I love fried radish cake, but it used to be hard to find around the metro. So when I chanced upon Hainanese Delights in Robinsons Magnolia and found that fried radish cake was on their regular menu, I became a regular patron.
You see, their radish cake isn't even the typical radish cake I'm used to: savory palm-sized blocks of sticky radish batter, lightly fried and served with Chinese hot sauce. They're delicately flavored, but heavy enough so after eating two of these it feels like you just ate a brick.
Hainanese Delights' radish cake -- conveniently named Take The Cake -- are small, crunchy, deep-fried cubes of the same radish batter, generously sprinkled with sliced scallions and bird's eye chilis, and served with white vinegar. So instead of eating a huge radishy brick, it's like you're eating radishy Legos, only tastier.
Of course it's full of trans fats, so if you're looking for something light and clean (but non-vegan) on the menu, the Hainanese fish fillet is your best bet. It's a sliced whitefish fillet, steamed with a slightly sweet soy sauce laced with onion and garlic.
Oh, and do try their ginger paste. It's a free condiment that's also sold by the bottle, and it goes very well with their dishes. Ginger is great for digestion, and its mild spiciness cuts right through some of their oilier meals like a warm knife through your ex's cold, cold heart.
They also serve strong hot brewed coffee, which tastes close to classic Vietnamese coffee, and is served with condensed milk. The best thing about it is how affordable it is -- less than PhP40 per cup, which is great because for some reason their AC setting is so cold that your food won't stay hot for over 15 minutes after serving.
Now I'm a little wary about raving about the radish cake because y'all might end up ordering it and there would be none left for me. Have mercy. read more