Gloria Maris Shark's Fin Restaurant Greenhills

If you could only go to one Chinese restaurant here in Manila for the rest of your life, it might as well be Gloria Maris. Me and my BIG family, all Chinoys, have gone to this restaurant their whole lives and for every occasion - wedding receptions, private dinners, you name it. It’s both pretty bougie in this HUGE ballroom yet oddly comforting for how they easily nail their food. We went on a Thursday at 6:30 PM. There are three main dining areas: fine dining, dimsum and hotpot, yet what’s always FILLED is the hotpot, so we leave that for special occasions and usually go to the dimsum for our regulars. The crowd starts to die down at around 8:30 PM. Thankfully there was a table open for 6 in a comfy couchy ‘U’ booth. They usually have a bank card promotion running for a whole month with 50% Off with a Minimum Purchase of P5000, which we totally availed leading our total of P8000 to P4000. To note, there is a service charge of 10% that is not included. The service was very prompt from our bill, extra ginger or even help de-shelling some prawns. Plus, our orders came in quickly. We ordered a BIG set full of vegetables, seafood, meat and noodles in a BIG pot divided by a chicken and satay broth, with free refills to boot. Very delicious, solid toppings and just an overall great experience. We got our regulars like the soupy Fukien Fried Rice, White Chicken paired nicely with a ginger sauce, Japanese siomai, Taro balls with some great filling <3, and the effervescent Mango Sago. What can I say? I just love this place. It holds a special place in my heart, as it does many Chinoys out there. It’s a MUST to eat at Gloria Maris at least once, and soon you shalt be converted~

Hands down the best Chinese restaurant ever - definitely not your usual place filled with MSG. Every dish tastes fresh and the flavors speak for themselves. Cold, comfortable atmosphere Restrooms are clean and smell good (a big plus!). All the waiters know exactly what they’re doing - from precise Peking duck cutting, to crispy noodle mixing, to serving taho perfectly. You can tell they’re well-trained - no wasted food, no mess. Portions are generous too - even their “small” size is good for about 5 people. The seafood is fresh and live, and everything is served hot. You really get what you pay for. Con: The receipt isn’t itemized - it only shows the amount, typed using what looks like an old typewriter. So make sure to check prices on the menu to confirm your bill.

My family's longtime Chinese go-to spot where we order the same thing everytime: salted fish fried rice, century egg and jellyfish, sweet and sour pork, hot prawns salad, har gow. Add in the peking duck done one-way and a veggie dish from time to time, and that's the last decade plus of us going to Gloria Maris.