Yen Yen: Taiwan Street Food in Wilson San Juan

Friday, September 14, 2012
Although I haven't been to Taiwan yet, I have somehow been acquainted to Taiwanese cuisine thanks to the continuously growing number of Taiwanese dining establishments here in the Metro. And just earlier this month, my friends and I headed to Wilson, San Juan to check out another Taiwanese food destination, Yen Yen Taiwan Street Food.
Yen Yen Taiwan Street Food Yen Yen Taiwan Street Food San Juan

Located in Wilson Street corner P. Guevarra Street stands the green and orange signage of Yen Yen Taiwan Street Food which actually started out as a business selling Taiwanese sauces, and has later evolved into a noodle cart in Shaw Boulevard, a small Taiwanese eatery in Gilmore, and today, a bigger casual dining restaurant in San Juan.

For a street food destination, Yen Yen definitely offers a lot of delectable goodies on its menu. From starters, dimsum, noodles and even to main entrées and desserts, this modern dining establishment already got almost everything covered.

Fried Dumplings P140

To start off our meal, we first had a serving of Fried Dumplings (P140) with a dipping sauce. Although these dimsum treats might look ordinary, they're in fact boiled and then pan-fried meaty bundles of goodness. They're soft and silky, yet quite crispy at the bottom without being oily. Inside every treat is a juicy and plump filling of ground pork.

Spicy Wonton P140

We also had the Spicy Wonton (P140), steamed wontons swimming in spicy chili oil. Although I'm not a big fan of spicy dishes, I have nothing but good things to say about this very satisfying treat. The wontons are soft, plump and very juicy even with vegetable fillings. I actually thought they're similar to kuchay dumplings, just spicier and yummier.

Taiwan Pork Chops P220

Next on our table is this plate of Taiwan Pork Chops (P220), two slices of thin breaded pork cooked Taiwanese-style with herbs and Chinese five-spice, if I'm not mistaken. Although I love the crunchy and flavorful breading in this ensemble, and the fact that these chops are far from being oily albeit deep-friend, I found the pork itself a little dry.

Crispy Chicken P160

We were then served with the Crispy Chicken (P160), deep-fried fillets of dark chicken meat coated in the same spices used in the Taiwan Pork Chops. Despite having the same crunchy and flavorful breading, the chicken is my hands down winner as it was more tender and succulent. It was so good that Stacy and I even fought for the last cut!

Taipei Beef Noodle Soup with Tendon P240 Taipei Beef Noodle Soup with Tendon

We also got to try the Taipei Beef Noodle Soup with Tendon (P240), a hearty bowl of hot noodles perfect for the chilly "ber" months. As Yen Yen's signature dish, this item uses a blend of the Taiwanese sauces they originally sold in expos. And as a bestseller, it was indeed sweet, very savory and oh-so-delicious! The beef pieces and tendons were tender and succulent, the noodles were firm and chewy, while the broth was so flavorful and so addicting. Good thing, Yen Yen is generous enough to offer free soup refills.

Taiwan Sate Chami P220

To continue the noodle fest, we had a serving of Taiwan Sate Chami (P220) which is good enough for two to three people. Although I'm generally not a big fan of chami, I was taken aback and fell in love with this dish because of its sate sauce. While the firm yet chewy noodles are already topped with a colorful ensemble of meat, mushrooms and vegetables, it was really the sweet, savory and nutty sate sauce that brought everything together and made it one very memorable item in Yen Yen's menu.

Taiwan Red Bean Ice P80 Pearl Milk Tea P80

To end on a sweet note, we shared a serving of Taiwan Red Bean Ice (P80), a simple yet refreshing dessert of finely shaved ice topped with imported red beans from Taiwan and condensed milk. While the creamy shaved ice is already a treat on its own, the sweet, high quality red beans even left us wanting for more. They were so good that we didn't leave even a single red bean in our bowl. As for my choice of beverage, I got the Pearl Milk Tea (P80), a creamy milk tea concoction with soft and chewy tapioca pearls.

THE VERDICT

After this trip to Yen Yen Taiwan Street Food, I've found myself into Taiwanese cuisine yet again. Everything we've tried, from the dimsum and the fried meat chops, to the noodles and even the cold treats, were of excellent quality sure to bring great value to every diner's penny. And with good food, a wider menu selection, and a bigger, better and brighter space, I'm sure to pay Yen Yen Taiwan Street Food another visit soon.

Taste - 4/5
Ambiance - 3.5/5
Service - 4/5
Price - 4/5
Overall Value - 4/5


Yen Yen Taiwanese Street Food, Wilson
198 Wilson St. Corner P. Guevarra St.,
San Juan City, Metro Manila
Philippines
(02) 945-4389
Facebook Page

39 comments:

  1. Is this a new resto in Wilson ba Sumi? :D Gaaahd, I'm not for spicy things but the spicy wanton looks delectable!

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    Replies
    1. I'm not sure how long they're in Wilson na, but they transferred from Gilmore to San Juan.. :) Check it out when you get the chance. The spicy wontons are yummy, and you can sieve through the chili oil naman.. ;)

      Delete
  2. Wow, generous servings, free refill on soup -- yum! I was craving for sweets earlier and seeing the red bean ice and milk tea tempts me to buy one tomorrow! (the milk tea, that is)

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    Replies
    1. Yup, they had big portions for the price! :) Now, you're tempting me to buy milk tea na rin tomorrow.. Haha!

      Delete
  3. I tried this when they were still along Granada St. -- love how the food is affordable and delicious. I want to visit more often but the lack of parking space in front is making it difficult. :/

    I think the red bean ice and milk tea are new offerings. :)

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    Replies
    1. Yup, they have some new items nga on their menu. Btw, Yen Yen now in Wilson has a basement parking space, so no more parking problems for diners :)

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  4. I suddenly miss Taiwan reading your post :) I had a gastronomic adventure at their Shilin Night Market where they sell all kinds of street foods.

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  5. wow lagi ko to nadadaanan! never thought it would e good :) would love to try :)
    Rovie,
    The Bargain Doll

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  6. Looks SO GOOD.

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  7. Haven't gone for a San Juan food trip. I want to go!!!

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  8. Wow! They serve shaved ice cream! I love it! I will give this a try soon!

    xoxo
    MrsMartinez

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  9. Awesome photos, as always! Your posts always make my mouth water, hahaha! I'll have to visit this place one of these days since what they offer are within my budget.

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  10. i love your food photography skills, what camera and lenses did you used? anyway, the price of those primadonna shoes are 1,600 and 1,300.

    It’s a GIRL Thing

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  11. nagutom ako Sumi.. :(
    nag.crave ako bigla sa noodles

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  12. Hay...I often forget. I have always told myself not to visit your blog because I get hungry! LOL This looks great sis. Another resto to visit when we go to Manila :D

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  13. I'm drooling over the Spicy Wonton! I'd love to have that on a rainy day!

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  14. Yum! I totally love your food blog *food-gasm*! Followed you :*

    Follow my blog

    ReplyDelete
  15. Gusto ko un beef noodle soup, sis. Parang ang sarap nya!

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  16. The dumplings looks so delicious! Appealing to the eyes lahat ng food! Thank you for sharing this post. :)

    www.shutterbugmom.com

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  17. Sumi, your photos are really very nice. Just saying. ^_^

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    Replies
    1. Thanks, Mrs.A! This means a lot to me coming from you~ <3

      Delete
  18. i am starving right now and how timely your foods are.... so inviting and i want to have some of those delectable foods

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  19. i'm not a dimsum guy but your photos managed to convince me to search for that YenYen cave of Taiwanese goodies or at least schedule looking for it next week.

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  20. I WOULD LOVE TO TRY THEIR DUMPLINGS <3

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