Xin Wang Hong Kong Café in SM Mall of Asia was the last restaurant I ate in last 2011 (to be exact at December 31, 2011). Based on few online readings and researches, this restaurant actually just opened last December 12, 2011. No wonder the place looked so new.

I was with my daughter, my cousin, and her boyfriend. The couple were craving for Mang Guo Bing (Chinese for Mango Snow Ice) so when we saw this big ad near the parking area, we decided to look for this restaurant, and luckily, it was easy to find the place.

Ambiance was super nice and cozy and the place was very clean. The moment I went into the restaurant, it felt like I had to be at my most careful steps not to ruin their cleanliness and orderliness. Seriously, the place was squeaky clean. The designs were hip and trendy with the vectored images on the wall, so it gave me the sense of being in a modernized Chinese restaurant.

Here’s a photo of one of the images found around the restaurant:

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During my cousin’s 2nd-to-the-last-day-stay-in-Manila-before-heading-back-to-China-to-“fetch”-her-German-bf day, we met up after she got her driver’s license, both hungry so we decided to try out something new around the area.

For the last 25 years of living around Chinatown area, it was unfortunate of me to never have tried the food in Café Mezzanine. It’s found in the second floor along the corner of Ongpin and Yuchengco streets, right in front of Shopper’s Mart (you won’t miss it).

photo from: http://mayniladailyphoto.blogspot.com/2009/01/cafe-mezzanine.html (forgot to take a picture of the place and its ambiance)

This place is also known as the Volunteer Fireman’s Coffee Shop and its proceeds go to the volunteer firefighters association in Binondo. By the looks of it, you’ll definitely know that this place is dedicated to the firemen as fireman’s helmets, hose, and other firefighting gadgets were used as decorations around the area.

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