Food Delivery: Choi Garden

The spike of Covid-19 cases in the Philippines is alarming. We have doubled the number of cases in just a month. Hence I am sticking with having my favorites delivered instead of me going out. And I don't feel like I'm missing out that much as most of my favorite establishments now offer takeout and delivery. One of my top picks last month was Choi Garden.

Hello, Choi Garden.

Choi Garden has been one of our go-to restaurants for Chinese food. We would usually have dinner there whenever we crave for roast duck or pork. And last Father's Day, R's dad requested that we get some of our favorites from this classic Chinese restaurant. 

Though not required, it would be best to place your takeout orders in advance. I placed my order two days prior because Lechon Macau (PHP695/12 pieces) usually gets sold out fast! We also had three orders of Shark's Fin (PHP320/bowl) to go. 

Image from Choi Garden Promenade Facebook Page

Modes of payments accepted are BDO bank transfer or cash/card upon pickup. Large or some high-value orders may require a deposit upfront. Best to check with the staff taking your order about this to avoid delays with your transaction. Since mine cost just a bit over PHP2,000, they allowed cash upon pickup.

Since I didn't want our driver and helper to have unnecessary exposure, I requested for a curbside pickup. The meeting point is at the corner of Promenade, facing Theater Mall (Hey Brew).

Make sure to properly coordinate with Choi Garden the time you'd like to have your orders ready. It's also best to prepare an exact amount if you're paying in cash or ask them to have change available upon pickup to minimize contact.

I love how the lechon macau's skin stayed so crisp despite sitting for about an hour. And it was just as good as when I had it before. Juicy, flavorful, and nothing short of heavenly.

Shark's Fin Soup is not on the menu as it has been a touchy subject for quite some time. Many consumers find the method of fishing sharks' fins to be too cruel. There are even claims shark's fin itself is not nutritious at all and can cause more harm with its high level of mercury.

I prefer the classic hot and sour or spinach seafood soup over shark's fin soup. Aside from these options being more affordable, I find both tastier too. I guess the slight exotic appeal of Shark's Fin stays for the older market.

R's dad was a bit bummed that there was barely any shark's fin in the three orders we got. Maybe sourcing it has become difficult given the lockdown?

Overall, I commend Choi Garden's smooth handling of our order. The experience was better compared to dining-in. I always find having a meal at Choi Garden stressful with all the chaos happening left and right. 

I'd probably skip Shark's Fin next time (as it's also bad for expecting women) and stick with lechon macau and perhaps its steamed lapu-lapu too. 

Note: Choi Garden also has an in-house delivery within San Juan. For deliveries outside the said city, best to book your courier of choice.