For a lot of Filipinos who belong to the current Generation “S,” or the siomai-fueled youth, eating these yummy steamed dumplings meant drowning them in calamansi and chili soy sauce.

But as this writer found out, excessive use of condiments on siomai deprives you of its authentic flavor—much like putting a lot of ice on your beer.

This was one of the challenges faced by Cebu-based Harbour City Dimsum House Co. Inc. (HCDHCI) as they put up their first Dimsum Break restaurant in Metro Manila.

“While we were studying the market in Manila, we found out that it was almost automatic for people who eat siomai to put calamansi and pour soy sauce on top of it, which is actually not the best way to enjoy steamed dumplings, Christopher Kok-seng, HCDHCI business development manager told The Manila Times.

“When you do that, everything will taste the same because the acidity of the calamansi kills the natural flavor and deprives you of the real taste of the siomai. So what we set out to do was try to re-educate our customers on how to better appreciate dimsum. Although we still have calamansi and soy sauce, we ask them to try the ginger sauce for the steamed dumplings and the sweet chili sauce for the fried ones,” he explained.

“We want them to taste the natural ingredients—from the chunks of pork, and shrimp, to the different garnishing that we use,” Kokseng enthused proudly adding that they don’t use any extenders, preservatives or MSG (monosodium glutamate).

Dimsum people
As part of the third generation of HCDHCI’s restaurateurs, Kokseng said they pride themselves as Dimsum People as their restaurants, Harbour City, Ding Qua Qua and Dimsum Break have established a reputation as one of the must try dining places for tourists visiting Cebu.

“We’re mainly a dimsum restaurant, and unlike other Chinese restaurants that serve dimsum also pero on the side, dimsums are our specialty—we’re Dimsum people talaga.”

Chef Glenndon Uytengsu described their restaurants as a modern take on the Chinese teahouse. “We serve great food—simple and fast, which is perfect for the fast-paced lifestyles of working professionals.”

For almost two decades, their restaurants in Cebu have earned rave reviews from both local and visiting foodies, so it was no surprise that their first Manila branch was met with such eager excitement.

During the holidays, the restaurant was always full of Christmas shoppers all lining up to have a taste of Dimsum Break’s 23 types of fried and steamed dimsum— the widest selection offered by a fast food chain in Manila.    

Similar to its 15 branches in Cebu, the Manila outlet follows a cafeteria-style/self-service set-up where customers line up in front of the counter, where they can see each dish.

“We call this an interactive setup, as opposed to the dimsum carts that we have in Cebu. Here you see the food right in front of you as opposed to just seeing pictures on a menu,” Kokseng explained.

Apart from their four Shaomai (siomai) variants; regular, quail egg, mushroom, and bacon wrapped!

First-timers should also try their Empress Rolls, Spring Rolls and Crab Pincers and Sweet and sour pork.

Other steamed items include Chic-ken Feet, Fish Fillet, Mandunggo (steamed tripe), and Pai Kuat (pork ribs). Those who like fried dimsum should try the Garlic Pork Spareribs, Sweet and Sour Chicken and Fish, Stuffed Shrimps, Stuffed Taro, Shrimp Toast, Fried Wanton and Fried Shrimp Balls.

Another best seller is their Steamed Fried Rice, an original creation by Chef Uyteng-su’s late father Henry.

“We use steamed rice, then we fry it, add some soy, chicken stock and other ingredients for the sauce, and top it with pork and shrimp, and garnish with green peas—it’s actually a meal in itself,” described Uytengsu.

Besides the Steamed Fried Rice, Dimsum Break also offers Beef Steak Rice and their version of Yang Chow Fried Rice.

Value for money
“We’ve always tried to maintain a value-for-money perception, and I think that is one of the reasons why Cebuanos keep coming back to our restaurants, and now, we’re bringing that also to Manila.” Kokseng pointed out.

All dimsum variants are priced at P65 each, and are served in twos or threes and is good for one person, while the rice meals are also very affordable at P68.

As they get more acquainted with the Manila market Kokseng said they will try to offer sampler meals so that customers can try out their other dimsum and eventually offer a full menu—similar to the one in Cebu.

For more information and franchise inquiries visit www.dimsumbreak.com or follow them on Twitter: @DimsumBreak and facebook.com/DimsumBreak