#FASTGOOD!

True! Fast-food price twice the goodness! Saw this accidentally after jogging along Ayala. Thought that Bon Chon’s the cheapest chow around but wait, Chef Lau’s here to save the night.

It's Chef Lau on the logo

As a first timer, ordered Pugon Roast Chicken at Php 114 with drinks included. Serving size’s not a heaping and when you look at it, it seems ordinary. Except looking closer, there were sauce drippings and a few spices on top of the chicken. And it smells good.

Looks ordinary until...

Thanks to lemongrass. Bet they marinated it overnight. Even the chicken meat’s good. Not unlike in Bon Chon where only the skin’s blessed.

Menu here!

I’m excited other dishes here. I know it won’t take long as I only need a few bucks. 

 
Rating: 4

Chef Lau Pugon Roasters has a branch in:

Ayala Triangle Gardens,

Salcedo Village, Makati City

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Saturday, March 07, 2015

"I want to make tusok-tusok the isaw!"

A tusok-tusok ihaw haven, for the sosyal, it was! The concept's very Pinoy minus the free germs and the kanto-style. Bravo to the brainchild of Charaptor! 

Barbecue all you can

At Php 390 (dinner weekdays), selection of meats and veggies on stick were available for grilling. Each table has its own grilling set-- with charcoals! It's not smoke-less, by the way. Thus, in Charaptor it's dine al fresco. 

Charaptor menu

Cooks meat fast!

Compared to regular buffets, they had lesser food options. But of course manong bbq cannot compete with their food selection. That time, they had chicken, ribs, pork, ham, hotdogs, squid fish, quail or tofu wrapped in bacon, shrimps, butayaki (looks like kebab), squid balls, salmon balls, gizzard intestines of both chicken and pork. Plus veggies to grill such as corn, potatoes and others.

For the grills

Look at the bacon wraps!

1st batch

Too bad, though, they didn't have fish balls. 

To appease that sad face, table of sauces and dips were available to complement every dish available. I didn't dip much in the sauces as the meat themselves were already flavorful. Too bad they don't have peanut sauce! 

Sauces in every way!

For the stomach who can't wait, there were french fries, kimchi, chicharon, siomai, mashed potatoes and etc. Their mashed potato was good! Perfect for the hungry. 

Cheese sticks, french fries and mashed potato :)

Surprisingly, desserts were served such as crinkles and meringue. Not to expect too much from the desserts though, as the crinkles were tough I would've sworn it was bought in the nearest bakery. Haha. 

This meringue looks familiar ;)

Drinks were refillable, too. No soft drinks, only powdered juices. 

Yes put ice on the fats

Good price. Good service. Food selection was fine. The only thing I didn't enjoy was my inability to tell if my meat was cooked already which resulted in a few minor and major burns. 

For the new concept, minus the carcinogen intake, my verdict:

Rating: 3.5


Charaptor is located at:


9752 Kamagong St. cor Aranga St., 
San Antonio Village,
Makati City 

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Tuesday, February 10, 2015

CaliBurger is located in, not in California but in Century City Mall PH. What I love about it is its beach setting with pops of orange everywhere.

The menu :)

For the first timer, tried first their basic burger A at Php 245. The burger was relatively big. The patty was tasty, too. I love the serving of lettuce and tomato. For the sides, instead of fries, chose onion rings and I enjoyed! It was thin and crisp. 

Basic CaliBurger Meal

Their selection of drinks, I give a thumbs up, too. They have variety of juices to choose from. And, it's refillable! All for the tag price. Sulit!

KINECT!

Again, love the beach side setting and the kinect set-up!


<a href="https://www.zomato.com/manila/caliburger-poblacion-makati-city" title="View Menu, Reviews, Photos & Information about CaliBurger, Poblacion and other Restaurants in Metro Manila" target="_blank"><img alt="CaliBurger Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato" src="https://www.zomato.com/logo/6313573/minilogo" style="border:none;width:104px;height:15px;padding:0px;" /></a>  Rating: 3.5


CaliBurger is located at:


4/F, Century City Mall, 
Kalayaan Avenue, 
Poblacion, Makati City

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Friday, January 30, 2015

Chicken with generous serving of gravy...

BBQ dripping with catsup-concoction sauce...

Pastas with heaping sauces...

Inihaw na isda or liempo with toyo at suka with matching kamatis at sibuyas...

I don't know if it's just me and my siblings but we, Filipinos, seem to love foods na masarsa- or those not just flavorful in itself but also with matching dipping and sauces. 

Sarsa Kitchen + Bar is a perfect combination of those two (and of what I adore in our cuisine). Specifically, they serve Ilonggo hearty foods (both my parents are!).

And just how yummy they were? Just read starting with the appetizers:

Pritchon Pancake at Php 270. Was it pancake or lumpia? I wasn't able to scrutinize well already. I was already taken by how good it was. Because even if it took me forever to eat it, it still tasted like heaven. Imagine, pritong lechon still awesomely crispy inside? Wow.

It came with Hoisin chili sauce. Didn't try it with it. Didn't think it was that necessary.

How are you there piggy lechon inside?

Lechon Manok Lumpia at Php 180. Now this one was the lesser evil appetizer- that I allowed myself to eat three, four? Well, I cannot remember. All I know was I enjoyed every flavorful bite. And the spices that came along inside made it bursting with so much goodness. Aprub!

It was served with Pinakurat but it's flavorful enough just by itself.

See the filling?

They also serve grilled sticks such as Isaw here at Php 165. Crispy and much hygienic, too. Haha.

Isaw love <3

Lechon Manok Pancit Canton at Php 195. Their serving was hefty. Their pancit canton was full of veggies and meat. It tastes good, prolly because of the flavor of lechon manok? It's also served with chili garlic oil.

Pancit for long life. 

Inasal Sisig at Php 335. Their sisig was a tad expensive compared to others but, hello? It's healthier, it's inasal. This was one of those yummy sisigs I've tried it took me two helpings until full to stop. Hope mayo came with it because then I might had adored it. Only that it won't be that healthy anymore.

Healthy way to sisig

Kansi at Php 380. Open and close parenthesis, Bulalo. I only took a sip for this one. I'm not used to Bulalo being sour. But then again maybe that's how Ilonggos would like it.

Bulalong maasim 

Thin-cut Liempo at Php 240. Served with native coffee and burong vinegar. Again, sorry I didn't try the sauces, or at least verify if it's really coffee because the liempo tasted just right.

Coffee ba talaga?

Lechon Kawali at Php 270. Served with Batwan Tsokolate and Pinakurat. Interesting, right? Twice the happiness for the already extreme lechon kawali.

Sinfully good!

Tortang Talong with Crispy Sardines and Kesong Puti at Php 210. I love talong and this one had a spicy twist and kick in it. Gourmet?

Pinakurat and Chili Banana Ketchup also came with it.

Talooong = Eggplaaaaant

Along with its comfy interiors and dedicated staff, it was a joy to dine in Sarsa Kitchen + Bar. Foods made sarsarap, three thumbs up.

For those looking for their menu, here:

Namit kaayo! 

('Super sarap' in Ilonggo)

  
Rating: 4.5

Sarsa Kitchen + Bar has a branch in:

2/F Entertainment Mall, 

SM Mall of Asia Complex,

Pasay City

Some photo credits to azyl. Happy, happy birthday :)

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Wednesday, January 21, 2015

When I posted my review on Balay Indang, I hinted that Tagaytay is just 10-15 min away. What better way to go home, than to go far and conquer the January cool breeze of Tagaytay?

So even if we're still full from the goodness of Balay Indang, we can't help but give in to the lure of hot chocolate and Bulalooooo!

Guess the name's too giveaway: green view while savoring Tagaytay's best: Verdi-view.

Good view combined with good foooooood!

My take on their Nilagang Bulalo at Php 450: it's good! Not 'sooooo spectacular I'm gonna die' way but yes, it's good. Tried kinda high-end version of Josephine's but theirs is much better. Served with a big and deep bowl, it has considerable amount of beef, with utaaaaak and vegetables. Perfect for the cold weather! Bet it can feed a group of four.

The veggies are many underneath!

To complement the coldness of the air, chocolate drink made of tablea at Php 45 is just oh-some! Others on their menu are affordable (except the famous bulalo, of course) too, though I haven't tried. See this:

Part of their menu with Bulalo :)

Verdiview Restuarant is located along:


Tagaytay-Nasugbu Highway, 
Alfonso, Cavite

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Tuesday, January 20, 2015

I've been in Indang, Cavite several times. In fact, I visit the faraway town yearly to celebrate Christmas with my extended family. But never in those times had I heard Balay Indang: The Red Ginger Farm.

It might require traveling down the long and winding road after several hours dueling with Waze, but it feels good to find a hidden gem after.

The marker with No. 88 on the gate

Interesting inside!

The whole farm is so huge and the activities considerably many that one can spend the whole day just basking around nature. Here are the list of their amenities:

- Swimming Pool (additional Php 100 per person)

- Massage Huts 

- Pavilions

- Playgrounds

- Watch Tower

- Hebron Valley

- Stations of the Cross

- Rooms for overnight stay

- Conference rooms for retreats

- gardens 

- etc.

They have swimming pool!

Nature's delight!

And of course, in between, endless picture taking. The nature close by is just a bonus in Balay. Main agenda is filling the hungry tummy with lutong bahay, in a healthier way. (P.S. food can be refilled)

LUNCH

Salad

Mixture of greens, carrots, cucumber, corn, singkamas and eggs with a very tasty dressing. I enjoyed devouring their salad. I feel so revived!

There's singkamaaas!

Cornflakes Crusted Prawn Balls

This is my favorite. The ball is encrusted with sweet cornflakes. Inside is pure prawn filling. It has a little sauce of its own, too. But it can also be dipped with the salad’s dressing. Very prawny. Very yummy. I love it!   

   

Prawn balls- Upper Right
Tuna Pasta- Below
with the carrot rice

Tuna Pasta

Their pasta is very light and filling. It’s aromatic too because of the herbs.

Fish with Broccoli and Mushrooms

Very light to the taste. It feels good to eat something so healthy once in a while.

Healthy!

Stuffed Chicken

According to my friend, it tastes like lechon manok, only stuffed with generous meat and carrots. Got an idea from this!

Meaty delights!

Tuna Wasabi (not in the picture)

I honestly don’t like Wasabi. When I tasted it, though, the Wasabi sensation is lighter. My friends did enjoy this dish.

Minatamis ng Saging  

Well, minatamis na saging is minatamis na saging. It wasn't that sweet that I enjoyed it.

Sweet :)

They have a very refreshing dalandan juice, too. During the course of the meal, I refilled mine four times, if I’m not mistaken. After that, they served coffee.

SNACKS

Bibingka/ Pudding

I really don’t know if it is bibingka or pudding with cheese on top but it’s very soft and stuffed. They served it with bowls of nuts and raisins with bottle of coke.

So yummy!

These buffets have the ff rates:

- Lunch: Php 725 per pax

- Snacks: Php 120 per pax

All in all, I enjoyed the goodness Balay Indang offers. If you think it’s too far, wait until you learn it’s just 10-15 minutes from Tagaytay.

Balay Indang is located at:

88 Mahabang Kahoy Cerca

Indang, Cavite

Tel: +63917-8374261, +63917-8665825

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Thursday, January 15, 2015

Around the table is the place to eat with family and friends. More than the physical presence of the table as the bearer of food, it's also that area where endless chitchat happens.

I'm so glad to start my 2015 in the company of my friends around La Mesa Grille. Dim lit under the native chandelier, it's just about that conducive to laugh and talk about anything under the sun (unless outside where at night, music blares from the band.) 

Feels like home

What is good talk without good food? While here, tried the ff:

Inihaw na Liempo at Php 175. Quite expensive for a strip of pig, right? Yes, but for me though, I enjoyed every munch of it. It's everyone's favorite, I know. But there's something special about their Liempo. Bet it's the marinade, it came out aromatic. To my taste, it's so flavorful, bit sweet even and tenderly grilled right. I enjoyed my every munch of their Liempo.

Lamesa Way :)

Kare-Kare with Beef/Tripe at Php 290.  I'm fond of eating this Filipino dish that I happen to almost every time order it wherever. I had my best at Little Quiapo in BF (been saying this all the time). And I'm super glad that theirs came second for me. It's peanuty. No need for bagoong. The meat and ox tripe both were tender. I just hope they serve it with more sauce and vegetables. But nonetheless, it was still awesome!

This is yum!

Service is good. Price is great! Food comes not instantaneously but the staff were attentive to refilling water.

They also serve alcoholic drinks so chitchat can go as long as the wee hours.

 
Rating: 4.5

La Mesa Grille has a branch in:

SM Mall of Asia, North Bayview Park, 
Seaside Blvd., Manila Bay Reclamation Area, 
Pasay City

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Sunday, January 04, 2015

Down South, there's a homey restaurant really worth trying. I mean, there are so many things to try right inside the comfort of the South. But this one, just inside BF Resort Village, is once again making abuzz: the brand new old Skillets and Grill. They serve Filipino comfort foods with a twist!

Let me start with rice, my guess of the restaurant's name: rice served in a skillet. That's a total of six (6) cups of rice, by the way.

Rice straight from the skillet! How can that be!

Its menu, according to its chef-owner Ed, was from years before and used it again when they 'reopened'. Thus the picture below. He said they haven't changed even the price. Whoa!

The old menu used in the new

For starters, their Onion Rings (Php 108), good for sharing, tastes just crispy right. It's served with everyone's favorite, ketchup-mayo sauce. I enjoyed eating this crunchy circles!

The favorite pica food

Their Boneless Chicken's (Php 208) a good try, too. Two 1/4 chicken served in their yummy white sauce. Even after the chicken's gone, it's still enjoyable 'licking' off the remnants. If they have bread, I could have sworn to wipe it off with that, too.

The first time I ate here, serving of chicken was three. Two's good, alright.

Then comes their Squid Alajillo (Php 168) recommended by their in-house chef. I don't particularly enjoy squid if it's not calamari. So I rely on my family's approval of these squishy squid. It's good, they say.

Want squid at less than Php 200?

When I'm with family too, always there should be Pork Sisig with Egg (Php 158). Who wouldn't love sinful sisig, right? I love it, too. Albeit, I find much tasty those served in food courts.

Colorful sisig

Lastly, Beef Salpicao (Php 199) served with native vinegar. I didn't pay too much attention with the beef itself but coupled with vinegar, it's a surprisingly good combination.

Served right with a native vinegar. 

Every Sunday and even on weeknights, when I go home, I see so many families and friends feasting here. And it's good to see that Skillet and Grill's once again up and about. Kudos!

 
Rating: 4


Skillets and Grill Restaurant us located at:

No. 47, BF Resort Drive,
BF Resort, 
Las Piñas City

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Monday, December 01, 2014