Lau Chan Shabu-shabu ****

There's just no substitute for good ol' Chinese food, especially tried and tested places like Lao Chan Shabu-shabu, an institution at Mabini Street know for their shabu-shabu and Cantonese dishes. Lau Chan is one of those unspoken gems at Mabini Street, inconspicuous, yet seekers of good food have called this place home. What started as a hole-in-the-wall has expanded a bit. This place has been around for years and yet it stands its own ground against newcomers.

The place is a bit dated, in fact like some restaurants in Chinatown it is unapologetically dingy. The chaotic ambiance adds a touch of character to the place. And  the food here is consistently good.
The Shabu-shabu ingredients are fresh and the dishes tasty.

Don't underestimate this menu

If you haven't tried Shabu-shabu, it  consists of ordering different ingredients - fresh meatballs, seafood, meat (beef, mutton, pork), vegetables, tofu that you personally cook in a pot. The pot may have one of two soups, the plain and the sate. While other places plain chicken-based soup tastes a bit bland, theirs have a bit of a spicy kick.They also have one of the largest menus of balls available - cheese ball (milky cheese inside), shrimp ball, lobster ball, mushroom ball, fresh meatball, fish ball, cuttlefish ball, plus other balls you can imagine to cook in the pot. Their fresh dumplings and wanton also comes with hearty pieces of real shrimp inside. Throw everything in and you have a meal fit for royalty.

And of course you might want to add some fried rice, there's Pineapple Fried Rice, a variety of the yang chow with bits of pineapple slices. You call this the Hawaiian version of the fried rice, the no fail Yang Chow Fried Rice and more

Spicy Salt And Pepper Spareribs Medium Php 375

Also order the Fried Spareribs with Salt and Pepper, juicy morsels of spare ribs fried to perfection with garlic, chives and chili pepper This is the best thing that happened to meat.  But don't stop there, check out the menu most of the food here is good.  Expect lines of diners, lots of noise. Expect low prices and the food lots of fun. Probably the best-tasting, value-for-money shabu-shabu in Manila.

Chicken Cubes and Salted Fish Hotpot Small Php 200

Lau Chan Shabu Shabu

1204 A. Mabini St. (Ermita), Metro Manila
Mode of payment: Cash
Park at the street nearby
Expect long lines
Spend about P 300+ per person for shabu-shabu