Fathers Day at Ha Yuan

Written by: Gabrielle Borromeo

After Sunday mass at St. Paul the Apostle Parish, my family and I headed to Ha Yuan for some snacks. Mom chose this restaurant because it was just a stone throw away, and since she was craving some fresh lumpia.

                 

I've passed this place before so many times but I don't remember ever dining in. The place really had a Chinese feel to it. Ha Yuan was a Chinese restaurant filled with Buddhist statues and pictured frames of Chinese women, making it look like a temple (forgive me if I'm mistaken, I'm not familiar with this culture).

My dad being a martial arts (Kung Fu) teacher, showed interest in the interiors of Ha Yuan. He mentioned, "The place has its charms. It even has a painted portrait of Quan Yin, a Chinese Saint."

Quan Yin, a Chinese Saint

Though mom asked us what we wanted to order, we always leave it to her to choose for us because we all knew she's the expert on food; she's also a food writer.

Mom ordered Chinese Lumpia, Fried Lumpiang Gulay, Hubad na Lumpiang Ubod, Asadong Siopao, Barbeque and some Yellow Rice.

To be quite frank, I'm not fond of lumpia but my parents were. The Chinese Lumpia according to my mom were made from "all fresh ingredients, assembled right before you at a furious pace as so many customers are awaiting."

My mom also mentioned that the Fried Lumpiang Gulay was "crisp. This lumpia is served with fresh minced garlic. And the crunch of the skin, the tanginess of the vinegar and the tender sweetness of the vegetables is a satisfying meal in itself."

Another lumpia variation we had was the Hubad na Lumpiang Ubod. Among all this was my mom's favorite. She described that "in its simplicity, with the tender heart of the palm (ubod) slivered and sautéed oh so lightly with the hint of chicken stock and generous chunks of peeled shrimps is a no-meat lovers delight."

It's so obvious my mom's the writer here. She's amazing with words. The way she describes food, she makes writing look so easy, I don't even know how she does it but it always ends up great. I guess it comes naturally for her because she's already a veteran at writing, she graduated Journalism before taking up Law at the University of the Philippines-Diliman. Ever since Journalism, she's been writing at different Philippine magazines and newspapers. Well, that answers it, but going back to the topic...

I enjoyed the Hubad na Lumpiang Ubod as well, but it still isn't my kind of food. I was happier with my Asadong Siopao. I am a meat lover and siopao has always been close to my heart. I just love the kind of bread it has, even if it's filled with calories.

The Asadong Siopao had meat that was sweet, just how I like it. It was also shredded like corned beef. It was enveloped in a soft bread that sliced easily through my teeth.

The Barbeque was huge as compared to the usual. It was also very sweet. I savored every bite by dipping it in vinegar and calamansi, it complemented the sweetness.

Yellow Rice

When we asked for the bill, my eyes widened at the expense. We spent almost a thousand pesos for snacks. I knew we were a big family but I did not expect this, especially for snacks. 

My mom laughed at my reaction, she said it's okay since it's Father's Day anyway, we should just savor the moment. So I smiled at dad and said, "Happy Father's Day daddy!"

There's my dad right there, and my little sister trying to get in the picture. Haha! Happy Father's Day everyone, I hope you all had a great one! ;)

Ha Yuan is located at 84 Mother Ignacia St. along Timog Avenue, Quezon City, Metro Manila, Philippines.