Jus & Jerry's: Yummy Chinese Food Need Not Be Expensive

Chinese food is a very common cuisine in the Metro. If you haven't tried a bite at the yummy and flavorful Chinese dimsum, a plate of the delectable Yang Chow fried rice, or even a bowl of the delicious and hot congee, then believe us, you're missing a lot in life. The Pinoy culture has actually embraced the presence of Chinese cuisine. What's great about it is that every dish is always packed with flavors. Chinese people really know how to maximize the use of every ingredient, and they mix these ingredients with excellent cooking techniques. Nowadays, Chinese food can be bought almost anywhere. You can always find a Chinese food chain or a Chinese food cart or stall near your location. The only problem with these stalls and carts is that they're not authentic Chinese food. They might be the same siomai or chicken noodles, but they're not exactly the same as the Chinese would prepare them. If you decide to go to an authentic Chinese restaurant, you'll probably be charged by the hundreds. This dilemma gave us the urge to find a unique Chinese food place that offers dishes that are close to the authentic Chinese food and are affordable at the same time.

Of course, when you talk of Chinese food, or anything Chinese for that matter, Binondo would instantly pop-up in your mind. Chinatown is without a doubt THE place for authentic Chinese products. The food place we found, however, was not at Binondo, but near it. It's just actually within the UST area. The name of the food place is Jus & Jerry's Gourmet Chinese Food. It's named after the owners, Jus and Jerry (It's pronunced Jus, as in Justin...at least that's what we realized hahaha At first we thought it was Jus, as in juice hahaha How should we know, right? hahaha). They've been serving delicious food to hungry customers within the UST area for quite some time now. The place is just small, and from afar it doesn't resemble a Chinese food place. But, the food they have is pretty much the one you should keep coming back for. It may not be the authentic Chinese food, but it's close enough. Jus & Jerry's also offers variety, serving not just Chinese food but other dishes as well, such as all-time Filipino favorites and sandwiches.

The service was okay. Although they said that our food would take 15 minutes to prepare, we thought that it didn't even take 10 minutes. Plus, the people there were very kind. They were even asking us about the food, that is, if we liked it or if we were satisfied with what we ate. They seemed to be prying at us all the time, but for us it was their way of making sure that everything was well accounted for.

This is what we ate at Jus & Jerry's:

J & J's Fried Chicken, 59 php (no drink); 69 php (with regular iced tea); Add-ons: 10 php (upgrade to garlic rice); 18 php (upgrade to yang chow / bagoong rice); 10 php (upgrade to 16 oz. iced tea)


Glutton Guy: This is a very affordable meal. For 69 pesos, you already have a rice meal with a regular drink and soup. Nowadays, you can't even get that at a regular fast food chain. J & J's fried chicken is very delicious. The skin was very crispy, and the meat of the chicken was tender and cooked perfectly. I liked the taste of the chicken. There was this sweetness in the skin that I really liked. It really didn't need ketchup or gravy, because the flavor of the chicken was enough. The part was also big enough to be called a chicken piece. It was not like the other food stores that serve a very small piece of chicken. The yang chow rice upgrade that came with the meal was also delicious. The good thing about it was that it doesn't overpower the chicken. When you mix the rice and the chicken, it's the taste of the chicken that was dominant. It's a complete package for me. It really is a meal worth trying at Jus & Jerry's. : )

BBQ Spare Ribs, 59 php (no drink); 69 php (with regular iced tea); Add-ons: 10 php (upgrade to garlic rice); 18 php (upgrade to yang chow / bagoong rice); 10 php (upgrade to 16 oz. iced tea)


Glutton Girl: I really liked Jus & Jerry's BBQ spare ribs. The meat of the spare ribs was very easy to slice and eat. The sweet sauce was perfect with the spare ribs and was even more perfect when mixed with the rice. The sauce was not overwhelmingly sweet for me, which was a plus. When I eat spare ribs, they're not really that saucy. But, with this rice meal, too much sauce was actually a good thing. I wanted more servings of the spare ribs, though. But, the taste was really good. The rice was also delicious. It wasn't as delicious as the yang chow rice of authentic Chinese restaurants. But, it really was flavorful. It didn't lack ingredients. Mixing the sauce with the rice actually made it better. I wouldn't second-think on ordering this meal the next time I visit the place.

Pork Siomai, 25 php (steamed); 28 php (fried)


Glutton Guy: Jus & Jerry's steamed siomai was good. It was smaller as compared to the usual siomai we see at food carts and stalls. But, they were very flavorful. Some siomai's tend to be a bit mushy and tend to lack flavor especially when they aren't steamed well. Jus & Jerry's siomai was far from that. It was a bit dry when it was served, but when you dip it in soy sauce with a little bit of chili, it turns into one delicious siomai. In the end, I really wanted more of the siomai because there were only 4 pieces per order. : )


Glutton Girl: I liked the siomai of Jus & Jerry's. Despite the siomai being small, they were really delicious. The soy sauce and the chili really gave the kick that I was looking for. They were like petite siomai bites. I do have to agree on Glutton Guy that the siomai's were dry when they were served to us. Plus, it wasn't that hot when it was served. But, for me it's the taste that matters. And I have to say, those siomai's had really good taste especially with the soy sauce. 

Shanghai Rolls, 35 php (4 pieces); 65 php (8 pieces)


Glutton Guy: I really liked the shanghai rolls of Jus & Jerry's. They were very crunchy and when you bite into them, you'll be surprised at the burst of flavor that's inside. It's actually one of the shanghai dishes that I love so far. The flavor was not overwhelming yet it was not at all bland. I'm not much of fan of the sweet dip, however. To me it gave a different flavor that I didn't really like. The rolls, however, were good as they were. It's another dish that I liked at Jus & Jerry's (without the dip, that is). : )


Glutton Girl: The only thing that I didn't like about this dish is that I had to share it with Glutton Guy (peace! hahaha) But honestly, the shanghai rolls were really good. The fried shanghai rolls had that crunch that I was expecting. The filling inside was really delicious. It's like you haven't tasted the real potential of this dish until you have tried what's on the inside. Unlike Glutton Guy, however, the dip worked for me. It gave a variety of tastes which really worked in my mouth. Overall, it was a really delicious dish.

Jus & Jerry's is one of those food places that may not offer the best ambiance. But, the place surely offers delicious food that would keep you coming back for more. It's not just delicious, it's also budget-friendly. It's absolutely one of those food places that you have to try when you're at the Manila area, more so when you're nearby the UST area. Don't expect a very comfy and air-conditioned food place, though. Rather, expect a mouth-watering, a delicious, and a very affordable meal with an accommodating staff that's there to serve them to you. You say you haven't eaten Chinese food yet? Well, why not give Jus & Jerry's a shot, that is, before you miss a whole lot more.

Here's how we rated Jus & Jerry's:

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(Jus & Jerry's Gourmet Chinese Food is located at Unit 1139 Casa Ysabel Building, G. Tolentino Street, Sampaloc, Manila. It's just a few minutes walk from UST. You can reach the street from España or from Dapitan Street. G. Tolentino is between P. Noval and P. Campa Streets.)