8 Delicious Ways to Celebrate @ a Philippine-Vietnamese Bistro

     Two occasions brought us to Zao Vietnamese Bistro at EDSA Shangri-la Plaza Mall, Philippines, a bienvenida and a birthday. First, my high school classmate and dear friend Julieta (Tirit) Llamas arrived from Mexico, where she has been based for more than 25 years; second, Bong, another good friend from high school was about to celebrate his birthday. Bong had been promising to treat us on his birthday. Finally, our schedules cooperated, typhoon Glenda in tow, and we had double reasons to celebrate. Jo Ann, also our classmate, was assigned by Bong to look for a good restaurant to celebrate. We wanted something different each time we went out, so this time, we agreed on Philippine-Vietnamese cuisine. What we discovered were eight delicious meals to celebrate two important events.

What we ordered:

               Crispy Spring Rolls: As appetizer, we ordered crispy spring rolls (below) with pork, glass noodles and mushrooms served with lettuce wrap. Having been to Vietnam, I found this spring roll stronger in flavor like most foreign restaurants in the Philippines, where recipes are being suited to Filipino tastes. Original Vietnamese spring rolls had more of the fresh and light flavor, while this version had a more pronounced taste. The cost per serving was ₱245.00.             

Photo image of Crispy Spring Roll @Zao Vietnamese Bistro.

     Pomelo Salad. We also ordered Pomelo Salad (below) with shrimps, chicken and fresh herbs. The pomelo was sweet like our Davao pomelo. The shrimp and chicken bits provided a strange contrast to the freshness of the pomelo. The cost was ₱325.00/serving.

Photo image of Pomelo Salad @Zao Vietnamese Bistro.

     Zao Satay Platter. Another Zao specialty that we ordered was their Zao Satay (grilled) Platter (below) which included shrimp, pork, chicken, and beef barbecue. The marinade was very sweet like the Filipino marinade. This was worth ₱395.00/serving. I liked their dressing, which was less sour than the Filipino vinegar dressing.

Photo image of Zao Satay Platter @Zao Vietnamese Bistro.

     Zao Pho. For soup, we ordered their specialty soup, Zao Pho (below) with flank, brisket, meatballs, tendons and rice noodles. I appreciated this soup because it tasted so oriental, specially, because I added an Asian condiment that looked like oyster sauce. Some of the meats were not tender, but others passed muster. The cost was ₱265.00/serving.

Photo image of Zao Pho @ Zao Vietnamese Bistro.

     Zao BBQ Platter. For the main dish, we ordered their Zao BBQ Platter (below) which included chicken, beef and pork barbecue with dipping sauce. The sauce was very light, just little hints of vinegar, sugar and water.  Again, the marinade was sweet and very ‘Filipino’. Cost was ₱575.00/serving. Next time, we will make sure that we order differently, as the satay that we ordered was also grilled.

Photo image of Zao BBQ Platter @ Zao Vietnamese Bistro.

     Caramelized Garlic Prawns. For seafood, we had their Caramelized Garlic Prawn (below) cooked in caramelized garlic sauce. The shrimp was fried and topped with garlic cooked in sugar/honey. If you like garlic, this dish is for you. This is good for people with high blood pressure as the garlic will surely lower your blood pressure (BP) level. But this is not good for diabetics like some of the other dishes that we ordered, which tasted sweet. The cost was ₱395.00/serving.

Photo image of Caramelized Garlic Prawn @Zao Vietnamese Bistro.

     Water Spinach with Tofu.  For our vegetable dish, we had Water Spinach with Tofu. This dish had stir-fried water spinach (kangkong), garlic and scallions. I liked this dish because it was not overpowering and light on the tummy, a healthy option. This was ₱175.00/serving.

Photo image of Water Spinach with Tofu @ Zao Vietnamese Bistro.

     Saigon Fried Rice. We had Saigon Fried Rice with shrimps, Chinese sausage and peas. The rice tasted so good, it was unlike any other I have tasted in Asian restaurants. I wanted more but I thought of my perpetual diet, so I did not dare eat more carbs. The cost was ₱215.00/serving. 

Photo images of Saigon Fried Rice @ Zao Vietnamese Bistro.

     Over all, we had a great time at Zao Vietnamese Bistro. Their dishes were good, even if some were on the sweet side. More importantly, we were able to welcome our dear friend, Tirit and, finally celebrate Bong’s birthday this year. I hope to bring my family back some other time so that we can bond and enjoy the Vietnamese dishes that Zao offered.

Friends enjoying lunch @Zao Vietnamese Bistro.

     Zao Vietnamese Bistro may be found at the 5^th floor, Shangri-la Plaza Mall, East Wing, Shaw Blvd, Wack Wack, Mandaluyong with telephone no. (+63) (02) 942-0785.