The Glutton Guide

Ukokkei: The Best Ramen in Town?

2012-06-30T01:31:00.000-07:00

Nissin Cup Noodles Seafood Flavor. That's the closest we got to ramen before. Admit it, that's how most of us knew about Japanese ramen. It is only now that we get a plethora of choices when it comes to authentic Japanese ramen. And while Japanese restos have been offering such, real, thick-souped ramen has yet to become popular...until now.

Ramen Cool, Ramen Bar, Shinjuku...these are just some of the ramen places known to Filipinos. But whenever you Google "best ramen in the Philippines", one restaurant always comes on top: Ukokkei. I (Glutton Girl) have been hearing about this restaurant for quite some time now, but I've never had the chance to really dine there because of its proximity from my place of comfort (aka Fort) and because it seemed so hole-in-the-wall. And when I think of hole-in-the-wall restos, I suddenly worry about parking. (And she was right. - Glutton Guy)

We visited Ukokkei last Wednesday, our first reunion since we-don't-know-when. Both of us have been busy with work and school that we haven't really had the chance to meet up and eat. The reunion seemed rather more special since we both came from recent trips and had an exchange of pasalubongs. I (Glutton Girl) suggested that we have dinner in Ukokkei because we're meeting in Makati and I really just wanna see what the fuzz is all about.

And fuzz there really was. No parking? CHECK. We had to pay extra 40 bucks for parking since we parked in the next building. Waiting to be seated? CHECK. We were 2nd in line. I specifically asked if there was still Tiantianmen (which is their highly-recommended special ramen, served only 6pm onwards, with 20 bowls to go). No Tiantianmen? CHECK. I asked if we could order in advance. The waitress said no. Ho-hum. And there it was, when we ordered, "NO MORE TIANTIANMEN". We thought of leaving, but we figured maybe they had something else to offer. People would not just go for the Tiantianmen, would they?

Now on to what we ordered (despite the dismay that is the lack of Tiantianmen):

Ukokkei Miso Chashu Ramen, Php 380

Glutton Girl: This was my order. I like chashu (thinly sliced pork belly) in my ramen. I always order this type of ramen and nothing else, so it was very predictable of me to take this route. That and I wanted to compare it to Ramen Bar's version of chashu ramen. I really liked Ramen Bar's version, but because I was in arguably the best ramen place in Manila, my expectations were set pretty high. And this ramen didn't disappoint. Thick soup? Check. Right amount of chashu? Check. Bean sprouts? Lovely addition. Check. It was everything I imagined it to be: strong and powerful, but soothing and comforting. This is what ramen is supposed to be. (Although don't get me wrong, I love Nissin Cup Noodles.) My only request though is maybe next time they could put more soup in the bowl. When I was nearly finishing my meal, I found more noodles than soup. I like my noodles drowning in soup. 3:1 ratio, if you must.

Glutton Guy: Whenever I think of pork belly, I would want my soup to taste rich and flavorful. Ukokkei's Miso Chashu was that and more. It had that delicious noodles that really worked well with the thinly sliced pork. However, after a few sips of the soup, I then realized that the spices they used for it were a bit too overpowering. The pork was cooked perfectly, and it would have been more delicious had the soup maintained a little bit of balance. The size of the ramen, however, was huge. For 380 bucks, it absolutely is worth every centavo. I would agree on Glutton Girl's suggestion regarding the addition of more soup on the ramen. : )

Seafood Miso Ramen, Php 420

Glutton Guy: I have tried a different version of the Japanese seafood ramen before, and this one was equally satisfying. I super love seafood, so I really enjoyed this bowl of noodles. I would suggest more seafood of the dish though, since I only found a piece of crab meat, a piece of squid, a piece of shrimp, and some clams shells. The soup was also a bit overpowering for me. But, it's most probably something that I would order again. They say that the satisfaction of the noodle eater depends on how loud he eats the dish. Well, I was just 'slurping' my way to the bottom of this bowl. : )

Glutton Girl: This was Glutton Guy's order. He wanted something with seafood in it, so the waitress recommended this. His ramen is of a special one, same group as that of Tiantianmen, and can only be found on the walls of the resto. I don't understand why it's not included in the formal menu, but whatever floats their boat. It was very good as well. The waitress told us that his soup base was a combination of miso and shoyu (soy sauce), hence the milder taste. My soup base was more powerful in terms of flavor, but the subdued soup of this ramen perfectly complemented the seafood it came with. Really good ramen too. Better than the seafood ramen I had in Shinjuku.

Ajitamago, Php 40 per half

Glutton Guy: As Filipinos have "itlog na maalat" as sides for their dishes, the Japanese have ajitamago for their ramen. It's a somewhat soft boiled egg that really goes well with the delicious bowl of ramen that you order at Ukokkei. For 40 pesos a half (yes, it's a half of the egg), it better bring some spark to the already yummy ramen. Well guess what, it absolutely did just that. It's not that bad to have this as an add-on to your soup, I tell you. : )

Glutton Girl: I told Glutton Guy this was a must. I've tried Japanese egg in Ramen Bar before and damn it was good. It's like soft-boiled eggs but better. Yum yum. I told Glutton Guy we should just split one whole egg since I already expect the soup to be strong. And I was right. The egg was a great addition to the already yummy ramen. I can still remember the texture of its yolk.. Order this when you're there. Please.

Yaki Gyoza, Php 120

Glutton Guy: I have tried gyoza before, and it was absolutely delicious. Gyoza is actually the Japanese version of dimsum. Ukokkei's gyoza was not that bad, but in my opinion it wasn't the best as well. I didn't quite get the taste. I felt I needed something more. The waitress actually told us to try the dip with the gyoza (which, by the way, she offered to do for us). Still, it didn't offer anything special. I would have wanted it to have more flavor and to be a good side dish to the ramen that we were eating. It just didn't deliver as I hoped it would. Nevertheless, it still wouldn't hurt to try it, I guess. : )

Glutton Girl: Five pieces of gyoza for Php 120, not bad! And the taste? Great as well. It was a good breather from the strong soup. The skin of the gyoza was perfectly cooked too, slightly crispy, slightly chewy. Just the way I like it. I suggest you eat this without the sauce; it's already good as it is.

I guess it's obvious that the food was glorious and it was worth the no-parking, no-tables-yet, no-Tiantianmen situation. It's worthy of another visit, except for one thing: SERVICE. You see, restaurants, no matter how good their food is, can get a negative vote from customers if the service is bad. Ukokkei's? VERY BAD. Rude, unpleasant, and very cocky, if we may call it. Examples:

1. "Ma'am waiting po, antay nalang kayo sa labas kasi bawal dito sa loob." Then turns her back on us.

2. Us: "No Tiantianmen? But I asked you a while ago and you said meron pa. That's exactly why we waited!"

Waitress: "Eh wala na po eh. Nung waiting kayo, may 2 pang bowls. Pero inorder nung nauna sa inyo, so wala na ngayon."

Us: "yeah but you should've considered that. You knew that was why we were willing to wait."

Waitress: "Pili nalang po kayo diyan. Balikan ko kayo mamaya pag tapos na kayo pumili?"

3. After so many photos that we took of the restaurant, about 50 I tell you, the waitress goes: "Sir, bawal po yan." WOW. Didn't you see us take pictures a while ago? And we were about to leave already. As if their rudeness hasn't reached the quota yet, nagpahabol pa bago kami umalis.

Glutton Girl: You see? Because of these, I personally don't want to go back. Despite the great food and the lovely ambiance. I don't want to leave a restaurant feeling bad when I know I paid its worth. And because the prices in Ukokkei are not cheap, you expect decent service, right? Maybe that's just me, but I hate bad customer service. If you don't like your job, leave. Your attitude reflects on the restaurant. I'm just one customer who'll probably never go back because of the service, but that's still a customer lost. I'd rather head to Ramen Bar in Eastwood and get my ramen fix. Same quality anyway.

Glutton Guy: While I do agree that service wasn't the best at Ukokkei, I would have to say that it also wasn't the worst. We just have to admit, nobody's perfect; the same goes for restaurants. A food place may be excellent in the price or the taste of the dishes that they offer, but may lack in offering good service to its customers, and vice versa. This said, Ukokkei did a bad job on service when we were there, but that shouldn't remove the fact that the dishes there are good. Don't base your decision on this factor alone. And yes, Glutton Girl was a bit melodramatic with her rants hahahahahaha

Good food, bad service. Up to you readers to visit Ukokkei or not. Maybe you'd be lucky and get a happy waitress. Still, a good place to try out once. But only for the ramen.

Here's how we rated Ukokkei:

Food:

Price:

Place:

Service:

(Ukokkei Ramen Ron had 2 branches: 1. Tesoro's Commercial Building, 1016 Arnaiz Avenue, Makati City, and 2. 888 Gateway Plaza, 2126 A. Mabini Street, Malate, Manila.)

Nomnomnomnomnom

2012-02-20T21:23:00.001-08:00

Who would forget the famous sound that Cookie Monster makes whenever he eats his favorite snack? Coooookies!!! Om nom nom nom...Yes, this popular munching sound has now become a viral internet meme that people use (i.e., "Eating my favorite chips! Nomnomnom..."). Point is, we apply the meme when we eat something we enjoy. And by enjoy we mean delicious food that's affordable at the same time. This is something Nomnomnom Happy Food at Tomas Morato can offer.

A quaint hole-in-the-wall restaurant, Nomnomnom has been creating a buzz to people who are looking for a unique and memorable dining experience. The place is quite hidden since the entrance is located in a small 'eskinita'. Hungry foodies like us, however, know where to find good food, and Nomnomnom is not an exception.

The place looks like a tambayan, something that made us reminisce good ol' college days. Nomnomnom's environment is more suited for groups of friends. It's not the comfiest of food places, but it has that nice ambiance that kind of brings out good vibes. Clouds, birds, and rainbows, these designs that they have are clear depictions of a 'happy place'. Top this with the yummy food and the excellent service, and you have a dining experience that is not of the usual.

Here's what we tried at Nomnomnom:

Fried Ravioli, 90 php (6 pieces); 170 php (12 pieces)

Glutton Guy: Not a big fan of ravioli, but this one was just right. It's not totally crispy as I expected it to be though. The filling was alright, and with kangkong and mushrooms, you know you're eating the good stuff. I mean, healthier than eating greasy dumplings, right? I found the salsa a bit off. For me it didn't work well with the ravioli. But by itself, the salsa was good. Probably a yogurt dip would be a better dipping option. Just a thought hahahaha : )

Glutton Girl: The fried ravioli is a good pika-pika choice. I've never tried ravioli that's fried before, and I have to say, this one is good. You have a 'stuffed' ravioli, none of the fake stuff that only has a little bit of filling. In my opinion, however, you're not the one who would enjoy this dish if you're the meaty type. Nomnomnom's ravioli is not like the Mexican nachos that you would normally have for appetizer. The good thing though is that the dish is healthy and delicious, something that's really worth trying.

Tita D Special, 90 php

Glutton Guy: I honestly don't know why they called it as such, but this is one delicious appetizer. Crunchy and flavorful, the onion rings are the real thing. Surprisingly, they're not the oily type as well. The sour cream dip is super good. It had that tangy taste that complemented well with the onion rings. Although a typical starter dish, I wouldn't think twice on recommending it. : )

Glutton Girl: Onion rings aren't actually associated with healthy-type foods, but it is a vegetable, so it will do hahaha The fact remains that these onion rings are delicious, with or without the sour cream dip. They're crunchy as well, something that I would normally look for in fried foods. I would say that this one is better with beer, but what the heck, you should just try it out to taste how good it really is.

Lime Chicken with Alfredo Sauce, 160 php

Glutton Guy: I would've wanted fish, but I ordered Nomnomnom's lime chicken instead. Presentation-wise, this dish wasn't elegant-looking. But taste-wise, it was delicious. The chicken breast was cooked well. Chicken breasts are white meat, so they're not the fatty type. Health-conscious peeps would usually order this part, but it's the part of the chicken that doesn't offer too much flavor. Good thing there's the Alfredo sauce. It had just the right amount of flavor that made the whole dish a success. I could taste a little bit of lime which gave a bit of that sour taste in the chicken. I wasn't too hungry that time but I eventually finished the dish (even the rice which I promised to eat only half of hahaha). I wasn't expecting the buttered vegetables to be string beans, but I would have wanted some corn and diced carrots in there to add a bit of color. Overall, I'd say it's an excellent meal. : )

Clam Pasta, 170 php

Glutton Girl: I wasn't into rice that time, so I got Nomnomnom's clam pasta. I'm very much addicted to seafood pasta, especially the ones that are cream based or oil based. In Italian restaurants I would always order Gamberetti, allo Scoglio, or Frutti di Mare, which, by the way, are all seafood pastas. What I liked about this dish is that you could really taste the seafood and the seasonings that they used. The only negative for me was that you had to remove the clams from the shell, which for me was a bit of a hassle. This is the not-so-good part about eating seafood pastas because it can be a real tedious and messy task. The pasta was firm though, not that al dente, but delicious nonetheless. It's a pasta that I would consider delicious comfort food.

Out-of-the-box, that is the exact term to describe Nomnomnom. They serve dishes that are yummy, healthy, and, believe it or not, happy. It's these kinds of dishes that would make us smile. Finding the place is definitely worth it because you're sure to have a good time not only with the food, but also with the ambiance. So remember, the next time you crave for good food, just follow Cookie Monster's advice...or uhhhh...his sound hahahahaha Nomnomnomnomnom!!! :D

Here's how we rated Nomnomnom:

Food:

Price:

Place:

Service:

(Nomnomnom Happy Food is located at 1 Tomas Morato corner E. Rodriguez Streets, Quezon City. It's a bit difficult to spot, but try to look out for the Shell gas station and the World Class Persian Kebab. It's just near those landmarks.)

Over The Moon with Moonleaf

2012-01-28T09:44:00.000-08:00

Milk tea. This might be the most popular word nowadays (Anne Curtis being the second one). If you don’t know what it is and the craze it’s been causing Metro Manila, then it’s safe to assume you’ve been living inside a cave. With the plethora of choices where one can have their milk tea fix (see our Happy Lemon and Serenitea review here), differentiation can be very difficult for milk tea entrepreneurs.

Not for Moonleaf Tea Shop.

Starting in Maginhawa Street, UP Village, this once humble tea shop gained fame from college students who frequented the place and has become one of, if not, the fastest growing milk tea place in the country. It is also the first one to have ventured outside Manila (they have stores in Pampanga and Naga). Moonleaf also diversified its offerings; aside from teas, they now have their own planner which sold like hotcakes last Christmas season.

So how does Moonleaf’s tea taste like? Why has it become so popular with high school students, college students and yuppies alike? We visited their Dapitan branch (near UST) to find out.

Here are some of Moonleaf's best-sellers:

Wintermelon Milk Tea, 75 php (+10 php for add-ons)

Glutton Guy: If you ask Moonleaf patrons what to drink on your first visit, this is what they'll probably suggest. Honestly, this is not the first drink I bought on my first time at Moonleaf. Eventually I gave in, so now it's my favorite drink. I don't exactly know what wintermelon is (is there even something like that here in the Philippines?). I don't know what magic ingredients they put in this drink, but it's so good that it really is hard to resist. I've even known friends who buy 2 of these everytime they visit Moonleaf. There really is the sweet and creamy taste that you don't get from the normal milk tea. Wintermelon is leaning more towards the milky type of drink rather than the tea type. It's really a must-try for the beginners! : )

Glutton Girl: Moonleaf’s Wintermelon Tea has got to be its most popular drink. They say you haven’t really been to Moonleaf if you haven’t tried Wintermelon Milk Tea. And they’re damn right. Moonleaf’s WMT hits the spot. Some even call it “jackpot”. Its sweetness is just right, especially for people who love sweet stuff like me. The pearls (which I ordered for my sinkers) completed well with the milk tea. The serving is huge too for its price. Sulit na sulit. I dub thee “THE WINNING DRINK”.

Aside from their country-famous Wintermelon Milk Tea, we’ve tried other variants in our previous visits that might interest you as well. Yes, this is not our first time. We can’t even remember how many times we’ve been to different branches of Moonleaf!

Hakka Milk Tea, 75 php (+10 php for add-ons)

Glutton Guy: If you'd rather have something close to the original milk tea, then Moonleaf's Hakka milk tea is for you. It's very similar to the Thai milk tea and the HK milk tea. It has that bittersweet flavor, just like coffee, but it also has that creamy taste from the milk. When my friend described it (he told me that it was something close to coffee) I didn't like it because I'm not a coffee fanatic. But, when I got to try it, I easily fell in love with it. I would even rank this second on my most favorite Moonleaf drink list. Hakka would go well with any add-on that you like, but for me, I'd say it's best with pudding or pearls. : )

Lychee Yakult, 70 php (+10 php for add-ons)

Glutton Guy: Moonleaf also offers fruity drinks, and this is one of them. Lychee Yakult is something common to milk tea shops. It has that creamy taste from the Yakult blending well with the citrusy flavor of the lychee. You'd love this especially on a hot sunny day. But, I would still prefer Happy Lemon's version of this drink, simply because theirs has lemon zest bits. It's not a bad idea to try out Moonleaf's version though. : )

Peppermint Milk Tea, 75 php (+10 php for add-ons)

Glutton Girl: I’ve tried Peppermint Milk Tea once (this was a time when I was feeling experimental) and I actually liked the cooling effect the milk tea gave me. Although I still prefer Wintermelon Milk Tea hands down (never ordered anything else after), it was still a good experience to have tried their Peppermint version. It was like downing a liquid version of Double Mint chewing gum, and that’s not a bad thing (at least for me)! I like everything minty so I didn’t mind the similarity in taste.

If the milk tea craze hasn’t caught you yet, or if you’re a non-conformist (aka the real cool), then give Moonleaf a try. With the many branches scattered across Metro Manila (and also in provinces), there really is no reason for you not to try their drinks. Who knows, you might just change your mind. ;)

Here's how we rated Moonleaf:

Food:

Price:

Place:

Service:

(Moonleaf Tea Shop has 14 branches in Metro Manila: 1. 103 Maginhawa Street, UP Teacher's Village, Diliman, Quezon City. It's just beside Delish and in front of Cocina Juan; 2. 44A Magiting Street, UP Teacher's Village, Diliman, Quezon City. It's just beside I Heart Fro-Yo and a little past Mini Stop; 3. Esteban Abada Street, Loyola Heights, Quezon City, just beside Crave Burger; 4. Katipunan Avenue corner F.B. Dela Rosa Street, Loyola Heights, Quezon City, just behind KFC; 5. Jardin De Zenaida, Sgt. Esguerra Avenue, Quezon City; 6. 2nd Floor Barrington Place, Congressional Avenue, Quezon City. It's just beside Ling Nam; 7. 25 General Ordoñez Street, Concepcion, Marikina City. 8. Ground Floor Vizione Dorm 1012 G.M. Tolentino Street, UST Area, Sampaloc, Manila; 9. 1233 V. Concepcion Street, UST Area, Sampaloc, Manila. This street is just behind UST; 10. 1st Floor St. Thomas Square, España corner P. Campa Street, Sampaloc, Manila. 11. 9 East Capitol Drive, Brgy. Kapitolyo, Pasig City; 12. Harrison Plaza Village Square, Pablo Ocampo corner Mabini Street, Malate, Manila; 13. Unit LG2, 1152 E. Rodriguez Sr. Avenue, New Manila, Quezon City; and 14. #50 EK Building, Don Antonio Heights, Brgy. Holy Spirit Drive, Quezon City. They also have provincial branches: 1. Sandrose Place, Ruby Street, Umali Subdivision, Los Baños, Laguna; 2. Ground Floor, MWC Building, Mac Arthur Highway, Sindalan, city of San Fernando, Pampanga; 3. Doña Aurora Street, CM Recto, Angeles City, Pampanga; and 4. ADC Building, Magsaysay Avenue, Naga City.)

Charlie's: A Yummy Burger & Chicken Wings Combo

2012-01-26T10:41:00.000-08:00

Manila is rapidly becoming more receptive of “hole-in-the-wall” restaurants, and this next foodie place is no exception. Imagine a diner beside a carwash...how hole-in-the-wall can you get? There’s no need for fancy introduction or build-ups because if you’re a foodie like us, you’d definitely know what place we’re talking about: Charlie’s Grind & Grill.

Internet-famous for their Black Angus burger and chicken wings, Charlie’s has become one of the most visited (and populated) food places in Kapitolyo, Pasig . That says a lot especially when the place is filled with lots of equally good dining places. Hello Mad Mark’s, Thai Dara, RUB (which we will review soon!), Milky and Sunny...the list could go on and on. Charlie’s has grown a fan base especially among the working people around the Ortigas area, so much so that people are willing to wait for “parking space” just to be able to grab a bite of Charlie’s famed burgers. And you know what? So did we.

We came for the burgers, so burgers we ordered. As mentioned, Charlie’s is famous for their Black Angus Burgers. But because we’re food bloggers, diversity is key, so we ordered some other dishes we can recommend other than the ones everyone’s been raving about.

Presenting our Charlie's Grind & Grill food:

Charlie's Iced Tea, 60 php

Glutton Guy & Glutton Girl: We're big fans of restaurants that concoct their own iced teas and not whip it from packets. You restaurants can’t fool us foodies...we know our iced teas!!! Alam namin pag Nestea lang yan! Charlie’s didn’t disappoint. It had the bitter taste we always looked for in iced teas. Plus the serving was really huge, it was more than enough to quench our thirst. One of the best offerings in Charlie’s to be honest. Yup, their iced tea is THAT great. : )

Black Angus Burger, 190 php; 220 php (with Fresh Fries)

Glutton Girl: This was my order. I’ve been to Charlie’s once before this visit with Glutton Guy, and have tried this burger already. I remember it being so good I couldn’t order anything else. So Black Angus burger it is. I specifically requested it to be well done (I don’t like blood...who does?). My burger came out perfectly. Juicy yet cooked through and through. The vegetables helped in counteracting the fatty feel of the burger. I hate to admit it, but burgers are packed with calories, and the least we can do is compensate with veggie toppings, right? The serving was so huge, I almost couldn’t finish it. I asked the help of Glutton Guy to finish the burger for me. (Thank you!!!!)

Gourmet Chicken Burger, 220 php; 250 php (with Fresh Fries)

Glutton Guy: I was feeling health-conscious that time so I went for a chicken patty. There actually is not much difference to the original burger. Chicken will be chicken and beef will be beef, but regardless of what you put between the buns, it's just the same with regards to flavor. The chicken patty was juicy and flavorful. I have to say, the cheese did some fabulous job in hyping up the taste. Just like what Glutton Girl said, the vegetables helped in balancing everything. I would not suggest adding anything else (ketchup, mustard, etc) because it'll just complicate things. In my opinion, this burger is already good as it is. The fries were just okay. It's not the best I've tasted, but who doesn't want fries with their burgers, right? It's like a staple in every burger meal. : )

Buffalo Chicken Wings, 180 php (Half Dozen); 330 php (A Dozen)

Glutton Guy: A visit to Charlie's wouldn't be complete without trying their Buffalo chicken wings. We have tried many chicken wings before during our food conquests, each having an own version of how they will make customers crave for more. Charlie's chicken wings didn't disappoint. The chicken was delicious and tender. Plus, the serving size was adequate. We just chose the sweet type of sauce since we weren't ready for the hot stuff that day. It had that tangy, honey-ish taste that I really liked. But, just in case you were wondering what sauces they have, they also serve the hot, the nuclear, and their hottest - the Puñeta Sauce. We dare not try this because the name itself serves as a warning of what's about to come. But, if you're the 'adventurous' type, then go ahead. Regardless of which type of sauce you pick, I'm pretty sure that you're gonna have a splendid time with Charlie's chicken wings. : )

Glutton Girl: This was just normal for me. After tasting so many chicken wings in my life (even those chocolate-coated), it would take so much for me to be impressed with chicken wings. I still say Manang’s and Buffalo Wings n' Things' chicken wings are the best. But this was just okay. Not too bad, but not that exceptional either.

If you’re game or cowboy (in Tagalog) and you do not mind eating beside a carwash, then we suggest for you to visit Kapitolyo and give Charlie’s a try. That is, if you haven’t yet. Because most probably, you’ve eaten there more than us. That’s how good Charlie’s is. That’s what he/she said. :P

Here's how we rated Charlie's:

Food:

Price:

Place:

Service:

(Charlie's Grind & Grill has 2 branches: 1. 16 East Kapitolyo Drive, Pasig City. It's on your right if you're coming from Shaw Boulevard. Don't forget to look out for a car wash place; and 2. Ronac Art Center, Madison Street, Greenhills, San Juan City. It's just past Greenhills Shopping Center, on your right if you're coming from EDSA.)

Siopao, Mami, and the Giant Siomai

2012-01-23T08:05:00.000-08:00

KUNG HEI FAT CHOI! GONG XI FA CAI! XIN NIAN KUAI LE!

No matter how you want to say it, we at The Glutton Guide would like to greet you HAPPY CHINESE NEW YEAR! :) And because we like following themes, why not a review of a Chinese restaurant, yes? I'm sure the water dragon will approve.

Masuki can be considered a hole-in-a-wall restaurant. More popular to the Chinese residents of Greenhills, Masuki has now grown to be known by Filipinos outside Greenhills, mainly through blogs like this. But, even before they established their branch at San Juan, they started at a place where Chinese food would be best - Binondo, Manila. Yes, they are one of the food places you can find along the busy streets of Chinatown. Not everyone knows this, but Masuki is the younger (and hipper) son of Ma Mon Luk. Yes, that really old restaurant in Quezon Avenue. Before it was named Masuki, we believed the food place was called Ma Kong Mami. If you're in the Binondo branch, try looking for the somewhat hidden engraved 'Ma Kong Mami' signage inside.

Masuki is well-known for their mami, siomai and siopao, which coincidentally is what Ma Mon Luk is known for. Like father, like son, eh? And because we wanted to try nothing but the best, we ordered the said three best sellers.

Excited? Well, here goes:

Pork Siomai, 30 php per piece

Glutton Guy: I have tried numerous pork siomais in my gluttonous life, and believe me, I have never tried siomai as big as this. I didn't even bother dipping it in any sauce because it's that good. You could really taste that authentic Chinese dimsum taste in every bite. It's not the type of siomai you would find in steamers, but don't get me wrong, it's really really delicious. Why make them this big, you ask? I actually have no clue as well. Who would even want to know in the first place? As long as they remain this good, it doesn't matter if Masuki makes siomai as big as Godzilla. : )

Glutton Girl: This is not your typical-sized siomai. By large, I mean LARGE siomai. I dare you to munch this in a mouthful, because really, I don't think anyone can. You know what they say about big things right? That they don't pack as much flavor as the small ones? Well think again. Masuki's siomai is both big in size and flavor. I personally like dipping it in the special sweet mami sauce.

Pork Asado Siopao (Saipao), 50 php

Glutton Guy: Well, we were in a Chinese restaurant, right? So, it would only be proper to try the siopao as well. Masuki's siopao was fluffy and really filled inside. It didn't need the help of the siopao sauce because it was super flavorful. Is it true that siopao fillings are made from cats? Nah. I don't think so. If it was, it wouldn't be this good. You could really taste the pork in Masuki's siopao. Plus, it was bigger than the usual siopao I couldn't even finish it all by myself. I would love to try the bola-bola siopao on my next visit. : )

Glutton Girl: This siopao tastes like the ones my mom usually takes out from Ma Mon Luk before. It's tasty and the bun is fluffy, not the mabubulunan-ka type. I prefer the siomai over the siopao though as partner for my mami.

Beef Wonton Mami, 150 php (Regular); 160 php (Special)

Glutton Guy: This is not your normal beef wonton mami. It's actually good for two persons. But if you're that hungry, then I guess you could finish it all by yourself. This is authentic Chinese mami at its finest. From the noodles, to the soup, to the wonton, everything is perfect. I have tried beef wonton mami's in other food places, but they're not as authentic and not as good as Masuki's. I wasn't familiar with the special sauce of the mami though. They served it in a small bowl, and it looked like siopao sauce. So I thought it was really for siopao. Glutton Girl laughed at me saying that it was not for siopao but for mami. How should I know? But, I did have a feeling that it was for the mami. I was kind of wondering why they were giving us so much if it was only for the siopao hahahaha Nevertheless, with or without the sauce, the mami is still super duper good. It's hot when served, perfect for a snack or for times when you want delicious comfort food. Now I have a benchmark when it comes to excellent beef wonton mami. : )

Glutton Girl: It's not my first time visiting Masuki, but it's my first time to order the beef mami. I usually order the chicken one (personal preference), but because I was with Glutton Guy, he urged me to try something new. Why not, right? The beef wonton mami was good! It wasn't as oily as I expected it to be (that's my main apprehension when it comes to beef mami). It went well with the special sauce. By the way, the trick in eating mami in Masuki is NOT to mix the special brown sauce into the mami bowl. This makes the sauce diluted in the mami soup. What you do is you get sauce using the soup spoon, get noodles from the bowl using your chopsticks, and dip the said noodles in the soup spoon with sauce. Then eat! That's the way to eat Masuki noodles. :)

Needless to say, we had a great, filling meal. What's greater about Masuki is it's very affordable. Student-friendly, we must say. No wonder the ICAns and Xavierians flock the Greenhills branch. If you're looking for an authentic Chinese snack, then Masuki's your best bet. We're sure your meal will be "hao chi" (delicious). :)

Here's how we rated Masuki:

Food:

Price:

Place:

Service:

(Masuki has3 branches: 1. 931 Benavidez Street, Binondo, Manila. It's just near Wai Ying and Wan Chai; (2) 2nd Floor, Sekai Center, Ortigas corner Madison Streets, San Juan City. It's just past Greenhills Shopping Center if you're coming from EDSA. Just keep looking to your right; and (3) Ground Floor, SM Megamall Building B, EDSA corner Julia Vargas Avenue, Mandaluyong City.)

A Divine Murray & D'Vine

2012-01-14T10:23:00.000-08:00

If you are new in the area, Serendra can be very intimidating. You scan the row of restaurants and you see unfamiliar names like Gaudi, Abe, Chelsea and the likes. We wouldn’t blame you if you’d hurriedly walk (with poise) to either Bonifacio High Street or Market! Market! The sight of McDonald’s or Krispy Kreme eases your tensed body (and pocket). We, however, didn’t let the foreign-sounding names scare us; instead we braved through the place and looked for the resto-pub we were looking for: Murray & D’vine.

Okay, we have to admit: Serendra is not something new to us. We’ve blogged about Sonja’s uber delicious cupcakes before, and to be honest, it was love at first sight. It felt good to know that we can dine somewhere in Metro Manila without being confined inside a mall. It also helps that there are less stores with the word SALE on it. Money will be spent somewhere else, aka good food.

We discovered Murray & D’vine through a groupon deal. We pay P500 for P1000 worth of food and drinks. Good deal, eh? Well the half slash of the bill wasn’t the only thing that was good in this resto-pub; food was excellent too. It being a resto-pub meant only one thing: COMFORT FOOD. And by the time the waitress gave us the menu, it wasn’t surprising at all to see their menu filled with greasy yet all-familiar dishes we hate to admit we love. Burgers, fries, nachos, soda.. it almost felt like we were in a diner somewhere in the United States . Or that’s how at least we pictured it. The wide selection of burgers made it quite difficult for us to choose our burgers, but thank heavens it didn’t take a day for us to choose what we wanted to eat.

Here's what we ate at Murray & D'Vine:

Melon Shake, 105 php

Glutton Guy: Okay, so this is not the best drink that I've tasted. But, it wasn't the worst. Melon will always be on the top of my list when it comes to fresh fruit shakes, and this drink didn't exactly hit the mark with regards to my expectations. I found the drink a little overpriced (heck, I can get a glass of this at 30% of the price elsewhere). But, just like any 'sosyal' restaurant, you pay for the ambiance and the experience. The melon was blended well with the ice, but I would have wanted a bit more milk to make the drink creamier and a bit more sweeter. : )

Nachos with Cheese, 135 php

Glutton Guy: Anything with cheese is a dish worth trying. This isn't the most outrageous nachos dish I've tried, but I have to say that it's really good. It really resembles the authentic Mexican nachos. It had melted cheese, jalapenos, and peppers, everything that you would see stacked in a nachos dish. The nachos still had that crunchy texture, which I really liked because some nachos get soft and soggy when dipped too long in the cheese. The peppers add that kick that you would look for in an appetizer. It's a perfect starter for a delicious meal! : )

Glutton Girl: We ordered nachos with cheese for our appetizer. I won’t even dwell on this dish as it was just normal; something you can whip up in your own kitchen. The burgers are the stars of the morning, if that’s even possible.

Beef Burger, 295 php

(Add-ons: sauteed onions, 20 php; cheddar cheese, 30 php; button mushrooms, 30 php; bleu cheese, 40 php; shitake mushroom sauce, 50 php; bacon, 60 php)

Glutton Guy: Now this is what you call a 'love burger'. Murray & D'Vine offers a delicious beef burger served in a heart-shaped bun. The size of the burger isn't any different compared to American-inspired restaurants. But, it's the taste that'll really blow you away. The patty is not the fast-food-slim-type-unflavored-unappealing patty, it's the real thing, juicy and absolutely loaded with flavor. I swear, you would have difficulty in eating this using your hands because it's so big. I added sauteed onions and cheddar cheese to my burger, and it really helped in adding flavor, overall. I liked the caramelization of the onions and how it complements the salty taste of the cheddar. The crunchiness of the vegetables and the softness of the bun are indications that the ingredients used are fresh. Even if it looks just like an ordinary cheeseburger, it's a burger that packs a punch. Trust me, you'd want this more than the fast-food burgers out there. : )

Glutton Girl: I am a big fan of cheese. Just say the word CHEESE and I’m IN. YES, YES, YES is what I’ll say. So for this brunch, I decided to go with the best cheese on a burger patty, in my opinion. No, it isn’t cheddar nor mozzarella; it’s bleu cheese. Yup, BLEU CHEESE. I know it’s pungent and has a weird after-taste but don’t you just love the authenticity it comes with? It’s how cheeses are supposed to be: smelly and rotten. YUM. Since the ready-made burgers didn’t come with the things I wanted in MY burger, I made my own concoction. (I was feeling chef-y that day.) Aside from bleu cheese, I added caramelized onions together with the tomato and lettuce on my burger, and had my patty cooked well-done. It was a good combination because at first bite, I literally saw Y-U-M-M-E-H spelled in front of me. I wasn’t THAT hungry that day but I finished the humongous burger in front of me. Ganun siya kasarap. I made Glutton Guy try my burger as well and I think he can attest to how good it was. : )

Even without the discount, we would’ve eaten here. (But of course, discounts are ALWAYS better.) The price you pay is worth the burger you get. Plus the free showing of NBA games on BasketballTV. We can just imagine groups of men (dads mostly) crowding this place to watch a basketball or a football game together, shouting their lungs out and toasting their beer bottles to a goal. And maybe even fights when they’re supporting opposing teams. Either way, we can’t imagine the place empty. Their burgers are enough reason for people to visit. Add entertainment and voila, a good, thriving business. It's fun and food, all in one place.

Here's how we rated Murray & D'Vine:

Food:

Price:

Place:

Service:

(Murray & D'Vine is located at C114 Ground Floor, Retail Area, Serendra, Bonifacio Global City, Taguig City. It's hard to miss with it's violet-colored signage.)

It's A Coca-Cola Wonderland!

2011-10-20T23:39:00.000-07:00

It's not uncommon to taste dishes with a splash of Sprite or a hint of cola. Restaurant chefs use these carbonated drinks as marinade or as an ingredient for their specialties. Some might find it vaguely intriguing, others insanely weird. There are, of course, the curious type who find it rather unique and amusing. While sodas add flavor to certain types of dishes, we are more comfortable seeing it with ice inside a glass. The fact that we grew up in a country where Coca-Cola is predominant in every meal table proves this. But, if you really want to taste good food with cola in it, we suggest going to a food place at Tomas Morato.

Located at the second floor of Il Terrazzo is a diner known as The Real Thing. The name of the place might sound familiar, it being a former tagline of a popular cola brand. Yes, The Real Thing is what we would call a Coca-Cola wonderland. The place is full of Coke memorabilia and Coca-Cola items that every collector would want. From stuffed toys, to glasses, to Coca-Cola cans and miniature bottles, The Real Thing has all of these in display for customers to admire. If that doesn't make you awe in amazement, try looking at their menu. Most dishes here at The Real Thing is inspired by Coke or any product of the company. Where else would you see Eight O'Clock Chicken or Royal Tru-Orange Prokchop on the menu?

Prices here are average, but we would say that they're more of the affordable type, since the servings are quite large. If you enjoyed the physical structure of the place, then the food might just be the cherry on top.

Excited to see what we tried? Well, here goes:

Fountain Drinks, 39 php (per glass), 59 php (bottomless)

Glutton Guy: If I were you, I would go for the bottomless one. For a difference of 20 pesos, you can already enjoy an unlimited serving of Coke, Sprite, Sarsi, Nestea, Eight O'Clock or any Coca-Cola product of your choice. What's even better is that you aren't limited to just one drink. You could try Coke on your first glass, then Nestea for your second, then Sarsi on your third, and so on and so forth. You could even mix and match drinks! (I tried a mix of Sprite and Sarsi hahahaha you could go for something weirder though) Of course, the tastes wouldn't be that intriguing. But the fact that you could experiment with your drink makes it all worthwhile. : )

Glutton Girl: An unlimited serving of softdrinks is love. I most especially like Coke and Sarsi, so this is truly a must-try for me. I like the concept of changing and mixing drinks because it's not something that restaurants would usually offer. It's like what I do when I buy a Big Gulp at 7-Eleven. Restaurants would normally serve 'one-sided' bottomless drinks, i.e. bottomless Coke, bottomless Sprite, or bottomless iced tea. I gotta say, what better way to enjoy a Coca-Cola inspired meal at a Coca-Cola inspired place than having an unlimited serving of Coca-Cola products for your drink.

Sprite Potato Cheese Soup, 99 php

Glutton Guy: Of course, the 'Sprite' on the name made me curious that I decided to try it. In all honesty, I didn't taste the Sprite in the soup, not even a hint. It just tasted like normal potato soup. It was delicious, however. It's creamy and it had the right amount of seasoning, something I require when I order soup. The bread that came with it was also good. It had that crunchy texture yet it wasn't difficult to eat. For 99 pesos, I'd say it's not that bad. : )

Ol' Fashion Spaghetti n' Meatballs, 199 php

Glutton Guy: This is The Real Thing's take on spaghetti. There really is nothing special about it, in my opinion. It's also one of the dishes of The Real Thing that has no cola or soda in it. It actually is a mix of the Pinoy sweet type and the sour Italian version. The good thing about it, though, is that the meatballs are huge and the serving size is quite big. I like spaghetti better when the pasta is really coated with sauce. It's really difficult when the dish is served with the spaghetti sauce on top. You would have the tedious task of mixing everything, and what's even worse is that it won't be sufficient to coat every pasta strand. Overall, The Real Thing's spaghetti and meatballs is just right for me. : )

Glutton Girl: There's nothing different about this pasta dish. It's not really that unique when compared to the likes of other spaghetti dishes from other restaurants. The saving grace of this dish would be the meatballs (which I enjoyed, by the way). They were perfectly cooked and weren't difficult to eat. The pasta was not too al dente but worked well with the spaghetti sauce. I would have wanted more cheese in the pasta though. Nevertheless, it was an okay pasta dish for my standards. But as I always say, it's the Italians who make good pasta.

Eight O'Clock Mango-Orange Fish Fillet, 249 php

Glutton Guy: I wasn't exactly thrilled to have an Eight O'Clock sauce for my fish fillet. The fish was really good, but I didn't quite feel the sauce. It was too sweet for me. It was more of a Mango-Orange concentrate. The fish by itself is more suitable for my taste. The mashed potatoes was also delicious. It wasn't starchy and it was really creamy thanks to the butter. You could actually opt for other siders (plain rice, criss cut fries, side salad, etc.). I just chose buttered mashed potatoes because I didn't want to eat rice. The mixed veggies were also good. They had a good taste and had a crunch that I really liked. I would order this again the next time I dine here, minus the Eight O'Clock sauce. : )

Ginger Sprite Tiger Prawns, 399 php

Glutton Girl: It's not the first time that I've heard of prawns with Sprite. The fact that I love prawns made me order this dish. Despite the fact that it's a bit more expensive as compared to other dishes, I really enjoyed this prawn dish. The prawns (well, they weren't exactly that big) weren't at all tough and were really good. Sadly, I couldn't taste the Sprite in the dish. But overall, it was a delicious seafood dish. I loved the mashed potatoes and the vegetables. They're perfect sides for the prawns. I had a little difficulty in eating the prawns, though, because I still had to remove them from their shell. Nevertheless, I was super satisfied with this dish.

The Real Thing Diner is one of those food places that sparks intrigue to every hungry individual who wants something different yet delicious. People might be new to the idea, but take it from us when we say that it's something worth trying. And so, in spite of all these, the main questions prevail: is cola a good add-on for your dishes? Will this process of adding sodas to your dishes exist for future generations, or is this another fad that might fade out pretty soon? Well, The Real Thing is probably an answer to these questions, and as long as it's there, food (with Coke) will be staying and will never be a disappointing one.

Here's how we rated The Real Thing:

Food:

Price:

Place:

Service:

(The Real Thing Diner is located at the 2nd floor of Il Terrazzo, 305 Tomas Morato corner Scout Madrinan, Quezon City. It's on the farthest left when you go up the escalator of Il Terrazzo.)

Breakfast's In The Bag!

2011-08-30T09:15:00.000-07:00

Pandesal would always be associated to breakfast. This small, round bread, which has been present since the Spanish times, is a Filipino favorite in every breakfast table. Despite the rise in prices of bread today, people still manage to buy some of this delicious bread at their local bakeshops. If there's one question that we would like to know about this yummy breakfast treat, it's this: "What would be the future of our very own pandesal?"

In the very unassuming road of Julia Vargas lies a food haven most people wouldn’t think of. Popularly known as “Home Depot”, this place has become one of the go-to places for foodies who want to try something new, or corporate slaves who just want to have a good fun night. The place comes alive during night time, but little do we know that during the morning, there’s a quaint bread place that offers hearty breakfast sets everyone ought to try.

The Bread Bag is the attempt at reincarnating Casa Marcos’ very popular pandesal. The owners opened a separate little store that offers only the well-loved pandesal and its different gourmet recipes. Who knew our normal neighborhood pandesal can be so chic? In The Bread Bag, pandesal can be bought bare or in its more sosyal form. Of course, Glutton Guy and I tried the sosyal recipe. We can eat pandesal in its normal state any time but in the rich-and-the-famous style? Not everyday.

Here's what we got:

Adobo Flakes with Kesong Puti, 122 php

Glutton Guy: Aodobo? As palaman? I found it weird at first. But I got to realize how good the idea was when I tasted it. I expected the adobo flakes to have that crunchy, crispy texture. I tried adobo flakes before (at a different food place, though) and it was really crunchy and crispy. Bread Bag didn't have that exact crunchy texture I was looking for. But, what they had was really good. The kesong puti accentuated the flavor of the adobo. It actually looked like marshmallows in a sandwich. It's perfect with the soft and hot bread. Not a big fan of the sauce and the chips, though. The liver sauce was really off for my palate. But, the dish is an absolute must-try. It's a purely Pinoy pandesal sandwich. : )

Glutton Girl: I am in love with cheese, all forms and sizes, so this was a no-brainer. When I saw kesong puti in the menu, I was completely sold. Add adobo flakes to that and the sandwich already sounds so appetizing. True enough, when my sandwich arrived, it was overflowing with crunchy flakes and white cubes of cheese. Pure bliss. I just didn’t like the liver-like sauce that came with my sandwich. I kept on getting sauce from Glutton Guy haha! But that was dismissable. The sandwich alone was great. And VERY filling. Don’t let that small-looking pandesal fool you.. it’s really heavy on the stomach. The plates came with knife and fork, all fit for the very pang-mayaman pandesal that I was having. There were times though that I wanted to just grab it by the hand and eat it like a caveman. It was THAT good. But I had to keep my composure and be lady-like. Knife and fork it is. I know what you guys are thinking now. “How can a pandesal sandwich cost P122?!?” Yeah, I had the same reaction too. Although I think the sandwiches can be priced a little bit cheaper (maybe P80-P90 per order), they are good splurges once in a while. Again, like I said, it’s not everyday that you get to eat sosyal pandesal. Might as well enjoy it and not think of the price, right?

Chicken and Mushroom, 111 php

Glutton Guy: I wasn't into pork or beef during that time, so I opted for chicken. The chicken and mushroom pandesal was like the Filipino version of chicken pot pie. I liked the creaminess of the sauce. It suited the chicken well. I was expecting it to be a bit salty for the bread. But, it actually had the right flavor. It wasn't overwhelming, and despite it being saucy, it didn't soak the bread. The chicken was I found really interesting. It wasn't tough and was really tender. You won't have any problem with it. The mushrooms worked perfectly with the chicken and the creamy sauce. My dish had a gravy just like the one you would have with fried chicken. It was delicious, but the pandesal sandwich was as delicious even without it. I think I'll try creating a version of this at home. : )

Glutton Girl: This was Glutton Guy’s order, but he was generous enough to let me taste his order. It was good. Creamy mushroom sauce and the chicken chunks were tender. Our sandwich orders came with sauces that should suit our gourmet pandesals, but I kept on getting Glutton Guy’s sauce. I liked the gravy/mushroom sauce that came with his sandwich more than the liver-like sauce I had. Hey, a girl can experiment!

If you’re looking for a new breakfast place (and free parking that comes with it), go to Home Depot and head on straight to The Bread Bag. Have your gourmet breakfast fix once in a while and see pandesal in a different light. Maybe after a meal in this quaint place, you will change your perspective regarding our “national bread” pandesal.

Here's how we rated The Bread Bag:

Food:

Price:

Place:

Service:

(The Bread Bag is located at Unit 20A, 20B Ortigas Home Depot, #1 Julia Vargas Street, Pasig City. It's just beside the Home Depot store, among the line of food places there.)

A Burger-filled Boulevard

2011-08-28T07:14:00.000-07:00

What makes a great burger? Oftentimes, people say it's all about the patty. Others say it's the cheese that makes it work. Others say it's the sauce that brings it all together. While most burgers have all these, it all boils down to which burger offers the best flavor at the most affordable price. There are already a handful of notable burger places in the Metro. No, we're not talking about Jollibee or McDonald's, or even Burger King. We're talking about unique burger places that serve mouth-watering burgers. One's just along Xavierville Avenue.

If you're the type who wants twists to your burgers, then Boulevard Diner is the perfect place for you. Located within the Katipunan/Loyola Heights area, this burger place has been fulfilling burger cravings since October of 2010. With unique burger concepts, Boulevard Diner has created a big market for die-hard burger fans who are looking for something better than the usual hamburger or cheeseburger. Mind you, these burgers aren't for the faint of heart. Boulevard Diner's burgers are packed with flavors that will surely give you an unforgettable burger dining experience.

Boulevard Diner does not only have notable burgers, they also have delicious chicken wings to boast about. In fact, Boulevard Diner has the "Diner He-Man Challenge". The objective of the customer who dares to take on this challenge is to finish one and a half pounds of Boulevard Diner's 'Wings of Hell' (their version of super spicy chicken wings) at the fastest possible time and beat the record. If you win, you don't have to pay for the wings. Simple it may seem, but even we find it difficult to achieve.

Service at Boulevard Diner is above average. The lady who served us our dishes even took time to chat with us while we were waiting for our orders. For us it's a nice thing when you get to communicate with the customers. The place isn't that big with regards to the interiors part. It may be able to seat approximately 20 people. Nevertheless, despite the small space, it did manage to give that diner feel customers would expect.

Here's what we tried at Boulevard Diner. Oh, and by the way, you can opt to add 45 php to upgrade your burger with some fries and iced tea (not the till you drop one):

Sip Till You Drop Iced Tea, 45 php

Glutton Guy and Glutton Girl: Boulevard Diner's version of bottomless iced tea. It's just the normal type, so nothing special to talk about here. For 45 pesos, this is one cheap bottomless iced tea. At other restaurants, you get an unlimited serving of the drink for 65 pesos, and that's at the very least. It's a nice thing that Boulevard Diner made their drinks affordable. They perfect with the burgers! : )

1/2 Lbs. Wings (Hickory flavor), 130 php

Glutton Guy: I was a bit afraid to try the spicy version, so we settled for the safe one. We ordered the hickory flavor, which is the wings coated with the barbecue flavor. Although it was delicious, I then realized it was too safe on my part. I think it would have been better if there was a little bit of spiciness in there. The chicken, however, was cooked perfectly. The skin wasn't as crispy as I expected it to be, but it worked. I actually loved how the chicken was bathed in the delicious sauce. It really coated the chicken and made it super flavorful. Thumbs up for Boulevard Diner's chicken wings! : )

Glutton Girl: Authentic chicken wings is supposedly saucy and spicy to give it some kick. That's what I'm looking for every time I order chicken wings. Moreover, the skin should have loads of flavor and the inside should be cooked perfectly. Boulevard Diner did just that in their chicken wings, minus the spiciness. Because we ordered the hickory flavor, it was leaning towards the sweet type of chicken wings. I still loved them, though. You could scrap the usual bleu cheese dip for this because it's already loaded with flavor. I would eat this again at Boulevard Diner.

Gorgon-zola, 180 php

Glutton Guy: Just when you thought that fast-food burgers were the best, here comes Boulevard Diner's Gorgon-zola. Cheese, mushrooms, lettuce, tomatoes, everything I look for in a burger is in it. This was my order because I noticed on the menu that it was one of their best-sellers. I can see why. The patty is juicy (it is a third of a pound, after all hahaha) and delicious. The cheese melts in your mouth and the lettuce gives that crunch when you eat it. I enjoyed eating this burger. It's something you can't get enough of. Since the burger's big, you would have a hard time eating it using your hands. I would suggest using a knife and a fork. : )

Crazy Cajun, 160 php

Glutton Girl: I never tried burger with coleslaw in it. But, this one worked for me. The coleslaw was perfect with the chicken fillet. Other than the coleslaw, everything else is usual. You have the tomato slice, the cheese, and the soft buns. The chicken was tender and delicious. The coleslaw and the cheese helps prevent the burger from becoming dry. Interestingly, the chicken patty worked well with the coleslaw. The cheese accentuated the flavors and made the dish whole. The vegetables were a bit watery, a good indication that they are fresh. Say goodbye to KFC's Double Down, because here comes Boulevard Diner's Crazy Cajun! hahahaha

Larry Lana'i, 175 php

Glutton Guy: A burger with a pineapple slice, now that's something I like. Jollibee's Amazing Aloha once reigned that spot for me, but not after I tried Boulevard Diner's Larry Lana'i. The tropical name would instantly give you the hint that this burger has some pineapples. I like the pineapples here. They're sweet, and they complement the flavors of the patty and the cheese. It was slightly caramelized to hype the sweet flavor of the pineapple. The burger patty and the cheese also worked for me. Larry Lana'i is a tropical kind of burger that is a fusion of the sweet and the salty. You wouldn't NOT want this in you table when you eat at Boulevard Diner. : )

Glutton Girl: After my Crazy Cajun, we tried another burger, the Larry Lana'i. This is, by far, one of the best burgers that I have tried at Boulevard Diner (I only tried two, so it's quite obvious what I mean hahahaha). The pineapple slice really helped a lot. It gave a sweet taste and an added texture to the burger. Despite it being the star, the pineapple wasn't overpowering the other elements in the burger. It worked well with the crunchy onions and lettuce, and it also worked with the delicious cheese. The patty was cooked perfectly, and, unlike the usual burger patty, wasn't thin at all. It was juicy and was very delicious. Talk about a good burger. Well, this is it right here.

True, burgers can be a bit overrated. With the many burgers stalls out there (not to mention the buy 1 take 1 burgers), it may not be something that foodies might crave for. Boulevard Diner is one burger place that opposes that idea. The place is a testament to the philosophy that burgers can be altered to make them more unique, more interesting, and most importantly, more delicious. Great burgers? It may be about the patty, the cheese, or the sauce. But the honest truth? It's just all about the Boulevard.

Here's how we rated Boulevard Diner:

Food:

Price:

Place:

Service:

(Boulevard Diner is located at 91 Xavierville Avenue corner Esteban Abada Street, Loyola Heights, Quezon City. It's to your right if you're coming from Katipunan, just across Regina Condominium (the tall, blue building).)

Sonja Does It Best

2011-08-01T19:51:00.000-07:00

Cupcakes can be an obsession. Just like ice cream and candy bars, if they are not taken lightly, they can be addictive. But, you shouldn't try to resist them. They are in fact, for some people, comfort food. Usual cupcakes would consist of frosting and cake decorations, such as fondant, syrup, or candy sprinkles. Regardless of what they place on top, cupcakes can be a delight to eat, especially when they're perfectly baked. There are a lot of notable cupcake shops around the Metro. But, if you haven’t tried Sonja’s cupcakes, then you've been missing out.

Cupcakes by Sonja has been occupying that quaint spot in Serendra ever since the mall-residence hybrid opened, and it has gained popularity proportional to what Serendra is now. From being a mere hobby of a lady living in Serendra, the store has become the go-to cupcake place for celebrations and special occasions, or even when you just feel like rewarding yourself with royal cupcake goodness. There’s no surprise to this though; one bite in their cupcakes and you’ll understand the craze.

For this visit, we tried the Red Velvet Vixen and the Blondie Bar with valrhona chocolate bits, coconut and pecan.

Red Velvet Vixen, 70 php

Glutton Guy: We have this neighbor who makes super delicious Red Velvet cupcakes. She makes very moist cupcakes with a sweet and delicious frosting. Sonja's Red Velvet is comparable to that one. I enjoyed this cupcake. It's not dry on the inside and the icing on top is absolutely delicious. I didn't even know that the icing was made of cream cheese! It didn't taste anything like cream cheese, but I didn't mind because it was good anyway. There is nothing to dislike in Sonja's Red Velvet. I could eat a whole box of this lovely cupcake. : )

Glutton Girl: I’m a fan of Sonja’s cupcakes and I must say this is my second favorite flavor, the first being Pistachio Berries and Cream (super duper good, you should try it!!!). The cake is moist, thick and full of flavor, unlike usual butter cupcakes which are heavy but tasteless. I like it also because the cake is bearable on its own. You know how we love just eating the muffin top because the body is blah? Well this Red Velvet Vixen (and the Pistachio Berries and Cream as well) is yummy to the core. Arguably the best red velvet cupcake in town.

Blondie Bar with Valrhona Chocolate Bits, Coconut and Pecan, 85 php

Glutton Guy: This was an okay bar for me. My problem with it was that it was hard. Plus, it crumbles when you use a fork to eat it. Taste-wise, however, it was really good. You could really taste the coconut in the bar. I liked the chocolate chunks on top. The choco chunks make the bar look like a cookie that's square-shaped. I wasn't actually tasting the pecan in there. I was getting some crunchy texture; that was probably it. I would still prefer Sonja's cupcakes over their other goodies. : )

Glutton Girl: I ordered this blondie bar just so I can try other fares offered by Cupcakes by Sonja. They’re known for their cupcakes, but I’d like to know if the same goodness holds true for the cookies and bars. Unfortunately, this Blondie bar was not up to par. It was very dry, crumbly at times, and very difficult to cut/bite into. I was expecting it to be a little bit moist and gooey, given that it had chocolate bits, but it wasn't. The chocolate chunks didn't fail me though; they were heavenly (and big too!). The slice was big for 85 pesos, but in the taste department, it did not deliver. I say stick to cupcakes; that’s what they do best.

We feautured just two for the visit, but we’ve eaten tons more from our previous stopovers in Serendra. We recommend you to try the following flavors as well: Pistachio Berries and Cream, Malt-in-your-mouth Flourless Chocolate Cupcake, Peppermint Patty, and Cookie Monster. So what are you waiting for? Go grab your purse and drive to Serendra now for your cupcake fix. We know you want too.

Here's how we rated Cupcakes by Sonja:

Food:

Price:

Place:

Service:

(Cupcakes by Sonja is located at 1 C03 Ground Floor, Bonifacio High Street, Bonifacio Global City, Taguig. It's just in front of Sentro and Murray & D'Vine and across Fully Booked.)

Singaporean Breakfast at the Heart of Ortigas

2011-07-24T10:14:00.000-07:00

Breakfast, as they say, is the most important part of the day. This is because breakfast gives you that boost of energy that will make you ready for school or for work. A Pinoy breakfast would usually consist of eggs, hot dogs, hot pandesal, and a cup of coffee. Sometimes there would be tocino, tuyo, tapa, or sardines. Most Filipinos who have the colonial mentality would go for foreign-inspired breakfasts such as waffles, pancakes, bagels, and the like. There are a lot of good food places that offer those kinds of food. But, when you're looking for a place that’s open as early as 7am but not as full as Starbucks or Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf, then head over to Escriva Drive and grab a fix of your light Singaporean breakfast fare.

Ya Kun Kaya Toast is a franchise from Singapore and has numerous branches in Malaysia, Indonesia, Taiwan, South Korea, Japan, and the Philippines. It offers a variety of toasts and drinks, most famous of which are the Kaya Toast and the Milo Dinosaur. And because they are the most-loved items in the menu, we decided to try those, along with others we’d like to try. Maybe this Singaporean treat is something new to you. If you haven't heard of it, Kaya Toast is a notable snack amongst people at Singapore and Malaysia. It's bread (or toast, or 'tasty', as our locals would call it) with a spread of coconut milk, eggs, butter, and other flavorings. Because it's so good, it's not surprising that it made all this way to the Philippines for Pinoys to try out.

The place is enough to accommodate around 25 to 30 customers. They have sofas for customers who want to have their toast the comfy way. Just beside the sofas is the newspapers and magazines rack which is perfect for people who want something to read while enjoying their Kaya Toast. Don't be surprised, though, to see businessmen and office people as their usual customers. It is Ortigas, after all. Service is not so bad, with food being served in around 10 minutes. Practically nothing bad can be said about Ya Kun Kaya.

Here are Ya Kun Kaya's must-tries:

Kaya Toast with Butter, 50 php (1 slice); 80 php (2 slices)

Glutton Guy: Eating at Ya Kun Kaya without trying their famous Kaya Toast is like going to New York without seeing the Statue of Liberty. No wonder this bread is a hit among Singaporeans. There isn't any reason for you not to like it. The toast is crunchy, and the filling inside is just delicious. It's similar to the taste of coco jam, but better. It has this sweet taste that wasn't overwhelming. For 80 pesos, though, I find it a bit pricey. For some reason, Kaya here is a bit expensive. But, the flavor is really good, so I guess that's what compensates it all. When I go to Singapore, I'll make sure to buy a lot of these Kaya spreads. : )

Glutton Girl: I love kaya to death, and I’m not exaggerating. My addiction for this unique and tasty coconut spread led me to learning how to make my own kaya toast, complete from the thinly sliced bread to the butter-kaya ratio. That is why I was a bit disappointed with Ya Kun Kaya’s kaya toast. The butter slices were so thick it overpowered the kaya (which was so good by the way) and even the bread. It became too oily and greasy to bite into, and that is one of my big no-no’s in food. Luckily there was a blob of kaya sitting on our French toast’s plate (see next item). I removed the excess butter and replaced it with more kaya instead. Mmm.. better.

Cheezy French Toast with Kaya, 80 php

Glutton Guy: This is a mediocre version of the Kaya Toast. It's like the Kaya Toast, plus cheese. I actually didn't like the taste. Because of the cheese, the toast became soggy, and that wasn't good for me. The cheese flavor really didn't went well with the flavors of the Kaya. In fact, the cheese overpowered the flavor of the Kaya. It had a sweet and salty taste with a wet texture that really wasn't appealing to the palate. It was like eating soggy toast. We weren't supposed to order this, but the lady at the cashier told us to try it, so we did. Next time, remind us not to fall for cashier PR's. : )

Glutton Girl: This was the “experimental dish”. Cheese is salty and kaya is sweet, so it was nail-biting to taste if they matched. To my (pleasant) surprise, it didn’t taste bad. The cheese they used was too salty though, making the dish saltier than it should be. I’ve always assumed all French toasts are sweet. This wasn’t. The kaya spread on top makes the contrast more proportioned though. I wish they would’ve given us more kaya. It was okay all in all for me, but I still like the kaya toast better.

Milo Dinosaur, 95 php

Glutton Guy: This really was a dinosaur of a drink. This Milo Dinosaur made me remember my childhood days when I used to eat Milo powder for a snack. The top is full of the powder and the drink itself is very chocolatey. It had that right amount of sweetness, perfect for a slice of Kaya. I liked the fact that the drink wasn't over-complicated. It's just plain old Milo with Milo powder on top. That makes it much much better for a drink. : )

Glutton Girl: This was Glutton Guy’s drink but I took a sip of it and it was good. Milo overload, which is how it should be. I especially love the unmixed Milo powder on top. Yum yum.

Iced Tea 'C', 80 php

Glutton Guy: Ya Kun Kaya's milk tea wasn't so bad. It's not as delicious as milk teas from other food places, but it's something worth trying as well. It had that hint of creaminess from the milk. Like my Milo Dinosaur, it wasn't overwhelmingly sweet and outrageously bitter. I liked the balance that Ya Kun Kaya made with regards to the taste. It's nice that Glutton Girl ordered this drink. I get to taste the Singaporean version of milk tea. : )

Glutton Girl: I’m addicted to milk tea (any type) so it was no surprise that I ordered this drink. Plus I wanted something light to accompany our kaya and French toasts. Although it isn’t the best (not even one of the best) milk teas I’ve tried in Manila, it was good enough to accompany the dishes.

This unassuming place offers simple and light fares. If you’re avoiding crowded places and noisy college students having a group meeting, then Ya Kun Kaya Toast is a good place to go to. Just remember to tell the waitress to lessen the butter in your kaya toast and you’re good. Truly, Ya Kun Kaya gives you a delicious slice of Kaya Toast, with an unforgettable slice of Singapore.

Here's how we rated Ya Kun Kaya:

Food:

Price:

Place:

Service:

(Ya Kun Kaya Toast has 4 branches: 1. Ground Floor FERN Building, Escriva Drive corner General Araneta street, Ortigas Center, Pasig. From Shaw Boulevard, just look for the Red Ribbon and take a turn there. Ya Kun Kaya is to your right; 2. Terminal 2, Domestic Terminal, Pasay City; 3. Level 1, Unit 16 (Adriatico Wing) Robinsons Place Manila; and 4. North Parking Building, SM Mall of Asia.)

Bar Dolci: Making Life Sweeter

2011-06-20T23:17:00.000-07:00

The gelato craze has been going on for quite a while. With the emergence of Cara Mia, Gelatissimo and Cafe Ti Amo, Filipinos are getting more acquainted with the difference that gelato offers. Gelato is basically ice cream in Italian, but what makes it different is that it has lesser fat content (about 5-7%) compared to the normal ice cream (about 10%). This is because the whole milk-cream ratio is higher in gelato than that of the normal ice cream. So yes, you who's on a diet, you can eat gelato because it's "healthier". Haha! Despite the influx of gelaterias in the metro, there's one that stood out amongst everyone: BAR DOLCI.

Situated in the posh area called Burgos Circle, Bar Dolci offers to-die-for gelato, heavenly macaroons, and other tasty pastries. For our visit though, we just tried their gelato (a lot of flavors at that!). We'll try the macaroons and pastries next time. :) The place gives that chic ambiance which gives a 'sophisticated' gelato dining experience. It's comfy enough for people who want to have long chats and discussions in the place.

Service is great as well. The staff is very accommodating, even letting the customers taste different flavors of gelato in cute little spoons. They even have this score board wherein every visitor gets to out a tick mark for every visit. I got 1 additional tick mark for bringing people to Bar Dolci. The lady cashier remembered me!!! (Glutton Girl) :)

Here are the flavors we tried at Bar Dolci (For comparing purposes, we have reviewed the gelato per flavor, as compared to the usual per serving/price that we do to distinguish each flavor we tried):

Bar Dolci Gelato, 120 php (small cone/cup); 160 php (medium cone/cup); 200 (large cup)

Tiramisu

Glutton Guy: This tasted like the real thing, much like the tiramisu my mom makes (yes, my mom makes delicious tiramisu! hahaha). It had that crunchy texture from the graham bits and that sweetness from the cream. I have tasted a tiramisu gelato before at Amici, and I really loved it. This one was comparable, but I found it a bit too sweet. If the sweetness was leveled down a bit, then it would be perfect. : )

Glutton Girl: This was so sweet, it leaves a sensation in your mouth. It had bits of graham and cake similar to that of a real tiramisu cake, minus the wine flavor, which I personally liked. Desserts are supposed to be sweet anyway, right? So it's good they left out that bitter taste.

Vanilla Pistachio
Glutton Guy: My ultimate favorite! I have always loved vanilla ice cream, and I also love pistachio nuts. So, this gelato is a perfect combination. There are some ice cream shops that don't really succeed in serving delicious pistachio ice cream (I won't mention them anymore...you know who you are hahaha), so I don't really risk buying these kinds of flavors. Thanks to Bar Dolci's free taste, I got to try this flavor first before ordering it. I liked the flavor of this gelato. It had that right amount of sweetness which I liked. I couldn't actually taste the pistachio, but I didn't care. You would know that there are pistachios from the green bits in the gelato and the crunch that it gave at the same time. It was creamy and delicious, and that's what mattered for me. Who says vanilla is a boring flavor? : )

Glutton Girl: Pistachio is already heavenly on its own. Add vanilla ice cream and you say HALLELUJAH!!!! I am not exaggerating! It's THAT good! One of the must-try's in Bar Dolci.

Raspberry Black Tea Sorbet
Glutton Guy: Not really a fan of sorbet, but this one worked for me. It had that nice, smooth texture which seemed nice. You could really taste the raspberry here, but it's not overwhelming, which is a good thing. It had a sweet and tangy taste from the raspberry, which, like I said, worked for me. It's also a healthy treat, with raspberry and black tea as ingredients. If you're more of the fruity type, then try this one instead of the usual strawberry or mango. You won't regret it. : )

Glutton Girl: This was the most refreshing flavor amongst the bunch, maybe because it's made of fruit. The consistency is different from that of the other flavors, mainly because this didn't have the milk/cream component. It was more of a sorbet. And it wasn't bad at all! You can really taste the raspberry flavor and bite the poppy seeds. It was a good contrast to the uber sweetness of the other flavors.This is a new flavor too, and I say they did a good job with this.

Cookies
Glutton Guy: If Cookie Monster were here, he'd gobble this all up. Bar Dolci's Cookies gelato is probably one of the best gelatos they have ever created. This creamy, chocolatey cookie delight is every sweet tooth's desire. I liked the cookie chunk that came with the gelato. It also had no issues with regards to its sweetness. I absolutely loved the chocolate bits. I'm a chocolate lover, so the more chocolate bits, the better. It really is a gelato version of the cookies we buy at supermarkets, perhaps even better. If you're heading to Bar Dolci, then this is one of the first flavors you should try. As Cookie Monster would say, "Cooooookiiiieeesss!!!" : )

Glutton Girl: Bar Dolci's best-seller, and there's no wonder why. In other gelaterias, this is called Biscotinno, but in Bar Dolci, they opted to use the simple Cookies. It's the same thing anyway. This is cookies and cream, heaven version. The base was is so good, the cookie bits are so crunchy and sweet, the chocolate bits were plentiful, and the huge cookie chunk that comes with it is the perfect ending to this great concoction. Must-try. You haven't been to Bar Dolci if you didn't try Cookies.

Salted Caramel
Glutton Guy: This one had that weird, delicious taste that for me was quite interesting. Sea Salt and Caramel is a flavor that becoming popular today, not only in gelato, but also in drinks like milk tea. It has this bittersweet taste (with a hint of saltiness from the salt) that you will find deliciously different. This one had that creamy texture as well, no chunks of whatsoever in the gelato. At first you would wonder, "who would blend sea salt and caramel and make it an ice cream flavor in the first place?" Believe me, you'll thank the guy who invented this flavor, because I guarantee that you will love this just as much as I have. I wasn't disappointed the first time I tried it. And honestly, Bar Dolci is one of those gelaterias who can make excellent Sea Salt and Caramel gelato. : )

Glutton Girl: Sweet and salty in one? Possible with Sea Salt Caramel. This flavor is for those who are not fond of super sweet stuff, yet want to enjoy their dessert. The fight between salt and caramel poses a weird but great combination inside your mouth, making you want more.

Bar Dolci is a must when you are around the Burgos Circle area. It's absolutely perfect for people who want something good for dessert, or for groups who want to have a good time while enjoying delicious gelato at the same time. Prices are reasonable, the ambience is lovely (inside and out), service is great (I love the ate cashier!! - Glutton Girl), and the gelato is superb. Needless to say, we think Bar Dolci is the best gelateria in the metro.

Here's how we rated Bar Dolci:

Food:

Price:

Place:

Service:

(Bar Dolci is located at F133 Forbeswood Heights corner Burgos Circle, Bonifacio Global City, Taguig. Once you're at Forbes Town Center, you really can't miss it.)

Having the Best of 'Both Worlds'

2011-06-09T08:02:00.000-07:00

It's rare that you find history in food places around Metro Manila. Well, we still have food places such as the Aristocrat and Savory, not to mention food places around the Walled City. Most of the time, however, it's the fast-food chains that are being given attention because of their affordable price, accessible location, and speedy service. As a result, we seldom get the chance to eat food that's well prepared and has a touch of history in it. The world is becoming fast-paced, and the city is not an exception. It's not too late to try and discover what the Metro can REALLY offer, though. So, if you have the time, head on over to Manila, specifically to Recto.

Amidst the hustle and bustle of the busy streets of Recto is a hole-in-the-wall restaurant named Ambos Mundos. If you're unfamiliar with it, Ambos Mundos is a food place located at Florentino Torres Street in Manila that serves Spanish and Filipino delicacies worthy to feed your hungry appetite. It's quite difficult to find, and honestly, it took us a while before we found the place. Despite the location, Ambos Mundos offers delicious dishes that would make you fall in love with Spanish-Filipino food. In fact, the delicious food is not the only thing Ambos Mundos can boast about. This food place has actually served hungry Filipino tummies since 1888! Now that's a feat to beat! Ambos Mundos is a Spanish term that translates to "Both Worlds" in English. According to our research, it was named as such because the owners wanted to show the fusion of Filipino and Spanish culture through the dishes they offered. This is apparent, as the place was established during the Spanish occupation. From then until now, Ambos Mundos continues to affirm in this standard in every dish they serve to their customers.

The place is actually old-looking. This is understandable, it being there for more than a century. Most of the furniture are antique and old. It really gives that historical feel to the place. You could still see some Spanish accents around the place. There are also some Chinese designs, probably inspired by nearby Binondo. The place is not air-conditioned, but we think they have an air-conditioned second floor. There's a "baboy ramo" or a "wild pig" tied near the entrance, so don't get scared because it doesn't bite (it was sleeping during our visit hahahaha). Hopefully this doesn't deter you from trying out Ambos Mundos. Service is a bit lax, so just be patient. When we were there, the waiter was confused because he wasn't familiar with what we were ordering (wtf, right? hahaha) and he was really having a hard time taking our orders. The dishes here are good for 2 (according to them), but it really looked like it was good for 3, or even more. So, it would give you the realization that the price is okay.

Here's what we tried at Ambos Mundos:

(By the way, I had Coke priced at 27 php. No reason to say what I think about this, right? - Glutton Girl)

Lemon Iced Tea, 32 php

Glutton Guy: Nothing special about this drink. Normal iced tea. Well, aside from the fact that you're drinking it at a food place that's been there since 1888, there's nothing else to be ecstatic about. It was just plain old simple iced tea. : )

Paella Ambos, 599 (small); 818 php (medium)

Glutton Guy: This, according to the waiter, is Ambos Mundos' best-seller. I can see why. It was beautifully presented, with the crab on top and the other seafood on the side. More than the presentation was the taste. It was super delicious. I've never tasted paella that good. It's actually a tad pricey, but the food you'll get is absolutely worth it. I only had a hard time eating the crab because it was still whole, but the other ingredients were cooked perfectly. The shrimp, the clams, the mussels...everything was really good. I'm a seafood lover so it's no surprise that I really liked this dish. : )

Glutton Girl: I loved the paella of Ambos Mundos! Among all the seafood, I really loved the shrimps. They weren't rubbery and were very flavorful. The clams and the crab were also good. I actually had a hard time eating the seafood because I had to remove them from their shells. Flavor-wise, however, the dish really hit the spot. It was very flavorful and presented perfectly. Believe me, you're visit here won't be complete without trying their one of their paellas.

Torta Alimango, 249 php

Glutton Guy: What I really liked about this dish was that they used real crab meat, not the artificial one. You could tell because there's still some crab shell inside with the crab meat. It was really good with the vegetables. This dish would actually serve around 3 to 4 persons, so the price ain't that bad. I would actually recommend this one when you try Ambos Mundos. : )

Glutton Girl: I actually persuaded Glutton Guy to try this one. I love crabs so I wanted a lot of crab dishes. This dish for me was good. I just didn't like it when I took a bite of it and I would feel crab shells in my mouth. It felt as though I ate the crab without removing the shells. But, it had a delicious flavor. It tasted a lot like the torta at home. If there's something to say about this dish - it's crabs, crabs, and more crabs.

Chicken in Coconut Milk, 195 php

Glutton Guy: This tasted a lot like chicken curry. The scent was intense and the flavor was very good. The chicken was cooked well. The sauce was really good. It was a bit spicy, but I actually wouldn't mind if it was spicier than that. I could really taste the coconut milk in the dish. Overall, I'd say it was a good dish. : )

Glutton Girl: It was an okay dish for me. The coconut milk made the dish a bit creamy, which I liked very much. The chicken was also good. It was soft and easy to eat. But, it wasn't really engulfed in the sauce so the chicken alone wasn't really that flavorful. I liked the mixture of flavors in the dish, though. I also liked the spiciness the bits of pepper gave to the dish.

Leche Flan, 45 php

Glutton Guy: Not the best leche flan I have tasted so far. It lacked a bit of sweetness. It was a bit bitter because of the syrup, and that was a bit off for me because I'm not a fan of bitter food. Also, for 45 pesos, it didn't seem to be really worth it because it was just a small serving of leche flan. I would actually order another dessert, if you ask me. : )

Glutton Girl: It was kind of bitter for me. Well, probably that was how leche flan tasted like during the Spanish era. But, I wanted more sweetness in that dessert. It also wasn't creamy for me. Probably needed a bit more eggs and milk. It was like a petite leche flan when it was served. It also needed a bit more syrup, and SWEET syrup at that. Well, it's not that bad. You could give it a try if you want to. But like Glutton Guy, I would choose a different dessert for my sweet tooth.

Ambos Mundos does not only mix Spanish and Filipino cuisine in their dishes, it also adds history and culture in it. Prices here are not very affordable, but it's an experience you have to try, especially in a busy place such as Recto. It's not everyday that you eat dishes like these, more so in a place like Ambos Mundos. Whether you're a Spanish cuisine enthusiast, a history admirer, or just a curious passer-by, we definitely guarantee that you would get satisfaction in this food place. At Ambos Mundos, you can truly get the best of 'Both Worlds'.

Here's how we rated Ambos Mundos:

Food:

Price:

Place:

Service:

(Ambos Mundos is located at 750 Florentino Torres Street, Sta. Cruz, Manila. From the Recto LRT station, just go straight going to Divisoria. Florentino Torres Street is to your left. You can't miss it once you see the street.)

A 'Seductive' Twist to Scrumptious Dishes

2011-05-22T00:58:00.000-07:00

Seduction isn't always bad. There are times when all you can do is to just give in. Sometimes, it can bring something good, something different. And when it's different, it's bound to intrigue foodies like us. Food that's unique and out-of-the-box are the ones we always want to try. Let us make it simpler for you - yes, food can offer seduction. Have you guys ever heard of the term "aphrodisiac"? Well, the word applies to dishes that can stimulate sexual desires from both men and women. Although it's not scientifically proven, aphrodisiac dishes have made a reputation of making sex more reachable and pleasurable. Wanna know what dishes can stimulate your sexual urges? Tell you what, you could get a hint at this food place.

Gayuma ni Maria isn't an amateur in the food business. This out-of-the-box restaurant has found a new spot at V. Luna Extension at Sikatuna Village in Quezon City. It was previously located at Esteban Abada Street at Katipunan (it was then known simply as Gayuma), then at Granada Street near Gilmore (it then changed its name to Cucina Gayuma). With the many change of locations, you might think that it's not the Gayuma that people have come to love. But, in all honesty, we can say that it still offers the same delicious food with the same unique concept.

The place is a bit cozy, with an ambiance similar to Cafe Xocolat at Katipunan (haven't read our Xocolat review yet? Well, you could read it here). The place is kind of hot when we were there (we really don't now if the air-condition was working), but it was homey and romantic. It's perfect for lovebirds who want to have a memorable meal or for groups who simply want to hang out and have fun. You can find and read interesting things written on the wall, such as "Kiss me, fool!" "Forget love, I'd rather fall in chocolate", and "Hoy lumapit ka kung gusto mo akong halikan". There are also spell-like instructions like Waxing Moon (which is, according to what's written, is a spell to inspire honesty) and Pheromone-a-therapy (which is a spell for the boys...whatever that means guys hahahaha). On the corner is a shelf where Gayuma sells different aphrodisiac stuffs for customers who want to bring home their curiosity and interest on (quote unquote) pleasure. There is a second floor where you can find a quite different ambiance from the first floor's. It had a Japanese kind of feel because of the native mats, pillow seats, and short tables. There were also some clothes and accessories in the room. We don't know if they're for sale, though. But from the looks of the room, it looked like it was a bedroom before Gayuma turned it into a restaurant. Every nook and cranny of this place is absolutely interesting.

Prices aren't that cheap, but serving size is okay. We would say that the dishes here are quite affordable. The service is also good. Not the best, but it will definitely do. We were served well, probably because we were the only customers during our visit. But, we really have nothing bad to say about how we were served. Another plus for Gayuma ni Maria.

Get seduced with what we tried:

Mango Shake, 65 php (Premium), 85 php (Super)

Glutton Guy: This one's a very refreshing drink. You could really taste the sweet mangoes and there weren't any lumps of ice which was a plus for me. It was so good that I wanted another glass of it. For 65 pesos, I guess the price was not so bad. I mean, at other restaurants it's actually the same price for a shake as good as this one. So, I guess it's a good recommend. : )

Banana Shake, 85 php (Premium), 125 php (Super)

Glutton Girl: Same as Glutton Guy's mango shake, the banana shake really satisfied me. I was supposed to order a two-fruit shake. But, I guess the 125 peso price wouldn't be justifiable for a small glass of shake. So, I just opted for the banana shake. I liked the flavor of the shake, nothing of the artificial flavors other food places use. Form the looks of it you couldn't tell that it's banana shake because it didn't really quite resemble the color of a banana. But, it's also a good drink for a hot day.

Vanquished, 135 php

Glutton Guy: I ordered this dish because I wanted some kind of appetizer before having my meal. Vanquished is actually Gayuma's version of onion soup. It was good, but it was actually a lot for me. The first few spoonfuls were delicious, but as you finish half of it you would get that 'umay' factor. The cheese is actually delicious because it's melted. But, I had a hard time eating it because it kept sticking to the spoon. I loved the taste of it, but like I said, the flavors would be too overwhelming as you continue eating it. I actually wasn't able to finish mine. : )

Rock Me Baby!, 215 php

Glutton Girl: This is Gayuma's take on the famous Baby Back Ribs. It was served with mashed potatoes and corn. The ribs were good. It had that perfect ribs taste - sweet, a hint of that smoked flavor, and a yummy barbecue taste that you can even savor on the bone. The meat was soft and tender. The corn was also good. It had that crunch that I liked. Didn't really fall for the mashed potatoes, though. But overall, I'd say that this was a winner dish. This dish really rocked me, if you know what I mean.

Once You Go Black, You Never Go Back, 225 php

Glutton Guy: This is a one-of-a-kind dish that I wouldn't imagine being served in other food places. I never ate a fish dish with chocolate on top of the fish. And believe me, it actually is quite good. The chocolate blended well with the fish. The crust of the fish had that crunchiness which I really liked. I actually didn't expect it to taste that good. For my taste buds, however, it's better off without the mustard. But, it's an absolutely delicious dish. The serving was big enough as well. The kamote fries were also good, but they were a bit dry. Who would've thought that chocolate and fish went well together?! : )

Beats Sex Anyday, 75 php

Glutton Guy: Great dessert from Gayuma! This is chocolate heaven in every bite. Every layer in this dessert was just delicious. The chocolate cake was soft and moist. The butterscotch and the cream was just perfect for the chocolate cake. The nuts and chocolate bits gave the dessert the texture I was looking for. The drizzled chocolate sauce was like the cherry on top. Every ingredient in the dessert worked well together with the other ingredients. Gayuma didn't disappoint me with this dessert. I guess it can truly beat sex anyday! hahahaha : )

Glutton Girl: Choco cake with butterscotch, cream and choco bits? What dessert could top that? hahahaha I was craving for something sweet when we were at Gayuma, so it was really a must to order dessert. We decided to order Beats Sex Anyday and I was really satisfied with regards to its flavor and presentation. The butterscotch and the cream were the most delicious parts for me. The dessert was super decadent and luscious that I just couldn't get enough of it. I really recommend this one for the sweet tooth peeps out there!

Gayuma ni Maria offers uniquely intriguing food for adventurous foodies who want to have a great dining experience. Mind you, the dishes here are out of the ordinary, but we guarantee that they're worth trying. The place itself also offers something exquisite, something that would make your Gayuma experience worthwhile. So, if you're up to try dishes that are quite extraordinary and bewitchingly delicious, then head over to Sikatuna Village and try the dishes of Gayuma ni Maria. We tell you, these are dishes that would make you fall in love...over, and over, and over again. ^_^

Here's how we rated Gayuma ni Maria:

Food:

Price:

Place:

Service:

(Gayuma ni Maria is located at 123 V. Luna Extension, Sikatuna Village, Quezon City. It's near Savemore and Sr. Pedro Lechon Manok. You will see a tricycle terminal, another indication that you're already there.)

Gobble Up Some Gorky's!

2011-05-14T08:35:00.000-07:00

With the plethora of Italian restaurants here in the metro, it's difficult to distinguish the taste of the food these restaurants offer. The most that we can classify them is high-end, middle-class, and low-end. You've got the affordable Italian food chains like Greenwich and Sbarro, then you have the so-so priced but really good Italian food like Amici and A Veneto. Then you have the likes of Italianni's and California Pizza Kitchen which charge for what the level of goodness they offer. Our newest find, Gorky's, falls in the middle-class section because of price and a little bit in the flavor, but not so much in the aesthetics department. Here's why.

Gorky's Pizzeria is just a small place located along Pasong Tamo Extension. Based on our estimate, it can seat around 25 people max. Good thing we got there around 2 in the afternoon so we avoided the lunch hour. We can't imagine eating in the place with so many people; we won't be able to breathe (not to mention the heat nowadays hahaha). Another bad thing: the air-con was not turned on. They claimed it was, but we knew it wasn't. The place is so small that a normal air-conditioning would easily keep the room cold. But no, it was bordering to humid inside. We even asked the waitress to turn the fan/cooler towards our direction and let it stay there.

The waiters were not that attentive. There were (we think) 5-6 waiters in that restaurant, and yet we had a hard time asking for some water. We had to ask for it for (we think, again) 5 times before they gave us our glasses. When we asked about the waiting time for our food, this was what the waiter specifically said when we asked how long it would take for our food to arrive, "10 minutes po usually yung chicken wings and pasta, so parating na po yun in a while niluluto na po eh. Then yung pizza mas matagal po, mga 10 minutes." What? We just secretly laughed at what he said (it was funny, don't you think so? hahahaha). And lo and behold, all dishes came after 10 minutes. Bravo.

What we ordered:

Buffalo Wings (Semi-Serious; also available in Serious and Delirious heat levels), 150 php (6 pieces), 250 php (12 pieces)

Glutton Guy: We got the Semi-serious heat level because we didn't want a super spicy chicken wings. Don't get me wrong, I love spicy food. But, it's just not perfect for the hot weather when we visited Gorky's. The chicken was good and soft. It was just super spicy. I didn't even know how that became semi-serious. At the back of my mind I was like, "If this is semi-serious, how spicy would delirious be?" But, it was good. We didn't pay any attention to the vegetables on the side, though. Not that comparable to other chicken wings places (probably because it's not their specialty). But, for me it's something that wouldn't hurt if you give it a shot. : )

Glutton Girl: I told Glutton Guy to get the mildest level of hotness because I have low tolerance for spicy food. This, however, was still very spicy for me. I was literally sweating, even with the fan in front of my face. It wasn't so crispy either, not like Buffalo's Wings and Things'. With all the chicken wings craze, Gorky's should have at least stepped it up. The wings tasted like they were just fried then dipped in hot sauce. I can make better wings than that. For real.

Margherita Pizza, 250 php (10"), 450 php (14"), 550 php (18")

Glutton Guy: This was a good pizza for me. The best thing about Gorky's Margherita pizza is the cheese. The cheese is hot and soft and it just melts in your mouth. Because the pizza was hot when it was served, the cheese was just oozing and very delicious. Another thing I liked about it is that it's a healthy type of pizza. It's just tomatoes, basil, and cheese, nothing of the fatty stuff. For me it was just simple and delicious pizza. : )

Glutton Girl: The pizza was okay. The crust was thin (which I liked) and the cheese they used was real mozarella. The downside though was they cut the tomato too thick that it disregarded the whole simplistic taste of margherita pizza, and the crust was burnt. Yes, burnt. At least the cheese part was good.

Gorky's Gamberetti, 150 php

Glutton Guy: Great pasta, in my opinion. I loved the thin pasta which was cooked perfectly. The shrimp was also soft and delicious. The dish, overall, was perfectly seasoned. I would have preferred an oil based or cream based Gamberetti. For me it's a lot better. Also, it would be better for me to add some more seafood, probably some shellfish in there. Some minor adjustments and this is already a pasta worthy of high end restaurant standards! : )

Glutton Girl: This was the dish I liked the most, if not, the only one I liked. The sauce was normal, nothing out of the ordinary, and the shrimps were well-cooked. They weren't that big though. The pasta was also al dente, so generally, nothing was butchered in this dish. The serving was good for two also, if you order something else. The price was pretty cheap for the dish. Pretty good one.

Gorky's may not be the number one pizza place that would come into mind, but it's a food place that deserves a try. With so many restaurants to go to, one must be able to offer something exceptional to stand out and to keep the customers coming back for more. As of now, Gorky's may still be lacking on that aspect. But, the place has a lot of dishes which could potentially satisfy your pizza and pasta cravings, even those that we have yet to try. It might just be a small food place, but with a little bit of exposure (and giving customers new and delicious dishes that are worth trying), Gorky's Pizzeria will have that rightful spot in no time.

Here's how we rated Gorky's:

Food:

Price:

Place:

Service:

(Gorky's Pizzeria is located at 2301 Pasong Tamo Extension, Makati City. If you're coming from EDSA (north bound), just turn right at the street beside the Alphaland Southgate Mall. It's before the Magallanes MRT Station. Just go straight and you'll see Gorky's on your left. It's just after Toyota and alongside PS Bank.)

Serving Only The Finest: Kitchen's Best

2011-05-10T06:48:00.000-07:00

They say you have to end everything with a sweet note, and that also applies in eating. Dessert is one of the must-haves every after meal, and cakes are one of the most common ones we have. One slice of sweet goodness will surely erase the bad memory of a bad meal, or heighten the satisfaction of an already great meal. While cakes are generally good (making them a safe bet for desserts), not all can be called "the best". Luckily, we stumbled upon a quaint but apparently very known cake place along Pasong Tamo Extension: Kitchen's Best, and they sure have the right to claim "good" in its superlative form.

The place is very regal. The seats were a combination of huge, comfortable sofas and those high, wooden chairs (painted white) with cushions fit for royalty. Huge crystal chandeliers were hanging above the customers, giving the restaurant the dim but yellow-ish light feel. Magazines were spread on the coffee tables, making the customers feel like they're in a coffee shop, only better. Prototypes of their best-selling and award-winning cakes were displayed near the entrance, showcased alongside the actual trophies they received. Several write-ups and features from numerous magazines were also posted on the walls. If a lot of people gave this cake place recognition, then it must be really good.

After looking around (and admiring the write-ups), we then decided to sit down on the couches and order their famous cakes. After much deliberation (we are sharing each other's cakes, anyway), we decided to go with Mango Sansrival and Chocolate Obsession. Wanna see how they look like? Well, here goes:

Chocolate Obsession, 95 php (slice), 880 php (whole) - "The Best Desserts and Cakes of 2008", Manila Bulletin 2008

Glutton Guy: Chocolate Obsession.. Mmm.. I love anything and everything chocolate, so this was a good choice for me. Obsession it was! The slice was so think and rich that every bite seemed like I was eating a whole bar of chocolate. It was THAT good. Since the cake itself was very rich in chocolate awesomeness already, they just put little icing on top and on the sides of it. But wow, this slice was heavenly. It's not surprising why Manila Bulletin chose this cake as one of the best desserts and cakes of 2008. : )

Glutton Girl: Heavenly.. that's the correct term to describe this slice of cake. I'm not a chocolate-flavor lover (I go for vanilla/caramel over chocolate), but this was good! The slice was super rich and fudgy, chewing it was such a pleasure. I can't have too much of it though; the sweetness may get a bit overpowering if you decide to eat a slice more. But it was good. I also had a chance before to try their White Macadamia Cheesecake, and holy molly that was so good! The next time I visit Kitchen's Best, I surely will buy that cake. It's, after all, their best best-seller.

Mango Sansrival, 105 php (slice), 880 php (whole) - "Undoubtedly the Best Mango Sansrival Cake", Food Magazine 2001

Glutton Guy: Mango Sansrival was Glutton Girl's choice. It just had the right amount of sweetness and creaminess. It actually resembled the Mango Bravo of Conti's. The mangoes gave the sansrival the perfect kick; not to sweet but not sour as well. I also liked the nuts in the cake. It gave that crunch which I would usually look for in sansrival. The slice was also thick enough. Good slice of cake, I must say. : )

Glutton Girl: I love sansrival. It's my favorite cake of all time (yes, more than cheesecake), so it was a no-brainer for me to get this flavor. The sansirival Kitchen's Best offers is that of the soft kind (some like Goldilocks make theirs crunchy), making it easy for me to cut through it using a small fork (Forklet? Haha!). The level of sweetness was just right, and there wasn't too much cream in it. I personally like my sansrival not too creamy/buttery. The mango slices were not soggy and they were still cold, making the slice yummier. It was really good. Two thumbs up!

There's no question that this quiet restaurant needs our great recommendation, so for you guys out there who haven't tried their cakes yet, please, drop by Pasong Tamo. It's definitely worth the drive. Next time, we'll try their main entrees and see if they can be worthy of the title "best" too, just like how their cakes are. They also have rice meals and pastas if you want to have lunch or a light snack. If it's delicious desserts you're looking for, then believe us when we say that Kitchen's Best is one of the must-tries. Truly, Kitchen's Best has earned its mark in offering delicious and satisfying cakes that people continue to crave for.

Here's how we rated Kitchen's Best:

Food:

Price:

Place:

Service:

(Kitchen's Best is located at the ground floor of Karrivin Plaza, Pasong Tamo Extension, Makati City. If you're coming from EDSA (north bound), just turn right at the street beside the Alphaland Southgate Mall. It's before the Magallanes MRT Station. Just go straight and you'll see Kitchen's Best on your right.)

Happy Drinks? Happy Lemon. Happy You!

2011-05-08T00:21:00.000-07:00

Move over soda. Tea is the new 'in' thing. In a matter of months tea stores have been emerging all over Metro Manila. More and more people are patronizing this wondrous drink (which, by the way has versions from China, Japan, and Thailand) not only because it is a perfect drink for a hot day, but also because of its refreshing taste and the health benefit it gives. Just imagine a serving of milk tea - you have the good things you get from tea, plus the good things you get from milk all combined in one glass. Rather than drinking softdrinks, the health conscious nowadays would opt to drink a glass of tea. It is so good that people aren't just contented with tea alone. Because people love to experiment, tea places today add delicious ingredients such as chocolate flavor and could you believe it, even Yakult, to the products they sell so that it becomes a bit different without compromising on the perks tea provides. With all the different tea stores out there, we bet you're kinda confused on which tea place to try out first. Well, we already tried Serenitea (you could find our review on our previous posts hahaha). But, it wouldn't hurt to give you guys a choice. So, here's another tea place that you could try out.

Happy Lemon is a talked about tea place at Greenhills. No wonder this place is getting a lot of great reviews. Every drink here is a must-try! Based on our research, Happy Lemon in Greenhills is a franchise of the Happy Lemon in Hong Kong owned by no other than Chris Tiu and some of his buddies. What makes the place even more interesting is the lemon-haired mascot enticing you to try the place out. She has a wink that looks like a 'less than' sign and her face can be found on almost every corner of the place and on every cup of Happy Lemon products. Based on our personal experience, we really had a hard time choosing which drink to order. This is because every drink we saw seemed delicious. Being fans of tea (milk tea to be exact), we just couldn't let the opportunity to have a try at the delicious Happy Lemon drinks pass.

Drinks here are quite affordable. For a delicious tea drink, it really is not so bad. Toppings can also be added to your drink. They usually have pudding with the teas. But, you could opt to place pearl sago, seaweed sago, nata de coco, and other delicious add-ons for 10 pesos. You could also add in an extra shot of coffee for 25 pesos or adzuki beans for 15 pesos. With or without these add-ons, every Happy Lemon drink is guaranteed to be a yummy one!

The place seemed cozy on the inside. When we were there, though, there were a lot of customers and we really had a hard time looking for good seats. In fact, the place never runs out of customers. There are seats outside, though, for people who really want to sit down and chat while having a sip at their delicious Happy Lemon drink. There isn't any air-conditioning outside, though, and considering the hot weather nowadays...well, you get the catch.

There never is a long line in the cashier, which is a sign of good operations. You also get the drink you ordered in a jiffy. Overall, service for us is a plus sign.

Here are our Happy Lemon drinks:

Milk Tea with Pudding - 100% sweetness, 75 php (regular), 85 php (large)

Glutton Girl: Sometimes the simplest of things can be the best. This is what I thought of my milk tea with pudding. It was just simple milk tea with some pudding, but it was one of the yummiest milk teas I have tried so far. I added some adzuki bean to add some texture and flavor. It was really good. The pudding gave that sweetness to the creamy milk tea. It tasted a lot like mango Jello. All of the flavors blended well. The milk tea had that perfect taste for me, not too sweet yet not too bland. It just had that perfect balance which complemented well with the sweet pudding and the adzuki bean. Next time I'll try other versions of Happy Lemon's milk tea with different add-ons hahahahaha

Milk Tea with Oreo Cookies and Cream - 100% sweetness, 90 php (regular), 100 php (large)

Glutton Guy: Well, this was a very interesting drink for me. When I tried it it really looked like it had two separate components. You have the milk tea and you have the blended Oreo cookies and cream. The cookies and cream wasn't really blended with the milk tea, so I was just tasting milk tea at one end and cookies and cream on the other. But, as I continued drinking it, I was really impressed. It did taste good (silly me! hahaha). I tried to use my straw and mix the cookies and cream with the milk tea. After that, it really tasted more of a cookies and cream milk tea shake. I really enjoyed this drink! It's unique, it's delicious, and it's super affordable. I would definitely try this again on my next visit. : )

We knew our Happy Lemon experience would be worthwhile. And we were right. We really had a great time while drinking our delicious Happy Lemon drink. Too bad we weren't able to try their best-seller, the Green Tea with Rock Salt & Cheese. But, we do promise to try it on our next visit! If we were to compare it with other milk teas out there...well, we can't. What we could say is that Happy Lemon brings a different niche wherein other milk tea places have a hard time capitalizing on. If you're a tea lover who'd give anything for a glass of milk tea, or a foodie fanatic who wants to try something new, or just one of those peeps who can't stand the heat, then Happy Lemon is the place for you. We tell you, 'Happy' would be an underestimation of what a Happy Lemon drink can do. ^_^

Here's how we rated Happy Lemon:

Food:

Price:

Place:

Service:

(Happy Lemon is located at Promenade Mall, Greenhills, San Juan City. It's just beside Starbucks and Fully Booked. If you're still lost, look for the winking lemon-haired girl. :) )

The Glutton Guide is now on Twitter!

2011-04-30T11:56:00.000-07:00

To get the latest updates on our food escapades, follow us on Twitter!

We will also be putting foodie tips there, so do follow us! :)

A Bucketful of Sunrise, A Pocketful of Sunshine

2011-04-23T11:07:00.000-07:00

Mouthwatering and irresistible Buffalo wings. That's what we always expect whenever we visit a food place that claims they have the best chicken wings in town. We gotta admit, most of what we tried aren't kidding at all. With the unique taste of their wings, they're bound to bring more customers to their place. If you ask us what the perfect chicken wing would taste like, we might not be able to answer you. Each chicken wings place we tried has that uniqueness that stands out from the others. What we can tell you, though, is what to expect at a chicken wings place, that is, if the chicken is tasty, if the sauce is delicious, if the skin is crispy, and if the dip goes well with the chicken. That's our job as food bloggers in the first place. To give you an example, we'll feature a chicken wings place that we think you might just love.

Just along Ortigas Avenue near Greenhills is a chicken wings place known as Sunrise Buckets. From it's name you wouldn't quite realize that it offers chicken wings. But, it already has attracted some loyal customers from nearby schools and establishments. Sunrise Buckets offers affordable and delicious chicken wings that you will surely add to your chicken wings list. The food place made sure that their wings would be close to the taste of the authentic Buffalo wings abroad. Sunrise Buckets actually categorizes their chicken wings into 3 - Awesome, Wipeout, and Cloud 9. Included in the Awesome list are those that are suited for the Pinoy taste. Wipeout flavors are those that are similar to the American flavors. Cloud 9 are original flavors of Sunrise Buckets. Whichever flavor you choose, you won't regret it because every category has a best-seller. In fact, most of the flavors are must-tries. Aside from chicken wings, Sunrise Buckets also has burgers, shakes, and floats to satisfy every hungry customer. There absolutely is no excuse for you not to try this place out.

The place actually is summer haven. It really gives you that beach feel with all the surfboards and other designs that would depict the famous summer destination. The place, in fact, looks like an endorser of Roxy and Quicksilver products. They have a corner where they sell some merchandise. We saw some t-shirts and some mugs that had the Sunrise Buckets logo. Needless to say, the ambiance is something that's not typical to any restaurant or food place in the Metro.

Service is another excellent aspect of the Sunrise Buckets experience. We were really awed by the service the people at Sunrise Buckets gave us. The cashier greeted us with a smile, and even suggested some must-tries for us first-timers. We think they always do this to foodies who are clueless as to what they want to order. It's actually a good help, in our opinion. This would make things easier for those who wanna try something that's exact for their palates.

Here's what we tried at Sunrise Buckets:

Sunrise Iced Tea, 55 php

Glutton Girl: Okay, this is not the usual iced tea that you order at other restaurants. It's Sunrise Buckets' own concoction. What's really good about this drink is that it's not overly sweet. Plus, it's not instant! This Sunrise Iced Tea is a very very refreshing drink. It's a perfect drink for a hot day in Metro Manila. It's not a bad starter for my Sunrise Buckets meal.

Chocolate Milk Shake, 95 php

Glutton Guy: It was a hot day so I gave their milk shake a shot. In all honesty, I have never been to a food place that sells milk shake that is this cheap. Usually, milk shakes at restaurants would cost 150 pesos at the very least. But, you could have a delicious milk shake at Sunrise Buckets for only 95 pesos. It's a good buy, I must say. It's also very delicious. It's very creamy and very chocolaty. It also comes with this cute straw and served in a pretty glass. I really liked it. It's a thumbs up sign for me for this drink. : )

Corn On-D-Cob, 60 php

Glutton Guy: This is a usual side dish to some American food places like Friday's or Kenny Roger's. I actually thought that one serving would actually be the whole corn. But, when I got mine, it was just half of the corn. It was still big, though. And, it was served in a cool mug, just like the one they sell with the Sunrise Buckets logo. The corn was salted just right. It had a bit of that sweet taste and a little saltiness from the salt that didn't really overpower the other flavors. It also had a little bit of pepper for that added flavor. I really felt like I was eating at an authentic American diner or restaurant because of the corn. : )

Glutton Girl: The corn was actually a delicious side dish to the chicken wings. For me it was a perfect combination. It also had a different presentation. Rather than serving it on a plate with butter sand salt, Sunrise Buckets opted to serve it on a barbecue stick inside a Sunrise Buckets mug. I did have some trouble eating it because the stick wasn't strong enough to really hold the corn. But, flavor-wise, it was really good. It had the right amount of seasoning for me.

Buttered Rice, 50 php

Glutton Guy: If you're very keen on watching commercials you'd think that this is James Yap's Star rice. Kidding aside, this rice was actually good. You could really taste the butter. It's like every grain of rice was infused with that butter flavor when they cooked it. I wish it had a bit more flavor, like some garlic maybe (then again, that would be fried rice now, wouldn't it? hahaha). But, it was delicious for me. I'll probably try the Wild rice next time, but this was not bad. : )

Glutton Girl: I wanted something that was a bit simple, and I really didn't want a lot of other things in my rice since the chicken would give the flavors for the meal. So, I decided to go for the buttered rice. I actually liked this one. It had that buttery flavor that I expected from a buttered rice dish. For me, however, it lacked a bit of seasoning. A little bit of salt and pepper would do the trick for me.

Sunrise Original, 155 php (1/2 pound - 4 to 5 pieces), 295 php (1 pound - 8 to 10 pieces), 655 php (2 1/2 pounds - 20 to 24 pieces), 1,395 php (5 pounds - 48 to 52 pieces)

Glutton Guy: The lady who took our order suggested the Sunrise Original flavor for us to try since it was our first time. She told us that this was the usual recommend for people who visit Sunrise Buckets. The sauce of the chicken wings was a bit similar to the Buffalo chicken wings sauce which was very delicious. The dip that came with the chicken wings really complemented its flavor. The sauce really had that sweet and spicy taste that was really good when it's all mixed in your mouth. When you have that first bite, you definitely wouldn't stop munching on the chicken wings. I dare you to have a go at the 5 pounds! hahaha : )

Glutton Girl: When in doubt, stick to the original. Sunrise Buckets' Sunrise Original flavored chicken wings was really good. The sauce was perfect for the chicken wings. I loved the spicy flavor that I get from the sauce. The sour cream dip was also good. It gave that tangy flavor to the chicken wings which was just delicious. You could order as little as half a pound, or you could opt to go for the 5 pounder if you're with a big group. The chicken wings are served in a bucket (now you know why there's that 'Bucket' word in the name hahaha). They'll basically get your name when you order and write your name in the small metal pail when they serve it to you. Talk about customization hahahaha But, it's a really clever and fun way of serving yummy chicken wings.

Chicken wings can always be given some kind of twist to satisfy every person's hungry palate. But, when you want the original Buffalo wings taste, you should head over to Sunrise Buckets and try their delicious chicken wings. They have it all here, from sweet and spicy chicken wings, to smokin' barbecue flavored wings that you're sure to come back for. They also have the original yet recommended flavors such as the Jack Daniel's wings and the Garlic Parmesan chicken wings. The place also offers beers for groups who just want to have a good time. Clearly, Sunrise Buckets' objective is to assure that you leave the place full and satisfied with their wings and their service. Tell you what, we just did. And if you want to have the same experience, you should add this on your next food trip list. As Sunrise Buckets would say, "Lick 'em! Bite 'em! Crave for more!" ^_^

Here's how we rated Sunrise Buckets:

Food:

Price:

Place:

Service:

(Sunrise Buckets is located at Unit 1, Madison Square, Ortigas Avenue corner Madison Street, North Greenhills, San Juan City. Just look for the blue overpass near Madison street and you'll see Madison Square. It's near the Immaculate Conception Academy, Xavier School, and Ash Creek Center.)

This Ain't Your Average Burger Place

2011-04-16T07:50:00.000-07:00

Nothing beats a good ol' burger for a snack. You'd be lying when you say that you haven't craved for that delicious beef patty with the crunchy lettuce and the yummy burger sauce sandwiched in a bun. It wouldn't be surprising to note that because of its delicious taste and convenience, burger places can be seen almost anywhere. Some even offer buy 1 take 1 burgers for as low as 20 pesos. Of course, there are the burger stalls such as BurMa (this is the 'sosyal' way of calling Burger Machine hahahaha) and Minute Burger. Oh, and let's not take the Burger McDo's and the Regular Yum's out of the long list. But, what makes a delicious burger? We've seen, and probably tried, a lot of burgers out there. And to tell you honestly, it has become a bit overrated. At the end of the day, no matter which burger place you choose, a burger won't be a burger without the usual patty, the usual stuff inside the burger such as the tomatoes, lettuce, and cheese (more commonly known as TLC), and the usual sesame seed bun. So, what else can a burger offer? Well, a burger place at Makati can tell you just that.

Located at A Venue Mall at Makati Avenue is a burger place named Burger Avenue. Don't underestimate this food place, because despite its small size it already has acquired quite a number of followers. Burger Avenue actually capitalized on one aspect other burger joints in the Metro are having a hard time doing - being unique. Burger Avenue does its very best in serving delicious and affordable food while making sure that every burger will not just be a burger, but a Burger Avenue burger.

Burger Avenue is known for its Ridiculous Challenge. It's a challenge that awards a customer a free Ridiculous Burger only if he/she gets to finish the burger before 5 minutes. If the customer doesn't become successful, he/she gets to pay for the burger. You might think it's an easy task. Well, not if what you're about to eat is a 1-pound triple patty burger with three slices of cheese, lettuce and tomatoes in an oatmeal bun. If you guys wanna try it, then feel free to do so. But, in our case, we'd rather savor what we eat (not that we're afraid we won't be able to accomplish it hahaha). Pricing is not that bad, which ranges from around 100 to 300 pesos. For that amount you already have a bigger than the average Burger Avenue burger. Service is also not that bad. They don't have waiters here, though, since all you have to do is order at the cashier and wait to be called for your burger. You really won't have to wait long for your order. It's like a fast food that's not a fast food (You get the idea, right? hahaha).

Here are the burgers that we tried at Burger Avenue:

(Can we just give a special mention to Burger Avenue's water bottle? It's super cute and super unique! It's like a Burger Avenue collectible hahahaha)

Onion Rings, 55 php

Glutton Guy: If there's one thing I gotta say, it's that these onion rings are better than the usual ones. It's not really that different, but there's something about them that makes me want some more. The good thing, though, is that it's crunchy. This is something I really look for in onion rings. It has to be freshly cooked to be really crunchy. It also doesn't have to be soggy and oily. Burger Avenue's onion rings was just right for me. It's a perfect tandem with the burgers here. : )

Glutton Girl: Between onion rings and french fries, I'd choose onion rings. It's definitely not something that you have everyday. I just love how crunchy the onion rings are. They also used real onions here. Nothing of the artificial type. For me it was a bit oily, thought. But, it was really delicious. It's actually on the top of my list of the best onion rings I have tried so far. I would definitely prefer this one as a side for my burger.

Crispy Fish Sandwich, 140 php

Glutton Guy: I tried Burger Avenue's Crispy Fish Sandwich because I wanted something different from the usual beef patty. It's actually a burger with a fish fillet as a patty with some lettuce and some tartar sauce. I'm a super huge fan of fish fillet, so I would go crazy if I did not taste this burger. This is something that you guys should try. It's very very far from McDonald's Fillet-O-Fish. The fish fillet wasn't really that crunchy, but it was really really good. The bun was soft which I also liked. The sauce blended well with the fish. I super loved this burger. This is a perfect burger for those who would rather have fish on their burgers than beef or pork. : )

Avenue Burger, 128 php

Glutton Girl: This is Burger Avenue's version of the hamburger. But, it's a delicious version of it. The patty was cooked perfectly and it was really tender. The sauce they used for the burger was also very good. It had a taste that was very different from the usual hamburger sauce. You wouldn't need ketchup or other condiments for this burger because its flavor is already perfect. The bun was also good. It was soft, a good indication that it wasn't old bread. I'd say it's a perfect snack for a hungry gal like me!

Burger Avenue offers burgers that are uniquely delicious. This is the reason why a lot of people continue to become patrons of the place. They not only have burgers, they also have sandwiches, pasta, and rice meals that are as delicious as the burgers they offer. They also have ice cream and milkshake for those of you who have a sweet tooth. If you're within the vicinity and you're craving for delicious burgers, you should head over to Burger Avenue. Trust us, you definitely won't regret your visit. This is definitely the avenue to yummy burgers.

Here's how we rated Burger Avenue:

Food:

Price:

Place:

Service:

(Burger Avenue has two branches: 1. G/F A Venue Mall, B. Valdez Street corner Makati Avenue, Makati City. From Ayala Avenue, turn right when you reach The Peninsula Manila. Just go straight. You can't miss it. It's beside David's Tea House. and 2. G/F The Fort Strip, Taguig City. It's opposite the NBC Tent.)

Wanna Have a 'Wicked' Meal?

2011-04-10T09:48:00.000-07:00

Define 'wicked'. Well, according to the dictionary, 'wicked' is an adjective which denotes evil or mischievousness. This adjective often applies to evil people or entities such as witches and demons. But, if you've been studying your English, the term 'wicked' could also be used as a New England slang to add emphasis to what you're saying. In fact, the word is actually synonymous to 'really' and 'very'. So, if you want to say that the food you're eating is fantastic, but you want to say it in a manner different from how you usually sat it, you could say "That was some wicked food!". Well, with a lot of good food places around the Metro, you might just need to prepare yourself in saying this more often, especially when you eat at a restaurant where the 'wicked' word is not only for the delicious food. It's actually the name of the place.

Just within the the vicinity of the ABS-CBN compound is a food place named Wicked Kitchen. It's not that big a place, but people keep coming back to the place for their delicious dishes. In fact, they have already opened a branch at Katipunan Avenue to cater to more avid customers. Wicked Kitchen is a restaurant that serves delicious food during the day and more of an 'inuman' place during the night. But, the place is most famous for some of their rice meals and their desserts. They have a really diverse menu that would give you a hard time in choosing what to eat. The servings here are also quite large, so you definitely won't have a problem when you want to be really full afterwards. The menu at Wicked Kitchen offers a variety of dishes ranging from delicious Western food to scrumptious Pinoy meals with a Wicked Kitchen twist. As compared to other food places that serve the similar dishes, Wicked Kitchen is more on the affordable side. It offers yummy dishes that you'll surely like at not-so-expensive rates.

With regards to the place, Wicked Kitchen really knows how to make their food place more accessible. Moreover, they also know how to acquire a lot of frequent customers. The place just looks like the typical food place you would see elsewhere. Nothing too flashy or fascinating to watch out for. The interior almost seems a bit resemblant of Flaming Wings (which, by the way, is just a few block away if you're at the Katipunan branch). But, just like any other food place, it's the yummy food that you have to be prepared for. Wicked Kitchen guarantees that their dishes are sure to blow you away and would make you keep coming back for more.

The service was quite neighborly. The people there always served the food with a smile, and they really were looking out for the customers. They really made sure that all customer needs were well met. Overall, we'd say that service was above satisfactory.

Curious about what we tried at Wicked Kitchen? Well, here goes:

Orange Juice, 38 php

Glutton Guy and Glutton Girl: You would notice we didn't choose iced tea this time. Well, we wanted something different for a change. It's not a totally unique choice, but at least it's a change from the usual. This drink is quite refreshing, if you ask us. We actually don't know if what we ordered was fresh orange juice or not (I think it was, though hahaha - Glutton Guy), but it's really good. It's not too sweet as compared to iced tea, and it's perfect for the hot weather. If this one won't cool you down, we don't know what will. : )

Onion Rings, 98 php

Glutton Guy: Talk about delicious appetizer! This one really hit the spot for me. Once again I got us a plate-filled onion rings for starters. The rings were HUGE and were very crispy. The taste was excellent and the aioli dip was very delicious. The menu said it was beer-battered onion rings, but I really didn't feel woozy after hahahaha It was just a tad greasy, though. But aside from that, I really didn't have any problems with this appetizer. : )

Glutton Girl: I have tasted a lot of onion rings, and this is very different from the ones I tried. The batter was crunchy and the dip complemented the rings very well. What I really liked with Wicked Kitchen's onion rings was that it was the real thing. It's not the artificial onions and flavorings other food places use, and certainly not like the onion rings at fast food chains. Another thing I liked was that the onions were a bit caramelized and had a bit of that crunch I was expecting in onion rings. Overall, I'd say it was a delicious appetizer.

Curnchy Bagoong Rice, 152 php

Glutton Girl: I ordered this rice bowl because according to the menu it's one of their best-sellers. It basically is deep-fried liempo bits with spicy bagoong and some green mango strips. I like spicy food, and the spiciness of this dish did not disappoint me at all. Wicked Kitchen's liempo bits was true to its word. They really were crunchy and really were flavorful, thanks to the bagoong. The spiciness was just right, not to the point that I would demand a lot of water :). The green mango really gave the dish that sour taste which I liked as well. Eating this dish was like eating liempo popcorn with rice and green mango. It's really a must-try.

Crab Omelette, 148 php

Glutton Guy: I have tried this dish before and I really liked it, so I decided to try it one more time. The dish is actually served in a big plate, so you would think that the servings for this dish is quite big. Well, it is, at least for my standards. The egg omelette was just delicious. Together with the flaked crab meat, it absolutely is a winner. The vegetables were very delicious as well. The cabbage, the onions, and the tomatoes worked really well with the omelette. If there's one adjustment in this dish, it's the drizzled sauce, which, for me, was a bit salty. Nevertheless, it helped with regards to the flavor and the presentation. I would try this again and again and again at Wicked Kitchen. : )

Sloth, 168 php

Glutton Guy: I have also tried this dessert during my previous visit at Wicked Kitchen. This is one of the dishes that would blow you away here. This dessert was just lovely. If you'd ask me what is the perfect formula for a delicious and delectable dessert, it would be chocolate molten lava cake plus a scoop of vanilla ice cream and some chocolate syrup. The lava cake was very delicious and very chocolate-y. What's inside this cake is actually the best, which is a center of luscious and oozing chocolate. Combining the hot chocolate center with the crusty outside of the cake and the cold vanilla ice cream is just the best. Wicked Kitchen without Sloth is like an airport without airplanes. : )

Glutton Girl: For some reason Wicked Kitchen's desserts are all named after the 7 deadly sins. There's Pride, Gluttony, Greed, Envy, Lust, Wrath, and the one we tried - Sloth. We actually wanted to try the Gluttony (being a tribute to the name of our blog). But, after some discussion (and some persuasion from Glutton Guy) we finally ended up on ordering Sloth. I didn't regret on ordering this dessert. It's an absolute heaven. The molten lava cake was just decadent and the vanilla ice cream was very creamy. It was also beautifully presented with the chocolate syrup. This is one dessert you should really try out. I mean it.

When you want affordable meals and a fun dining experience topped with good service, then Wicked Kitchen is the place for you. It's perfect when you're with your friends, when you're with your loved ones, or when you just want to have some delicious comfort food. If you liked what we tried, then we guarantee that you won't regret ordering them. But, you shouldn't limit your choices to what we tasted. Wicked Kitchen has a wide array of delicious dishes on their menu that you should try out. Order, eat, and be amazed at Wicked Kitchen's scrumptious dishes. Then, you can finally say, "That was some wicked food!"

Here's how we rated Wicked Kitchen:

Food:

Price:

Place:

Service:

(Wicked Kitchen has two branches: 1. 143 Mother Ignacia Avenue, South Triangle, Quezon City. It's just on the side of ABS-CBN, beside Janero Bar and Ignazia. and 2. 2nd floor Petron Square Katipunan, Katipunan Avenue, Loyola Heights, Quezon City. You can see it when you see Petron. You really can't miss it.)

Chinese Dining...Hawker-Style

2011-03-28T08:51:00.000-07:00

Chinese food has been embedded in the Pinoy's dining culture. Whether we like it or not, a lot of the dishes we cook and taste are Chinese inspired. In fact, some of our cooking techniques we even get from them. Chinese dishes are best known for the variety in flavors (and also the insurmountable use of MSG...well, it's a bit exaggerated, but you get the point). The Chinese are very good in integrating flavors, whether it's sweet, sour, salty, or spicy. Here in the Metro, there really is no difficulty in looking for outstanding Chinese food. Metro Manila has a lot of Chinese restaurants that you could choose from. But, when you want the real authentic Chinese food, there's only one place to go - Binondo.

Binondo, Manila, also known to many as the Philippines' "Chinatown", is the place to be when it comes to everything Chinese. Every nook and cranny of Binondo depicts it rich history and Chinese culture. It also is the haven of delectable and authentic Chinese cuisine. If you're asking where to get the best siomai, the most delicious siopao, the most succulent mami or congee, or even the freshest baked hopia, Binondo is the place you're looking for. The busy streets of Binonso are home to the many food places, from the high-end Chinese restaurants to typical carinderias or food stalls. Regardless of where you decide to dine, every restaurant serves the most delicious Chinese goodies. But, if you're more of the budget type, and you want affordable Chinese food, don't fret. We know a food place at Binondo that could be just right for you.

Just along one of the most famous streets in Binondo is a place known as 'Estero'. It is called as such because the place is located beside an inlet canal. The place may be a bit foul and dirty, and the ambiance is not something that would awe you, but the food here is simply to crave for. We specifically ate at the food place called Estero Fastfood. Be warned - there are some dishes here which are not for the faint of heart, but trust us, you'll like it after you taste it. Like what we've said before, the food here is absolutely affordable. We basically ordered a lot (since we were a group; and can we just stress the word LOT), and paid just a little less than 2,000 pesos. Yep, define dirt cheap. Typically no Chinese restaurant could beat the prices at Binondo Estero.

Of course, you shouldn't expect and extravagant service. However, we didn't have any problems with regards to the service of our food. The waitresses were accommodating, despite the fact that the environment is very different from the usual restaurants in Metro Manila. We actually didn't expect this kind of service. We were expecting service which was a bit more informal. But, the people here are kind. Like any other waitress, they give suggestions as to what their best-sellers are and what people should try at their food place.

Here are the dishes that we tried at Estero:

Nido Soup with Quail Eggs, 80 php (Small); 120 php (Medium); 160 php (Large)

Glutton Guy: The soup was just okay for me because it didn't have anything special that satisfied my palate. For 160 pesos, though, it's absolutely worth it. What really stood out for me were the quail eggs. I'm a fan of quail eggs. It's easy to eat because they're bite-sized, so you could just eat them with one gulp. In my opinion, the bits of meat in the soup were more of a failure. It would have been better if the soup didn't have it.The flavor was really good, nevertheless. : )

Glutton Girl: I was surprised at the serving size of their Nido soup. For 160 pesos, it was already good for one whole group. It could actually serve around 8-10 persons. Soups at other Chinese restaurants are more expensive than that. Plus, they don't serve the whole crowd. The flavor of the soup was good, though it was a bit lacking for me. A little bit of salt and pepper would actually do the trick here. Taking into consideration the price, I would order this again upon my next visit. It's delicious and it's 'sulit'.

Shanghai Fried Rice, 70 php (Small); 135 php (Medium); 160 php (Large)

Glutton Guy: Well, it's not the best rice I have tasted, but the rice at Estero definitely feeds a lot of people. For 160 pesos, this again is another very affordable dish. There weren't a lot of ingredients in the dish unlike the usual Yang Chow fried rice in other Chinese restaurants. But, it was good, one way or another. I didn't really fall for it, but when you're really hungry and craving for Chinese food, you wouldn't really mind that. I guess for a rice dish it will do. : )

Glutton Girl: Estero's Shanghai fried rice was an okay dish. For some reason I didn't like how the rice was cooked. I wanted it to be firm, but the rice we had was a bit mushy. There weren't a lot of ingredients as well, so the flavor wasn't that intense and the dish wasn't very colorful. If I were too cook it, I would have added some green peas and some diced carrots. But, with regards to the flavors, I liked this rice dish.

Crispy Frog Legs, 110 php (Small); 165 php (Medium); 220 php (Large)

Glutton Guy: This is an exotic dish that's absolutely a must-try. If eating at Burger King will not be complete without ordering the burger, eating at Estero would not be complete without the frog legs. We actually wanted the frog legs with the chili sauce. But since they had no chili sauce, we opted to buy the crispy frog legs instead. At first I was a bit skeptical if I would eat it or not. But, the urge to try it made me go for it. I have read a lot of rave reviews about the frog legs of Estero. I have to say, I actually liked it. It tasted a lot like chicken, just like what the people who have tried it said. It was just a bit difficult to eat because it had smaller bones than chicken. But, it was really delicious. It's perfect for people who want to try something 'different'. No wonder people keep ordering this dish. I just wish the frog legs didn't come from frogs caught from the estero. : )

Glutton Girl: I actually didn't want to leave Binondo without having a taste of the frog legs. Before getting there my mind was already fixed that I was going to try the frog legs. I haven't tasted frog legs before, though. But as they say, there's a first time for everything. I wasn't even afraid to try it. Good thing I took the risk of trying these out. The frog legs were really good. Like what Glutton Guy said, the legs were a bit difficult to eat because they were smaller and they had smaller bones as compared to chicken. But, when it came to the taste I absolutely had nothing bad to say. A memorable dish at my Estero experience, I have to say.

Beef with Broccoli, 90 php (Small); 135 php (Medium); 180 php (Large)

Glutton Guy: Not one of the best dishes I have tasted at Estero. Beef with broccoli is one of my favorite dishes in Chinese restaurants. Regardless which food place I order it, the dish never failed in satisfying me because the beef was always tender and the sauce was flavorful. But, Estero's beef with broccoli had a different approach that really didn't work for me. Although the beef was tender and the broccoli was good, it really didn't deliver wholly as a dish. I found the sauce a bit interesting because the flavor is a bit different from the usual. It's probably the Chinese touch. I didn't fall for it when I ate it, though. In my opinion, I would be better off with another beef dish. : )

Glutton Girl: We decided to order beef since we didn't want any pork for our lunch. My diet restrained me from ordering anything fatty. We ordered beef with broccoli for our beef dish. It was just okay for me. I have actually tasted better versions of this dish in other Chinese restaurants. I loved the broccoli, though. It gave the dish the crunchiness which I liked. But, you could see from the color of the sauce that it's not as rich nor as flavorful as the usual beef with broccoli. Also, it's not as flavorful as the ones I have tried before. If I were to order this again at Estero, I would just get a single order of it.

Sweet and Sour Fish Fillet, 90 php (Small); 135 php (Medium); 180 php (Large)

Glutton Guy: This was another okay dish for me. Fish fillet is another dish that I really love at Chinese restaurants, especially the sweet and sour fish fillet. Since it's my favorite, I would be expecting an excellent version of the dish everytime I order it. Apparently, it didn't work out as I expected it to be. It was a bit mediocre for me. The fish fillets I have tasted before are a lot better than this one. Although, the sweet and sour sauce was delicious. It's just the fish which ruined the dish for me. I didn't get the crunchy outside from the fish as I would usually get, and it wasn't flaky on the inside. It actually was a bit mushy even. The vegetables gave some crunchiness and color to the dish, though. : )

Glutton Girl: This fish fillet dish was actually good. It's not the best fish dish I've tasted, but it worked for me (as compared to the beef with broccoli dish). I liked the sweet and sour sauce very much. Most people cook sweet and sour sauces by just buying the sweet and sour sauce in a bottle and adding some extra seasonings to the sauce. I didn't feel that they used that here. I also liked the vegetables on the dish. The fish was good. They're not as delicious as I was expecting them to be, but it did taste like fish fillet, so that'll work for me.

Chospuey Guisado, 90 php (Small); 135 php (Medium); 180 php (Large)

Glutton Guy: Finally, after two 'just okay' dishes, here's something worth recommending! Estero's chopsuey was really really delicious. I not only liked it, I loved it. The good thing about this dish was that it offered something different. Instead of using meat as one of the ingredients, they used squid. It had a better flavor for me since chopsuey is one Chinese dish that every Chinese should know how to cook. Chinese restaurants can never go wrong in cooking chopsuey. The vegetables were crunchy and delicious, a quality that's very typical from a chopsuey dish. The squid wasn't rubbery at all, which I really liked as well. Overall, this was an excellent vegetable dish. : )

Glutton Girl: When I order chopsuey at Chinese restaurants, I want the vegetables to have a vibrant color and that crunch when you bite into them. Furthermore, I want it to be saucy. I'm not really a fan of chopsuey dishes that are dry. All the things I was looking for in chopsuey, I found in Estero's chopsuey. The vegetables looked fresh and had that crunch, and the dish overall had lots of sauce. Presentation-wise, however, it didn't look appealing, but the taste is really delicious. Plus, the serving size is again enough to feed a group. The chopsuey here is something that you should definitely try.

Buttered Chicken, 100 php (Small); 150 php (Medium); 200 (Large)

Glutton Guy: This is so far the best dish I have tried here at Estero. This dish really worked for me. I loved how the chicken was cooked. It really was infused with that buttery, garlic-y taste that I really loved so much. I have tried this dish before at a food place in Malate. The chicken, when I first tried it, had smaller pieces. But, the buttered chicken at Estero was better. Even now, I could still taste the delicious chicken with that butter and garlic flavor. The chicken had that crispy skin and that soft inside which I really loved. This dish is an absolute must-try! : )

Glutton Girl: This dish was not on our supposed order. But, eventually we decided to order some just to see what it tasted like. It looked just like fried chicken with butter and garlic, and it looked simple to prepare. But for some reason the people at Estero really did a great job cooking this dish. The butter and the garlic really complemented the chicken, both ingredients intensifying the flavor of the dish. The chicken, furthermore, had that soft inside which was just absolutely delicious. I just really couldn't get enough of it. When I go back to Estero, I would order a lot of this. Seriously.

Calamares, 100 php (Small); 150 php (Medium); 200 php (Large)

Glutton Guy: Estero's calamares is another dish that I loved. Squid is one of my most favorite seafoods, so it wouldn't be a surprising fact that I loved the calamares here. The squid was cooked perfectly and the batter used was delicious. It's not that crunchy, but it tasted really good. Squid can sometimes be difficult to cook because overcooking it can make it rubbery and difficult to chew. Estero's calamares dish wasn't like that. It's a perfect 'ulam' and an excellent 'pulutan'. : )

Glutton Girl: What I liked about the calamres at Estero was that even though it was very similar to the usual calamares, it still seemed like it's something you haven't tasted before. I just loved the flavor of the calamares. Even though it wasn't crunchy I still liked it very much. Dipping it in the spicy vinegar sauce really does the trick of making it more flavorful. I could actually finish the whole dish on my own.

A trip at Binondo Estero is something that you should experience when you visit Binondo. True, there are some dishes which didn't work out for us, but the experience of trying authentic Chinese dishes that are delicious and affordable at the same time is just something that you wouldn't want to pass. If you're having a hard time looking for the place, just remember that it's beside the estero, so you should be looking for bridges. When you see one, that should be an indication that you're near the food place. It might be difficult to spot, but the the food you're gonna taste here is worth the search. Chinese food is good, but Chinese food at Chinatown, better. And what better place to eat Chinese food at Chinatown than at Binondo Estero.

Here's how we rated Binondo Estero:

Food:

Price:

Place:

Service:

(Binondo Estero is located at 847-G Ongpin Street, Binondo, Manila. From Binondo church, just go straight at Ongpin Street, passing the Eng Bee Tin hopia store, 2 bridges, and a supermarket. You will also pass the Mr. Ube store. It's just beside one of the bridges that you're going to pass. When you see the Salazar Bakeshop, then you just missed it. But, it's just near the store.)

An Exceptional Ramen Rave-iew!

2011-03-13T10:28:00.000-07:00

Japanese food, you ask? Well, that's really not much of a problem, especially here in the Metro. With the emergence of Japanese food places such as Tokyo Tokyo, Teriyaki Boy, and Tempura, people would definitely not have a hard time looking for delicious and close to authentic Japanese dishes. One noticeable thing about Japanese cuisine is that they are offered in big servings. Restaurants would usually serve Japanese dishes in a big bowl (a good example would be Tokyo Tokyo's Sumo Remix bowl). But, big servings don't usually come without a price. A bowl of this yummy Japanese goodness would usually cost you around 200 to 300 pesos. The good thing, however, is that it's worth the price you paid for, not like some restaurants that focus more on presentation and ambiance. Now, we bet you wanna know if there's a Japanese restaurant somewhere around Metro Manila that would absolutely satisfy your Japanese cravings without sacrificing a lot of what's inside your wallet. Well, our answer is....YES.

Just along Araneta Avenue is a Japanese food place named Atsu Atsu Ramen. The place might seem a bit out of place because it's beside truck dealers. It actually is the only food place in that area. But, it is amazing how they, despite the geographical situation they are in, managed to stick that Japanese aura in their food place. The entrance definitely looks like an old Japanese house with Japanese lanterns adorning the door. We have actually done a little bit of research (since we really were curious what the name means). We found out that Atsu Atsu in Japanese means "very hot". Obviously, it is usually used for hot Japanese soups like udon and ramen. According to tradition, atsu atsu dishes stimulate the appetites of the Japanese people during winter. Well, with Atsu Atsu Ramen's delicious dishes, you really won't need a change in season to stimulate your appetite.

Atsu Atsu Ramen's dishes are very affordable. Just a tip when choosing your food here - Atsu Atsu Ramen serves dishes in huge servings. You might think that a single bowl of ramen is just a small amount. Well, think again. When we ordered a 'for one' bowl of ramen, it actually was a lot for the both of us. We actually ordered a lot at Atsu Atsu, we could barely finish it all up because we were already full. We didn't expect that the amount of food we ordered would actually be that much. The good thing about the dishes of Atsu Atsu is that most of the dishes on the menu are less than 200 pesos. Now, compare that to a dish you love to order at Teriyaki Boy or Tempura. With the big amount of servings, it's a really good buy, right?

The interior of the place would give you a bit of the Japanese feel. It's not as extravagant or as close to the original like other Japanese restaurants located around the Metro, but the place is kind of cute, and you would feel from the looks of the place that they really tried to make it close enough to the usual Japanese restaurant. There were even some Japanese dolls on display. These kinds of designs really added to that Japanese ambiance.

What we really loved at Atsu Atsu was that you could see the cooks cooking your dishes. There's a window where you could see how they prepare the dishes the customers order. This is not a new concept, because there already are some food places that do this. But, it's actually a good strategy that some restaurants don't do. Good thing Atsu Atsu decided to place a window there. By doing so, customers can assure themselves that the dishes they are about to eat are clean and prepared in the proper way.

We really liked the service at Atsu Atsu. The people here are very kind and very attentive (or probably because there weren't so many customers yet when we were there hahahaha). They knew when to refill our drinks and they were there when we needed something. The waitress who took our orders even suggested one dish that we eventually ordered. The orders were served in a jiffy. It didn't even take 30 minutes for all our orders to be placed on the table. Service was actually a good job for Atsu Atsu!

Atsu Atsu Ramen actually had a lot of yummy-looking dishes. Too bad we couldn't order them all. Here's what we tried during our visit:

Iced Tea, 45 php (one glass); 65 php (bottomless)

Glutton Girl: I ordered their iced tea. There really is nothing uniquely special about this drink. But, it was a good thirst quencher because I was really thirsty during that time. As usual, it had the same taste as the other iced teas I have tried in other food places. For 65 pesos though, it really is not that bad.

Calamansi Juice, 40 php

Glutton Guy: I actually was looking for a drink that had some kick. Since it was lunch and alcohol wasn't really a good choice (just joking! hahaha), I decided to go with calamansi juice. Actually, 2 days before I already had one when I ate at Pancake House with my parents. Pancake House's calamansi juice was more of customized. They give you this glass of really sour calamansi juice and with it comes some syrup to pour on to your juice. Atsu Atsu's calamansi juice, however, was already sweetened. But, what I liked about Atsu Atsu's calamansi juice is that it's not overly sweet, and yet you could still taste the sour flavor from the calamansi. I really liked it a lot. It's a healthy and delicious drink. : )

Steamed Gyoza, 85 php (5 pieces)

Glutton Guy: This is the one the waitress recommended. She even suggested that we try the steamed ones because those are more delicious. The dish looked like dimsum from a Chinese restaurant. They even looked burnt because there was some brown color on the Gyoza. But, it was kind of good. It wasn't extraordinarily delicious as I expected it to be, however. It was a recommend from the waitress of the place, so I expected it to be really really good. But, it was delicious one way or another. I wasn't falling for the dipping sauce, though. : )

Glutton Girl: The steamed Gyoza was good. They tasted like meatballs in a dimsum wrapper. The menu said it was Japanese dumplings, but it really didn't give any idea what Japanese dumplings are made of. I was actually on a 'no meat' diet during our visit and I was worried if the Gyoza was made of pork or not. Regardless, it was really delicious. I also didn't like the sauce very much. I felt it gave a different taste to the Gyoza which was really off. However, I wouldn't mind trying this one again, without the sauce next time.

Umani Ramen, 160 php (for one); 240 php (for two)

Glutton Guy: A visit at Atsu Atsu Ramen wouldn't be complete without ordering a bowl of their delicious ramen. We got the Umani ramen, which was ramen with vegetables, seafood, and hard-boiled egg. Even though this one had no meat, it was really delicious. The soup was thick and very flavorful. The noodles were firm and really good as well. The seafood was the the star of the soup. Every seafood I ate was really delicious. There was shrimp, squid, fish, every seafood that I really wanted was there. It actually didn't need additional seasonings because the taste was already superb. This is a dish that I would absolutely recommend. : )

Glutton Girl: In my opinion, any kind of ramen at Atsu Atsu would really taste good. We ordered the Umani ramen because, as I have said earlier, I was on a 'no meat' diet. We really didn't regret ordering this. We thought that it wouldn't taste as delicious as the other ramen dishes. When we asked the waitress which of their ramen dishes were their best-sellers, she didn't mention the Umani ramen. We ordered a 'for one' Umani ramen worth 160 pesos. Low and behold, when they served it to us it was in a big bowl. I immediately thought, "Is this for one person?!" It was really delicious. I loved the mix of ingredients in this soup. There was no ingredient you would not like. Even the vegetables were really delicious. The seafoods were just perfect. What I really loved most were th fish and the shrimp.This is another winner dish from Atsu Atsu.

Chicken Teriyaki Don, 160 php

Glutton Girl: I found this dish very affordable. This is because it already has rice and soup (and can I just say that the rice was a lot). This dish is very similar to Teriyaki Boy's Teriyaki Chicken. But, it's actually cheaper than Teriyaki Boy's. Plus, I have to admit, it actually tastes better. The chicken was really soft and very flavorful. It wasn't difficult to eat at all. The sauce was really good as well. The soup was also a lot, and it was also good. It's another must-try dish at Atsu Atsu Ramen.

Tendon, 170 php

Glutton Guy: This dish is absolutely delicious. When I eat at a Japanese restaurant, I would usually order some tempura. This is an awesomely delicious tempura dish. The shrimp was soft and was not rubbery at all. And, it's the big type of shrimps that they serve here, not the miniature ones. You can get a crunch from the tempura batter. The sauce of the dish was sweet and very delicious. I actually wasn't able to finish the rice because it was really a lot. The soup was good while it was still warm. It gave that refreshing taste while eating the dishes you ordered at Atsu Atsu. For 170 pesos, it absolutely is a worth-it dish for me. When I come back to Atsu Atsu Ramen, I would definitely order their Tendon again. : )

Atsu Atsu Ramen is one of those Japanese restaurants that would give you your value for money. If you're thinking of eating at Tokyo Tokyo or at Teriyaki Boy, we suggest that you try this one first. We definitely assure you that in no time you would change your mind as to the best tasting Japanese food place in the Metro. It's a Japanese restaurant that's a bit difficult to go to, but the trip is absolutely worth it. Only go there during lunch or dinner because they're closed from 3 pm to 6 pm. So, when you're talking of Japanese restaurants, what would come into mind? Of course, Atsu Atsu Ramen! Irrashai Mase!

Here's how we rated Atsu Atsu Ramen:

Food:

Price:

Place:

Service:

(Atsu Atsu Ramen is located at 1281 Araneta Avenue, Quezon City. Just turn right when you reach the intersection of Quezon Avenue and Araneta Avenue. It's after Maria Clara Avenue and before Calamba Street. It's on your left if you follow these directions. You have to take a U-turn, by the way, to get to the place. They're closed during Mondays, so don't plan on going there during that day.)

Merry Munching at Mercato Centrale

2011-02-28T02:24:00.000-08:00

It's always a nice and satisfying thing to eat comforting food at a delicious food place. You probably have experienced those moments when you just crave for something good that you won't stop until you get the food you want so bad. Sometimes, however, there's the bad part wherein you want so many things and one can be bought here, another one there, and another one two blocks away. Simply put, all these good food that you keep looking for are not located on just one store alone. Yes, that could be a really big hassle. Well, what if you take all these yummy food recommends, not to mention those you've been craving for, and place them in one spot? Wouldn't that be even more fun and convenient all at the same time?

This is exactly what came into the minds of the people who established the Mercato Centrale at the Bonifacio Global City at Taguig. To tell you honestly, they did a pretty good job in gathering these great food finds. Practically everything in there is a must-try. We actually had a hard time choosing what to buy because of all the mouth-watering food that we saw. Mercato Centrale has it all - burgers, chicken, wraps, cakes, breads, cookies, cupcakes, ice cream, vegetables, processed food, you name it. You will simply be awed at what this food spot can offer.

What we like about Mercato Centrale is that it's very different from the usual. It's actually better than going at a usual restaurant at the mall. It's one diversified food place, and groups can get what they really want. If one wants a burger, then he can have a burger. If one wants tempura, then he can have tempura. If one wants something healthy, then he can also find it at Mercato. Generally speaking, it satisfies a big chunk of the market. You will also notice upon visiting Mercato is that food stalls are grouped accordingly. They have two big air-conditioned tents, one features the organic and the healthy foods, while the other tent focuses more on desserts. They have an open-air tent which showcases the foods which are needed to be grilled or fried. This is usually where the burgers, chickens, pastas, and other freshly cooked food can be located. Probably the best thing about Mercato Centrale is that almost every food stall offers free tastes. This is a good thing because it'll help you on what you really want to buy. It can also give you a hint if what they sell is really good or not (well, based on what we tasted, there really is nothing bad-tasting at Mercato). Basically every stall that we passed we were trying their free samples. There were some which were very good and even some that really stood out. But, at the end of the day, you really can't buy and eat all of them now, can you? We did, however, bought some pasalubong to bring to our families for them to try out.

The people there were very kind to customers. They were, as much as possible, explaining what they were selling. They didn't just rely on their brochures or their tarps. They were really discussing what their products are and what would make you buy them. Some, we think, would even make a good career at public relations. There's no bad service here at Mercato Centrale.

Here's what we ate at the venue. You could use this as a guide when you visit Mercato Centrale:

Bale Dutung's Pan de Bagnet, 200 php

Glutton Guy: I took a bite of Glutton Girl's Pan de Bagnet. She really wanted to taste it so bad. There was only one word on my mind, though - CHOLESTEROL. Yep, all that juicy meat, skin, and layers of fat in a ciabatta sanwich is a good 'heart attack prone' food. It's delicious, though, one way or another. What I liked about this dish was that the bagnet was the most recognizable ingredient. The flavors of the vegetables didn't overpower the flavor of the bagnet. The bagnet was the star here, and that made an impact for me. You could really taste the crunchy pork skin and the layers. The bread was soft, but it was a bit powdery for me. It's not a bad thing to try out, though. Just be sure that your cholesterol level's okay. : )

Glutton Girl: This dish has had a lot of rave reviews in other food blogs, maybe because of it's new concept (putting bagnet in a ciabatta sandwich) but it was just okay for me. The bagnet was really good, but when it was placed inside the sandwich and the oriental sauce was added, it kind of drenched the bagnet and lost its crispiness. I also think they put little of the bagnet and more of the veggies. The bread is kind of thick so adding more bagnet slices would be better. It's 200 pesos anyway. But, I'm glad I tried it. For the experience.

Bale Dutung's Lechon Tortilla, 150 php

Glutton Guy: Nothing close to the lechon tortilla I was expecting. To be honest, I was a bit disappointed with this dish. As much as I would like to like it, it really did not go well for me. What really turned me off (and I kept saying this to Glutton Girl while we were eating) was the oriental sauce that they placed. Not only did it not look good (it was color green,errr...enough said I guess), it also did not taste good. It gave the wrap a herby, citrusy flavor that I really didn't like. The sauce overpowered everything, even the flavor of the lechon. I really couldn't taste the lechon in that wrap, thanks to the sauce. Would I buy it the next time I go there? Probably not. : )

Glutton Girl: This was just so-so also. The lechon crisps did not taste like lechon at all, but I liked the idea of using tortilla wrap. I think it would be best if they combine the two ideas: bagnet inside the tortilla wrap, for 180 pesos.

Manang's Chicken, in original and mild spicy flavors

   chicken only with macaroni salad or rice
   Wings (6 pieces) 120 php 140 php
   Leg / Thigh
   1 piece 60 php 80 php
   2 pieces 120 php 140 php

Glutton Guy: I really loved Manang's chicken. The chicken was very crispy on the outside and very soft on the inside. The sauce really was flavorful. I really liked it a lot, especially the original flavored sauce. Unlike other wings I have tried, Manang's chicken wings are very saucy. They pour the sauce on the chicken, rather than the usual. You would know because there's some excess sauce on the styro-container. The sesame seeds gave the added crunch and the nice presentation. Overall, I'd say that Manang's chicken is one of the best we've had at Mercato. : )

Glutton Girl: They mean it when they say they're better than BonChon Chicken. Their chicken is so crispy and their sauce is so yummy! Add the sesame seeds on top and voila! Yummy double-fried chicken in front of you. What makes me so proud about Manang's Chicken is that it's true-blue Filipino. The fact that it beats BonChon in taste, crisp, and over-all experience makes me feel 'kilig'. FILIPINO! FILIPINO! Haha! This is one stall I will come back for.

Calamansi Juice and Lemonade, 25 php

Glutton Guy: I must say, the clamansi juice is truly a great drink. This juice is perfect for a hot day. It's not overly sweet and you could really taste that citrus flavor of the calamnsi. I loved it when I take a bit at the spicy chicken wings. The lemonade was also a delicious drink. It had the right sweetness as well. Two great drinks at one great place! : )

Glutton Girl: The calamansi juice was pretty good for a concentrate-based juice. It had the enough sweetness and sour kick in it. And it was just 25 pesos per glass, which was pretty cheap for Mercato standards. As for the lemonade, freshly squeezed and sweet at the same time = YUMMY. This really quenched my thirst.

Merry Moo French Vanilla Ice Cream (cone), 65 php

Glutton Girl: This was gooooooood! I like sweet stuff, and well, this satisfied my sweet tooth's craving. Glutton Guy was more daring though; he chose the Sea Salt + Caramel. I was not that into it so I went to the safer side and got French Vanilla. I'm happy I did. :) What's surprising is the owner makes his own ice cream. We met him; his name's Kelvin Ngo, and he had this witty apron saying "Chief Ice Cream Officer". He said the flavors change every week, so we do have to watch out for the next. I heard he does Candied Bacon. Now how interesting is that?

Merry Moo Sea Salt + Caramel Ice Cream (cup), 60 php

Glutton Guy: This for me was a bit intriguing and a bit interesting as well. It's not the usual ice cream flavor that I buy, but it was different in a good way. I liked the flavor of the ice cream. I thought there would be a hint of saltiness, since the name had 'sea salt' in it. But, there was actually none. What I was getting was a bit of bitterness and a little little hint of sweetness. I usually don't like bitter foods. But, this one actually worked out for me. Mr. Kelvin did say that it was their best-seller. It's a new ice cream flavor for my taste buds. But, I would say that I wouldn't think twice on buying this again. Kuddos to Merry Moo for this! : )

Here's some goodies which we brought home:

Our Cookie Jar's Choco Chip Cookies, 150 php

Glutton Girl: There were a lot of baked goodies in Mercato, and all of them were good, but we opted to get goodies from Our Cookie Jar for take-out. I got the choco chip cookies and my family loved it. My sister even said she loves it because she can bite into the whole choco chips. "Hindi tinipid." The cookies were moist and chewy, which is how choco chip cookies ought to be. And for 150 pesos for a dozen of fairly-sized cookies, it's a good deal.

Our Cookie Jar's Banoffee Pie, 105 php (small), 180 php (large)

Glutton Guy: I love banoffee! Our Cookie Jar's banoffee was actually very delicious. How delicious, you ask? Well, my mom actually ate half of what I bought. Plus, she kept on saying "masarap siya, masarap siya" over and over again. She even wanted to buy more and bring some for my uncle at Hong Kong. That's how good it is. The cream on top was absolutely delicious. There were chocolate chips that gave the banoffee the added crunch. Every layer was just perfect. Unlike some desserts, this one had the right amount of sweetness to it. The banana chunks were my favorite. If I knew this one was very good, I would have bought two, or even three of these. Our Cookie Jar's banoffee is just heaven. : )

Mercato Centrale is LOVE. It's not your average round-the-bend food place. It was smart for the minds behind this project to bring it to the Philippines. What we love most about Mercato: GOOD FOOD and AIR-CONDITIONED TENTS. Too bad we were there when the sun was at it's hottest. But, it didn't ruin our Mercato experience. There were actually a lot more to try. Sadly, all those free tastes made us really full hahahahaha But, we promise to come back to try the others we haven't tried yet. If you're up for a different food experience, you should try going to Mercato Centrale at the Bonifacio Global City. And when you do visit the place, we're pretty sure that you'll keep coming back every week. We definitely won't forget to add Mercato Centrale on our weekend list! ^_^

Here's how we rated Mercato Centrale (overall):

Food:

Price:

Place:

Service:

(Mercato Centrale is located at the corner of 30th and 9th Avenue, Bonifacio Global City, Taguig. It's open only on Saturdays and Sundays, 6am to 2pm. It's just behind Bonifacio High Street.)

The Road to Singaporean Yummy-ness

2011-02-23T00:19:00.000-08:00

If there's one nearby country that's a big hit among Pinoy tourists, it's gotta be Singapore. It's just a few hours away from the Philippines and it has a lot to offer when it comes to sights and scenes. One good thing Singapore can offer would be the delectable food. Singaporean cuisine is actually a mixture of Chinese, Indian, Malay, and Indonesian influences, due to the fact that Singapore is a very diverse country. So, just imagine the loads of food you could try when you're there. People who have been there, however, would tell you that Singaporean food is expensive. But, they have hawker centers scattered around the streets of Singapore where you can taste authentic and cheap Singaporean food. These hawker centers are what we commonly know as 'food courts'. You don't, however, have to dine at these hawker centers to taste delicious Singaporean food. You don't even have to go to Singapore just to accomplish this task. All you have to do is take a ride to SM Megamall.

Located at the second floor of the mall, Orchard Road continues to invite people to try delicious and authentic Singaporean food. Yes, the name of the place sounds very familiar, it being one of the most popular roads in Singapore. Orchard Road offers a wide array of dishes to satisfy your hungry stomach. Prices here are average, some are cheap, some a bit expensive for the serving size. Nevertheless, everything is worth trying at Orchard Road. It's all about the taste and the authenticity of the dish.

The place doesn't really give that unique Singaporean feel. It has that extravagant-looking ambiance, giving passers-by the impression that the food is a bit expensive. The place, however, does not look like the usual-fast-food-resto that people would usually go to, which is actually a good thing for us. They also made their kitchen open for the public to see, a good strategy which is already implemented by food places like the French Baker. By doing so, people who eat at Orchard Road can see how their food is prepared and they are assured that the ingredients used are of utmost quality.

The way you order here is quite different. They have an order slip on which the 'first timer directions' are written. The order slip is actually the menu which shows all the dishes they offer together with the corresponding price. Basically, what you do is you mark the order slip and give it to the cashier. There would be no waiter taking your orders at the table, since you would have to go to the cashier, give your order slip, and pay your order. After that, just wait for your food to be served. There's some good and not-so-good things about the order slip. The good thing is that it would really help in planning what you would like to eat, especially if you're a group. On the other hand, there are no pictures of the food on it. So, if you're a first timer for Singaporean food, you might have to visualize what you're ordering. You could ask, though. But, you would have to wait for your turn at the cashier.

Service could be a bit slow, but don't fret because the food at Orchard Road is worth the wait. They serve food one at a time, so have a little bit of patience. The people who serve the food are very attentive to the needs of the customers, however. They always roam around the restaurant to check if customers need anything.

Here's what we tried:

Teh Tarik (Tea & Condensed Milk), 65 php

Glutton Guy: I really wanted milk tea, and I knew that Orchard Road has that. But, we really had a difficult time knowing what their milk tea was called because the order slip had names like Teh Tarik, Teh-O, Teh Kosong, and Teh-C. We really didn't know which one of those was their milk tea, so we had to ask the cashier first. She told us that Teh Tarik was the milk tea. It didn't disappoint me. Orchard Road's Teh Tarik was delicious. It had that delicious flavor which I liked very much. It had that creaminess from the milk and the flavor was just right. It's perfect with the food we ate. : )

Glutton Girl: Orchard Road's Teh Tarik was just so-so. There really was nothing special for me in that drink. The flavor was usual. I actually like the milk teas of Serenitea, Bubble Tea, and Happy Lemon more. It's still something that you should try, though.

Kaya Toast, 50 php

Glutton Guy: You haven't gone to a Singaporean restaurant without having a taste of their delicious kaya toast. It's just toasted bread with some kaya, which is actually a local Singaporean spread made from eggs, sugar, and coconut milk. The kaya toast of Orchard Road was really good. It's actually perfect for a snack. The toast was really delicious and had that crunch which I really liked. The filling inside wasn't overly sweet, but it was really good. For 50 pesos, however, I find the serving a little small. We finished the whole dish in like, seconds. : )

Glutton Girl: The kaya toast was also another so-so for me. I've tasted a lot of kaya toasts already (and even made one myself, from scratch!), and this was just okay. Just like any other food stall or restaurant here in the Philippines, they scrimped on the kaya (coco jam). I can make a better one to be honest.

Bak Kut Teh, 175 php

Glutton Guy: Presentation-wise, I didn't find the dish very appealing. It just looked like the free soup carinderia's would give away when you dine there. Flavor-wise, however, Orchard Road's Bak Kut Teh really was good. The soup had that herbal flavor which I really liked. The meat was really tender and was very easy to eat. It was like tenderized for a long time in the soup it was in. It's really a delicious soup dish. : )

Glutton Girl: This dish made me reminisce my trip to Malaysia. The family of my Malaysian friend brought me to a local stall in Petaling Jaya and made me try Bak Kut Teh. I liked the herbal taste then and I found that in Orchard Road's Bak Kut Teh. The serving was okay for the price, but I missed the tofu. I remember in Malaysia, my Bak Kut Teh had a lot of tofu in it, which I really loved. I wish Orchard Road would put tofu in their version too.

Seafood Crispy Noodles, 195 php

Glutton Guy: I'm a big fan of crispy noodles. When I see one on a menu of a restaurant I am dining at, I would always order one. Orchard Road's crispy noodles was just okay for me. The noodles were crispy and the seafood gave that additional flavor to the dish. But, the sauce really needed a bit more seasoning. When we were eating it I felt it was a bit bland. Plus, the noodles were really hard to eat, given that the noodles were in long strands. I would say Causeway and Mann Hann serve better versions of the noodles. But, I would still recommend this one. : )

Glutton Girl: This was good! It's the typical crispy noodle dish you get in every Chinese restaurant. No one does this wrong, I think. If they do, and they're a Chinese restaurant, then they're screwed. I wish it had more shrimps though and a little bit more of the sauce. It would've tasted yummier.

Lemon Fish, Fried Egg & Rice, 145 php

Glutton Guy: I would also usually order fish fillet at Chinese restaurants, and since Orchard Road had the lemon fish, I gave it a go. The dish was just okay, overall. The fish was soft, which was good. The lemon sauce, however, was a bit bland for me. It lacked a bit of the flavor that I was expecting. I wanted a bit more saltiness and a bit more tanginess from the lemon, and I didn't get both. I didn't see the connection between the egg and the fish, though. But, the egg was good. : )

Glutton Girl: This dish was okay. I only had a few bites of it, since this was Glutton Guy's order and not mine. It was the fish version of lemon chicken, and in my opinion, the lemon sauce would've tasted better with chicken. The fish was a bit flaky.

Hainanese Chicken Rice, 165 php

Glutton Guy: This for me was the most affordable dish we ordered. This is because for 165 pesos, it already has cup of Hainanese rice. The chicken was tender, but you need to dip it in the soy sauce to really give it flavor. The rice was good, though. Well, it's better than plain rice, that's for sure. Portion-wise, though, I wish there was a bit more chicken in the dish. : )

Glutton Girl: This was pretty good for Manila standards. Restaurants here murder Hainanese chicken. I've tasted one in Legaspi Village weekend market and it was blah. This was decent. The portion of serving was little though for the price. But, with the Hainanese rice, I guess it's okay.

A Singapore trip is good, but if you want a Singaporean food trip, then Orchard Road at SM Megamall would be a good start. It gives you close to the original Singaporean cuisine that would give you a hint of how Singapore food would look and taste like. What's even better is that it's more accessible, it being at the heart of the Metro. If you're one of those people who's having trouble with directions, I guess this is one road, or food place, you should not forget. So where's the road to Singaporean Yummy-ness? This way!

This is how we rated Orchard Road:

Food:

Price:

Place:

Service:

(Orchard Road is located at the 2nd level, Bridgeway, SM Megamall, EDSA corner Julia Vargas Avenue, Mandaluyong City. It's just in front of the entrance to the Mega Atrium.)