and upon peeking in, one of the owners (I think) approached me to answer my questions about the restaurant hours. Even if I was already planning on trying their food the last time, the fact that one of the owners took time to talk to me made me want to try the place even more! (For someone whose been in the customer service industry a while already, I place such a high emphasis on customer service so that was a definite plus factor for me!)

On the second and planned attempt, I brought with me a camera, my hubby (one of the biggest food critics ever because he is in the cooking profession) and our adorable little boy Izel who just can’t seem to sit down for a minute. (Unfortunately though, the battery wasn’t fully-charged so I only captured those that had to be captured and wasn’t as trigger-happy as I would normally be. )

When you think about Dimsum food though, what immediately goes in your head? Excellent BUT expensive food, right? (at least mostly, that is!) And let’s admit, if you’re especially craving for that “authentic” Chinese Hongkong food, you have to really pay for it!

Well, not in Chef Chang’s Dimsum House. It is the perfect authentic Hongkong dimsum experience on a budget.

Here is my (unsponsored and unpaid) review:

Restaurant: Chef Chang’s Dimsum House

Address:       Magallanes Street, Cebu City, Philippines

Contact numbers:   032-254-2660

Facebook:    https://www.facebook.com/chefchangscebu

Tagline:        The place to go to experience authentic Hong Kong dining in the heart of downtown Cebu!

Location:      The location is very inconspicuous, you wouldn’t even think that a restaurant was located where is it but is but the red colors accenting the place is a great contrast with its otherwise Carbon-like surroundings where vegetable and fruit vendors peddle their goods.

The way I see it, the location is very apt because Carbon and most of downtown area is inhabited by Chinese-owned businesses so it is just perfect to have a place that sells (light bulb moment) Chinese food!

I like that the place does not give off this high-brow snobbish vibe that most dimsum restaurants give off and that its simplicity is homey and very “common-tao” but not raunchy.

Service:         Service was good; I forgot our server’s name though but for someone who was working alone on that shift, he took care of everyone eating there. Shifting from one customer to the other and then going to the kitchen to get the orders. I do have to mention that he was very patient with us because even though we really only ate a few dishes, we took forever to order them! Hehe..

Cleanliness:        They served your spoons and forks in a glass of hot water and you could also ask for chopsticks. (Ofcourse, I did!) The place was relatively clean and free of unsightly dirt or even smell. The flooring could do a little improvement though and it would do them good if they added an accessible washing area.

Beverages:           They offer various drinks including soft drinks and fruit juices/shakes but the any dimsum meal should always be partnered with either tea or milk tea to complete the experience. I had initially asked our food server if they offered complimentary tea as I know most dimsum places do, based on my experience while in Singapore but since I couldn’t communicate it properly, only after we ate that we saw another table get a tea pot that he confirmed they do offer complimentary tea and that when I come back, I’ll be provided one. (Talk about irony right? Well, it was partly my fault because had I only mentioned any of the key words like tea pot and complimentary, I would’ve gotten it! Oh well, when I come back it is the first I’ll ask for! Hahaha)

I ordered the hot milk tea and (my oh my) it was delicious! When it was served to me, I initially thought it was coffee because of how black it was but after adding the milk and sugar, it was just perfect and everything that I had wanted and expected from a dimsum house!

Oh, one noteworthy thing to mention is that their iced tea is served in tall glass bottles and not in plastic ones which for is a big plus for any food establishment – not only is it more health-friendly, it is also earth-friendly!

Food:           We ordered the steamed fried rice because it was offered in a platter good for 2-3 persons and I am a rice monster so 1 serving of rice just won’t do for me! We also got the chicken feet and their siomai because these are to me the epitome of dimsum food.

Food was great and definitely worth coming back for more!

Price:           Definitely well within the budget of a typical office worker looking for good eats!

Accessibility:      For those who can’t locate the place or just don’t have the time to visit the place, they also have delivery service! Definitely a bonus because you only need to give them a ring for that authentic Hongkong dimsum experience right in your office or even at home!

Over-all rating:  4.5 out of 5 stars – great dimsum experience without sacrificing “authentic” dimsum taste and feel and most especially your budget

Suggestions:      (And I did tell our server this too) Have something like an “All-In Dimsum Platter” that has a little of everything so first-time customers can taste everything one time and can order more if they especially like a certain dish. I wouldn’t mind paying more if I know I am getting a taste of everything! 

And offer the complimentary tea not just to Chinese patrons but to all dining customers. It is after all, part of the total package.

Their tagline on their Facebook page says, “The place to go to experience authentic Hong Kong dining in the heart of downtown Cebu!”. Well, that is exactly what they’ve accomplished although I would alter it a little to say…

Chef Chang’s Dimsum House: The place to go to experience BUDGET-FRIENDLY and DELICIOUS authentic Hong Kong dining in the heart of downtown Cebu!

Nmed 12/09/14 @ 11:19am

Here are the pictures for your viewing and salivating pleasure. :-) 

The Menu: (Ofcourse I ordered their Chinese names!! hehe..)

Their inside signage and ball lantern decorations on the ceiling:

The lovely chicken feet..

The yummy (and bitin) siomai..

The iced tea in glass bottles..

The milk tea..yum!!!

The meal... unfortunately budget was limited but when I go back, will try more dishes! :-) 

The meal from another angle.. hehe.. (apparently taking the picture from another angle doesn't add to the quantity... hehe..) 

My eat-mates* Izel and Itoy!  

(Can I apply for a copyright to the term "eat-mates" or has anyone already used that?)

This is how it looks on my plate... but definitely with extra servings of rice! hahaha

DISCLAIMER: 

Lovely to look at but definitely lovelier to eat! 

P.S. I am already live on Seeties.me, see more of my reviews here too:

https://seeties.me/enigma369