Da Tang Jardin, the newest hip joint serving Chinese small plates along Forbestown, just had their grand opening last weekend. I was fortunate to be invited and sample their dishes. Da Tang is derived from Tang, of the Tang dynasty, the most glorious dynasty in Chinese history. It has the same owners as the people who brought in Balkan Yugoslavian Cuisine. This restaurant specializes in dishes from the 8 culinary capitals of China: Zhejiang, Fujian, Canton, Szechuan, Hunan, Shandong, Anhui, and Jiangsu. The head of this kitchen is under the able hands of Chef William Liu, a multi-awarded and famous chef in Taiwan. Contrary to usual invites where they prepared dishes for us to try, Da Tang Jardin is prepared to let us try what we want, being confident that we would love whatever they dished out. They gave us a menu instead, and so we ordered: - Grilled Pork Neck with Garlic Sauce (Php280) - thinly sliced, tender, and grilled to perfection. The garlic sauce complemented the strips of pork neck making it a mouthwatering dish. - Steamed Chicken with Scallions (Php280) - a favorite among the local Chinese in the country, resembles the famed Hainanese Chicken. Chicken that is plainly steamed is topped with the unique ginger-scallion sauce that gives a distinct flavor to the dish. - Steamed Chicken with Chili (Php280) - the usual soyed chicken marinated in chili and topped with peanuts. Simple yet delicious, a must order for an appetizer. - Deep-Fried Shrimp and Purple Yam served with Fresh Lettuce (Php360) - juicy shrimps wrapped in mashed taro and breaded with rice vermicelli then deep-fried to a golden crisp. The taste is very good complete with the complexity and texture of the ingredients. - Sweet and Sour Pork (Php150) - honestly, the reason why we ordered this was because it would look good on any picture. Bite-sized sweet and sour pork on top of wonton wrappers. Though we initially ordered this because it looked pretty, it actually tasted pretty good as well. The pork has a good crunch and great flavor too, exactly like the ones I have tried in Beijing. - Dong Po Pork (Php200) - named after the famous Chinese poet and songwriter, Su Dong Po, this dish is simply made with a few ingredients, personifying the poet's life. Though ingredients are few and simple, it requires a great chef's skill to produce this sweet-salty mixture and fork-tender meat. This is exactly how their version is. - Steamed Shrimp with Asparagus in Crab Egg Sauce (Php220) - the focal point here is the crab egg sauce because the shrimp is just ordinary. The crab eggs used here are the real crab roe and not the liquefied version. It added a great seafood-y flavor to the shrimps. - Griddle Cooked Shrimp with Garlic and Pepper (Php620) - One of the few dishes here above Php500 and with great reason too. The shrimp, prawns rather, have a smoky flavor and spiced with garlic and pepper, making it a fun dish to eat. - Pan-fried Sliced Scallops with Milk and Egg Whites in Truffle Sauce (Php420) - this is a recommended order especially those who would like to impress. Pan-fried scallops sit on top of a tart-like crust and topped with milk curds, egg whites, and truffles. It heightens your sense of smell and taste. The truffle can be seen and tasted. It is a perfect dish wherein each ingredient complements each other. - Seafood and Vegetable Thick Soup (Php260) - usually found in Chinese lauriats, this soup has been a favorite for adults and kids alike. What sets them apart aside from the generous servings of seafood, is that the vegetable is not finely minced. One can still chew on the texture which totally gives a different appeal. - Mango, Pomelo and Sago Sweet Soup (Php150) - traditional mango sago dessert with real mango bits and pomelo pulps. Truly refreshing! - Almond and Tofu with Mixed Fruit (Php130) - if I came with my dad, he would probably say that this is the "real almond tofu" that he likes. Unlike the usual almond jelly we have tried, this version is silky like tofu, something that melts in your mouth or just slides down your throat. This is the authentic version. - Milk Taro with Sago (Php130) - Taro crushed and cooked, then added milk and sago. A nice treat for dessert and something healthy for you as well. Da Tang Jardin may still be new, but their dishes are truly authentic and mouthwatering. The ones I've tried is not even half of their full menu. I am eager and excited to go back and bring my family. I am glad that finally, a restaurant has opened that would give a nostalgic feel to Fil-Chinese and Filipinos alike. read more

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Derived its name from Tang dynasty, a glistening historic period in China's history, Da Tang Jardin has set itself to be the go-to place for a new Chinese food experience in Forbes Town, Taguig, with Chef William Liu, a multi-awarded and famous chef in Taiwan at the helm of its kitchen. Positioning itself as an Asian Tapas, Da Tang Jardin most of its dishes are served in small plates where they focus on the visual beauty of the dishes that helps heighten the titillation of your taste buds with the flavors of their dishes on each bite than satisfying your tummy's growls. So be forewarned, if you are famished, this may not be a good place for you. The place is also a bit small with most of its seats can be found in its second floor loft but its ambiance is pleasantly nice like one is dining in an exclusive indoor garden. The highlights of the night were dishes that I enjoyed the most: - Pan-fried Sliced Scallops with Milk and Egg Whites in Truffle Sauce (Php420) - Served in what looks like tarts or quiche, this is an impressive dish that showcase the skill of its chef/kitchen. The strong flavor of truffles interplays with the delicacy of flavors of scallops, milk curds and egg whites that elevates the flavor of each ingredient than overpowers it. - Dong Po Pork (Php200) - The dish lived up to its name which is derived from the name of a famous chinese poet. It was poetry in the mouth. The pork belly was cooked perfectly with its amber-gold like color sitting in on a pool of delicate thick golden brown sauce. Pork belly used has enough fat in it that lends to the melt-in-your-mouth experience together with its fork-tender lean meat and balance sweetness and saltiness of the sauce. - Grilled Pork Neck with Garlic Sauce (Php280) - the dish may not have a wow factor, but I like how they the thinly sliced pork neck was tender and grilled to perfection which complements perfectly with the garlic sauce. - Steamed Shrimp with Asparagus in Crab Egg Sauce (Php220) - "It's all in the sauce" as they say, which they dish perfectly delivers. Everyone can't get enough of the crab egg sauce which is made from real crab roe. Sad to say while, the shrimp was cooked perfectly, it was not able to stand on its own against the sauce. - Seafood and Vegetable Thick Soup (Php260) - usually this soup has the spinach blended into puree to give a green color to the soup. Da Tang Jardin's while chopped finely, still leave texture of the vegetable which you can still chew and serve generous amount of seafood together with it. Almond and Tofu with Mixed Fruit (Php130) - The smoothness silkiness of the Almond is like tofu or taho which it should be but unusually to find here as most almond served as desserts here has more of a jelly texture than tofu. Some of the dishes I felt not as inspiring: - Sweet and Sour Pork (Php150) - the sweet and sour pork itself was done beautifully with the glazed orange color, crunchy skin and soft meat inside. And its flavor was on point with sweet and sour balance. Each piece was serves in a wonton wrapper shape as tart cups, totaling 6 cups in a dish. Like a bite-sized hors d'oeuvres, you expect that you can eat the wonton tart cups. But it was too hard even teeth cannot break it. If it was not meant to be eaten, better not to use it. - Griddle Cooked Shrimp with Garlic and Pepper (Php620) - Placed inside a big claypot are 8 big shrimps/prawns that seems to be smoked inside the pot with garlic and pepper which you can really taste the smokiness in the shrimps/prawns. I just find it a bit too expensive for it. Other dishes that we have tried which taste good and cooked well but nothing extraordinary: Steamed Chicken with Scallions (Php280), Steamed Chicken with Chili (Php280), Deep-Fried Shrimp and Purple Yam served with Fresh Lettuce (Php360), Mango, Pomelo and Sago Sweet Soup (Php150), Milk Taro with Sago (Php130). Is Da Tang Jardin worth the try? - Yes, they know their stuff and cooked it well and the ambiance is pleasant and inviting. But the place is a bit overpriced for the quantity that they serve where you can find food of comparable quality with more generous serving or better priced. It is a place you would not go often but might choose maybe for special business meetings with some important guests who you want to enjoy Chinese food while not messing your poise when eating. read more

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The name DaTang was derived from the Chinese Dynasty called "Tang Dynasty." The Tang Dynasty is considered the Golden Age of ancient China. This dynasty marks one of the most prosperous Chinese eras, especially in literature and food. DaTang was formed by a partnership from Taiwan International Restaurant Chain Group, Alley's Cat and DaTang Express Inc. Inviting Taiwan multi-awarded Chef Master William Liu, comes the first branch of DaTang Jardin Asian Tapas Bar along Forbes Town Center in BGC, Taguig. DaTang Jardin was inspired from the diverse aroma, freshness, and beauty of a garden. Pertaining to the food, the dishes are served with guaranteed freshness, beautiful presentation, and diverse flavors coming from 8 culinary traditions from 8 regions of China. Master Liu subvert the stereotype of traditional Chinese cuisines into a much more stylish, exquisite, and authentic Chinese experience. Normally, for events like this, the management would be the ones to pick the dishes to be served, so naturally, they would go with their bestsellers. At DaTang Jardin's opening, they gave us full reign to order whichever dishes we wanted to try. It showed how confident they were of the quality of their food, so I was really excited to try them! Here are the dishes we go to taste that evening: The Deep-Fried Shrimp and Purple Yam served with Fresh Lettuce (P360) is an interesting dish to start with because of the different textures that come to play. The shrimp is mixed with purple yam then wrapped inside crunchy vermicelli noodles, and finally dipped into some sweet chili sauce. The Griddle Cooked Shrimp with Garlic and Pepper (P620) came out next. Shrimps are always one of the pricier dishes found in restaurants like this, and for DaTang Jardin, I completely understand why, because their shrimps are huge! I just wish they removed the shells before cooking to give it more flavor. I also thought it was difficult to remove the shells on our own given that we only had a soup spoon and chopsticks at our disposal. When they placed this Steamed Chicken with Scallions (P280) on our table, to be honest, I wasn't very excited. Another person from the group did all the ordering for us - not that I minded - I just hate the way steamed chicken skin tastes. Also, I expected it to be bland, being that it's just steamed chicken, but I'm glad I went ahead and tried this, because the scallions brought so much flavor to the dish. I highly recommend it. Another chicken dish we tried was their Steamed Chicken with Chili (P280). It is basically the same as the previous dish, but this one is slightly spicy and served with peanuts on top. The Sweet and Sour Pork (P150) was one of our more colorful dishes that evening. Small portions of the pork are placed on top of fried wonton wrappers for easier eating. It reminds me of fancy cocktail party finger food. Yum! The Steamed Shrimp with Asparagus in Crab Egg Sauce (P220) was the most unique thing that came to our table, I think. We were served two shrimps wrapped around a piece of asparagus then lots of crab egg sauce that reminded me of crab and corn soup. I guess it's not one of the "shareable" dishes at DaTang. The Seafood and Vegetable Thick Soup (P260), on the other hand, was perfect for sharing! I actually had something like this the other day at a different restaurant, but the vegetables were grinded on a blender, so the soup came out green. Here, you can still see and chew on the vegetables, but it was a delicious dish nonetheless. My ultimate favorite at DaTang Jardin is their Pan-fried Sliced Scallops with Milk and Egg Whites in Truffle Sauce (P420). I couldn't stop eating it. The truffle smells SO good!! All the flavors went really well together too! The Dongpo Pork (P200) is a pork belly dish that's just oozing with flavor. It consists of layers of fat and lean meat that's sure to satisfy your tastebuds. I've never had pork neck before so I don't really have anything to compare their Grilled Pork Neck with Garlic Sauce (P280) to. It's not bad. I actually liked the flavor and the texture. It feels like a simple dish to prepare, but the way they presented it makes all the difference. Onto dessert! The Mango, Pomelo and Sago Sweet Soup (P150) is their amped-up take on the regular mango sago. You gotta give it to DaTang Jardin - they took a refreshing crowd favorite and made it their own with the added pomelo. The Almond and Tofu with Mixed Fruit (P130) is a melts-in-your-mouth kind of dessert. It's a party in your mouth, so make sure to get a bit of everything each time! The Milk Taro with Sago (P130) comes with crushed taro and lots of sago! It's like a cold version of ginataan which I really liked! read more

Really shouldn't bother going to this place. Run by a bunch of rude and unprofessional Chinese people. Tables were dirty. When I asked to clean to get a seat they looked like I had asked for something crazy. then we got seated and a guy asks us to move as he needs to unpack boxes from that corner. Then the chef instead of cooking is sitting outside and starts playing some really crappy radio on his phone at an incredibly loud volume. I asked 3 waiters to ask him to turn it down. Nada. Finally went down and spoke to himself. Response is that chef doesn't speak English. Ok - but someone could tell him right? Asked to speak to the manager. Burly Chinese guy who is just busy chatting on WeChat. When tried to speak to him - he just kept saying 'Later'. They never took our order. After 30 minutes of a blaring and irritating loud radio, we left. Don't know about the food but the service and professionalism sucks. Ambiance is not great. I'd be happier eating at home. read more

Limited menu. It was hot because air conditioning was on the fritz. No bottled water! I don't get why restaurants will not have such a basic drink tourists will look for. Come on people! read more