The famous Jiecel and Thea's sio pao and sio mai

Jiecel and Thea's Refreshment in Mandurriao prides itself as the home of the best sio pao, sio mai and mami in the city. For a snack shop that serves these Chinese specialties, the place itself doesn't look and feel like a Chinese food place. It's just an ordinary snack bar serving variations of these three specialties. But they are so good that most of the time it is packed with patrons and parking space, at times, becomes a problem. Yes, even those "big time" queue in this "small time" snack bar.

I met Lee and Inday Hami weeks ago in this hole in the wall and over their sumptuous treats talked about, what else, food, food and more food. For around P35 one gets 4 pieces of sio mai which are simple yet very good - though I have tasted better ones, yet for the price one pays, Jiecel and Thea's wins "pound for pound", as one may say. Made even more appetizing by the chili-garlic sauce and if concocted with calamansi and soy sauce makes a perfect dip that a second order of sio mai will surely follow.

The sio pao meanwhile comes in a mamon like dough, so it's one of the softest sio paos around. Though I prefer the other type of dough, I still can't help but also enjoy their sio pao. Words have it that their sio pao is comparable to that famous Ma Mon Luk in Manila where one of the their cooks used to work there.

As that still remains a rumour, the fact is that Jiecel and Thea's already made it's name when it comes to these Chinese dim sum and noodles dishes. It's popularity around made this "small" big time snackshop, confident enough to claim as that they serve the best sio pao, sio mai and mami in town. Why not try it yourself next time you're in Iloilo City.

Jiecel and Thea's Refreshment
Taft Street, Sta. Rosa, Mandurriao, Iloilo City
Tel No. 321-0287
(Along the highway going to the old Iloilo airport.)

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