Food has always been a huge part of my life—not just because I love to eat, but because I connect memories, emotions, and moments with the places where I share my meals. As a Dabawenya who grew up surrounded by a rich food culture, I’ve naturally developed a handful of “homegrown favorites”—restaurants I can always rely on for nostalgic flavors and that familiar warmth of home.
For years, Dencia’s, Shanghai Restaurant, Davao Famous Restaurant, and Kusina Dabaw have held that special place in my heart. These are the places I grew up with, the spots that understood the flavors of Davao in a way that felt instinctive. Whenever I felt stressed, tired, homesick, or just in need of good food, I knew I could count on these restaurants to give me meals that tasted like home.
But one restaurant—quietly, gradually, and almost unexpectedly—slid into this intimate circle of comfort.
A place that doesn’t just serve food but delivers a complete sensory experience: steaming bowls, clattering dimsum baskets, the soft scent of tea drifting through the air.
That restaurant is Mandarin Tea Garden.
Over the years, Mandarin Tea Garden has become my go-to dining spot, not just when I crave Chinese comfort food, but whenever I want something reliable, filling, and nostalgic in a different way. While my homegrown favorites give me the taste of tradition, Mandarin Tea Garden gives me the taste of consistency—a kind of comfort rooted in familiarity and reliability.
And among all their offerings, I have my own holy trinity of favorites: the Mandarin Special Lugaw, the siomai, the siopao, and of course, their classic tea.
This is my personal love letter to that experience.
Finding Comfort in Routine: How Mandarin Tea Garden Entered My Life
I can’t remember exactly when I first stepped inside a Mandarin Tea Garden Restaurant. It wasn’t a dramatic moment. There were no sparks, no epiphanies. I simply walked in, hungry and craving something warm and uncomplicated at their Rizal St., corner Bolton Street branch.
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| Rizal St. corner Bolton St., San Pedro Branch Photo credit Reyain Mayo |
I ordered their Special Lugaw without thinking too deeply about it—because lugaw, for many of us Filipinos, is a universal comfort food. What I didn’t expect was how comforting it would feel in that specific moment.
That first spoonful reminded me of why I gravitate toward simple food. And before I knew it, Mandarin Tea Garden was no longer just a random pick—it became part of my routine, part of my comfort list, part of my “quiet places.” Mandarin Tea Garden has truly become part of my routine this year. Whether I’m at SM City Ecoland, SM Lanang, or Gaisano Mall, these branches are the ones I find myself visiting the most.
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| Mandarin SM Ecoland Branch Ground Floor |
The Mandarin Special Lugaw: A Bowl of Warm, Familiar Love
The Mandarin Special Lugaw is the beating heart of my Mandarin Tea Garden experience.
Creamy, warm, comforting, and consistently good—this is the bowl I turn to when my body needs warmth or when my day needs calming. There’s nothing pretentious about it. It’s simple, humble, and always reliable.
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| Mandarin SM Lanang Branch |
Like a hug in a bowl.
Siomai: Small but Powerful
Mandarin Tea Garden’s siomai is one of those dishes that never fails—soft, flavorful, perfectly sized, and even better with their chili sauce. It’s a tiny pocket of happiness that goes well with anything on their menu.
Siopao: Fluffy Comfort in Every Bite
Whether asado or bola-bola, their siopao brings that nostalgic softness you expect from a good Filipino-Chinese bun. It’s the kind of snack that warms your hands and your mood.
The Tea: A Simple But Essential Part of the Ritual
Their tea completes the experience. It’s light, warm, and comforting—one of the reasons the restaurant feels so homey.
Why Mandarin Tea Garden Feels Like Home
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| Mandarin Gaisano Mall Branch |
This place has always been more than just a restaurant for me—it’s a place woven into my childhood memories. I still remember how my mother would bring me here, letting me enjoy my first bowls of lugaw, dim sum (siomai), and siopao. The warmth of the place, the familiar aroma of their dishes, and the simple comfort of sharing meals together created moments that stayed with me even as I grew older. Every visit felt like a small celebration, a reminder of how food can connect families through the years.
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Today, as a mother of two young daughters, it feels full circle. Bringing them to Mandarin Tea Garden and watching them enjoy the same food I grew up loving makes the experience even more special. It’s comforting to know that the place that welcomed me as a child is now part of my daughters’ own growing memories. Whether at SM Ecoland, SM Lanang, or Gaisano Mall, every visit feels like coming home—proof that some flavors and traditions never fade; they only grow sweeter as they’re passed on to the next generation.
Comparing It With My Other Homegrown Favorites
People often ask me:
“Is Mandarin Tea Garden better than Dencia’s? Shanghai Restaurant? Famous Restaurant? Kusina Dabaw?”
My answer:
Not better—just different.
Each homegrown favorite gives me something uniquely comforting:
* Dencia’s gives me timeless Filipino comfort (especially that arroz caldo and tokwa’t baboy).
* Shanghai Restaurant brings that traditional Chinese family-style warmth.
* Davao Famous Restaurant delivers the familiar large-portion classics I grew up with.
* Kusina Dabaw offers rich, distinctly Davao flavors that remind me of family gatherings and local pride.
But Mandarin Tea Garden carved out its own space in my food-loving heart.
It didn’t replace these beloved places—it simply added a new dimension to what “comfort food” means to me.
Why It Has Become My “Anytime Food”
Unlike my other favorites, which sometimes require a specific mood, Mandarin Tea Garden is my ANYTIME food:
Anytime I’m tired.
Anytime I’m hungry but indecisive.
Anytime I want warmth.
Anytime I need something quick but not fast food.
Anytime life feels overwhelming.
The restaurant version of a soft blanket.
A Place That Becomes Part of Your Life Story
When a restaurant becomes part of your routine, it naturally becomes part of your story.
The bowls you finish on rainy days…
The siomai you eat after errands…
The tea you sip while gathering your thoughts…
These small, repetitive rituals turn into memories.
And is now one of those memory-filled spaces in my life—just like Dencia’s, Shanghai Restaurant, Famous Restaurant, and Kusina Dabaw have been for years.
Why I (we) (Will) Always Keep Coming Back
In a city full of excellent homegrown restaurants I deeply love, Mandarin Tea Garden earned its place not by competing—but by comforting.
Their Mandarin Special Lugaw, siomai, siopao, and tea aren’t just dishes. They’re rituals, familiar gestures of warmth that greet me whenever I walk through their doors.
And that’s why I return.
Because in the middle of a busy, unpredictable world, Mandarin Tea Garden gives me something simple, steady, and soothing.
Comfort.
Warmth.
Consistency.
Home.
A second home—right beside my long-time favorites:
Dencia’s, Shanghai Restaurant, Famous Restaurant, and Kusina Dabaw.
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