Garlic & Cheese Pizza

Eager to skip a GT or LKG lunch, I dragged an officemate to the Joey Pepperoni branch in Columns. The boyfriend tagged along too, well aware that I wouldn’t be able to finish whatever it is that I order.

The boyfriend was aware that they almost always run a promo, and true enough, they had Php199 offering for two pizzas. We availed of the promo and ordered a garlic & cheese and beefy something pizza.

The unknown pizza

Yes, I forgot the second pizza ’cause I thought it was forgettable. It looks like something my little sister could prepare with her eyes closed. It might even taste better.

Although the garlic & cheese pizza didn’t look as appetizing, I thought it was more up my alley in terms of taste. For Php199, it would be better to get a decent burger elsewhere.

Set 4 with Spaghetti Bolognese

The three of us ordered a set meal each, which included free iced tea. I ordered the fourth set, with spaghetti bolognese, bread sticks and chicken fingers.

There wasn’t anything extraordinary about the pasta, though the chicken fingers were pretty good. At least there really were chicken meat inside! The bread was soft, with a faint garlic flavor.

Set 4 with Carbonara

Above is the boyfriend’s order. Since you can choose which pasta you want, he opted for carbonara. It was average. Well, you can’t really expect much in terms of flavor with a set meal like this. We left the restaurant as soon as we finished  because frankly, we didn’t feel “welcome” there. This waitress who was serving us didn’t even bother to smile or something. She was so serious.

Anyway, I was right not to expect anything spectacular from Joey Pepperoni. I guess it’ll be years before I return again.

%%Revisiting Joey Pepperoni%% is a post from: Patay Gutom

It’s funny that we decided to eat at Army Navy for our last dinner in Tagaytay when there are tons of Army Navy restaurants back in Manila.

For the record though, it wasn’t our first choice. We were already lined up outside Buon Giorno, which was literally filled to the brim, when the group agreed to move elsewhere.

Hello, Army Navy

And so we drove next door to a not-so-busy Army Navy nook.

I will always have a soft spot for Army Navy because of how awesomely-filling their burgers and burritos are. It, however, is not something that I’ll eat regularly–perhaps three visits a month will do it for me. If I were a boy, it’d be a completely different story though.

We were pretty lucky that we were first to line up before this group of tourists. I don’t like lining up and waiting for food–thankyouverymuch.

Quesadilla!

So what did I order? My favorite Quesadilla, of course! I’m a sucker for anything that it toasted and has cheese. This may sound weird, but I’d choose this over a burger any time, any day.

Served hot and fresh, this is a great option for those who doesn’t want to wolf down the chain’s carbo-loaded burgers.

Freedom Fries!

What’s a trip to Army Navy without their infamous Freedom Fries? Even without dipping it in ketchup, their fries are already packed with flavor, don’t you think? It reminds me a lot of KFC’s fries too. Although Army Navy still wins by a mile in terms of portions.

Sure, we may have gone down the safe route by dining at Army Navy. BUT the branches in Makati don’t offer the same chilly breeze that comes with the Tagaytay branch, right?

%%Who Doesn’t Love Army Navy?%% is a post from: Patay Gutom

Ever since my officemate told me about The Soup Kitchen, I’ve been slowly dying to dig my tiny spoon into one of their concoctions. And since I’ve reached the limit of my carb quota for the month, I let her take me to The Soup Kitchen in RCBC.

The day's menu

I think their menu changes every day, hence, this cute blackboard stand just outside the restaurant. Remembering the chili salsa I had over at Mile Hi Diner a couple of days back, I picked the Chili soup. For no charge, you can ask (well, the server will ask you also) for nachos and cheese on top.

Pick your soup!

They have three bowl options; quarter, half and full bowl. Before you order, you can ask to taste each soup too so you won’t feel bad about ordering a soup you don’t really like.  Heh.

Chili Soup!

The verdict? Two thumbs up! Although I had to put in tabasco sauce for an extra kick, I found the soup very flavorful and filling. Yes, filling! The Chili soup was packed with beans, onions, peppers, meat and whatnot. The boyfriend and his co-workers were dining at a nearby restaurant so he dropped by, starting eating my bowl and found it really good too.

Grilled cheese sandwich for the win!

I also ordered a grilled cheese sandwich to go with my soup. My officemate raved about this particular sandwich, you see. A grilled cheese sandwich is something you can easily do at home, I know, but this one’s good too. At least there’s a generous serving of cheese in between so I didn’t feel like I wasted away my money.

Visit The Soup Kitchen in RCBC!

While I love the Chili soup and the sandwich, I don’t think I’ll be eating here as frequently as I want mainly because it’s a wee bit pricey as an everyday lunch meal. I typically refrain from spending more than 200 pesos (yes, more than 200 for the soup, sandwich and a calamansi juice ) for lunch–can’t blame me, times are hard.

Anyway, The Soup Kitchen teaches an important lesson: never underestimate a bowl of soup.

%%A Bowl of Goodness at The Soup Kitchen%% is a post from: Patay Gutom

We were ready to drive back to Manila after a weekend Tagaytay getaway with the boyfriend’s friends when we all decided to park near Magallanes Square to grab brunch. It was already past 1PM but none of us had a decent breakfast yet. Nobody wanted to go home and battle a rowdy tummy on the road.

A can of Spam is not considered breakfast especially if you only had a slice–no bread, no rice, no whatever. Such hunger called for a good restaurant (no fast food, please), that’s why we ended up at one of my go-to restaurants for comfort food–Pancake House.

Such a colorful Fiesta Taco Salad!

My stomach was screaming for a stack of yummy pancakes, but my mind was trying to reinforce some sense in me by suggesting that a salad is the better choice. “You’re on an endless diet, remember?” says my brain. Haha. And so I went with a salad dish. Hurray to me for sticking to my diet.

Whenever I have a salad at Pancake House, I always go for the Fiesta Taco Salad because it packs a mean burst of flavors. Plus I like the challenge that comes with the huge taco that I usually crush and mix with the greens before eating the dish.

A comfort food

If I can’t have pancakes, I’ll have a waffle then. Haha! Such a poor excuse but I mean, how could you sit in a Pancake House restaurant and watch other diners enjoy their pancakes while you eat a *gasp* salad or *gasp* chicken?

The Golden Brown waffle was perfectly crunchy. Though I wish they add more whipped cream on top. That one barely covered the entire surface. It was delicious, nonetheless.

Excuse the boyfriend's hand in the picture

Here’s one of my boyfriend’s Pancake House staple, Hamburg Steak Special Set. While I wanted to stick my fork into that pretty Spaghetti corner, he poured hot sauce so there was no way I could eat that.

I didn’t take a photo of their iced tea, but I think they’re one of the few restaurants whose house iced tea I like the best. There’s a hint of calamansi in it–I’m not sure though if they do squeeze a drop or two of that.

%%Sunday Brunch at Pancake House%% is a post from: Patay Gutom

The last time I was at Bubba Gump it was waaaaay back in 2008 or 2009 so it was an absolute delight to learn that Christmas dinner with some of the boyfriend’s friends will be there. A friend of the boyfriend made a reservation (yay!) since Bubba Gump is usually packed during dinner time. We arrived on time and was immediately ushered to our table.

Appetizer--I don't know the name

The rest of the group had a tough time looking for a parking spot so we thought it best to have something to munch on while waiting for them. Besides this platter, we also had onion rings.

Bubba Gump's Baked Seafood

A lot has been added to the menu since I was last here (duh!) so I was a bit dumb-founded as to which dish to order. I love, love seafood so it was a no brainer to order seafood. I went with Bubba Gump’s Baked Seafood Rice (Php615), which drew me in because of how it was described in the menu.

Baked seafood rice with shrimp, calamari, fish, spinach in parmesan cream sauce, topped with cheese.

Although it looked really appetizing on the menu and in words, it came super late. Everybody was already enjoying their meals, but mine arrived some 20 to 30 minutes later than everyone else’s.

I could see the servers and the manager (I think it was the manager) panicky because I was in such a foul mood already. We just made jokes about it to alleviate the stress–sinasaing pa ‘yung kanin, hinuhuli pa ‘yung seafood, bumili pa ng pan.

It looked like a celebrity walked in when the manager (again, I think it was the manager) quickly approached our table with my dish. Hoozah!

After taking pictures of my food, which looked really good, I dug in and savored the first bite. It was bursting with flavor, but halfway to finishing my dish, I eventually realized how cheesy it really was. I got tired of it and gave up. Yes, I didn’t finish my meal. I do adore the generous serving of fish, calamari and shrimp.

Grilled Dory with Jambalaya

As usual, I picked the boyfriend’s dish. I knew what to look for: a spicy dish. I chose the Grilled Dory with Jambalaya (Php450), which I thought passed the boyfriend’s palate.

Grilled cream Dory over a spice New Orlean’s style Jambalaya with tender shrimp and andouille sausage.

If I had ordered this dish, I think I could finish this. I had a spoonful of this and loved it. Though the picture above doesn’t justify it’s relatively large portion, it’s good enough for a big, burly man. It wasn’t that spicy for the boyfriend though. I think I should ask for a plate of cayenne pepper to go with whatever it is he orders.

Free dessert!

We were surprised when the manager (again! haha!) approached our table with a huge slice of ice cream cake. He said it was on the house. Perhaps it was because of how late they served my dish? Well, who are we to pass on dessert?! Since we were a group of 12 (or 13?), we passed the plate around to be fair.

I love Bubba Gump! <3

%%No Place Like Bubba Gump!%% is a post from: Patay Gutom

The name MedChef doesn’t seem to be as fitting a name for a company that churns out wonderfully-crafted baked goodies. I can’t help myself from associating them with medicinal food or something just ’cause their name is a wee bit out of the box–for me, that is.

But then I did my research and found out that the two people behind MedChef came up with this name because they also came from two different backgrounds. One is a true-blue culinary person, Chef Hasset Go. The other is medical technologist Jayson Paul Carlos. You would think that it’s an odd team, but it works.

When I saw this stack of Red Velvet cakes sitting on a little table–yes, table–filled with an array of S’more and Moist Caramel chocolate cakes, brownies and other baked goodies over at The Galleon (again), I was instantly attracted to it.

Since I’m on an eternal diet, I wasn’t sure if I should buy a cake or just walk away and grab something healthier. The former won, although I knew it would ruin my diet.

This is the Red Velvet Cake and all its goodness for only Php60! Even though it was just a simple slice, I thought it looked really good. I think this is their best-selling cake because there were fewer Red Velvet cakes left on the table.

I had planned to eat it after my lunch but I ended up eating it before lunch just because I couldn’t stand closing the cover after I opened it to take pictures of it.

I liked this cake a lot. I found it light, tasty and moist. I applaud them for not going overboard with the frosting. I think it’s the ideal frosting and cake ratio.  True to how they describe themselves in their Facebook page, MedChef is indeed the sweetest treat one can have for every occasion. It’s also a great reward for keeping your head cool amid the headache-inducing morning traffic jam.

I think they participate in bazaars such as Mercato and Distrito. You should definitely try their cakes (especially their Red Velvet Cake!!) when you spot them in a bazaar you visit. You won’t be disappointed.

%%MedChef’s Red Velvet Cake%% is a post from: Patay Gutom

Cute logo!

The Galleon Food Avenue is where I usually go to buy lunch. I have seen a number of food stalls come and go because I can only imagine how expensive it must be to run a small business in a building–in Makati, especially!

I don’t need to see how much it really costs to rent a spot to know that. Green Tomato, for example, was a favorite of mine. I thought they were doing good financially but its stall in The Galleon disappeared, leaving my pasta cravings all weepy and sad. I can’t be sure though if it was indeed financial strains that drove them away.

There’s this fairly new food stall in The Galleon called Sumo Dog, a “hotdog” joint sans the hotdog. They serve sausages with a Japanese twist. I’ve never seen someone actually buying something from them so I got curious. I wondered if they were serving overpriced or just plain bad meals. I gave the food stall a chance one Monday afternoon and tried something off their menu.

Just four?

I quickly noticed how limited their menu is. Look, they only have four (!) items there. I get easily overwhelmed with too many options, but this one is just way too few a menu–I hope they add more!

Mine's the bigger one

Lucky for me I had my phone with me so I decided to take pictures of our precious sausages being cooked. Funny how we watched my officemate’s hungarian sausage “deflate” as it cooked.  Anyway, I chose the Oroshi. It has Bratwurst Sausage (the one on the left), white radish, green onions and a special soy sauce.

The sausage on the right is my officemate’s Okonomi. If you like the other ingredients but don’t like a particular sausage that goes with it, you can ask them to replace the original sausage with whatever it is you prefer. Just like my officemate who chose the Hungarian sausage instead of the Schublig sausage.

The two kuya's preparing our 'dogs!

I was told that their sausages used to go for 100+ but I myself think it’s a little steep. Especially when you’re among other food vendors that can offer so much more for 100+.

This isn't making you hungry, no?

So here’s my take-away Oroshi, which comes with iced tea, by the way. The white radish (freshly grated) aroma reeks so bad. I had to pretend it wasn’t my plastic bag that smelled funny when I was in the elevator. It doesn’t look too appetizing, I know. Probably because of the lack of color–they didn’t have green onions that day so boo.

I took a bite and thought that it wasn’t too bad. But then I realized how soggy the bun has become because of the “special sauce”. I couldn’t eat through all that mush so I ate the sausage on its own. The sausage was good on its own. Maybe I should have paired this with rice instead of a hotdog bun.

My officemate’s sausage, meanwhile, was good. I should have ordered the same. Good thing I had a broccoli and cheese soup to down my bitterness away.

%%Sumo Dog: Sausages With A Japanese Twist%% is a post from: Patay Gutom

Tempura Japanese Grill

I don’t remember ever eating at Tempura and finishing a meal. Seriously. I don’t know if I should be happy about it that I’m (unfortunately or fortunately) given with a stomach so tiny and an appetite so suppressed.

Anyway, the last time I was at Tempura was last year. It was also around December, with the same person–the boyfriend. Hmm, I guess some things never change do they?

An empty Tempura

It was already a little past 7PM so we were lucky to walk in the restaurant without too many people dining there as well. Although a couple of minutes after we started eating, people flooded in like crazy. I blame the sudden rain for that. Har.

Tori Teriyakidon (Php225)

I always order Ramen when I’m here so to shake things up a bit, I went with a rice meal. Nah, it’s actually because I already had noodles that day and I don’t want to live longer than most people with the amount of noodles sitting inside my stomach.

When the Tori Teriyakidon was served, I thought it was too straightforward a dish in terms of presentation. That picture above is what it looked it like when it was laid on our table.  Maybe they should put a little garnish here and there to add some color to the bowl, don’t you think?

Nevertheless, I found this bowl of boneless chicken strips to be good enough for me though the boyfriend thought it was too sweet. It was indeed sweet but don’t we Pinoys love sweet food?

Gyudon (Php225)

Now look at how appetizing Babe’s Gyudon is. I wish Tempura could make sure that each bowl that leaves their kitchen looks as nice as this one.  Oh, do ignore how that awkward egg in the middle.

Tempura

And because it’s almost a must to order tempura when you’re in a Japanese restaurant, Babe ordered three pieces.

Emphasis on “Babe” because I’m not really a big tempura fan because I find them bland. I mean, it’s just deep-fried prawns. No matter how long I leave them in the sauce, the batter’s overpowering the prawn flavor. On a positive note, the prawns were big.  :)

Mixed Sashimi (Php210)

Passing up on sushi, we opted for Mixed Sashimi that night. The plate had maguro (tuna), ika (squid), ebi (prawn), tamago (sweet egg omelette) and kani (crab). I liked this plate a lot. i just wish the prawns were bigger than what they served.

Other than the Teriyakidon’s poor presentation, our dinner was good. Sure, I didn’t finish my plates again, but you can’t really blame me. I tried to squeeze in as many food as I could. Really.

%%Tempura Friday%% is a post from: Patay Gutom

I <3 Tokyo Cafe? Let me think about it

I’ve always had this impression that Tokyo Cafe’s menu consists of mainly Japanese classics with a twist. But boy was I wrong. It was my first time when we decided to check it out one Friday night. The fake plastic food lining up their display window looked appetizing so we went in.

I was already mildly annoyed with their service because two waitresses already saw us by the door, but they didn’t even bother to walk up to us and usher us to a vacant table. Mind you, they weren’t that full that night. I could see lots of available tables. Brushing that off, one waitress’ quick delivery of two glasses of water and menu compensated for the other staff’s apathy.

Seafood Salad

Surprised by how far-off their menu was from what I was expecting, it took me a long time to decide which to order. I kept flipping through the menu, checking every corner to see if there’s a dish I’m missing. In the end, it was a battle between two salads with the Seafood Salad (Php241) winning by a slim margin.

So here’s my very boring salad plate. I know how it’s just salad, but I really find their presentation dull and boring. The veggies weren’t as vibrant as they should be. It really was just such a sad plate of salad. It’s the kind of salad that makes us, who are on a diet, even more depressed that we are depriving ourselves of such great food!

Moving on from my awful salad, the boyfriend started his meal with a clam chowder (Php145) soup. We weren’t able to take a photo of it because he ate as soon as it was served. Though excited to taste the soup at the beginning, he didn’t like it. He told me that it was runny and bland. He was also very annoyed that it wasn’t served hot. I mean, who eats a bowl of cold soup?

Garlic Cream Hamburg

This plate of Garlic Cream Hamburg (Php210) was also such a disappointment. I tasted it myself and they tasted weird. Well, not weird. But it didn’t taste like restaurant-quality burgersteak. It’s a wonder how B managed to finish his plate. If you want this with rice, you have to add around Php40 i think.

Besides the taste, it was again served cold. Not ice-cold, but definitely not fresh-off-the-grill hot. It was quite ironic since it was served on a sizzling plate in the first place.

Cookies & Cream Crepe

My tummy was protesting that night–how could I fill ‘em up with such an awful salad? With that, I ordered a Cookies & Creme Crepe (Php100), eager to down my foodie bad vibes with tons of sugar. I rarely order dessert but I cannot be anymore pleased that I did that night. Imagine how awful our dinner would have been if we didn’t order this yummy dessert, right?

Over dinner, B mentioned that Tokyo Cafe used to serve good food. These days, it’s easy to believe that Tokyo Cafe was once a decent restaurant. With age and competition, I guess Tokyo Cafe couldn’t keep up. I wonder though if coffee is their real specialty? If that’s the case, why not zero in on that? Hmm.

%%Tokyo Cafe: Saved by a Crepe%% is a post from: Patay Gutom

Up close and personal with the black olives

When I was still working in “faraway” Ortigas (I live in Cavite, you see), Earle’s Delicatessen was my go-to restaurant pick on days I’m feeling fat. In fact, the boyfriend and I usually have salad from Earle’s first before we hit the gym.

I still have cravings for their bulky sandwiches and fresh greens, but it’s just too bad that an Earle’s branch is nowhere near our office building.

Luckily, I was near the boyfriend’s workplace yesterday so we met up for lunch and trooped to Earle’s Delicatessen. I’m not sure of the building’s name but we went to the one near RCBC Plaza–Columns perhaps? Finally, I got to satisfy my incessant craving for Earle’s!

Hello, love. It's been a while

I ordered one of my menu favorites, which is the Mediterranean Salad–a perfectly healthy (plastic) plate of ham, olives, toasted bread, greens, onions, cucumbers and tomatoes.

True to their promise of freshness, the veggies are crisp. Unlike some fast food restaurants, you won’t see veggies with wilting edges or something when you have their salad. Well, that’s me speaking from experience.

Meat Trio + Peach Iced Tea

The boyfriend had the Meat Trio sandwich, a generous serving of smoked ham, sausage and whatnot. I’m no deli aficionado so I don’t know my way around meat. Haha!

There’s a lot to love about Earle’s because they give customers an option to be “healthy”, well, at least in their sandwich selection because you can ask them to use wheat bread instead of what they normally use–French baguette.

Yum yum!

On another note, I’m surprised to see a lot of rants about the Columns branch’s poor and slow service. On that one visit, service was efficient but I wouldn’t know if we were just spared from the evils of bad customer service. Haha!

One thing’s for sure though, the Earle’s Delicatessen over at Wynsum in Ortigas is mighty quick.

%%A Healthy, Hearty Lunch at Earle’s Delicatessen%% is a post from: Patay Gutom