Siomai Cebu Tisa Style

Siomai “shumai” is the Filipino term for steamed Chinese dumplings that are usually filled with pork, occasionally shrimp. It’s what Americans call “siumai” (siu mai) or “shumai” (shu mai). In the Mandarin language, it’s shaomai.

Siomai is similar to a meatball made of shrimp or pork or a combination of these, wrapped in a thin pasta like wrapper called the molo wrapper. This is steamed for several minutes to be cooked and is always served with soy sauce, chilli garlic and calamansi.

Philippines Siomai is as close to my favourite as it gets. It is basically a small ball of pork or beef covered in a light filo style pastry and steamed. Then on the street served up in little trays with a choice of  chilli sauce,  light sauce and soy sauce.

A humble chain called D’Original Siomai sa Tisa claims to sell the original siomai sa Tisa in more accessible locations (i.e., outside of Tisa). The one we found was a hole-in-the-wall in a popular row of holes-in-the-wall at the intersection of Salinas Drive and Archbishop Reyes Avenue. This is virtually a 24-hours joint since it’s part of the main row of eateries servicing Cebu I.T. Park, where a high concentration of 24-hour call-centre offices operates.

Not all siomai are created equal some where the siomai served were small, shriveled morsels with tough dumpling skins—clearly cooked ages ago to the point of drying out and sauce that  doesn't compliment the dumpling, You gotta respect the mobile vendors (street food) and hole-in-the-wall joints that serve tasty, freshly steamed siomai and one really good one is the Siomai sa Tisa Cebu and whats more special about this siomai is their famous "Tisa Spicy Sauce"

If you want to try the tastiest siomai then go for siomai sa tisa.

Use our in-house special tisa siomai chilli sauce, readily mixed with calamansi juice and soy sauce and dip the siomai in it so that you will really eat the best out of it. You may also mix some of the sauce with your  steaming rice because aside from our Siomai sa Tisa the Special Sauce itself is "ulam na"

Note: Instructions for microwave cooking will be posted soon.