Ding Qua Qua, Harbour City and Dimsum Break offer the best dimsum in Cebu

The moment I first tasted Ding Qua Qua’s pork steamed rice and spring rolls when I was still in elementary, I knew I was hooked for life. I used to to be able to gouge down 5 bowls of pork steamed rice in one sitting and a number of their siomais back then. Although I am not able to replicate this feat now, there isn’t a week that passes by when I don’t have lunch or dinner in any of these restaurants.

There is Ding Qua Qua, Harbour City, and Dimsum Break. These restaurants, which have the same owner, essentially serve the same fares albeit in different styles. Ding Qua Qua and Harbour City are on the casual dining side. Dimsum Break is on the fastfood dining side.

The centerpiece of the eating experience in these restaurants is definitely the pork steamed rice. This dish, which is already a meal in itself, consists of steamed rice packed at the bottom of the bowl with a special sauce (containing some pork, some shrimps and some green peas) poured over it. Mix everything and enjoy this dish!

the "main event" - pork steamed rice - before and after mixing

Of the different dimsum available, my personal favorite is their spring rolls. Make sure that you dip it in its sweet and sour sauce to fully savor the combination of flavors.

the delicious spring rolls

There are also have a variety of delicious siomai to choose from. They have bacon siomai, quail eggs siomai, etc. From these, I have no personal favorites since all their siomais basically taste the same – the toppings just enhance the flavor. In fact, this variety is a plus since it prevents me from getting bored with the food when I drop by because I can order different flavored siomais every time.

plain siomai - just one of the many varieties

I’ve been all praises for the food in these restaurants. You may be wondering if there is anything that I don’t like about them. Yes, there are. First, I advise you to avoid their egg tart. When I tried their egg tart, I could not tell if it was egg tart I was eating. Second, I hate their iced tea. It’s very sweet and it irritates my throat. Do they make their own iced tea? If not, do they add another ingredient in regular powdered iced tea to make it taste that way?

One thing I noticed in Ding Qua Qua and Harbour City is the decrease in the number of dimsum carts going around the restaurant. In the past, food was ordered by signalling one of the carts and then pointing to the dish of your choice. The waiter then placed the dish on your table. Now, order placing is more conventional. I definitely miss the old way of ordering since this became part of my personal dining experience with them.

Price-wise, most of the dimsum hover around P52. They also have set meals available that range from approximately P90 to P120. In terms of serving, this is rather expensive. P52 for 2 to 3 pieces of siomai? But who can resist these dimsum treats?

So how do I put into words the taste of these enjoyable dimsum? Frankly, I can’t think of any. Maybe the mixture of flavors is just too overwhelming for words? (Or maybe it’s MSG that’s adding that extra bang to these dishes? Hehehe!) But really, the bottomline is this. These restaurants serve delicious dimsum and these dimsum are ultimately the best in Cebu.

Ding Qua Qua is located in JY Square, Lahug. Harbour City is in Ayala Center Cebu and SM City Cebu. Dimsum Break branches can be found in in Ayala Center Cebu, Banilad Town Center, Colon, Elizabeth Mall, Lapu-lapu City, Mango Square, SM City, Tabunok.