Best Places to Eat in the Philippines

Rebooting

2013-06-04T16:08:00.001+08:00

http://www.pigoutphilippines.com/ stay tuned for updates

cleaner...
better photos...
more food

Jamba Juice :@) :@) :@)

2013-03-11T17:49:00.000+08:00

Is it really worth it...?

P200 just for juice? Are you insane? That's the usual reaction I get when I hear my friends talking about Jamba Juice.

It seriously irritates me every time I hear people say that; "it's nothing special", "I could get it cheaper from fruitas/big chill etc etc" and the like. While it's true you can get the same amount of juice for half the price (Fruitas), the quality is seriously superior with Jamba Juice.

The reason why you may ask? The reason is because they just use fruits that are of better quality then what you'd find in other establishments. From what I've observed they're using IQF(Individually Quick Frozen) fruits which I'm pretty sure are of better quality than what you'd find locally (Exceptions: Mangoes, Pineapples, Calamansi. These fruits are produced best by the Philippines hands down.)

After gulping down this cup of fruity goodness you will notice that you feel full. The reason for this is that Jamba Juice's juices are more fruit heavy than their current competitors in the Philippines. Jamba Juice doesn't rely on simple syrup to make your juices sweeter, it just uses the natural fruit sugars coming from the amount of fruit they put in your drink. It's like a drink and meal in one.

P200 for a drink and a meal isn't that bad, although I do have to say it is still a bit pricey. I'd have to say that it's worth it because of the quality of what you're getting, and also it offers something more than the competition that justifies its price. If you're honestly going to compare the other establishments mentioned above to Jamba Juice, they're not even in the same level to be compared to be honest.

Happy Pigout :@)

Additional Reading:

IQF is an abbreviation for “individually quick frozen”, a process which freezes food rapidly so there is no damage to the cellular structure of the food. The packaged food goes through a blast freezer IQF tunnel at 40 degrees below zero Fahrenheit. The finished bags are then shipped directly to the supermarket freezer section.

Bite Club :@)

2013-01-20T14:05:00.001+08:00

Bite Club holds a special place for me as the king of burgers for the longest time in the Philippines. Sadly as all the burger fans out there know their quality of food started dropping at an extremely fast pace and forced the closure of their store along Katipunan extension.

Then Bite Club decided to reopen their doors in the Greenhills area along J. Abad Santos street. (it's across Ristras and beside Serenitea), and me being that fan that I was, hoped for something different with their new store.

I decided to go with my old favorite, the Bombarella. It's a 1/3 lb mozarella stuffed burger and go with any random sauce that I felt like that day. I chose to go random sauce because even if their quality of food went down, their sauces remained pretty solid.

Here it is.

Bombarella P195 w/ Cajun BBQ Sauce

The burger was pretty thin, but the flavor did improve. The sauce as expected was pretty solid no complaints there. My biggest complaint was the bread was too thick and dry. You know that feeling when you bite into a burger and you taste just bread. That horrible feeling made me regret my purchase. It was really disappointing as a fan for the longest time, but don't get me wrong, the whole package is pretty okay.

My friend did point out that Bite Club could have been the best before because there was no competition to be found. Come on Hotshots was horrible, so yes it was the best at the time.

Xtremely Xpresso :@) :@) :@)

2012-06-09T01:17:00.002+08:00

#1 Dewey Avenue

Subic Bay Freeport Zone

Olongapo City, Zambales

Horrible.... horrible... horrible service, but you will wait and stay for the food...

The Food

Special Oriental Shrimp Spaghetti P190 ($4.00) SKIP IT

This dish tasted like a whole lot of nothing. The garlic bread was basically the only thing that had flavor. You got the spice as advertised but besides that, there was a whole lot of nothing to experience with this dish.

Truffle Cream Spaghetti P240 ($5.25) :@) :@) :@)

This dish tasted amazing. Don't get too excited and expect legitimate truffles though for P240. Sadly they're just big button mushrooms, but still, end of the day the dish delivered. The creaminess coats the pasta well and accents the saltiness you get from the parmesan cheese. A definite must order.

Spicy Salmon Pizza Xtreme Size P679 ($15.00) :@) :@) :@)

A short story:

If you want to be wowed go and order the "Xtreme Size" of any pizza. The size of the pizza was shocking to say the least. It's about as big as a tire. My friends and I (5) were a bit troubled at first on how we were going to finish this monster, then we remembered that we were pigs and soldiered on.

End Story

Honestly the first impression was quite disappointing since it wasn't smoked salmon topped over the pizza. As I bit into the pizza though my disappointment turned into delight. It was so good that you get everything you expected and a bit more (the taste of salmon, the spice, basically what the menu tells you). I'd definitely give this another go, but I'd also like to try out some other pizzas choices when I go back to Subic.

The Place

The place is a cafe/bistro setting since from the name itself, you guessed it they are a coffee shop by origin. A lot of seats in the al fresco setting and quite a number as well inside air conditioned. I'd suggest dining inside because one it's pretty hot outside, and two service is a bit better. You'd get ignored a lot if you're outside.

Service

Sucks, though for a reason. We went to Xtremly Xpresso at around 2PM which is the time where most lunch rushes wind down. People were still coming in and it was pretty chaotic. If you're very particular about service and prefer that over food avoid this place. From our experience that day we had to ask several times to get a single glass of water for the table, then same for the spoons and forks. I can empathize with the servers, I'm pretty sure they were tired from that lunch rush since the place was packed. Sadly though it's not an excuse. Personally for me, it's not the service staff's fault, its a breakdown somewhere in the sequence of service.

Overall

I'd comeback, expect a packed place, long waiting time, nice food and tell you to try it out if you're in the Subic area. Just avoid the oriental shrimp spag :)

Happy Pigout :@)

Banapple :@) :@)

2012-04-21T04:44:00.000+08:00

225 Katipunan Ave., Blue Ridge

Quezon City, Metro Manila

Philippines

Hits and Misses...

So one lazy Sunday my friend texted me that he wanted to go hangout and eat. He had a craving for pasta and he loves bannaple so that's where we ended up.

Mango Milkshake SKIP IT

It's horrible beyond belief. I barely got a taste of mango and the milk tasted off. Not like the milk was spoiled, but more of it tasted weird. It felt like either they did not wash the blender that's why I got some other fruity flavor or their milk of choice was just plain bad.

Lasagna Roll-ups P170 :@) :@) :@) ($3.75)

Personally I love this. Lasagna's one of my favorite pasta dishes and this is a nice play on it. The sauce is pretty good and has good flavor. The bechamel is amazing, t's spread across the whole roll and the flavors are wonderful. Overall its a nicely balanced dish, the pasta's decent and both sauces are pretty good, definitely a must try for pasta lovers.

Banapple has a few problems that come to with it which made me struggle with how to rate this place. Their sequence of service is horrible, since it's a cashier based system where you have to order from the cashier. The problem here is that their spaces especially those in the katipunan area are small and having a huge line just makes the place a lot tighter. They're supposed to be a cafe, and being stressed because of the lack of space doesn't exactly cater to the people that go to cafes. Their cakes and pastries also range from forgettable to good, even though they're supposed to specialize in these things. The food though is great and makes you come back for more.

Conti's :@) :@)

2012-04-18T17:24:00.003+08:00

224 Katipunan Ave. Ext., Brgy. Blueridge

Quezon City, Metro Manila

Philippines

(02) 646-3306

Somewhere to eat on family day...

One Sunday lunch with the family for an occasion that I forgot about. My family isn't fond of long trips for food, so we're stuck in the Katipunan area. So we decided to go to the newly opened Conti's. It's a safe bet for families since Conti's menu items cover a whole lot of cuisines and no one would be left out.

Our food choices for the day:

Calamares :@) P145 ($3.25)

The thing I liked about this dish was that the calamares batter was done nicely. It stuck to the squid and was sufficiently crunchy. Sadly the dish lacked some salt and pepper, since the dish was pretty bland. The sauce too was not to my liking, it's a personal thing though since I'm really not fond of onion chunks in anything.

Shanghai Bites SKIP IT P110 ($2.50)

This dish was horrible. The filling was dry because they fried them in little chopped up bits. The role of the spring roll wrapper is that it is supposed to protect the meat as it is fried so that when its done you get the filling moist and juicy with the crunchy exterior. I was already disappointed as I saw this, but then as I tasted the dish that evil flavor of burnt food crept into my mouth, a total turn off really.

Chicken Ala Kiev :@) :@) P285 ($6.25)

These were pretty good. The chicken was crispy and the sauce was creamy, although I tasted more butter than cheese. Still well executed as a spoonful of this was pretty awesome. No complaints here really besides the vegetables which were under cooked

Baked Salmon :@) :@) :@) P355 ($8.00)

The salmon was nicely cooked and was a generous portion. Salmon cooked properly is a pretty rare find in the Philippines which is cook everything well done crazy so this was a pleasant surprise. The gratin on top of the salmon was pretty tasty as well. It also comes with paella on the side which was decent. Same story about the veggies

Fish and Chips :@) for the fish SKIP IT for the Chips P240 ($3.25)

The fish was pretty decent though some of the batter was falling off. I'd assume that the oil wasn't at optimum temperature when this was fried. Fish was moist though and had flavor which is much appreciated. The chips though were a soggy mess and wasn't an enjoyable eat. The honey mustard was also forgettable.

Overall Conti's is great for family gatherings because of the ambiance and menu selection. It reminds me of a saucy family meal, meaning you shouldn't expect the best food in the world, but it's pretty good.

Happy Pigout :@)

Fat Chicken Revisited

2011-12-29T01:31:00.001+08:00

Il Mercanti, Metrowalk

Pasig City, Metro Manila

Looks bigger and better than ever :)...

XXXL Chicken P140 (2 cups of rice + Taiwanese Kimchi)

Taiwan style no rice, whole in a paper bag? P135

I've been loving this place since they opened up in Eastwood, but I haven't eaten their in the longest time. I don't know what they're feeding their chickens or what they've been doing but their chicken has become bigger, crispier and juicier. It's a full meal in one and for just P140 it's a bargain when you go straight for dessert. You can also avail of it without rice in a paper bag where you eat it straight. In my opinion it will taste better since the meat gets a chance to rest and the juice doesn't seep out when it gets cut. The thing I really like about Fat Chicken is that they make your order fresh unlike most stalls in food bazaars who rely on half cooked or pre cooked meals, honestly it really makes a difference. They also have a tie-in with Amburger for the most epic sandwich I've seen.

Double Down P350

This sucker is P350 but is actually good for sharing. Honestly I faced this beast alone and got a headache. It comes with the crispy chicken as a bun, and as you bite through it you get a bit of heat from the sweet chili sauce, and the satisfaction of cheese overload from the cheese sauce and mozarella/cheddar stuffed 1/2 lb burger. It's no longer on display and you have to be cool to access this sandwich, just kidding :D just ask for it and they'll take care of you.

Shrymp :@) :@) :@)

2011-12-15T02:51:00.000+08:00

Il Mercanti, Metrowalk

Pasig City, Metro Manila

See this and you'll get great soup, perfect for them chilly December nights.

Left Bowl = P40 comes steamed with soup

Center Bowl = P100 Soup with Pork loin + the whole assortment of their products

Right bowl =P45 their fried products served with sweet Chili sauce

Easiest way to describe them is they're like shabu-shabu. You get to choose your meats and are then dunked into boiling soup to cook and serve. Sounds ordinary right? What sets them apart though is that they use curry soup. The soup alone is flavorful enough and extremely good on them cold December nights, but you still get shabu shabu meats to go with it. It's a bargain especially for P40-45. The noodle bowl is a bit pricier than their other offerings but it's worth it, since you get pork loin, and the whole list of their products.

Their Curry Soup

The selection

Note: Try their shrimp bombs, it's to die for. You can also add the amount of seasoning/spice with their free add ons of curry/sate and soy sauce mix.

Amburger :@) :@) :@)

2011-12-14T00:35:00.001+08:00

Il Mercanti, Metrowalk

Pasig City, Metro Manila

I'm in love with Juicy Lucy :P~...

Bacon Mushroom Melt P250

This is the best burger I have tasted in all the night markets I've been to. Amburger gives you 1/2 lb 100% brazilian beef patty that's stuffed with mozarella/cheddar called Juicy Lucy. They also give you high quality buns and their toppings are great. Only drawback is the waiting time is quite long because people tend to swarm this place. The wait is worth it though and you'll definitely fall in love with Juicy Lucy on first bite.

Watch that cheese ooze out as you bite into it :D Satisfaction!

Happy Pigout :@)

Uncle Moe's :@) :@)

2011-11-11T12:24:00.001+08:00

City Golf Arcade, Julia Vargas

Pasig City, Metro Manila

Philippines

Get your drink on and some good food at Uncle Moe's...

On occasion like most guys my friend and I just want to go out knock back a couple of beers and go home happy. With Uncle Moe's we generally can do that with good food as a "pulutan". Here's what we got on a lazy lunch before going to work.

Musaka Melt P155 :@) :@) :@)

A good starter, honestly it reminded me of lasagna. Don't make the black burnt bits scare you it doesn't taste burnt at all. I'd recommend this if you want a good item for sharing.

Kebab Platter w/ Buttered Rice P182 :@) :@)

The beef is pretty decent and the chicken kebabs are great. Both are moist and the seasoning is pretty about right. The salsa adds a nice touch to the chicken by adding a sour taste. Just remember don't go too wild on the sauce, will generally kill all the taste of your order. This dish basically highlights what they have to offer so try it out.

Honestly I'd love this place to death if they only had a yogurt shake on their menu. If you guys are into the whole shawarma/kebab thing, Uncle Moe's should be noted

Happy Pigout :@)

Kalbi :@) :@) :@)

2011-10-23T16:23:00.000+08:00

Eastwood City

Food Junction

Korean in your Buritto???... Too Good...

More on the finding the best burrito quest. I probably found a sleeper in this place. It's hidden away in Food Junction in Eastwood City, unlike most of the places that I've been fond of, which are found in individual establishments. Kalbi's currently wins the uniqueness battle because they added a Korean twist to your burrito which is a pleasant surprise.

The pleasant surprise...

Kalbi Burrito P140 ($3.00) :@) :@) :@)

Kalbi starts by you choosing your protein for your burrito. (Beef Shortribs, Chicken and Pork). Then they serve it tha traditional buritto way, with your veggies, toppings, cheese and rice. The surprise though is it comes with kimchi rice instead. It adds a pleasant different taste to the burrito which made me love it. It's also served with a couple of sauces that compliment it very well. Size wise it's relatively small from what I've been reviewing prior to this. Kalbi's burritos though are pretty much the right size for everyone and won't make you feel like you'll need to slave of the treadmill after eating one of these beautiful things.

Chicken Taco P65 ($1.25) :@) :@)

Not really mind-blowing but it's pretty good. For P65 though it's truly a bargain and if you want a cheaper way to taste the proteins, surely the way to go.

Something interesting to try right now guys.

Happy Pigout :@)

Everything at Steak :@)

2011-10-18T20:36:00.001+08:00

5 P. Guevarra St. cor. V Cruz

San Juan, Metro Manila

Philippines

Affordable Grill Items... Decent Food

Note: the prices generally don't go above P170 per item... I forgot the prices honestly... been in the back burner for the longest time.

So being the fat carnivores that we are, we wanted to get some steak in our system. Since we were in the area and we find the name extra cute we decided to eat at Everything at Steak.

Liempo :@) :@)

T-Bone Steak with Baked Potato :@) :@)

Rib Eye Steak with Carbonara :@)

Generally all the meat is cooked well done, it's decent though, but it ain't gonna knock your socks off. Another notable thing is that don't get any of the pastas as a side, it's extremely HORRIBLE!.

Potato Skins :@) :@) :@)

Yummy appetizer, a good way to start the meal.

Spinach and Artichoke Dip :@) :@) :@)

This dish was a star on its own. The blend of flavors work so well with the toasted bread and this was definitely scarfed down as it hit the table.

Overall it's affordable steaks, It's pretty decent and enjoyable so try it out if you're craving for some meat.

Happy Pigout :@)

KanZhu: Hand Pulled Noodles :@) :@) :@)

2011-10-12T23:42:00.000+08:00

G/F Citiplace Bldg., J. Abad Santos St.

San Juan City, Metro Manila

Philippines

Noodle Satisfaction :)...

Ok here's the thing, me and my co-author are both of Chinese descent so we're really particular about our Chinese food. My co-author's more anal about it since he's imported :D. We both judge the overall quality of a restaurant based on a certain dish. For me I basically judge it on how their noodles taste. The major criteria for the judgement is noodle quality, taste of the broth, and of course the protein component. I'm happy to say that KanZhu passed all the criteria with flying colors.

As you enter the place you get the back story of Kan Zhu, real or not it's pretty entertaining so + points right there. I know everyone loves a good story. Then you get free soup that doesn't taste like a big bomb of MSG so another nice note there. Then you also get to see the noodles being pulled in their kitchen when you order, more points for showmanship. The place also has a pretty decent ambiance so it's all good.

The Spread for the day:

Radish Cake SKIP IT P65 ($1.50)

Quite disappointing because I didn't get what I expected. It's a bit on the thin side and was plainly boring. It's doesn't taste horrible or anything but from the other dishes we had, this was forgettable.

Braised Pork and Eggplant (Price Missing :D)

This one was pretty awesome. I'm not a huge fan of ground pork and this dish made me want more. As with all good Chinese food they try to get all of your taste buds working and this one is a flavor bomb.

Braised Beef Dry Noodle :@) :@) :@) P145 ($3.50)

Sliced Beef Dry Noodle :@) :@) :@) P140 ($3.50)

Ok both of these dishes are generally the same from the noodles to the broth. They're both great. My co-author wasn't with me when my buddy and I ate here and just from seeing the pictures he said that it looked good. Noodles were just right, it was chewy and had the proper texture. The broth was just spicy enough for everyone to enjoy and delivers that strong beef taste, like they actually used beef bones and trimmings to make it. Then the meat toppings, the difference is basically the texture of the beef. Braised one is melt in your mouth tender while the sliced beef is tough and chewy. It's all really just a matter of preference.

I haven't tried their noodle soup yet so it's just a 50% judgement, but as of now. They nailed it and I'm happy with it. More places for good Noodles please

Happy Pigout :@)

Nav: Modern Thai Cuisine :@) :@) :@)

2011-10-01T13:51:00.001+08:00

16-C United St., Kapitolyo
Pasig, Metro Manila, Philippines

More Thai Cuisine Please....

As a guy who's family isn't really a fan of big strong flavors, and me being the opposite, I rarely get to try out restaurants that serve Thai cuisine. I've tried some on my own, but in the end its still better to eat with friends :@). So me and my buddies went to try out Nav in Kapitolyo, and boy did my taste buds go wild.

Here's our selection for the night

Pad Thai :@) P280 ($6.00)

It's good, but compared to the other things we tried this dish had no real wow factor. Don't get me wrong it tastes wonderful as well flavors and textures worked out nicely.

Wok Fried Squid :@) :@) :@) P260 ($5.25)

The harmony of flavors is amazing... Some sweet some salty some spice, it's one of the best things I've eaten in awhile

Penang Curry Beef Brisket :@) :@) :@) P420 ($9.25)

As a curry fan, I love this. Beef was soft and moist, curry was just right. It was spicy, consistency was great and also the texture. Honestly I was spooning over the sauce on my rice when all the beef was gone.

Bagoong Rice :@) :@) :@) P225 ($5.00)

When you take your first bite, it has that wow factor that makes it different from other places. Remember to mix before eating. My friend goes crazy for this dish. It normally serves 4, but he can chug it down alone.

Yellow Curry Whole Crab and Cherry Tomatoes P580 ($12.75) :@) :@) :@)

It's crab... It's fresh and with great curry.... nothing to complain about... unless you don't know how to remove the shell.

If you like to eat some Thai cuisine head on over now. You won't regret it.

Happy Pigout :@)

Hassan Steak and Kebabs SKIP IT

2011-09-04T15:52:00.001+08:00

katipunan Ave, Blue Ridge

Quezon City, Metro Manila

The best point in my meal was.... When I made a pallet wheel out of the sauce

So there's this new kebab/shawarma place that opened next to our beloved country side in Katipunan extension. Since I'm also pretty big on kebabs it piqued my curiosity quite a bit since I pass by this area on my way home everyday. So post Sunday sport activity I decided to try it on my way home and because a reader also asked us to try it out.

The place is pretty dark but it's ok. Don't bring your fussy friends to these types of places because I'm sure they'd whine about the ambiance. Well end of the day it all comes down to food and here's my meal for lunch.

Yogurt Shake P55 ($1.25) SKIP IT

Pretty Bland for a yogurt shake. Not really enjoyable except that it was cold.

Chicken Kebab P55/pc ($1.25) :@)

Beef Kebab P45/pc ($1.00) :@)

While both are not exactly horrible nothing to rave about either. The meat's too dry that's for sure and personally I think a bit more salt in the mix would help.

Plain Rice w/ Butter P20 ($0.50)

Didn't really get much butter flavor from it. Disappointed :(

Sad to say but I can mention 3 places from the top of my head that serve better quality kebabs than Hassan along the same price range. It didn't really wow me or anything except for the variety of their garlic sauces. They were too thick though and didn't really taste that good as well so another let down.

Happy Pigout :@)

Chihuahua Mexican Grill :@) :@) :@)

2011-08-18T20:48:00.002+08:00

7838 Makati Ave. (Across A-Venue Mall)

Makati City, Metro Manila

Burrito Heaven... is no longer a lie...

Yes I do have a love affair with burritos as seen with my post previous to this... and I'm pretty confident I have found the holy grail of burrito in the country. The source? Chihuahua Mexican Grill. The reason I enjoy eating burritos is I think it's really smart, a whole meal that can be eaten with just your hands. I also love how in every bite there's a unique combination of flavors that attack your taste buds. Chihuahua's burritos definitely deliver in all these aspects and none of my usual complaints were present at all. The meat wasn't dry and tasted great. The amount of sauce didn't drown out the flavor of the other components and everything was harmonized pretty well. Oh my I'm gushing too much and it's only about the food... but wait there's more :)

As I entered the restaurant I saw Ines (my former teacher), who co-manages the place. She gave me a mini tour of the restaurant and explained to me how things work. She also showed me the wall of hot sauce that contains bottles of different hot sauce from all over. As a lover of spicy things I was awe struck. Then she also showed us their awesome selection of beverages (She heavily recommends the margaritas unfortunately didn't get to try :( ). Some of the beverages they serve are extremely rare fi which adds more value when you visit. :)

From my limited memory this is what I remember in the how things work department.

You step up to the counter and choose your choice of

Step 1 Proteins (Chicken, Pork, Beef) P295 for a protein then...

You're given the choice of how you want your selected protein to be served

Step 2 Presentation (Taco, Burrito, Burrito Bowl)

Here's my meal with burrito buddy Lora...

Pork Burrito P295 ($6.50) :@) :@) :@)

Steak Burrito P295 ($6.50) :@) :@) :@)

I visited the place at around 6PM so it was still purely dinner and quiet. I've heard though as it gets later at night it gets more fun and gets geared towards a party atmosphere. I'd visit the place again at a later hour just to try it out :).

End of the day it's awesome food, an awesome time. Definitely this place is a must try if you love burritos... and even if you don't.

Visit and Like their Facebook page for more information (<- click)

Happy Pigout :@)

Ristras :@) :@)

2011-07-30T13:10:00.005+08:00

Ground Floor, Fairways Tower 5th Ave, Taguig City

A Big Burrito... for your big appetite...

Personally for me, Burittos are one of the most fascinating food items in the world, because it's a full meal in one. You've got your starch, more starch, beans, protein, dairy and veggies. So smart! The sad thing though is that there aren't many establishments that cater what I wouldn't even call Mexican Cuisine, just burittos in the country. Mexican food over here is basically nachos and burittos since we're not exposed to Mexican food so it's good to see that places are opening up that specialize in burittos. One of these places that have gotten some buzz since they opened is Ristras (the reason? Massive Burritos). I've visited them ever so often and generally enjoy the food but I keep on forgetting my camera... (bad blogger... bad blogger...).

To the dining experience!

So we had an order of

Nachos with Cheese and Guacamole Dip P95

Your standard order of nachos that comes with 2 dips. It's a generous amount of chips and the dips were pretty good. I also love how the chips are not mono color. Purple chips... Can't explain that. :)

Carnitas Burrito P330 + Wet P80 :@) :@) :@) (Dudeeee... It's soooo... HUGEEEE)

Ristras basically works by you approaching the counter where you'll be presented with ingredients for each component of your burrito. After you choose your ingredients of rice (chorizo, lemon cilantro and brown rice), beans, protein (steak, chicken and carnitas are my personal favorites). It is assembled in front of you + showmanship points for them. After that they offer you the option to wet your burrito. This means that they'll slather it with sauce and cheese then torch it to melt the cheese mix on top to get what you see with the pic above.

Overall the buritto was pretty good. Individually though there were some issues. Since they present their ingredients in mini chaffing dishes there is a chance that components get dried out. Since we ordered around 8PM their chorizo rice was getting low on stock, the rice was starting to dry out and get a bit gritty in our burrito. Proteins also get dried out as in one of my visits near their closing time I ordered steak and it was pretty chewy and dry which was disappointing. Overall though especially if all things work out you'll get a good meal out of one burrito, that I suggest you share for two. I feel extremely bloated when I go solo on one of these I'm guessing due to the number of beans I ingest.

Ristras is a place for good burittos and these places are few and far between in the Philippines. Honestly though if you're used to the burritos in the west coast of USA you won't be satisfied. The rating I give is based on locality and Ristras is surely one of the better ones in the country.

Happy Pigout :@)

Jake's Steaks :@) :@) :@)

2011-07-11T09:35:00.001+08:00

589 Wack Wack Road
Mandaluyong, Metro Manila, Philippines

Massive Craving for Steak? Go to Jake's Steaks!

Changing the game for affordable steak prices is a good description for what Jake's Steaks does. Witness the size of their steak if you don't believe me.

The Ultimate w/ Mashed Potato :@) :@) :@)

This steak is so massive. I have a hard time eating the whole thing and usually ignore the fat if I get too full. Size wise this place is one of the best. The taste is also a win, don't expect it to be majestic if you order it rare because it is Philippine Beef. Medium Well though is great, they take care of the steak it isn't dry at all, seasoned nicely and the gravy is awesome too. If you're a hardcore carnivore this is definitely the menu item for you.

Caesar Salad :@) :@) :@)

Personally I rarely eat any form of salad here in the Philippines for the same reason that I avoid most pasta dishes. Usually they leave it up to the customers to toss the salad or mix the pasta sauce which is generally incorrect. The kitchen staff should be the one to do this for us to insure that we get equal flavor profiles throughout our meal instead of getting full flavor in bite one and then just getting bitter greens on the next one. What I love here is that the salad was tossed beautifully and as seen in the picture every bit of green was coated with that yummy caesar sauce. No croutons here but the crispy bacon dots make up for it.

Hap Chan Tea House: SKIP IT

2011-06-26T21:45:00.000+08:00

322 G/F Torres Bldg., Katipunan Ave., Loyola Heights

Quezon City, Metro Manila

Philippines

Mediocrity wasn't welcome on Father's Day...

It's so frustrating to find established Chinese restaurants serving mediocre Chinese food, especially on "special days" like Father's day. Restaurants should make it a priority to step up on these days because it's when majority of people eat out and usually try something new. If you impress a customer he'll be back and if you serve them lousy stuff, not only will they not come back, but they'll also tell their friends and so on.

So what makes good Chinese food you ask? Cantonese cooking usually attacks all your taste buds by combining all flavors into their dish. From salty, sour, sweet, bitter and of course umami(MSG). This usually ends up with dishes that are heavy on the stomach because of the heavy use of oil from frying and to finally add shine before serving the dish. Chinese food can be very satisfying when done right, but it can also be uncomfortable if not handled with care.

On to the food

Beef and Brocolli

It was forgettable, the beef was in the middle of tough and just right and the sauce wasn't really great.

Lemon Juice

Honestly it tasted like half concentrate and half lemon juice. If you're going to put half the lemon in the glass I'd rather you put the juice in my glass rather than substituting concentrate. Presentation wasn't good either, to know what I'm talking about order North Park's version, it's a sight to behold.

Crab and Sweet Corn Soup

It was actually nice to have soup on a rainy day. The soup was fine but don't expect any crab in it, just a few small shrimps and corn bits. Still the taste was acceptable.

Salt and Pepper Squid

This irritates me the most because salt and pepper squid is a must order if you're eating at a Chinese restaurant. As seen in the picture you already have a warning sign that it's not good. The breading wasn't sticking and it was soggy. This dish should be crunchy and flavorful but it turned into a soggy mess.

Yang Chow Fried Rice

Your average Chinese restaurant fried rice, never eat without it.

Steamed Garlic Fish

Fish didn't seem to be fresh as when we picked it up from the plate it was bent out of shape. If you're steaming something it should at least keep it's natural form because it's a gentle style of cooking. The sauce was also unimpressive and not really happy with this dish.

Sweet and Sour Pork

Honestly the only dish I enjoyed out of everything. The pork was still crunchy and the sauce was nice. The sweetness and sourness was balanced pretty well.

Hap Chan is one of the more established franchises in the country. It's probably on this branch which is sub standard because I do recall that I pretty much enjoyed the food in their Annapolis branch.

Happy Pigout :@)

iBagnet Resto Grill :@) :@) :@)

2011-06-20T20:06:00.002+08:00

Metrowalk, Meralco Ave.

Ortigas Center, Pasig City

I rarely eat Filipino food... but when I do... iBagnet

Personally I'm not a fan of Filipino cuisine. So every time my friends suggest we try a Filipino restaurant I'm usually disappointed by the end of the night. iBagnet is one of the few Filipino restaurants that have not fallen on that trend so that's good for me, and you guys too.

Bagnet :@) :@) :@)

Presenting the star of the restaurant... the Bagnet. It's so crispy on the outside and the meat is extremely juicy. It just tastes great and its perfect for pulutan and as a main course. If you choose iBagnet, this is the must order dish.

Crispy Hito :@) :@) :@)

People usually shy away from catfish (hito) because it has an earthy taste. If cooked the right way though it's really one of the more flavorful fishes found. The deep fried part doesn't hurt either, and my professor in chef's school said that people go out to eat to find crunchy things that aren't burnt. Another hit on our table.

Black Squid :@) :@) :@)

Its your adobong squid but made in a special way. It's a different recipe from your traditional adobo which tastes salty and sour. This has an additional dimension of sweetness which just makes it extra ordinary.

Bopis Rice :@) :@)

Fried rice with bopis. Can't really expound on that :).

One of the better Filipino restaurants in the metro. Check it out.

Try their Banana Orange shake it's tops :)

Happy Pigout :@)

Papa John's :@)

2011-06-12T22:17:00.001+08:00

53-B Annapolis St., Greenhills

San Juan City, Metro Manila

Philippines

Better ingredients???... Same pizza...

Papa John's is the 3rd biggest pizza provider in the USA and has finally reached the Philippines. Their slogan is "Better Ingredients, Better Pizza". Good thing I didn't believe in the hype of better pizza or else I would've been totally disappointed. Personally I believe that food is considered to be good by the hype you generate and then if the actual taste matches the hype.

What I did for this place is compare it to the established pizza places in the Philippines like Pizza Hut/Shakey's. Basically you get almost the same pizza from Pizza Hut and Papa John's, the pizza dough is pretty chewy and the toppings are pretty much the same. You can go to any of the places mentioned prior and you'd get almost an identical quality of pizza.

The thing that makes Papa John's stand out though is their cheesy garlic pizza sauce and their jalapeños. It was pretty nice to get something different and they actually make the pizzas significantly better. The sauce is weird for some people but my friends and I think it's the one of the best things to slather onto a pizza.

Now onto our food...

Cheese Sticks P90 ($2.00) :@) :@) :@)

These things were awesome... with or without sauce. If you're craving for something cheesy, this is the thing to order. Actually when you visit Papa John's this is a must order.

Chicken Barbecue Pizza P430 ($9.00) :@) :@)

Chicken Barbeque Pizza was ok, didn't really get to taste much of the chicken, but the barbecue sauce was a nice touch.

Bacon Cheeseburger P430 ($9) :@)

If you see the picture on the menu and compare it to our picture you'd be disappointed as well. Topping density and distribution was lacking, and it tasted mostly of cheese. Not enough bacon... not enough burger... Applied lots of pizza sauce to this :).

Honestly the place for me is just another option if you're craving for pizza. The sauce and jalapeños they serve though give you a great incentive to make them the pizzeria of choice.

Happy Pigout :@)

Blackwood Bistro :@) :@) :@)

2011-06-07T17:33:00.002+08:00

G/F The Venice Piazza, McKinley Hill, Fort Bonifacio Global City

Taguig City, Metro Manila

Philippines

(02) 659-4409

Good French food is a rare find... Visit this place if you can...

Well ever since I've been exposed to French food in my culinary school, I've been searching for some really good French restaurants. French cuisine though it tastes great hasn't been popular with Filipinos and there are only a few restaurants that are purely French. Luckily one opened up right across school and my friends have been hanging out at Blackwood Bistro almost every weekend for the good food and good booze at their bar Pinchos.

Roasted Tarragon Spring Chicken

The chicken is wonderful... very moist on the inside, still has that crunch on the outside. It's well done all over which is extremely rare because we usually find blood spots on our chicken legs, none here. The taste of the chicken was excellent. It was infused with the flavors of all the vegetables and the vegetables also got some of the taste from the chicken. The juices left behind while cooking where then reduced down to make a chicken jus as it's sauce, which tasted great as well. It's also nice to note that this is a spring chicken... Do you see the size of that spring chicken... My friends and I were blown away by the size as this was served.

Beef Carpaccio with Reduced Balsamic Vinegar and Goat Cheese

Carpaccio is a way of serving meat originally from Venice. So it's fitting that it's served in Venice Piazza. Oh the useless things I notice :). Carpaccio is thinly sliced raw meat that is seasoned with salt and pepper and then served with sides that have extreme flavors. The meat on its own is wonderful, it's really smooth and you don't get any of that foul raw taste that you normally get, so if you're an adventurous eater, (Filipinos normally shun raw/rare meat) this is something to try. If you add the balsamic reduction it adds some sweetness to the palette and the goat cheese adds saltiness and more texture. Surely a nice way to start your meal.

Spiced Lamb Shank with Garlic Confit

Good lamb is hard to come by without eating inside a hotel. It's so disappointing for me because lamb is my 2nd favorite form of meat and I have to eat at an area considered high society to enjoy it. Good news, not anymore. Lamb would be really famous here in the country in my opinion if people know how to cook it right or how to choose the proper lamb. Growing up I've heard people don't like lamb because it's either to smelly, too tough or both. This means that the lamb meat came from an old sheep and should technically be called mutton, and as usual people here don't like any red on their meat so they murder it by cooking it too long and it become tough. As seen with the picture above there are still hints of pink in the meat, meaning it's perfectly cooked. It's off the bone tender too, I didn't have to use my knife to peel off the meat. To know the difference in lamb quality try the lamb in shawarma places and try the lamb here. You'll be blown away by the difference. The sauce isn't that spicy, but it's just right and serves as a good compliment to the lamb. Whipped potatoes are well seasoned and has no lumps which is awesome... and it's also served with fried onion slivers and garlic confit. Garlic confit is really weird and great. You're served a whole bulb of garlic slow cooked that the garlic inside becomes like a paste. It still has the garlic taste and flavor but also gained some sweetness and is pleasant to eat. Personally I pop em out like toothpaste and mix it with my potatoes.

Baked Oysters

Need I say more? Its wonderfully cooked, it's oysters. It can't fail except if your stomach gets upset with shellfish overload like me... I had a few though just squeeze some lemon on top and shoot... it's divine...

Serrano Cheese Dip

Something fun to order, more starters. Serrano ham is a salt cured ham from Spain and is then served on top of 3 kinds of cheeses and then put under a salamander (something that applies heat from above to melt or produce the gratin effect). It is served with toasted pita, garlic confit and crostinis. As me and my friend got the first dip on the sides we were disappointed as it tasted eggy and not cheesy at all. Then as we got to the center, boom! flavor overload. It's was so nice and satisfying I can't really put it into words. I'd suggest though that if you order this is that you mix it around first before dipping, might avoid that initial eggy taste that we got.

If you want to eat at a classy restaurant that serves excellent classy food. Please go to Blackwood Bistro, You'll enjoy it for sure.

Note: Try their crab products as well. It's extremely fresh because one of their investors is a leading crab trader here in the Philippines. I had the good fortune of trying the crab and mango salad during an earlier visit and the crab was extremely good, It didn't taste old and the texture was perfect.

Apologies couldn't really remember the prices... They were somewhere along P400 - P700 ($9 - $16)

Happy Pigout :@) for sure

Food Camp :@) :@)

2011-05-01T15:43:00.000+08:00

Food Camp makes me go to Fat Camp...

So one of our followers (Lawrence) on facebook suggested that we try this new burger place that opened up along Katipunan Extension (right beside the old banapple). Honestly since I live pretty near I've seen it in passing quite a few times and was always curious so I'm glad I finally found the time to visit it and boy was it worth the little trip.

Here's what I had for lunch

Strawberry Milkshake P70 ($1.50) :@) :@)

It was actually pretty good. Not the thickest but still it had some body and it's actually quite affordable. It reminded me of the milkshakes that you get from McDonald's which is one of the better milkshakes out there so this one is also great as it is an equal.

Mozzarella Bombs P99 ($2.00) :@) :@)

It's mozzarella sticks served with a spicy salsa sauce and some garlic mayo. Deep fried food is actually a food fetish for me so yes I liked this one, but it didn't really wow me. Sometimes it got bland and I think a little more seasoning on the flour coat would have made it extraordinary. Still, it's a great way to start your meal.

Double Patty Delta Burger P185 ($4.00) :@) :@) :@)

Since I love spicy stuff I decided to try their spicy burger. It was called the Delta burger and it was described as a jalapeño cheese burger. The burger is then topped with a spicy salsa to complete it. Overall the burger was great. It was mild spicy for me but gave me enough of that spicy kick to enjoy. On to individual characteristics... The burger patty tasted great and was juicy. The bun was huge which I'm not really a big fan of, but the big bun is necessary.

Food Camp is newly opened and is currently a 15-seater restaurant. This place is worth the visit if you're into burger cuisine and it's really affordable compared to the other establishments. All I gotta say is the food's tasty, the food's affordable and it's hard to find good parking space :).

Happy Pigout :@)

Revisit

Bravo Burger P150 ($3.25) :@) :@) :@)

Still juicy and tastes great, it comes with most of the toppings you'd expect on a burger and also comes with a side of wedges. Excellent value for money right here folks.

Jalapeño Sticks P59 ($1.25) :@) :@) :@)

I like this better than the mozarella bombs, it didn't get soggy and had more flavor overall. I'd get this because it also adds a different dimension when you taste that kick of spice because of the jalapeños

Army Navy :@) :@)

2011-04-30T16:01:00.003+08:00

They have burgers... and burritos... need I say more?

Army Navy is one of the newer entrants to the growing demand of quality burgers here in the Philippines. I've eaten there for quite some time but I always forget to take pictures since I'm pretty excited to eat. Finally I've done mission impossible and photographed some of the food. Let's see how it stacks up.

Double Burger P185 :@) :@) :@) ($3.75) + Cheese P25 ($0.50) + Bacon P25 ($0.50)

Their burgers are one of the juiciest I've had lately. It's so juicy in fact that mid way through eating the burger the bottom bun fell out. It's definitely a bonus for me. Since I like pigging out I opted to add the cheese and bacon to make my meal more awesome. On the taste side of the patty it isn't the tastiest I've had and I find it a bit more peppery than most. I think all they need to do is add just a little bit more amount of salt and it'll be golden.

Freedom Fries :@) :@) :@) P60 ($1.25)

I've said before that the best fast food french fries I've ever tasted was the one from KFC's. Army Burger's Fries are exponentially better, more flavor, more tangy, I just love it.

Steak Burrito :@) :@) P145 P($3.25)

It was pretty good, but not that great. With the lack of quality burrito competition in the Philippines Army Navy's burrito is pretty nice. My complaint here was the steak was pretty dry, but still it was edible. The good thing with army navy is that they give you a piece of lime and their burrito sauce is awesome so it makes up for it.

LiberTea Large P60 :@) :@) :@) ($1.25)

Their house blend Ice tea. If you're a fan of sweet ice tea stay away. If you love actual tea then it's a must try.

Army Navy is definitely one of the places you should try if you like burgers and then segway into a burrito.

Happy Pigout :@)

Bite Club :@)

2011-04-06T22:41:00.004+08:00

213 Katipunan Extension, Quezon

Metro Manila

Tel # 911-0859

Because they fight hunger... Good...

I don't know why, but for the longest time Bite Club has made me happy. I live in Marikina so Bite Club has been the nearest "gourmet" burger joint near my place that I could enjoy. It's been around since I was in high school which means, yes a long time ago and that it was my first special burger. So in pursuit of my culinary happiness before I get my impacted molar taken out leaving me unable to enjoy solid food goodness. I got some Bite Club.

Bite club has basically made a name for itself with its XXX burger. This burger is a 1lb patty and should be eaten with an empty stomach. Even I was about to burst when I finished one back in the day and basically never got the balls again to go for round 2. It's a huge piece of burger so beware.

Besides the XXX burger they are also pretty famous for their bombarella, which is a hamburger patty stuffed with mozarella, a stroke of genius if you ask me.

Bite Club basically has 5 types of burgers

XXX - 1 lb

Bombarella 1/2 lb mozzarella stuffed

Bomb 1/2 lb

Burgerella 1/3 lb mozzarella stuffed

Club Burger 1/3 lb

Then you choose your dressing which is listed on their menu. Honestly some of their sauces are meh but if you find the ones you like it's great. It's all about personal taste though, so since I'm a cheesy guy I get as much cheese as I can.

So my final meal before surgery...

Bombarella P245 ($5.25) :@) :@) w/ Bleu Cheese + P25 and Bacon + P25

I love it especially if you get to the part where the mozarella chunked up together, pure satisfaction. Honestly though their burger patty was better before but its still pretty much okay to eat. I'd heavilly suggest getting toppings because the burger patty alone won't make you smile. The combination of everything though is a champion that will knock your hunger out.

The real reason I'm hesitant to eat at bite club is because I'm guaranteed to be dirty after eating their burgers. Their burgers are one of the sloppiest for sure. It's a love hate relationship when I eat one of these. :)

Happy Pigout :@)