MY FRIENDS, Jimboy and Bubbles Rolida, invited me and my family to the blessing of Harbour City, at the 4th level of SM Premier, on Thursday, May 11.
One of the special guests, who cut the ribbon was Cagayan de Oro Mayor Oscar Moreno. Noteworthy, Moreno has been present in all the branch openings, including Centrio and SM Uptown. I was happy for their expansion because we have always patronized their store, with their signature metal carts (the first and only one in our city).
The first time I tried this Yum Cha style of dining was when I was in grade school at Sydney while visiting my Grandma. Their Chinatown had restaurants that offered this food service, where diners get food from several roving metal trolleys. After choosing the preferred dishes, the servers write on the receipt of the patron to indicate what has been ordered.
Yum Cha is the Cantonese word for “drink tea,” and it is often associated with eating dimsum, which literally means “touch your heart.” Many studies indicate that tea aids in digestion, so these two words are inextricably linked. I often find myself craving this kind of yummy food because it brings back a lot of great memories. That’s why I was extremely happy when Harbour City opened in Centrio last 2014, and they offered the dimsum in the iconic food carts!
Harbour City's tagline is “Everyday HongKong.” The name refers to Victoria Harbour that is the main bay with its bustling ports in the heart of the city. I congratulate Jim, Bubbles, and their team on the current expansion. The second branch, which opened 2016, is in SM Uptown.
We are fans of their steamed rice, fried shrimp puffs, pork ribs, salted egg fried chicken, bird’s nest soup, and Xie Ping. The last mentioned is my most favorite (hey, sweet-tooth), which is shaved ice that comes in 3 flavors: Halo-Halo, Blueberry Cheesecake, and Mango. This is nothing like the Pinoy version, which is too grainy. Theirs is smooth, creamy, and not too cloyingly sweet, topped with generous amounts of fruit. It's the perfect ending to a good meal!
Rich History
I asked him about the store’s history and he narrated: “Ding How from Cebu was actually the restaurant that started it all. They opened in 1969, introducing dimsum to Cebuanos. They also pioneered the concept of all-day dimsum dining. Meaning a full meal can be composed of small-servings of dimsum and not the typical short order fare on big platters. After Ding How came Ding Qua Qua in 1987. Harbour City followed in 1993.”
To date, the group has a total of 33 branches spread across key cities in Visayas and Mindanao.
“Our Centrio store was the first ever in Mindanao!” he proudly shared, adding: “I spent a lot of my formative years in Cebu so I grew up eating at Harbour City. It is my comfort food! And I wanted to bring that here to CDO. It is a tried and tested concept with a rich history and huge following. I myself am clearly a big fan and believer of the brand.”
He pointed out that a lot of Cagay-anons frequently travel to Cebu for business and pleasure so many are already familiar with Harbour City. In fact, they often crave it! Thus, it’s a natural and logical decision for him to add it to the restaurant scene here in our town, offering authentic quality Chinese fare at affordable prices.
Menu Faves
I asked him what his favorites are in the menu. His animatedly shared: “My personal faves include spring rolls, garlic pork ribs, and hakao. Of course, no meal is complete without the best-selling shaomai and our Steamed Fried Rice. What I like about the dumplings, aside from the taste is its texture, you can really bite into large pieces of shrimp and meat. This is really what they're supposed to taste like!”
He also recounted this funny anecdote: “The steamed fried rice is one of our most popular items. It’s fried rice with a savory topping of pork and shrimp. The slang term for it is ‘Steamed Rice.’ I’ve heard a lot of stories from friends who go to other Chinese restaurants, even in Hong Kong, and order ‘Steamed Rice,’ thinking it’s a dish that’s commonly available. They get the surprise of their lives when the food arrives and they are served plain white rice.”
Jimboy remains on top of everything, and he is finicky about maintaining standards.
“Food quality and consistency are both the cornerstones to running a restaurant to ensure that patrons keep coming back,” he said.
“The quality begins with sourcing the right ingredients and ensuring their freshness. Our staff in CDO (Cagayan de Oro) is trained in Cebu and when we open our stores here, a team from Cebu comes over to make sure operations are well.”
Dimsum is painstakingly made and requires a bit of time and effort to form into individual serving sizes so each bite is quite literally a labor of love. It is quite apt to its meaning.
After hearing these tidbits, I have come to appreciate Harbour City even more. With Jimboy Rolida at the helm, I feel assured that what comes from the kitchen, then into the rolling food carts, and then onto our plates are not just expertly seasoned, but more importantly, safely-handled.
Inquiries and Deliveries
For your Dimsum cravings, visit Harbour City. For inquiries and home-delivery:
Centrio Downtown is 858-1888 or 0917-715-1000
SM Uptown is 859-3888 or 0917-707-1000
SM Premiere Downtown is 3161-1180 or 0917-708-5000