Date of visit: January 2020
We had already dined there 10 years ago and I enjoyed it back then. It was the same experience when we recently dined as the food is still great. My mom ordered a cold cuts dish and I liked the chicken that was included in it.
If you want a non-pretentious legit Chinese food, you better head to Emerald Green. Though be ready lang because the place is always packed! Why wouldn’t it when they serve the best spinach soup ever! We ordered their chicken, fried rice, and cold cuts, all were superbly delicious. I regret not ordering their shrimp because almost everyone ordered it! Can’t wait to go back :)
Very tasty chicken really memorable, the food servers were really kind, heard that 3 Philippine Presidents used to eat in this 32 year old restaurant and I can see why, it's cheap and comes with huge servings and really well cooked and designed will come back again
Diane Vizmanos-Capulong
+5
My first time to be in Emerald. A relative suggested this place. I was just confused because price on their menu list does not match the one here on Zomato. We ordered the siopao, shrimp with chili sauce, sweet and sour pork, 3 mushrooms with mixed vegetables, Yang Chow and century egg. All in small sizes except for the Yang Chow. Service was fast. They have a parking space beside the resto for a few steps. The comfort room is clean. Will be back to try other tempting specialties.
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Had celebrated a belated Father's day dinner with my entire family here, and we're a family of seven, of mostly grown boys with hearty appetites. The food did not disapppoint at all 😊 Each and every dish we ordered was wiped out - our server noticed as we asked for bill!
We ordered plenty of food but my favorites were the Shrimp Salad (the shrimp was warm, and the fruit salad surprisingly complimented it very well), Fried Squid (not greasyand hard to chew, cooked perfectly), Crispy Lemon Chicken (chicken is similar to Taiwanese stalls. The lemon sauce is tart -- how I like it -- but the family was not too into it), Emerald Fried Noodle (the canton was so yummy, and they did not skimp on the toppings and sauce! I'm not a huge pancit fan but I liked this a lot), and Healthy Spinach Soup (I loved this! I think this was the perfect start to the entire meal) :)
Off the bat, I think we did not feel groggy after the meal here was because the food was not greasy :) I still keep on raving about the food until now since it was so good!
But the best thing about this resto is their customer service. The servers were so attentive and candid with us, and when I realized I forgot my phone after leaving the resto, we saw the server running after us to return my phone.
Definitely worth the trip to Ermita! I will eat here again with my family if we happen to be in the area.
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When you crave for good and affordable chinese food, you need to go to popular places like Binondo.
Emerald Garden has been a frequented chinese restaurant especially for special occasions like birthdays and wedding receptions way, way back.
Staples for a chinese lauriat would be assorted cold cuts, sharks fin soup, hot salad with prawns, fried chicken with kropek, steamed fish/crabs/prawns, birthday noodles or misua, yang chow fried rice and desserts.
For this visit, since there were only 2 of us, we ordered the emerald birthday noodles and sweet and sour pork. A small serving of each serves 2-3 persons already.
The noodles, as I can remember it, is still the same. Topped with pink quail eggs (food coloring 😁), pork, mushrooms and veggies. I love putting some calamansi into this to balance the thick, savory sauce.
The sweet and sour pork has lots of onions, leeks, bell peppers and tomatoes. The pork is very tender and cooked perfectly.
Emerald remains a part of my childhood that I can never get enough of. 😘
Emerald Garden has always been a great place for Chinese food. Servings were plenty and the servers were really attentive to our needs. The food was superb as always
I was in Manila last June with my fiancee and had brunch? or late breakfast there every day. It may not be fancy, but the food is delicious! If you have not had lumpia try them! The shakes/smoothiers are delicious as well. I did not think I would care for an avocado shake, YUM! My fiancee and I tried a variety of the foods offered there and were never disappointed. I am going back to Manila this June to bring my fiancee home with me and look forward to eating here again.
A legend among the old-time favorite Chinese restaurants, Emerald still brings in the foodie fans.
BUT Emerald has its hits and misses.
I'd recommend...
Emerald Special Siopao - this is their gigantic siopao that's worth going all the way to Roxas Boulevard. For Php135, you get all the stuffing that you like in one siopao... salted egg, bola-bola, roast pork and Chinese sausage. It comes with a special sauce that is addicting. Mix it with the chili sauce too. The siopao is bets shared.
Radish Cake - Php125. Compared to others, Emerald's radish cake is fried crisp and more dense than others such that it doesn't fall apart.
So-so dish would be...
Beef Noodle Soup - Php145. Good amount of tender beef cubes. Egg noodles are al dente and soup was flavorful.
SKIP the....
Pork Siomai - Php85. Disappointing piece of SH....Siomai. Get another dimsum.
We used to frequent this restaurant almost every month or two so it was refreshing to see its new look since our last visit years ago. Dine-in space appeared wider and looked more well-lit with a somewhat higher-looking ceiling.
Shrimp Salad was my favorite thanks to the tiny cubes of peaches plus the creamy shrimps. At second would be the Yang Chow and soup, both of which stayed the same since then. Third is the Birthday Noodles, where we keep the noodles as crispy as possible by having the sauce separated.
The changes I'm having trouble adapting to are the Buchi's missing sticky rice experience, the Beef Tenderloin's vegetarian texture, and the Lemon Chicken's mysteriously different lemon sauce.
Highlights of the visit would be their staff for being super friendly with us even up to closing time. They still remember us! Customer service, a solid 5!
We had dinner there the other night with some relatives from the province. Some were a bit unsure because of the ambiance and their dimsum wasn't available. However, we were surprised by the food. It was good. The diced chicken with cashew was really tasty. The salt and pepper pork was also good and the meat was tender. I didn't enjoy their lumpiang shanghai though.
had lunch here with our long time nun friend, our spiritual warrior for a couple of decades now. where else do we bring her to? best place in mind is my Dad's fave resto.
we ordered the ff:
camaron rebosado ( my son's request)
three mushroom w/ vegetable
seafood hotpot( hubby's request) - this is panalo! must-try!
beef w/ broccoli
steamed lapu-lapu (good for our special guest) - super sarap!
yang chow
four seasons shake
service tea
that was a verrrry good meal
good service, too
very happy tummy!
The staffs were really nice! The food tasted really good aswell, The place was very nice and clean they also served the food fast. Really loved it! :)
First time to eat here together with my family.
The food are pretty amazing, authentic Chinese.
One thing i do not like here is the service, they’re sluggish and not very attentive to the needs of their customers. Maybe because some of their staff is senior :)
The place is not quite clean, you have to call the attention to clean the table. Aside from that, the space is inappreciable.
Overall, the food is great. Maybe we will try some other time if we crave for chinese food
Great for big families! The service was nice but the food was better. Their serving was huge! I recommend for you to ask how big the serving was before buying. Their small is great for 5 people sharing.
The parents brought home the famed Emerald Special Siopao! For 120pesos you get a hefty portion of siopao filled with roast pork, salted egg, Chinese sausage, bola bola. The meat to cuapao ratio is 70-30! Very filling if yoir eating it by yourself. Better to have someone share it with. I am very satisfied with this take out order, hopefully I get to try their main dishes.
Another Chinese restaurant favorite - although it takes a little effort to dine here as it’s all the way in Roxas Boulevard. We’ve only gone here on special occasions and always with a crowd as its tables sit 8-10 pax. You can never go wrong with their Cold Cuts, Lapu Lapu (steamed or fried), Steamed Shrimp and Crab, and Yang Chow Rice. They have varying serving sizes (small - large) and dishes are reasonably priced. Their special siopao that’s bigger than your face is also something to rave about - with its filling of Chinese sausage, salted egg, bola bola, and asado chicken. The siopao is so packed will all these and so flavorful that you can’t ever compare it to another siopao and not declare it your #1.
The place looks a bit shabby but the food here is great! It was crowded when we get here probably because it was a weekend but we didn't have to wait for too long.
Food and service is good at a very affordable price. They also have a parking area. I keep on coming back so i become familiar with the service crew
This restaurant needs to renovate the place. It looks like a carinderia.
What you should try:
Crispy pork belly
Butchi
Service was good. Staff were very attentive and pleasant regardless of our rants.
So disappointed with their crispy chicken. It wasn't crispy at all plus the taste of the chicken was so "malansa" or ramish.
Service 5/5
Food 3/5
Ambiance 3/5
We had the Siopao and Congee for Saturday breakfast. Very good and attentive service. Large serving size. The Siopao can feed at least 2 persons. Loaded ingredients, great taste. Value for money. Available parking lot.
The food taste good. The patatim is unforgettable. I just love to eat here. Although the place is quite old, the food still taste the same even after decades. Service sucks. The waitress that took my order doesn't even know the menu.
The family's go to restaurant for celebrations. It's the ever typical chinese restaurant however I can say amongst them Emerald would be the best. A little bit on top of the ordinary. If I'd go for Chinese food, I'd most probably choose Emerald than the rest.
Pros: Free parking; huge servings; DELICIOUS food; reasonable price; attentive wait staff
We ordered chicken, dimsum, fried rice and shrimp rice cake and loved them all!
Cons: Outdated furniture - this is easily compensated by the yummy food.
Overall happy with this resto - I'm glad we chanced upon it.
Food 5/5
Portion 5/5
Service 4/5
Cleanliness 4/5
Parking 3.5/5
Ambience 2/5
Value for money 3.5/5
Overall dining experience 4/5
Since my parents were born in the 60's they have known Emerald Garden since the beginning of time. Its a chinese restaurant known for its amazing dishes, especially the crabs. Food and portion-wise, ABSOLUTELY EXCELLENT like nothing can compare. The downside is the ambience, where you get to eat in a typical chinese restaurant - noisy and crowded. But who cares about the ambience when all you want is authentic and good Chinese food? Over the years I will always and always come back. TWO THUMBS UP!
It was hard for me to finally get my hands on their Siopao. This I tell you, their siopao is the only siopao with bola-bola that I enjoyed. Ever. You must really try this when you get the chance to. Having a friendly staff is a plus!
I've been passing by this restaurant until a friend introduce me to this place. It is one of the old and authentic Chinese restaurant in Manila. The service is super great. Food is awesome. Don't leave this place without trying their best seller, Emerald Chicken. Very affordable with big servings. Will surely go back and recommend to others.
Emerald is a popular resto since my childhood time. Me and my wife drop by here to have dinner.they lessen Food ingredients. In all the food we ordered we just like the mix hofan. Service is good.
Went here for dinner and we were really hungry at that time but surprisingly, we almost didnt touch the chicken. The servings are big and the taste of the food is what you could expect from other Chinese restaurants.
First time to eat here for a post-meeting lunch, and even though we only sampled the gigantic Emerald Special siopao and their standard pancit canton, I immediately understood why this restaurant is such a hit.
Emerald Special is filled with pork asado slices, bola-bola that tastes like my mom's meatloaf, egg and Chinese sausage. It's literally as big as my face.
Looking at the amazing array of orders at the other tables makes me want to go back for lunch again.
If you are really looking for Chinese food, this is the place to be! I love all the dishes that they have. The place is quite old but the food are really good. It's a must-to-go place here in Ermita, Manila.
I don't know why they had to make the place smaller. This is a very good Chinese Restaurant and me and my family come here in special occasions. Food is great and their fruit shakes and juices are awesome as well! Love this place!
I had to visit a friend in Malate and I was thankful it’s a Sunday. The traffic on other days is unacceptable. I took advantage of this trip and looked for the best Chinese restaurant. Most reviews said Emerald Garden. With its emerald color on some of its walls, the ambiance becomes lighter to the eyes. However, the overall look is a bit run down and untidy.
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I had to visit a friend in Malate and I was thankful it's a Sunday. The traffic on other days is unacceptable. I took advantage of this trip and looked for the best Chinese restaurant. Most reviews said Emerald Garden.
With its emerald color on some of its walls, the ambiance becomes lighter to the eyes. However, the overall look is a bit run down and untidy.
We had three dishes, two cups of rice and two desserts. We managed to finish most of it despite not being that hungry. Reason: dishes were appetizing!
Despite the Sizzling Squid being deep fried which am not a fan of, the spiced sauce was excellent and instantly this order became my favorite. The squid was not chewy but soft.
Another satisfying dish was their Diced Chicken with Cashews. Tender meat, nuts for added texture. The sauce had a nice touch of salty and sweet elements to it.
For dessert, the Almond Jelly with Black Gulaman or Black & White was wonderful. Not so sweet and two jellies blended well together. For less than a Php 100 it added to a pleasant meal altogether.
This used to be a must-visit when we have relatives over. I don't know what happened, but the taste in quality has gone down a bit. Service and ambiance, however, are still the same - love the servers because they're so friendly and attentive (even during peak hours when they're all in a rush).
New things to add: not very baby friendly, compared to other restaurants (no space for strollers), but the extra attention from the service is quite nice :)
Servings are also good for sharing! Even the smalls.
Parking is limited though so either come early or be patient when it comes to parking.
one of my favorite chinese resto! I will never get tired of eating here. My mom loves to dine here. The Shrimp with cashew nuts is a must! The steamed shrimp or halabos na hipon is done just right, not overcooked.
I will never get tired of ordering my usual Shrimp Hofan and steamed dumplings from this place. The taste is just addicting apart from being healthy. You will notice that most of the employees here are usually in their 40s and I guess because the restaurant has proven it's good service both to customers and employees. Although the price for their regular orders are a bit pricey.
Authentic chinese food at its best! Very sinful but very good. I always buy a lot of their siopao to go because its that good. We also had their taro buns and buchi buns (both deep fried) with meat inside. I thought I wouldn't like it but I did. Best eaten with hot sauce.
Same good old excellent food. Fast service. 4 dishes for just 1000 good for 5 people. The annex is the only building left. This is the all time restaurant of my childhood years.
The food is good. Waiters and waitresses are not too attentive, they seems to be not too happy with their jobs. The furniture, table cloth, chairs etc look old.
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Emerald Garden
Emerald Garden used to be the gold standard for high level fine dining Chinese cuisine. They used to have such a big dining area and an extension restaurant beside the main one. Everyone I know in the Chinese community ate there. Their Buddha Jump soup was a big thing back in the day.
Now, 30+ years in the business, sadly, Emerald has passed it's glory days. Emerald now has a smaller dining area with worn out interiors like old wallpaper. The fresh seafood was no longer displayed in aquariums but are stored some place in the kitchen. The service is still good at least. They have a lot of people to handle customers.
We haven't been here a while but since our guest stayed at Diamond Hotel, we decided to bring him here to Emerald Garden for dinner. I was a bit disappointed when we went in. The place was surely not impressive at all. There was also no live seafood aquarium display to show the guest. When we ordered our food, I asked multiple times to make sure that the fish, shrimps and crab were still alive (because I can tell from the taste of the food).
Then the food arrived, and upon first seeing them I knew that it would be good. And after tasting them, the food was not only good... it was very good! The shrimps (suahe) were the freshest with also a small amount of fat near the head. The Crab was gigantic and really impressive! The crab weighed 1.1Kg uncooked and the crab claw was very big. Our guest ate both claws! The lapu-lapu 700 grams was also fresh but the soy sauce they used was a bit too salty, but still okay.
The best part of eating at chinese fine dining restaurants is NO CORKAGE! No Corkage for the whisky we brought. hooray.
Overall, still a good experience. The place could really use a good renovation but in the end, the food is what matters and fresh and nicely cooked seafood is always impressive.
Decades of continually serving us Authentic Chinese Cuisine!
It has not been as it used to be, but they are still good :) one of the very few household restos that are existing for years that you know you will never go wrong :)
I tried their much talked about giant Special Siopao and it was huge and it was all kinds of awesome. The size is too big for 1 person but bitin for sharing for two. When you try to finish the giant siopao by yourself, you'll have no more room for other food, even soup. But the siopao is just so heavenly! I'd say it's a Death Row special. The last meal you ask for before your execution.
Emerald Garden is already a "classic" when it comes to authentic Chinese cuisine. The place itself is kinda old, but people still flock to this restaurant because the food is really good. The kikiam, coated in sweet sauce, is a must-try. The birthday noodle and special siopao are also two of their popular dishes. For the soup, I personally like the winter melon soup with dried scallop and black mushroom.
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Since I was a kid, my parents live to bring us in this restaurant. It has always been our favorite place to dine in especially whenever we're craving for an authentic Chinese restaurant that sells fresh seafood.
Last Friday night, we went to have our late dinner here. Amazed that no matter how many years have passed, the quality of their food never gets down. It still tastes very good, so much that it brings back memories.
We ordered the usual fresh shrimps, steamed lapu-lapu, rice and some kind of veggies ( I forgot the name but it looks like kangkong though it's not). Everything was good except for the pumpkin soup we ordered. I was expecting a creamy taste but what I tasted here was the cornstarch. It was ok though. Emerald is an expert in Chinese food ( I assume) and not in soups such as pumpkin.
I was kinda hesitant to ask for something with their crews too. Some of them are old already...maybe they've been with the resto since early years. Cheers to them for taking good care of their crews XD
That's all. Rating it 4/5 :)
I was introduced to this branch by my brother-in-law when we hung out together last month. The place was a typical Chinese restaurant, lots of big round tables for big groups, but it took a minimalist type of design as the walls were just simple decorated. The food was awesome here. What i could not get enough of though was their shrimp balls. The dish was so good that i had to order another one to take home with me!
My officemate made me try their lemon chicken. Normally I only eat a few when it comes to lemon chicken. However, theirs is so yummy and tasteful that I ended up eating w hole lot. I love the sweetness and the sourness of this dish. You can really taste the essence of the lemon here.
Emerald has been around for decades. It serves good Chinese food at affordable price. I was surprised to know that it's also popular among my Filipino friends. I like their giant siopao, hakaw, siomai, and their birthday noodles. The giant siopao is such a hit among my officemates. They also serve good seafood. This is a good place to celebrate birthdays.
I love everything about emerald. The place might not be the swankiest place you will ever see however the food is top notch all the way. Especially like their shrimp balls. The flavor in each and every ball can really be tasted and add to the fact that their is a sweet and sour sauce that it can be dipped in, just give me rice and get out of the way!
Emerald Garden is still one of our choices for breakfast after our morning jogging during Sundays. The dimsum, congee and the siopao here are really good. The siopao is for sharing due to its humongous size. It can actually be divided into 4 slices. My favorite dimsums here are the pork siomai and the shrimp hakao.
Emerald Garden used to be one of the most in-demand and popular Chinese restaurants in town. I remember that this place used to be the favorite venue of family friends or relatives who were celebrating their parents' or grandparents' birthday celebrations. The sizes of the dishes here are quite big. Similar to the other Chinese restaurants, lauriat set has always been the preference in special events. They also offer ala carte, dimsum, congee and other Chinese dishes. The jumbo siopao here is the biggest that I have seen and tried. I remember my mom bought around 10 siopaos after hearing recommendations from friends that it's good. So I brought it for lunch to the office. It was so huge that I had a hard time finishing it because I was already so full. Overall, the food here are great.
If you are looking for Chinese Food for breakfast, have some DIMSUM at Emerald Garden. They have the best Bola Bola Congee and Beef Hofan... love the flavor! They also serve one of the best Siopao in town, Emerald Special.. The size is big and can be good for sharing. Never miss their Hakaw, Shrimp Rolls, Pork Siomai, Shark's Fin... The price is affordable and definitely can fill your stomach. 😁
They also serve lunch and dinner. Most of the dishes are very flavorful and still affordable... It is also good for sharing. They have lauriat style and set menus for big groups like we always do.
The staff members are well attentive to your needs and the service is good.
Definitely, my favorite! ❤️
Not the best tasting chinese cuisine. Nonetheless for the prices they are charging, I would still recommend Emerald Garden. Shrimp salad is a yum!
Food was delish!!! I specifically loved their Yang Chow rice and their Four Seasons Shake is really refreshing. My mom loved it and is planning to back there. Kudos to the person that suggested this place to me.
I went here really for the Siopao but since my friend is treating we decided to dine here.
I didn't know why she ordered the Birthday noodles but she said she likes the pink egg on it :-)
The shrimp and pork is quite tasty but i love their Fried Rice the most, you could eat it as a stand-alone.
It's still the siopao i like best at Emerald...
I don't know but I prefer Luk Yuen. You can't trust me with this review though since I am not Chinese haha. I am just commenting using my Asian skills loljk. But seriously, the food was good. But not super good to the point that you will say "woah" I loved their spinach soup though. Healthy yet edible. I mean, a non-vegetable-eater like me can eat it because it's good. Their viands are also nice but you won't remember it for the rest of your life. The staff are also nice. I can't also comment about the price of the food because it was again free when I went here. The same college bff that treat me to Luk Yuen treated me again. Haha. Yup, they're Chinese!
Paula Andrea San Jose
+4.5
My family and I have been going to this place for more than 10 years! Great service, delicious authentic Chinese food and I like how instead of modernizing the place, they still keep their original facade. Everything is still well kept and they're really built to accommodate a large group of people so it's perfect for family gatherings!
Very nice, authentic Chinese restaurant. Truly, a gem in the city of Manila. Well-trained staff who are courteous and attentive to each customer.
This is one of the very few authentic chinese restaurants here in metro manila! They offer a lot! And the thing i love the most here is their four seasons drink which is one of the greats! And the ambiance is good, the olace which it is located is good as well near manila bay! You can feel the air from the sea when you go outside! I love this place
My first time to eat at emerald garden was a bloated experience I love their pork belly and fried chicken and of course their yang chow. I also love their huge siopao. I will definitely be back to try their other dish.
I have only been to Emerald Garden a few times, but each time I go, usually with my Husband's side of the family, it is to celebrate birthdays and special occasions. They have large spaces as they cater to large groups, being the traditional Chinese restaurant that it is. The food is really good and really flavorful. What I love most of the food ordered is their Shrimp Balls! It's packed with flavor and tastes so fresh every time!
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Emerald Garden is an absolutely wonderful gem along Roxas Boulevard in Manila. On weekends the place is often packed with families having lunch together. Still the place is big and they have ample space for all their customers without feeling crowded.
The whole family in my father's side used to meet here and celebrate during birthdays, anniversaries and other occasions. They have this private area you can reserve for big family events, with around 4-5 big round tables seating 8-10 persons each. At the middle of the round table, there's a big lazy susan. When my parents tell me we have family lunch at Emerald Garden, one of the first things that come to my head would be how full I'll be after that meal.
Some of our go-to family favorites here that we always order include their Three Kinds Cold Cuts, Yang Chow Fried Rice, Birthday Noodles, Shrimp Salad, Steamed Lapu-lapu and Crab. We also get their Fried Chicken, Crab and Corn Soup (which has real crab and not just those from crab sticks), Jellyfish Salad and Buchi for dessert. These are the classic must haves on our table, though we try other offers from time to time. Their siopao is also good and big for 120 pesos! For me Emerald Garden equals good food and good company every time. In addition parking is never a problem as there are lots outside the restaurant. It may be a bit pricey but it is a classic you should definitely try in Roxas Boulevard.
Emerald Garden is so good that Manila City officials made it their base of operations during a hostage crisis in 2011/2012.
Emerald Siopao is insane and highly recommended.
Fresh "Suahe" (shrimp) blanched in hot water is the best I had. It is my wife's pick and a favorite for my family.
My wife's friend from high school celebrated the christening of her child here and had around 50-100 guests.
Emerald is a Filipino chinese family restaurant that can be considered a landmark along Roxas Boulevard.
Happy dining!
Emerald Garden = siopao. Bar none!
Emerald Garden is my families go to Chinese restaurants for parties. Everything is good specially their seafood because it's always fresh.
Notable dishes would be their
-Camaron Rebusado which are deep fried battered shirmp.
-Warm Prawn Salad which is crunchy friend prawns in a creamy mayo dressing with fruits, which sound weird at first but don't knock it till you try it.
-Birthday Noodles which they serve with weird pink colored quail eggs
-Chicken with eight treasures
-Steamed live crab, Lapu-lapu (grouper) and shrimp, you can see them swimming in their aquariums up front.
-My absolute favorite is their deep fried frog legs.
They also serve really good dimsum so make sure to try those too.
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