Bacolod Chicken Inasal

We were in Metrowalk to go to a bazaar one weekend. But since we haven't had lunch yet when we arrived there, we decided to eat first. We settled for Bacolod Chicken Inasal since it was one of the few restaurants that was open early, and had air-conditioning.

We're big Mang Inasal fans 'cause we're fastfood dorks that way, haha. We know that the inasal from Mang Inasal is a little way off from the authentic ones, so eating here at Bacolod Chicken Inasal provided us a good comparison of fast food inasal and authentic (or so they say) inasal.

Bacolod Chicken Inasal's walls are plastered with Bacolod's Masskara festival. Having the dominant color yellow, it brings out a certain cheery vibe to the whole place.

We ordered the following:

Petso and Paa. 99.50php each.

Kim's first reaction was, "where's the chicken oil?" Haha. We have gotten so used to Mang Inasal's chicken oil that we assumed that it's a standard for eating inasal. We found Bacolod Chicken's version of inasal a little too dry. It tasted good, but not as flavorful as we expected it to be.

Sizzling Gambas. 197php.

The gambas had a nice sweet and spicy flavor to it. Really great with a spoonful of rice.

We plan on going to Bacolod soon, and we hope that the inasal there is better than what we had at Bacolod Chicken Inasal. It's not that it was a bad meal, we just expected something more. Overall, the food was okay and the price was okay. Service was great, though.

Bacolod Chicken Inasal
Metrowalk Commercial Complex
Meralco Ave., Ortigas Center, Pasig City

Kanto Freestyle Breakfast

We just finished walking around the massive grounds of a carshow for the last 2 hours, and we are very tired and hungry. Naturally, same as everyone, we wanted some comfort food. Coming from the Manila International Autoshow held in the World Trade Center in Pasay, we traveled to Kapitolyo, Pasig just to have some breakfast grub which to us is one of our comfort foods.

Kapitolyo has become a foodie hub in the past few years. But one of the newest kids on its block(s), is Kanto Freestyle Breakfast. While not a new establishment per se, this is Kanto's newest branch. We have eaten at the Libis branch before, but this is our first time here.

Kanto serves breakfast food (duh).. but with a twist. I've heard someone describe their food as gourmet carinderia. Calling it gourmet might be pushing it a bit, but this is certainly not your ordinary carinderia fare either. For starters, I'm sure there's no other roadside eatery that puts tomato pesto as a side to their rice meals. Moreover, they plate the food. Sure you are having a simple tapsilog meal but it doesn't hurt that it looks just as nicely as it tastes right? The price might not be as cheap as Manang's little hole in the wall down the road, but with most meals pegged at under a hundred bucks it's still cheaper than going to a fast food chain.

We ordered the following:

Kim got the Breaded Pork Chop.

The breading wasn't as crispy as Kim would've liked, but it tasted good nonetheless. It came with a sweet/sour sauce, but it really should be paired with Mang Tomas which is what Kim did.

I got the Crispy Pork Belly.

This was just heaven in a plate. Crispy, crunchy and juicy. Perfectly fried pork belly that really went well paired with Mang Tomas and steamed rice.

For dessert, we shared an order of the Deep Fried Oreos.

Nothing surprising, as we already have had this previously and also know how to make this at home. But it's still a great dessert, especially when consumed while it's still hot and the insides still gooey.

Breakfast food is nothing fancy, but it doesn't need to be plain either. For those looking for some comfort food, trek on to Eastwood, Kapitolyo or Mandaluyong to have a first hand taste of Kanto's gourmet carinderia. They serve more than your average breakfast food, and I'm sure there's something for everyone in their menu.

Kanto Freestyle Breakfast
1st Street, Kapitolyo, Pasig City
https://www.facebook.com/kantofreestylebreakfast

Jek's Kubo Bulalo at Ulo- Ulo

August 13, 2013

By now everyone knows that Maginhawa Street (and it's neighboring streets) is a great stretch of foodie heaven. You have your katsu, pizza places, burger joints, milk tea shops, tex- mex restos, etc. But what I have noticed is that there seems to be a dearth of Filipino food themed restaurants. Sure there's your standard carinderia's here and there, but aside from Pino there's really no other nice restaurants that serve mostly local fare.

Enter Jek's Kubo Bulalo and Ulo- Ulo.

We forgot to take a photo of their actual signage up front!

We have noticed this "eatery" since last year, but haven't had the chance to eat here before since it was always full and parking is sometimes a b*tch in Maginhawa. I use the term eatery loosely because it's not your average kanto carinderia but more definitely more affordable than most upscale restaurants. Hmm, maybe we can call it a high end eatery.

You order from the counter like most eateries, and pay there also. Their menu consists of three groups: Specialty, Kubo Favorites and the daily menu. Their specialties are the two dishes mentioned in their name -- Bulalo and Ulo- Ulo (Sinigang sa Miso). Both are good for sharing for two people, but can also be manhandled by one hungry person on his own with no problem Then the Kubo Favorites, in which all menu items already come with rice. Then there's a daily menu that changes from day to day (duh). After ordering, you can take a seat in their yellow and gray themed tables and chairs, either inside or outside. We found it more refreshing to seat out and eat al fresco since the place isn't equipped with an AC inside. Then you wait for them to serve you your food!

We ordered the following:

We shared an order of Bulalo.

Bulalo. 150php.

Okay we really didn't share since I ate most of this with my plate of rice. For 150php, this is really good value for money! The beef was really soft with just the right amount of fat, and came with a piece of bone with bone marrow in it. It also had corn and some vegetables. I loved how the veggies were still very firm and had nice snap to it. Of course, a good soup is what make a good bulalo. And Jek's Bulalo broth is very tasty.

Kim ordered her own Salpicao.

Salpicao. 90php.

At first glance the serving might seem small, but this is a single serve dish meant for one person and not for sharing. The beef is served with some finely chopped garlic on top, and with salpicao sauce/ sarsa on the side. Aside from the rice, it also comes with some carrots and baguio beans. Kim loved that the beef was tender and not rubbery. She also noted that the garlic flavor was just right and not overpowering. Having the sarsa separate from the beef meant that the customer has control if she wants to add some more to the beef. Kim only tried to put some to try it out, since the beef was already flavorful.

For drinks we opted to get a Buko Shake from their own stand, Jek's Bu-ko.

Buko Shake. 30php.

This was really good considering how cheap it was compared to most mall buko stands. And the bottle reminds me of those buko shakes prevalent in Boracay.

Cleaner than your average carinderia and the food definitely tastes better. It might be more more expensive, but the prices are justified with the food they serve. So if you're looking for a hearty Pinoy meal, Jek's is your best bet in the Maginhawa area.

Jek's Kubo Bulalo and Ulo- Ulo
#77 Maginhawa St., UP Village
Quezon City
(02) 434 7362
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Jeks-Kubo-Bulalo-at-Ulo-Ulo/445767328790161

Sky Ranch + RSM Lutong Bahay

June 22, 2013. Saturday.

Impromptu road trips are always fun. And this post is born out of an impromptu road trip one drizzling Saturday. What was supposed to be just a quick drive to Nuvali to check out the outlets there, made it all the way to Tagaytay. Once we were up in the foggy and wet weather of Tagaytay, we decided to go all the way out to the Sky Ranch.

 

Sky Ranch is a new amusement/ entertainment complex just right beside Taal Vista. And it houses the Sky Eye, which is the tallest ferris wheel in the country at 207 feet high. There are also other rides inside the park, but we just chose to ride the Sky Eye since it was the main attraction and riding everything would be costly. Entrance alone to the park was 100php per person, and the ferris wheel was at 150php per person.

Like the MOA Eye, each gondola of the Sky Eye was air-conditioned. It was already breezy outside, and it was certainly cold inside. But maybe the air-conditioning was put there for those who would want to ride during the hotter days. Since it was foggy outside, the view was limited but it was still a great one as you are able to see the Taal Lake and neghboring establishments from up high. I imagined the view would've been more spectacular had it been a clear day.

After riding the Sky Eye and walking around the still unfinished park (it looks like they're still adding more attractions in the future, including a zipline over the ridge), we decided to look for a place to get dinner. Kim wanted to try the sizzling bulalo of Green ATS, but I didn't want to drive all the way out there on wet, and poorly lit roads, so we settled for RSM Lutong Bahay since all other places looked packed.

We ordered the following:

Inihaw na Liempo

I don't know why we ordered this since this is a dish you could get just about anywhere, but it seemed a good idea at the time. Anything inihaw always goes well with al fresco dining.

Ginataang Kuhol

Kuhol is escargot for the more culutured (haha!). I love this dish and since this isn't available in most restaurants, I always make sure to order this when I see it on a menu. The kuhol was still a little sandy, I think it wasn't washed and rinsed enough but other than that it was really something we enjoyed. This was great with the steamed rice.

Sizzling Bulalo

This is what Kim was looking forward to. We were a little disappointed since what they offered was more akin to Bulalo Ala Pobre, but once we tasted it our dismay was alleviated a bit. The beef was really tender and went well with the gravy on top. Despite it being a good dish, we will still make time to go all the way to Green ATS for their genuine Sizzling Bulalo.

RSM Lutong Bahay
Tagaytay Nasugbu Highway,
Tagaytay City, Cavite
http://www.rsmlutongbahay.com/

Serye

November 17, 2012. Saturday.

It seems like we've been eating out a lot more than usual lately. There's a whole load of entries that Kim has been bugging me to get into and finish. So instead of doing one entry a week, we will be doing about two just until we have cleared the backlog.

We first have Serye, formerly and more better known as Aristoctrat. Serye is actually a play on the surname Reyes, which is the family that is behind this restaurant. The name may have changed, but the food hasn't. They still serve some of the best chicken barbecue in town and of course, it is still best served with that java rice.

 

We've eaten here a couple of times before but we haven't started our blog yet during that time. So for this instance, we wanted to order something that we haven't gotten yet from before. As what the case usually is with us, ordering was a really tedious task since we wanted to order a lot again. The following are what we ended up having.

I ordered the Barbecue Duo 2.

Barbecue Duo 2. 385php.

The Barbecue Duo 2 consists of 2 pieces of chicken barbecue, a strip of barbecue spareribs served with atsara, java sauce and java rice. This plate is like having what's best about Serye -- their chicken barbecue and java rice. Of course there's more to Serye than just those two, but I digress. The chicken barbecue is just like what is has alway been. It's tender, juicy, sweet and smoky. The same thing with the spareribs. Couple those with the java sauce and java rice, it's just a perfect storm inside your mouth.

We then got Pork Sisig with Egg to share.

Pork Sisig with Egg. 270php.

Kim likes her sisig to be crispy, not chewy. This one was of the latter kind and it was also a bit savory. Nonetheless, the sisig was really good. It was served on a hot plate, and was a very good partner with the steamed rice Kim had.

And Pork Sinigang, also to share.

 Pork Sinigang. 265php.

The Pork Sinigang came in late. Very late. I was almost done with my plate, and so was Kim when it arrived on our table. To top it off, it really didn't taste good. The pork was very hard, and the vegetables tasted like it was just dumped on the broth the very second before it was brought to our table. Don't get me wrong I like my vegetables a little crunchy, but not like it tasted like it was just washed off.

Aside from that minor issue with the sinigang, Serye still proved to be an old reliable resto when it comes to Filipino food. While the prices might not be really all that affordable, the food and service should be enough to keep one satisfied.

Serye
Eastwood Citywalk 1, Eastwood,
E. Rodriguez JR Ave., Bagumbayan,
Quezon City
http://www.seryecafefilipino.com/

Crisostomo

November 9, 2012. Friday.

There was an accident along C-5 on this day, so we were stuck in traffic for more than an hour. Mind you, that was just from Quirino Medical Center to Eastwood. As that was the case, we were really hungry for dinner. We were already debating on where to eat and what to eat while in the car. Crisostomo popped up a few times during our conversation, but we were apprehensive that the dishes would be too much for us to share. In the end, the glutton in us won out and we settled at Crisostomo for late dinner.

Crisostomo serves cuisine that can be best described by their tagline, "Turn of the century Filipino dining." Behind the playful names based off on Pinoy history and culture are dishes that are well prepared and well thought off. The bulk of the menu is based on traditional Filipino dishes, coupled with some that are fresh takes on classics as well.

We were really hungry but it still took us some time to order food. Almost all the items on the menu looked really good. We wanted to have a bit of everything! The following are what we ended up having.

Sisig Linares. 250php.

This is just pork sisig. Kim really didn't like it since it was off the crunchy variety. I thought it was okay, and the picture might not show it but it was really plenty for two to share and quite filling too.



Sinigang ni Kapitan. 450php.

Kim likes shrimp so we had to order a dish that had shrimp in it. And since we also wanted something to warm our stomachs, we ordered their version of sinigang na hipon. The sinigang had 7 (or was it 6?) pieces of shrimp in it, and it was just enough for both of us to divide. The soup was hot and sour, and it tasted really good for our hungry tummies. I also loved the fact that the veggies in it were not soggy like it had stewed in the soup for a long time. The ones in the dish still had a good snap to it.
 


Calamba. 350php.

The moment I saw this on the menu, I knew we had to order this. Calamba is tortang alimango with crab fat sauce. I like to have egg almost all of the time when I eat. And to have that coupled with crab meat and fat? Food bliss. The crab meat was really soft and complemented the texture of the scrambled egg, and the crab fat on top of it provided a nice rich, salty flavor to it. I really loved this one, but Kim only took about two spoonfuls of it since she said she just tastes the egg.

Halo- Halo ni Crisostomo. 95php.

We were both already full by the time the waiter offered us desserts, but I saw the Halo- Halo and I quickly ordered one for myself. No matter how much I prod her, Kim just wouldn't even dare try to one spoonful (she really does not eat Halo- Halo in general). The Halo- Halo was really packed with all the different sahog, but I quickly found out that ordering one was just a case of takaw tingin. I was just too full to finish it.

Crisostomo isn't fine dining, but it does count as an upscale establishment. Expect the prices of most of the dishes to be on the higher end of the spectrum. But despite the pricepoint, you won't feel shortchanged with this establishment. The service is great-- fast and efficient, and so is the place and its ambiance. We'll be coming back here again to try the other Filipino dishes they have.




Crisostomo
2/F Eastwood Mall, E. Rodriguez Jr Ave
Bagumbayan, Quezon City
(02) 710-1693
http://www.crisostomo.ph/

Ebun

October 20, 2012. Saturday.

We really aren't familiar with the ins and outs of Mall of Asia. We literally had to go around the whole mall at least once to look at all the restaurants. The bad thing was after one go round at it, we still couldn't decide where to eat lunch. So we walked again, and we decided that the first restaurant we agreed on would be the choice, not buts and ifs. That restaurant was Ebun.

Ebun what?

Located just in front of The Music Hall of the Entertainment Mall section of MOA, (You probably didn't know that MOA had different names for their different mall sections, neither did we. Here's a map of it.) The maize colored interiors of Ebun will definitely catch your eye. Ebun is under Mangan, which is in the bigger scheme of things is under the Cabalen brand. Knowing the background of those two place, then you are sure to get good food at good prices. It is mainly a Kapampangan themed restaurant with local favorites dotting the menu.

By the time we entered the restaurant, it was already quite late for lunch. Only a few other tables were occupied which meant the service was really quick and courteous. The place looked stylish and refined, but not so much that it is intimidating.

We took the time to review their menu and frustratingly failed to order any of their specialties (which I read up on yesterday). On the good side, that gives us reason to come back and dine here again when in the area. But I digress, on to our orders :)

I got a Buko Shake and Kim ordered  Iced Tea.

Both were a little too sweet for our taste.

For appetizer, we got the Chicharon Bulaklak.

Red Horse at Empi na lang kulang, game na!

We got Bicol Express to share.

Bicol Express is one of our favorite local dishes so we just had to order this one. We were surprised at how meaty the pieces of pork were. Usually, the cuts would've been smaller and thinner. Good thing that the pork was really tender and has absorbed the flavor of the coconut milk and chilies. The serving was also big, even if shared by two people with big appetites.

And we ordered Bisteg Bangus Belly, also for sharing.

It seems weird now that we ordered two dishes that had sarsa, but we were so hungry at that time that we really didn't care, let alone notice. I'm not sure of this, but bisteg is probably the Kapampangan version of bistek. Save for the light color of the sauce, this has got to be one of the best Bistek Bangus Belly I've had. The sarsa had the right mix of salty and sour which really flavored the bangus well. Plus, the slight sweetness of the onion gave a nice contrast to the sarsa. I only wish that it had more bangus belly in it, much like the bistek in Serye.

As mentioned above, we are definitely coming back here. There's a whole lot more of the menu we want to try, like the Balut ala Pobre and the Morcon! We didn't get to take down the prices of the items we ordered, but I would've remembered if I felt ripped off afterwards. And I didn't! So when you find yourself in Mall of Asia and want to dine at somewhere that isn't in every mall, head on over to Ebun!

Ebun
Ground Level Entertainment Mall,
Mall of Asia Complex,
Pasay City, 1300
(02) 659- 8853

Lorenzo's Way

September 1, 2012. Saturday.

We were supposed to eat at 'Cue Modern Barbecue last Saturday night. We have been craving to try again their different kinds of slow cooked meats, all barebecued to perfection. But as soon as we crossed the fountain area of Bonifacio High Street Central, I saw that it was not meant to be that night. The place was packed! So lesson learned, we should call up and reserve a table first if it's a sweldo weekend.

Since it was still a little early for dinner, and we really had no idea where to eat for that night. We decided to walk waddle like penguins, as to not get creasing on the toebox of our kicks, around BHS first. We ended back in High Street Central in Lorenzo's Way.. only because Nolita was packed to the brim too.

Lorenzo's Way is from the LJC Restaurant Group. It is the same group that has brought to us the likes of Abe, Cafe Adriatico, Larry's Cafe & Bar and others. The idea behind Lorenzo's Way is that you can find old favorites from all those restaurants housed under the LJC group. That is why there is no certain theme to the menu, what you see on it are the best of what this group of restaurants has to offer.

I felt a little under dressed as we were ushered into our seats. The place looked classy, with nice wooden floors, leather seats, proper table presentation. As usual, I was in my basketball shorts, loose roundneck shirt, and basketball shoes. Good thing, Kim was in sneakers and shorts too. Haha!

On to to our orders!

Kim saw Salpicao in the menu. Kim wanted Salpicao. We ordered Salpicao.

Beef Tenderloin Salpicao. 360php.

Kim was disappointed with the Salpicao. It really wasn't that flavorful, and the beef was a little rare. Compared to the one we had in Choc Kiss, this one really pales in comparison. And another thing, we were really surprised to see the Salpicao under Appetizers on the menu. But anyway, we just had it served alongside our other orders.

We then got Bulalo.

Bulalo. 450php.

The bulalo was great. It was served piping hot, which really suited the rainy weather. It was seasoned correctly and the beef shanks were really tender. I only wished it had more veggies and utak in it.

And we also got KKK -- their own version of Kare- Kare.

KKK. 595php.

This tasted authentic.. err, what I mean by authentic is that it tastes home cooked, like how regular moms had to do it at home. I don't know if it's just me but there's a distinct taste in Kare- Kare when it's made from actual grounded peanuts rather than readily- made peanut paste. The oxtail and tripe were cooked perfectly, it was not too soft that it broke down in the peanut sauce but it wasn't chewy either. This was perfect for a cup of steamed rice alongside some bagoong.

For drinks we got their Lorenzo's Grand Iced Tea and Calamansi Juice.

Lorenzo's Grand Iced Tea. 95php.

Calamansi Juice. 75php.

Kim said the Iced Tea was one of a kind. The house brew was a mix of guava and pineapple. She thought at first that she'd be irritated with the pulp, but she was surprised at how the flavors of the two fruits mixed and gave the iced tea a nice subtle kick. The calamansi juice was too sweet.

It was a great experience dining at Lorenzo's Way. It kinda made us forget that we didn't get to eat at our first two choices. At first glance the place and it's upscale look might intimidate you, but we think that it is priced just right. Service was proper and fast, and the food was served and prepared well (except for the Salpicao, or maybe that's really just their version of it). The servings were bigger than what we expected, so it is a good place to bring your family or group of friends to. Usually in restaurants like this I feel ripped off the moment I get the bill, but with this one I actually thought we got good value for our money. Definitely this one merits a second visit in the future to try their other specialties.

Lorenzo's Way
C2 Building
Bonifacio High Street Central, Bonifacio Global City,
Taguig City
Phone: 621 3163 to 64
Business Hours: Monday - Sunday/ 11am - 11pm
http://ljcrestaurants.com.ph/lorenzos-way/
https://www.facebook.com/LorenzosWayRestaurant