A stone’s throw from Xavier School is this flavored fruit tea and Taiwanese snack cafe that serves the students from the nearby schools as well as the surrounding community, offering a menu at very reasonable prices. One late morning, I joined several other food bloggers upon the invitation of Alvin of
Cheftonio’s Blog.
Jerome Tan, one of the proprietors, said they opened in San Juan City late 2009. I do remember seeing this place as I go to and from my gym but never really got a good look at it till we went there to try their food fare and fruit/milk teas.
The word Pao Pao when translated stands for “very full” and the word Xiao Chi means “small snacks”.
Our food adventure began with servings of their flavored fruit teas and specialty drinks. Mind you, they do not use flavored powder. Their fruit teas are made from fruit puree and are kept in modern cylindrical dispensers that actually look like fashion decor. And all their teas come in 20 oz. glasses compared to 16 oz. ones in other fruit tea shops.
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| Modern dispensers containing fruit puree for drinks |
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| Taro Milk, Php 50 |
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| Green Apple, Php 45 |
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| Strawberry, Php 50 |
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Add-ons for your drinks, Php 5-10 each
(Clockwise: Egg pudding, Chocolate, Sago,
Almond jelly, Strawberry) |
Next came their version of spicy chicken, squid and pork. My kids would love this as they often go to another outlet for spicy chicken. What makes Pao Pao’s different (and I believe, better) is that they have at least 9 different spices that you can drizzle all over your spicy chops: black sesame, green tea, lemon, seaweeds, wasabi, orange, red chili, yellow curry and kimchi.
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Spicy Chicken and Spicy Squid – Php 50;
Spicy Pork – Php 55 |
Hands down, the group’s favorite sprinkle was yellow curry while the spiciest one for me was the red curry (I hear that the Koreans who come and dine pour generous portions of the red curry over their food).
Dimsum came next.
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Steamed Dumplings
Half – Php 45; Regular – Php 80 |
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Fried Dumplings
Half -Php 45; Regular – Php 80 |
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Fried Shrimp Wanton
Half – Php 60; Regular – Php 120 |
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Steamed Shrimp Wanton
Half – Php 60; Regular – Php 120 |
By this time, my tummy was almost at bursting but still, the food kept coming. We were made to try their noodles and rice meals.
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| Special Dry Noodles, Php 100 |
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| Beef Noodle Soup, Php 125 |
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| Lu Rou Rice, Php 60 |
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| Beef Brisket Rice, Php 105 |
We also got to try their new offering, Glazed Potatoes. It tasted different for me because unlike other potatoes I’ve tasted that were on the salty and dry side, these were marinated in a sweet, glazed sauce and sprinkled with sesame seeds. Guess it takes some getting used to.
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| Glazed Potatoes, Php 50 |
They actually have a lot more to offer. I have to say that their prices are really value for money. This is important for the students from the nearby schools who depend on allowances. They get their fill without it burning a hole in their pockets.
If you love fruit and milk teas, Pao Pao Xiao Chi is one you need to try because the flavors of their teas are comparable to the other ones around the San Juan area. The fact that they carry real food and not just pica-pica works well for those who want to have their teas with their meals.
Pao Pao Xiao Chi branches:
Main store (17 Gen. de Jesus St. cor. Gen. Lim St., Little Baguio, San Juan City, Tel 994-8554)999 Mall, Divisoria, Manila Ycaza Street, San Miguel, Manila(Beside St. Jude Catholic School)Website: www.paopao.com.phFacebook: www.facebook.paopao.xiaochi
