P.F. Chang's: Migs' Birthday Treat

April 13, 2013. Saturday.

I wanted to treat my family out for my birthday. And I wanted it to be somewhere a little upscale, and somewhere most of us have never eaten at. So last Saturday we ate out at P.F Chang's in BHS, which is the 2nd branch in the Philippines of this Asian- themed American restaurant chain. It is located in the W Global Center on the same street where Nike Park BHS is. It is next to California Pizza Kitchen and IHOP.

Replica terracotta horses greet you at the entrance of P.F Chang's. Inside, miniature replica terracotta warriors are scattered throughout. The place has a Chinese restaurant feel mixed with Western influence. Wood is used a lot in the place, and I like it. I've always felt wood gives some sort of relaxed and homey ambiance. It's a little cramped and dimly lit for my liking, though.

Days before Saturday, I spent time online reading about reviews on P.F. Chang's and its menu. I then made a shortlist of menu items that I wanted to order. Since there were 12 of us for dinner, I was torn on whether to order a lot of dishes to sample more food (but a single order of one dish might not be enough to pass around), or to order fewer dishes but to have double of everything. In the end, the latter won.

We ordered two of each of the following:

Chang's Chicken Lettuce Wraps. 285php.

This is their signature appetizer. The wok seared minced chicken already tastes great with the cool and crisp lettuce cups, but it is even better with their sauce of honey mustard, soy sauce and chili.

Dynamite Shrimp. 295php.

This was spicier than I expected, but it was still really good. In true Pinoy fashion, even though this was an appetizer I ate them with my rice.

Chang's Spicy Chicken. 320php.

The chicken in this was really tender, but not that flavorful on its own. But the sweet and spicy (yes, sweet and spicy despite it being called Spicy Chicken) sauce is this dish's saving grace.

Pepper Steak. 680php.

The US Angus Beef was tender and flavorful, but this might be a little bit too peppery for some. It also had some sweetness to it with the yellow onions in it.

Shrimp with Candied Walnuts. 795php.

I was excited for this dish since the first time I read about it! And all the pictures online, only added to the excitement. But to my dismay, it didn't live up to my expectation about it. It was good. The creamy sauce really went well with the shrimp, walnuts, and honeydew. But for its price, I can say that we probably could have ordered something better.

Chang's Fried Rice. 200php.

Mango Cream Cheese Wontons. 150php. Mixed Berries Cheesecake. 265php.

I didn't get to taste this but it looked good! I'll make sure to order this one again. Mango, cream cheese wrapped together then deep fried? Sure looks like a good combination to me. We've had lots of better cheesecakes in our life, but this one wasn't really that bad. It was a little too tart-y for our taste though.

Despite being a little expensive, we think it was worth it. The food was great and the ambiance was certainly different from most normal restaurants in Manila. Kim and I will be sure to go back here, as we both love Chinese food. We'll make sure to try different dishes in the future.

P.F. Chang's China Bistro
W Global Center
The Fort, Bonifacio Global City, Taguig
(02)  664-5956 
https://www.facebook.com/pfchangsph 

http://www.pfchangs.com.ph/

Mister Kabab

April 6, 2013. Saturday.

We left the cold comfort of our homes, and braved the very hot weather the country has been experiencing the past few weeks. You would think we were crazy for doing so. But I'd brave the heat anytime if it means a food date to Mister Kabab!

Mister Kabab has been around for as long as I can remember. But it's not in the form that most people know today. People are familiar with the new West Ave. and Ayala TechnoHub branches, which are both nice and modern (-ish, I guess), but once a upon a time it was a little hole in the wall joint in Delta West Ave. It didn't have most of the modern amenities that the new branches have today. It was al fresco dining. It was a little dingy but the food was always great! My friends and I used to walk a good 3 and half kilometers from our high school just to eat there! That's how great the food was! That and we were still living off our measly allowances and needed to save every peso just for a taste of that heaven set garlic sauce and for that important extra rice.

That old place is now gone, and in its place now stands a supermarket. Mister Kabab has since moved on down the street in West Ave, and they also have a branch in Ayala TechnoHub. Both places are not as charming as the original one for me, but at least both offer better ventilation. The West Ave branch is still not air conditioned, but it has more fans and better exhaust than the old one. On the other hand, the TechnoHub branch would look like a Michelin starred restaurant if you compare it to the old, dingy joint. For starters it has air conditioning. It is also very well kept and has great charming interiors. Which is why we chose to eat in this branch.

But enough about the changes that Mister Kabab has gone through in the past years! The food has always been great and that's what's important. We ordered the following:

Keema with Eggplant

In Mister Kabab's version of the keema, you can order it plain or with eggplant. We ordered the one with eggplant as it offers a very subtle taste that blends in nicely with the minced meat. I've always liked their keema because it tastes a little richer compared to most other keema's. If I didn't know better, I might think this actually had some liver in it. Just like with most dishes on their menu, this one goes very well with their very popular garlic sauce.

Special Beef Chelo Kabab

This is one of Mister Kabab's best seller! I guarantee you that most who frequent this establishment has ordered this on at least one occasion. The meal consists of one strip of tenderloin, a strip of ground beef, grilled tomato and buttered rice. All of those combined is like the perfect storm of ingredients coming together. The rice is served steaming hot, easily melting the butter in it. The kabab strips are cooked just right, tender and still very much juicy. And just like above, this is best eaten with their garlic sauce.

Lamb Chelo Kabab

Kim has been on a lamb craving lately, so she ordered this one. The ground lamb was tender and juicy, but it didn't have that distinct lamb flavor to it. But Kim was fine with it that way, since lamb sometimes has too much of a mutton taste to it. This plate also comes with buttered rice and grilled tomato.

Extra Fried Egg

Cause everything is better with fried egg on the side.

Watermelon Shake.

Since the summer heat is in full bloom, we ordered watermelon shakes to quench our thirst. It was really refreshing! Kim said she thinks it has milk in it, but I'm not sure. It was good though.

One constant knock on Mister Kabab has always been how it is not authentic in taste. For me that doesn't really matter. Yes it might be a little watered down in taste compared to authentic Persian restaurants, but I think what they serve is just right for the Filipino taste. The prices have about doubled since I first started frequenting the original Delta location more than a decade ago, but it is still more than affordable! A good meal here would be 200-300php, and the serving sizes aren't bad either.

Mister Kabab
UP Ayala TechnoHub,
Commonwealth Ave., QC
(02) 332 - 3935