Chopstop

November 16, 2013. Saturday.

There's this one peculiar spot in Eastwood Citywalk. In the past year alone, I think 3 establishments have occupied that same spot. It seems that no matter how packed the surrounding bars and restaurants around it are, it still doesn't manage to do brisk business. Just recently, it underwent renovations again and is now occupied by Chopstop.

Like most dining establishments in Citywalk, Chopstop is a restaurant/ bar, meaning they serve full meals there but they also serve alcoholic beverages. It has this street crossing or train track crossing/ station, with lots of faux road signage inside the restaurant. They even have a mini lamp post over by the counter! We went there for late lunch, so the place was really well lit. I don't know if it's the same case at night, but I think with the bright decor and amount of light inside the place it's safe to assume that it's the same at dinner time.

Chopstop has a simple menu consisting mainly of deep fried stuff. And as their name suggests, their specialize in porkchops -- different kinds of it. We ordered the following:

I had the Pork Tonkatsu.

We forgot to take down prices for all orders, but I remember that everything was affordable. For example, I'm sure my order of tonkatsu was less thatn 150php. It wasn't the biggest pork tonkatsu I've seen, but it was more than enough to satisfy. The pork was cut just right -- not too thin and not too thick. It was deep fried nicely, with a little crunch to the breading. It came with a side of veggies that had sauce on top of it which weirdly tasted like the fresh lumpia sauce from Goldilock's.

Kim had the Spaghetti and Meatballs.

Kim thought that the meatballs were burnt upon her plate being served, but it tasted great when she took a bite out of it despite the outside appearance. The spaghetti was a little sour, but it was just right and was perfectly complemented by the buttered toast it came with.

We also ordered Bacon and Eggs French Toast to share.

We ordered this thinking that the bacon and eggs would be on the side of the french toast, just like a normal breakfast plate would be. Were we surprised that it was like a sandwich upon serving, with the bacon and eggs inside the toast. Despite that, it was really good! With the toast having that perfect crunch to it. For those with a sweet tooth, it also comes with extra syrup.

I don't know if Chopstop will fall victim to the seemingly endless change of restaurants occupying its spot. But with an affordable menu and great food, I think they have a very good chance of sticking around. We might try to drop by here again at night and grab a drink and some finger foods, and see how service is during peak hours.

Chopstop
Eastwood Citywalk
Eastwood City, Quezon City
(0917) 5121212
https://www.facebook.com/WeLoveChops

Recipe: Deep Fried Oreos

Kim and I decided that we wanted to try some deep fried oreos. We searched for the simplest recipe (not that this is a really hard thing to do) we can find on the internet. We found one on http://allrecipes.com. We had to modify it a bit since the batter wasn't thickening and therefore not adhering to the cookies. This is what we came up with.

Ingredients:

2 quarts vegetable oil (for frying)

1 egg

1/2 cup milk
2 teaspoons vegetable oil (for the batter)

1 cup pancake mix

1 teaspoon cornstarch

1 pack of Oreo's (the one in a tube shaped packaging)

Steps:

- Whisk egg, milk and oil together. Then add pancake mix slowly. Whisk until no chunks of pancake batter mix remain.

- Heat oil
- Dip the Oreos in the batter, coating them generously.

Deep fry until golden brown.

- Drain on paper towels, and enjoy.

This is a great dessert you can make in less than 10 minutes at home! We loved how the oreos kind of melted inside the batter. We thought this would really be sweet but it was just perfect.

Faburrito

October 31, 2013. Thursday.

Kim and I have been on a health trip lately. We've been generally trying to cut down on our food intake or at the very least trying to eat healthier. That gave us reason to try out Faburrito in Techno Plaza 2 in Eastwood which serves healthy and low- fat Mexican fare.

If you browse through Faburrito's website and head on over to the About section, you'll see that they promise to serve healthy low- fat meals with great service. You'll also be happy to know that a portion of their profits go to the FabFoundation which is a boarding school that provides opportunities for underprivileged children. You get a great healthy meal and you also get to help hard- up brothers.

Faburrito is located in one of the newer buildings in Eastwood, the Techno Plaza 2. It's the same building where the Robinson's Supermarket is. It's not that big, and probably only seats around 20-25 people max. It has that green and healthy vibe going on for it, with the predominant use of wood (faux) and green accents all around. There is also only a glass divider for their kitchen/ prep area, so you can see that the food is freshly made.

We ordered the following:

We had the Chicken Quesadilla to share.

This tasted a little bland, but nothing a few generous spoonfuls of the salsa and dressing can't fix. As expected this was very light. It's not that it was not filling, it just didn't leave you with that bloated feeling afterwards.

Kim ordered the Beef Salad (regular).

Same with the quesadilla this was a little bland. It was big and heavy for a regular order, but it also didn't leave you with a bloated feeling after finishing it off.

And I had a Steak Bowl (regular).

This was basically a Steak Burrito without the tortilla. At first glance I was disappointed that the serving looked small. But I was proven wrong after finishing the bowl, as it was just enough and substantial to satisfy one's hunger. It wasn't the tastiest burrito I've had even with the dressing, but I guess that's the price you pay for getting a healthy meal.

The common factor between all our orders was that the food was a little bland and light compared to most restaurants. But with the healthy theme of Faburrito, I guess that's to be expected. True to their company goals, service was great. It was quick, efficient and courteous. It's not the cheapest Mexican fast food we have tried, but since it offers a different take on it, we think it is acceptable. For those in the Libis area looking for a healthy fix, Faburrito is just right for you.

 

Faburrito

2/F Techno Plaza 2,
Eastwood City, Quezon City
http://www.faburrito.com/
https://www.facebook.com/Faburrito

IHOP

October 20. Sunday.

When IHOP opened in the country earlier this year, it was all the rage! Everyone was buzzing about it and long lines seemed to be the norm. Kim and I have actually planned on trying it before but with patience not being a strong suit of mine, we have always put it off until just recently. We ran in the recent Rexona Run with friends and since it started really early (3:30AM!), it also finished early. So it meant that we'd grab breakfast afterwards, which was the perfect opportunity to try out IHOP. The hype may have died down but since we haven't been here yet, we were a little excited.

 

 

Our group ordered the following:

JT had the Breakfast Sampler. 395php.

This order was packed! Well, actually almost everything in IHOP is. If you can't decide on what to have for breakfast, this is definitely the way to go (actually, there are other similar orders but this is the no brainer one). This has two eggs, two bacon strips, two pork sausage links, 2 hams and they also come with a couple of your basic buttermilk pancakes. Not for those on a diet, but if you're not counting calories and carbs, this is well worth the price.

Francis and Alex shared the Big Steak Omelette. 325php.

They had some plans after breakfast and didn't want a heavy meal, so they shared on an omelette. This had steak strips on top of the omelette. The omelette itself had hash browns, green peppers, onions, mushrooms, tomatoes, and cheese in it. Each omelette comes with buttermilk pancakes or mixed fruit. They chose to have it with pancakes.

Kim had the Bacon Temptation Omelette. 285php.

Bacon strips on top, together with diced tomatoes, cheese sauce, and Jack and cheddar in the omelette. Kim said this was really very filling compared to all omelette she has had before. She chose the mixed fruit to go with it.

I had the Rooty Tooty Fresh N' Fruity. 345php.

This sort of resembles JT's sampler, only it didn't have ham with it and my buttermilk pancakes were topped off with cinnamon apple compote but you can choose strawberry or blueberry to go with it if you like. The cinnamon apple on top of my pancakes were good enough on its own, but I liked it better when I added some maple syrup to it.

We weren't able to take down what Hannah's order was, but here's a picture of it.

It had a big piece of hash brown, a couple of scrambled eggs and bacon strips. And it came with a cheesecake pancake.

I get it why people go to IHOP, the food is well prepared and served.  I wouldn't say the food tastes special or better than most breakfast joints (well, the pancakes are really fluffier here), but the quality of the food and the service really make the difference. And the menu isn't really priced higher than other places considering the quantity you get, so if you haven't tried IHOP out yet, it's well worth a visit (or the waiting line).

IHOP
W Global Center
30th St. cor. 9th Ave., BGC, Taguig
https://www.facebook.com/IHOPPhilippines

Boracay Trip

Kim and I went on vacation in Boracay last September. I don't know why but we haven't gotten around to sharing some of the good eats we had in the island. So we're doing that in this post. Nothing in depth, just a quick description of each dish and food spot we decided to show you (we're not posting everything, just the ones that caught our fancy).

We arrived at around lunch time and our room in Nigi Nigi Too in Station 1 wasn't ready yet because it was still early for check- in. Rather than wait to be checked in, we just left our bags with the front desk and walked over to Station 2 to grab lunch. We decided on eating at Titos (yes, Titos and not Tito's) which is just a few steps away from D'Mall.

 

We were really hungry since we had a very early breakfast. We usually take our time in scanning through the menu of every restaturant but this time we ordered the first menu items that caught our fancy.

Sugpo sa Aligue.

Kim likes shrimp, so she ordered this. This looked like a winner based on the menu's picture and description. Who wouldn't be excited for some good sized Tiger Prawns in crab fat? In reality, it only tasted okay. It seemed like it lacked a little something, like that finishing touch to make this a really great dish.

Adobo with Kesong Puti.

We ordered this because we love trying out new food. This is the first time we ever heard of kesong puti being added to adobo, so we were really excited to see how it would taste. The kesong puti added a subtle saltiness to the adobo and it also had  a nice soft texture that went well with the pork.

Boracay Rice.

This is their version of the fried rice. It is mixed with Chorizo and beautifully topped with scrambled egg. This can actually be a meal in itself since it was really packed with the chorizo.

The price in Titos is not for those looking for some cheap eats in Boracay but I think it's more than justified. The food is great (especially the presentation!) and the servers are attentive and friendly. They place is also very nice and relaxing.

   

Titos Resto and Grill

Station 2 Beachfront
https://www.facebook.com/Titos.RestoGrill

After lunch, we walked back to Nigi Nigi Too. They have some of the best staff we have ever met! Always very attentive to your needs, and always cheerful to greet you when you pass by them! Anyway, we checked in and settled into our room then changed clothes to hit the waters afterwards.

Thank God the weather cooperated and we had a sunny day at the beach! But since it was well into monsoon season, the waves were pretty gnarly out there. So after about an hour of battling it, we went back to the resort to enjoy a well deserved meryenda.

We shared a meal of Nigi Nigi's famous burger which is supposedly the best in the island.

The meal came with onion rings, potato wedges, 2 smalls watermelon slices, a drink (we got beer) and of course their burger! The burger was packed! I'd say it's a good 1/3 pount patty topped with cheese, lettuce, tomato and pickles. The patty was really juicy and flavorful that there was really no need to add condiments to it.

We woke up next day to a very heart breakfast from the resort. It wasn't a buffet breakfast, but you can get anything from the menu provided it is worth 300php (per head). Anything in excess of that, you would need to pay. But almost all of the breakfast fare is under 300 so it really wasn't a problem ordering.

Kim ordered Tapsilog.

All of their breakfast meals came with unlimited eggs. Kim just ordered a scrambled egg to go with her meal. The tapa itself was just right. It was cooked well. The tapsilog also came with a drink -- Kim ordered iced tea.

I ordered the Longsilog.

I took advantage of the unlimited eggs and had 3 sunny side up with my meal. It was definitely a hefty meal to start the day with!

Nigi Nigi Too
Station 1 Beachfront
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Nigi-Nigi-Too-Beach-Resort/106020676130897

After breakfast, we rode on ATV and walked up the Mt. Luho viewpoint which had a great view of the whole island. We also went around D'Mall and a few of the shops around it to check out if we can take home anything for our family.

For lunch, we went to Aria. I know there's already an Aria in BHS, but we just had to dine in the original one. We ordered the following to share:

Aglio Oglio

This simple oil based pasta always hits the right spot. I haven't had any bad experiences ordering this from any restaurant, maybe because it is so simple to make. Simple it maybe, but it's still a really good dish.

Costata di Manzo

This was a grilled ribeye steak, and came with a side of some veggies and potato wedges.We had it done medium well. It didn't seem like much when served, but it was really filling! Good thing I didn't order another meal since this was more than enough already.

Aria
D'Mall, Station 2 Beachfront
https://www.facebook.com/AriaBoracay

Of course no Boracay trip would be complete without eating those side street cart delicacies known as chori burger. Kim liked it so much that she had a couple of them just by hersefl! We also ordered some isaw, barbecue and tenga to go with it. Sarap!

Boracay might be known for their powder perfect beaches and clear waters, but this island also houses a lot of great restaurants and food joints. I'm everyone has their favorite when they go here, but each visit also entails the chance to try something new and different.

Jollibee Cheesy Bacon Mushroom Champ

October 19, 2013. Saturday.

Jollibee recently launched the Cheesy Bacon Mushroom Champ. This is in line with the soon to release in cinemas Thor 2: Dark World movie. Now, I don't think we've made a post featuring a fast food chain before. But this was just too good not to blog about.

*Again, we apologize for forgetting to take a picture of the signage. But hey, you know Jollibee's logo by heart! :D

I love the regular Champ. It has maintained its quality throughout the years and several price increases, which I can't say about its direct competitors from the other food chains. So how can you improve an already great burger to being with? Put it in a Thor themed packaging? Well that makes for novelty. But it's really simple. Just put melted cheese, bacon and mushroom in it!

Non-veggies would certainly love this incarnation of the Champ, as it maintains the same juicy 1/3 pound patty and replaces the lettuce and tomato with cheese sauce, bacon and mushroom! It's certainly not cheap for a burger from a local joint, as it's priced at 129php ala carte and 165php for a value meal, but who cares! It's a 1/3 pound patty, melted cheese, bacon and mushroom in one awesome package!

And keeping up with the Thor theme, every purchase of the Cheesy Bacon Mushroom Champ (ala carte or value meal) entitles you to buy Thor's Mjolnir for 95php! Mjo- what you say? It's Thor's hammer! It's not the real article, but instead a miniature that houses a 1G USB inside. A 1G USB is kind of obsolete today but for just 95php it's a good deal. And it does work, as my brother already used it to copy files.

I'm not sure if this will be a regular menu item or just a special burger for their Thor promotion. Better not wait and see! Get to the nearest Jollibee and try out the Cheesy Bacon Mushroom Champ for yourself!