All-time favorite Tien Ma’s Taiwanese Cuisine is now in Cebu

Photos by Christian Umali

All-time favorite Tien Ma’s Taiwanese Cuisine is now in Cebu and they had a smooth media launch last December 7, 2019.

The 10th branch nationwide of this fine Taiwanese dining, Tien Ma is also the 1st branch in Cebu and the Visayas Region. 

The store is a franchise of Cebuano businessman Eric Mendoza.

 “What I feel is that in Cebu, we need more choices and Taiwanese cuisine is not very available here, kasi there are lots of Chinese restaurants so it complements to the growing tourist market as well as the local market, ” Mendoza said

He shared with the media about the origin of franchising the said cuisine during the media launch at Meerea High Street, Ouano Ave., North Reclamation Area, Subangdaku, Mandaue City, Cebu. 

It started from their fondness of eating as a family and his daughter suggested the idea of bringing Tien Ma’s to Cebu, not just for a convenient location but also because it is tasty and affordable. 

This is their second store or franchise in Meerea High Street. Aside from Tien Ma’s, they also have Peri-Peri. Mendoza is looking forward to adding more branches and expansions here in the Visayas in the future. 

The name Tien Ma was derived from Tien Liyuan who was born in 1932 in Fang-Shan township, P’ing-tung County, Taiwan. 

She spent her childhood in coastal southern Taiwan, helping her mother cook and prepare meals for her younger siblings for their lunch boxes for school. She moved to the Zhongshan District in Taipei as a young adult and perfected her xiao long bao (soup dumplings) recipe while working in the kitchen of a local high school. She then opened her own stalls selling her legendary xiao long bao in the night markets of Taipei and then retired and has passed on her secret recipe to bring the best and authentic xiao long bao to us, in Manila. 

Tien Ma’s has delighted local Filipinos with its legendary xiao long bao, which is always handmade, beef noodle soup, three-cup chicken, steamed Lapu-Lapu in soy sauce, seafood and other delectable, affordable Taiwanese dishes. 

Tien Ma’s also prides itself on serving handmade noodles. Moreover, the store itself serves a great variety with some tasty laksa and chicken wings with BBQ sauce also available on the menu.

 With its great-tasting dishes and affordable prices, Tien Ma’s has continued to grow with a strong following of regular customers, which has paved a way for continuous expansion. The restaurant has a seating capacity of up to 150 and it is open every day from 11 am to 2:00 pm and 5:30 to 11 pm.