Spot Tries: Taho in Cartimar With Unlimited Arnibal

(SPOT.ph) Cartimar has always been the place to go for all things pet and pet supplies. Now, this Manila shopping hub is also becoming the place to go for shoes, business supplies, and taho. Yup, that last one kind of threw us off, too, but if you've been anywhere near social media in the past year, we know you've seen people trying out this taho spot in Cartimar that serves up the cold soy with all kinds of toppings and, best part, unli arnibal. With all the rave reviews, we finally got to make our way to Manila to check it out ourselves.

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We try the taho spot in Cartimar

How to get to the Cartimar taho spot

So, first things first. This little eatery is actually just a part of the TiongHwa Food Products store. You'll find their store in the building past the big shopping hubs with all the pet things, along a row of other restaurants and food shops. TiongHwa specializes in all things soy, so it makes sense that they do taho as well. 

Once you step in, you'll be greeted by a mini grocery of sorts. You can get everything from cold cuts to noodles, and of course, all kinds of soy-based products in their refrigerators. To the left of their mini grocery is an L-type counter where you can get the much-talked about bowls of taho, as well as a few tables for you to sit and enjoy your cold bowl of soy and toppings. 

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Is the Cartimar taho spot worth the hype?

Ordering from the counter is just like ordering from any other turo-turo or small eatery in the area. You get a base of cold soy and then you tell them your chosen topping. Plain taho is at just P35, taho with one topping at P60, and every other additional topping at P25 each.

We got there a bit after lunch and at that point, the crowd-fave pearl toppings were already sold out. We ended up trying the red bean and barley topping, which had such a great earthy and chewy texture that we didn't feel like we were missing out. The silken tofu was incredibly light and cool, making a great base for the stickier and denser toppings. Plus, the arnibal was a lot less syrupy and not as sweet as we're used to, which meant going in for seconds was a lot less heavy on our conscience. And at just P65 for each bowl of cold and soothing taho with yes, unlimited arnibal that they poured out of old-style teapots, it was definitely a special treat.

What's important to note is that this little eatery isn't the focus of the shop, which also appeared to act as their main commissary with stocks heading in and out. By the time we had finished our bowls of cold taho (it was around 2:30 p.m.), they had already ran out of silken tofu and it looked like they had no plans of refilling. This meant that all the people who came in after us, consisting of families from nearby, cyclists, and people shopping in Cartimar, had to go through a bit of a disappointment. They were still able to get little necessities from the grocery, or made do with a cold bottle of soy milk, but that means that if your main goal is a bowl of taho, then it's best to time your visit early in the day. 

If you're in the area, it's worth heading out in the heat of Cartimar to the TiongHwa shop—if you're not absolutely obssessed with cold taho, special toppings, and unli arnibal, of course, and live nowhere nearby, then you can keep on being loyal to your local magtataho.