Review: Tim Ho Wan

There has been much hype for Tim Ho Wan since it opened several months ago at Megamall Fashion Hall. Being a Michelin Star restaurant, everyone seemed to came a buzz with it.

Having read a lot about it, I have long wanted to go to Megamall just to try it out. Last Tuesday though, we got the opportunity to go there and also check whats new with the Fashion Hall. We went there at around 3-4ish and there's still a queue. It was a weekday afternoon. The turn over was fast though, as we were only on queue for like 5 minutes.

So the whole service process was like this:
1. You get seated
2. You check your order from the menu list (so Chinese!)
3. Server repeats order
4. Food is served by two servers who assists and chats with each other
5. Bill out

We ordered their famous Pork Buns

Pork Buns

Ace trying out the pork buns

As well as their Hakaw, Chicken Sausage Mushroom Rice and Pork Bbq Vermicell Rolls

Shrimp Dumplings (Hakaw)

Chicken, Sausage, Mushroom rice

Vermicelli Roll

So how do I find it? I think its O-K. Alright, their pork buns are exceptional as me and Ace both felt like the buns were melting both in our hands and mouth. The hakaw was also good as the wrap was not that starchy and the shrimp was plump. The roll though, and rice toppings tasted similar to that of Wai Ying and the corner restaurant we ate at Macau with a more hefty price. 

At around 400/pax, I find it expensive (even if they say this is the cheapest Michelin Star restaurant - i find Din Tai Fung in Taiwan more price wise). Its just that I know there are Chinese restaurants out there who serve almost the same good dumplings just without the rating and at 1/3 of that price. The pork bun though, i cannot compare anywhere else.

So if your planning to eat there, go head for the pork buns right away. 

Rating: 3/5

Menu : 3/5 

Service: 4/5 (fast but i did not like servers chatting in front of me while serving)

Price: 2/5

Review: Generic Diapers (Bosomi, Petpet etc)

Having a baby is really expensive. Yes, more expensive than a 1 week HK vacation, or even a 2 week Boracay escapade. So, the least I can do to squeeze in our budget is to choose products which are good but would still allow us to save some money. 

After I gave birth, we took home Prokids diapers from the hospital. It was part of the package. It worked well - no leaks, no rashes for baby, and good sizing for a newborn. After we ran out of it though, my husband had a hard time looking for it at SM Supermarket. They don't have stocks of newborn sizes so he bought Mamypoko. Mamypoko was better! I mean, we did not have to change it during the night - better absorption, no leaks as well, did not cause rashes and also good in size. The thing though it is effin expensive! So, my mom tried looking for newborn sizes from Mercury Drug. She got pampers and EQ. Pampers was alright but it was also costly, EQ on the other hand was affordable and fits my newborn baby really well - better than others. I thought, "Oh hey, the EQ brand could work" - but after using it for a day, I realized - NO IT WOULD NOT. It leaked miserably! I have a newborn and it leaks! I mean, how many cc of liquid could she only pee and yet this thing could not hold it? After which, I started looking for reviews online regarding diapers. I came around Calvin's Hub which had a post regarding Bosomi (generic) diapers and where they were able to get it. It is around Boni Serrano Avenue and Crame which is around 15 minutes from our home. It used to have the "Limcon Construction" signage. Now though, it is Savers Up. I asked my brother to drop by and buy me 1 pack of diapers to try out. They sold him a pack of Petpet diapers in small size as all newborn stocks were apparently bought before he came.

Petpet Diapers (from Primero website)

Petpet diapers had a small sizing - their small size was the same as the newborn size of EQ. It was then 130/pack (30pcs/pack). So that's Php4.33/pc! Imagine the difference from the ff:

• Pampers NB: Php220/pack (24pcs) = P9.16/pc
• EQ NB: Php140/pack (22pcs) = P6.36/pc
• Mamypoko NB: Php305/pack (30pcs) = P10.16/pc
• Prokids NB: Php375/pack (48pcs) = P7.8/pc

Petpet Newborn-Small Rating: 3.8/5 

• Cost: 5/5
• Absorption: 3/5
• Sizing:4/5
• Design: 3/5
• Texture: 4/5

I gave it 3.8/5 because really, it is cost effective and it served its purpose without making my baby have rashes. Newborns poop all the time, so they do not really require long-haul diapers. During our baby's first 3 months she poops 3-5/day. So really, you'd change them all the time anyway there's no point of having the best absorption nappy.

There are days though when the shop would have Bosomi on stock so I'd buy those. The price is almost similar (difference of 20-30 cents/pc). I like Bosomi more as its sizing is more generous and it has the wetness indicator which Petpet does not have. Eventually though, I prefered buying only Bosomi or Babioniq (almost the same as Bosomi) as Petpet was only good until she was 5 months - after she started eating solid foods and was drinking around 7-8oz of milk, Petpet cannot hold her pee anymore and leaked all the time! Sab is now 8 months old (70 cm;  7kg) and the medium size still fits her well but we still change her nappies before we go to sleep. I tried Large size on her but it was still too big.

Babioniq (Medium)

Bosomi (Large)

Bosomi Diapers / Babioniq Diapers Rating: 4.5/5

• Cost: 5/5 (P5.35/pc - Medium; P5.75/pc - Large)
• Absorption: 3.5/5 (can hold up to 6 hrs)
• Sizing: 5/5
• Design: 5/5 (They both have different designs per size!)
• Texture: 4/5
• ++Wetness Indicator

Aside from Petpet, Bosomi and Babioniq, I have also tried the following generic diapers:

1. Zoo Diapers - I did not like the tape which gets ruined easily
2. New Cutie - has looneytoons design and has a wetness indicator but is always out of stock (was only able to buy once)
3. Baby Love - Almost the same as Petpet even with the sizing

Just two weeks ago, I also started cloth diapers on her (I wanted to try how long these cloth diapers can hold). I still interchange it with disposables though as these are more convenient especially when she poops. I'm still in the transition phase and will soon give a review of the cloth diapers I have.

Goodnight for now!

Joanni