Outback Steakhouse

We haven't been back in Outback Steakhouse for a while, because eating there isn't exactly cheap. But with their Lunch Specials, you could save a few hundred bucks and have your steak at the same time. Their Lunch Specials isn't reallya new thing, and its menu has changed from the last we were here but not to worry, as it still has some great dishes for really great prices. It's only available on weekdays, from 11AM to 3PM.

Outback really hasn't changed all these years. It still has it's dark wooden interiors, and quirky Australian decor strewn around the place. There's still the bar, where you could enjoy your drinks and food while watching sports on the monitors, which is also located inside the Smoking Area. The service is sometimes kind of touch and go here, sometimes it's great, other times it's not. Luckily for this visit, it was great.

We ordered the following:

Kim had the Victoria's Filet.

The Victoria's Filet might seem like a modest sized steak to some. But this 6oz. packs some great flavor. And despite being smaller than most of the other steaks on the menu, it is also quite filling. Best to have it medium rare as to not lose the flavor. This plate comes with mashed potatoes and some veggies.

I had the Chicken Fried Chicken.

This is probably our favorite from the Lunch Specials, and we have had it a couple of times already. Just can't go wrong with perfectly deep fried chicken topped off with their very tasty gravy. This also comes with mashed potatoes on the side.

And for dessert, we shared a Chocolate Thunder from Down Under.

This might be described as a little too rich, and too sinful. But it's just right for me and Kim... Actually, more than right! It's one of the best desserts we like from everywhere we have eaten. It's the best that every spoonful you have has each of its components --  the warm brownie, vanilla ice cream, chocolate sauce and shavings, and the whipped cream on top! It's sweet, it's warm, it's cold, it's nutty, it's chocolatey... It's just a confluence of flavors inside your mouth!

We love that Outback hasn't changed all that much through the years. After all, why fix something that isn't broken?

Outback Steakhouse
E. Rodriguez Jr Ave (C5),
Libis, Quezon City

Army Navy

July 16, 2013. Tuesday.

Army Navy recently opened up shop in Eastwood and since we've never eaten in any Army Navy together, we naturally had to give it a go. It is located on the front part of Citywalk, just across Cybermall, on the location used to be occupied by Tokyo Tokyo.

   

 

We went here for a snack, so don't be surprised if the quantity of our orders don't live up to normal KiMiguel standards. Kim ordered the Charlie Bravo Querida Mia.

Charlie Bravo Querida Mia. 195php.

The Querida Mia is an open face quesadilla, and Charlie Bravo is what they call the cheese and bacon variant. This actually reminded us of a mini pizza more than a quesadilla with the cheese on it. The bacon had a nice smokey flavor to it and was the highlight of every bite of this.

I got a Steak Starving Sailor.

Steak Starving Sailor. 235php.

I normally order a Double Burger with an extra egg on top when dining here, but I wanted to change it up this time. The Starving Sailor is Army Navy's take on a Philadelphia Cheesesteak. It's your choice of either steak or chicken, topped with jalapeño cheese, green bell peppers and caramelized onions placed on a sourdough bread. For its price, this was really good and very filling. The strips of rib-eye were juicy and tender, while the jalapeño cheese and caramelized onions provided a very nice contrast of flavors.

And of course, no meal here would be complete without ordering their Libertea!

Libertea. 75php and 65php respectively.

For a quick snack, I can't think of many fast food that is comparable with the serving sizes of Army Navy. Although it's a little expensive for a common burger joint, the quality of the food and the size of the serving is more than enough to justify the high price point.

Army Navy Burger +Burrito
https://www.facebook.com/ArmyNavyOfficial
http://armynavyburgerburrito.com/

Slappy Cakes

July 5, 2013

We both love breakfast food, it doesn't matter what time of the day we take it and where we get it from. But it has taken quite some prodding to get Kim to agree to eat at Slappy Cakes. It's not the restaurant and it's not the food she has problems with, but it's the location! Slappy Cakes occupies the space once rented out by Kim's favorite restaurant -- O'sonho. I'm not sure as to why the Portuguese Fusion Restaurant moved out, it might be because of the poor foot traffic in the area it's located at (that was the case before J.Co moved in a couple of doors down), or poor service. I've dined at O'sonho a couple of times and the food was always great. It's just the slow service that was always a big letdown. But I digress.

 

Slappy Cakes is an American import that prides itself in being a breakfast restaurant that offers a fun and different dining experience. How could a breakfast joint be different you say? Well for one, Slappy Cakes menu is not littered with -silog meals. Although they have some -silog in it, it's not more than a handful like most other places. And oh, almost forgot, you get to cook your own pancakes! That's why there's a griddle at the middle of every table!

 

But before you get to cook your own pancakes, you need to choose what kind of pancake batter you want. They have Buttermilk, Whole Grain, Peanut Butter, Vegan, Chocolate. We chose the Peanut Butter to step out from the usual buttermilk batter.

Peanut Butter Batter (260php). Bananas (45php) and Nutella (75php).

Each batter comes in an 8oz. squeeze bottle. While that may not sound a lot, but I guarantee you it is more than enough to feed two people. After selecting your batter, you get to choose some fixins and toppings if you'd like. We went safe with the combination since it was our first time here.

And now that we have our batter, fixins and toppings, let's cook! And trust me, cooking pancakes is so basic no one could ever mess it up.

 

The pancakes themselves were really not that special, but then again that's not the main draw of this restaurant. It's the chance to cook and make funny pancake shapes with friends and families that makes this place different. Takes personalization to a whole new level.

Aside from the pancake, we also ordered  their Classic Breakfast.

Classic Breakfast 280php.

The classic breakfast comes with 2 eggs, breakfast potatoes and bacon or sausage and toast. We had the eggs scrambled, and had the potatoes and bacon. Although I'd prefer hash browns in my breakfast plate, the square cut breakfast potatoes weren't bad at all. Surprisingly, it was the highlight of this plate!

We enjoyed getting the chance to cook our breakfast food together at Slappy Cakes. The staff was also courteous and efficient in their service. You should definitely try Slappy Cakes if you want a different breakfast food experience!

Slappy Cakes
Unit 1880-5, Ground Floor,
New Eastwood Mall, Quezon City
http://www.slappycakes.com.ph/
https://www.facebook.com/SlappyCakesPH

Sbarro

Despite being always in Eastwood, Kim and I never had the chance to eat in Sbarro when it was still located in Citibank Square. We always made plans, but never got to it since it was quite cumbersome to walk all the way to Citibank. Then that Sbarro closed down. Luckily for us, Sbarro opened up shop again in Eastwood but this time inside Eastwood Mall. The new Sbarro is located on the top floor, near where the cinemas are.

 

Kim has been craving for a slice of the white Chicago Deep Dish Pizza, so we ordered a couple of slices of those along with a plate of Roasted Chicken with Rice.

Chicago Deep Dish. 172php.

The slice, as usual, was packed and filled with different toppings (wait, do you still call it toppings if its inside?) and served with white sauce over it. We loved how the cheese was just the right softness -- not too melted and just a little gooey. Despite it being a little big for a single slice of pizza, we certainly enjoyed finishing it to the last forkful as it was very flavorful. A slice of this can definitely be a whole meal on its own!

Roasted Chicken with Rice. 169php.

I never understood why Sbarro serves their chicken with red pasta sauce on the side and I've never bothered putting it on my chicken. I've always liked their chicken and rice, which is a perfect combination. The chicken is aromatic, herb-y, tender inside, and just crisp on the outside.

Since it has been around a long time, Sbarro tends to get overlooked by all these new food chains that has been popping up left and right. But Sbarro is still one of the best fast food chains around, especially if you're looking to satisfy your Italian food craving.

*Because we were very hungry, we forgot to take a picture of us. :(

Sbarro
4th Floor, Eastwood Mall,
Eastwood City, Bagumbayan, Quezon City
http://www.sbarro.ph/
https://www.facebook.com/SbarroPhilippines

Icebergs

June 8, 2013. Saturday.

One very rainy Saturday, we decided we wanted to have dinner in... Icebergs! Weird, right? While most people would look for places that serve some good hot soup during this weather, we ate in a place that is known for serving cold and refreshing treats. But we didn't go to Icebergs for their desserts, we went for their main meals.

Icebergs in Eastwood is relatively new. It is located on the 2nd floor of Citywalk 2, just right beside Reebok. It has 2 floors, but you can enter from either floors. But because it had 2 floors and the number of waiters were not enough, the service was a little slow -- both in them taking orders and serving the food.

Kim ordered the Pesto Penne with Grilled Shrimp.

Pesto Penne with Grilled Shrimp.

This was served late.. later than our other orders which were also served a good 20minutes after ordering. They bungled the order at first, serving Kim pasta with chicken instead of shrimp. The server then took the plate back, and replaced it a good 15minutes after. They got it right this time, it had grilled shrimp, but it was burnt. Kim was too hungry to care, but this wasn't a satisfying meal. The shrimp was burnt, the pasta was dry, and the pesto was too bland.

I ordered the Golden Lechon Kawali.

Golden Lechon Kawali.

The lechon kawali was served with steaming hot rice and sarsa, both perfect compliment to the deep fried golden goodness of the liempo.

And despite the weather, I just had to order their Halo- Halo.

Kim doesn't eat Halo- Halo, because she finds it weird that people want different flavors mixed in their dessert. I don't like sweets that much, but I can' resist getting a good cup of Halo- Halo whenever possible.

We might give Icebergs another try despite our experience with the slow service. It might just have been a bad day for them, but then again there were only a few diners around.

Icebergs

2nd Floor, Eastwood Citywalk 2,

Eastwood City, Libis, Quezon City

Icebergs, Quezon City

02 4156778, 02 3528290

Pepper Lunch

Everyone might be familiar with Sizzling Pepper Steak but not everyone might be familiar with the franchise it copied from – Pepper Lunch. Pepper Lunch is a  Japanese original that has been around the Philippines for 5 years. It recently opened a new branch inside Eastwood Mall.

Pepper Lunch is famous for serving their meals on a hot plate/ pan. The customer then has to (finish) cooking the meal on the hot plate. It’s a novel idea that might not be for everyone. I, for example, tend to overcook one side and undercook the other. And since I paid good money for my food, I would want it cooked perfectly upon serving. Despite that, Kim and I still frequent Sizzling Pepper Steak because we like the food. So when Pepper Lunch opened a branch in Eastwood, we naturally had to give “the original” a try.

Pepper Lunch has a unique ordering system. You pick from their visual menu, line up and order. What’s unique with that, you ask? Well, you only get assigned a table after ordering. So don’t bother looking for an empty table to save before ordering.

Kim ordered the Teriyaki Beef Pepper Rice with Egg.

Teriyaki Beef Pepper Rice with Egg. 235php.

Kim likes that the teriyaki sauce came separately with the dish, so she had the chance to cook the beef to her liking. She liked that the beef was tender and seasoned well, and that the egg proved to be a nice complement to it.

I had the Beef Pepper Rice.

Beef Pepper Rice. 198php. +40 for upsize, +60 for a meal

 

First off, I had my Beef Pepper Rice as a meal, which came with a drink and mashed potato (you can choose also either the miso soup or ice cream. And I also had it upsized. My first impression when it was served was visually it looked really small as compared to Sizzling Pepper Steak’s serving. But it was very flavorful!

We also noticed that the beef didn’t burn that easily inside the pan as compared to Sizzling Pepper Steak. But since it was our first time there, we can’t definitively say that it was due to the pan or just sheer luck on our side.

Overall, we enjoyed our meal at Pepper Lunch. It’s not as expensive as we thought it would be compared to Sizzling Pepper Steak. We’ll surely come back and try their other meals.

Pepper Lunch

4th Floor, Eastwood Mall,
Eastwood City
http://www.pepperlunch.com.ph/index.html
https://www.facebook.com/pepperlunchphil

Outback Steakhouse: Valentine's Date

February 14, 2013. Thursday.

Note: Sorry for the crappy phonecam pics. Kim forgot to bring the batteries of her camera, and we were left to use my phone.

A week prior to Valentine's Day, I was calling up different restaurants to reserve a table for us. It was our first time celebrating the day since we didn't celebrate last year, so I had restaurants that had sure- fire good meals on my list. Since it was already close to the day itself, I must have gone through half a dozen places before finally getting a table at Outback Steakhouse. It wasn't what we originally had in mind since we wanted to try new places, but good food is still good food. And we know Outback serves great food!

We were a little early for our reservation time, but luckily they already had a table ready. The waitress at the door ushered as to our seats. The places was packed inside! And the line outside door was about a dozen people deep. Once seated, we took our time in ordering since we wanted to order differently from last time.

After ordering, the manager came to our table and gave us some free stuff! It was for those who reserved a table at least 2 days in advance. We got a gift certificate for Lunch Specials for two, a gift card for a full order of Kookaburra Wings, and a framed photo of ourselves. After she left, someone took our picture which they gave to us in an Outback - Valentine's themed frame after about half an hour. All in all, that was about 1,500php worth of freebies.

An Outback Steakhouse meal starts off with the complimentary Dark Honey Wheat Bread.

As we have mentioned before, this is the best complimentary bread we have ever tasted. It was really great as it was already, but Kim found out that you can actually ask for a chocolate dip for it. Kim dipped the bread in butter and enjoyed it that way, while I spread some churned butter on mine before dipping it. The sweetness of the chocolate provided a contrast to the slight saltiness of the churned butter.

For starters, we got half an order of Kookaburra Wings.

We already ordered this before, but we really love wings and we couldn't decide on what appetizer to order. Even though we asked the server that we wanted our wings to be spicy, it still pales comparison compared to other wings joints when it comes to that spice factor. But other than that, this is a great starter to any meal. The wings were crispy and had that right sourness to it.

Kim ordered the Angus Prime Rib with a side of Rice Pilaf and Loaded Baked Potato.

The Angus Prime Rib is a 10 oz. cut of USDA Angus Beef. It is served with au jus, which is the beef's own juice from cooking. So don't mistake it for BBQ sauce as it is far from it. It is watery and tastes just like the beef you are served. It enhances the flavor of the steak, and keeps it moist when it takes you awhile to eat. As with any steak from Outback, you get to choose 2 sides for it. Kim chose Rice Pilaf and a Loaded Baked Potato.

I ordered the Chicken and Ribs Combo.

Since I always order steak when I'm in Outback, I decided to deviate from the usual and order the Chicken and Ribs Combo. In hindsight I probably shouldn't have, because what's wrong in ordering steak when you're in a steakhouse? Tsktsk. The plate I was served wasn't bad, in fact it was good. And it was a really hefty meal for it's price. There was about half a rack of ribs, and 3 pieces of grilled chicken breasts all covered in that great BBQ sauce. But that was the problem, they tasted too much alike because they were cooked in the same suace! The ribs were really tender, and readily fell off the bone, and the chicken breast was juicy and flavorful. But the same taste really got to me, that I only managed to finish half of the ribs and half the chicken breasts. Plus I was really envious of the smell of Kim's steak from across me. This combo came with mashed potatoes and vegetables.

Outback has never failed to provide us with great food and great service. The wait staff are always attentive to details, and the food is always of good quality. We waited a little more than usual for our food on this date, but that's okay since it was really packed and you could see that ordered were really going table after table. The ambiance in Outback doesn't really change even when it's packed or not, it's a place where you can have good conversation even when there's audible background music playing. All in all, a great Valentine's date for us thanks to Outback.

Outback Steakhouse
35 E. Rodriguez JR Ave.,
Libis, Quezon City
(02) 634 - 3801

Other Outback entries:
Back in Outback! Claiming Our Valentine's Freebies  
Outback Steakhouse 

Chuck's Deli

January 2, 2013. Wednesday.

For our first date for 2013, we ate in Chuck's Deli in Eastwood. Coincidentally, we also had our first date in 2012 in Chuck's Deli.

Chuck's Deli serves freshly made sandwiches that range from the healthy vegetarian variety to the meat packed variety. When I say healthy there's an asterisk to it because the serving here is really heavy, so it really is a misconception that having sandwiches is just a light meal. Aside from sandwiches, the menu also has its fair share of salads, soups, shakes and sides (aptly called sidekicks).

Chuck's is located at the ground floor of Eastwood Mall, right in between Wagyu Stone Grill and The Old Vine. Almost all restaurants in this area of Eastwood is a little more upscale. It's not necessarily fine dining but you won't find any fastfood chains here either. So despite Chuck's Deli serving "just sandwiches," they are on the higher end of the price spectrum.

We ordered the following:

A bowl of Truffled Cream of Mushroom to share.

Truffled Cream of Mushroom. 195php.

It was a little unappetizing to look at first because it looked like a bowl of Bird's Nest gone bad because of the darker color. But we soon found out that it really tasted good, and the dark color was due to the Truffle oil it had. We loved how creamy (duh) and rich the soup was, and the truffle adds a little sweetness to it. Now I'm really wondering why doesn't everyone put Truffles (or at least Truffle flavor) in their Cream of Mushroom soup? Technically Truffle is also a mushroom, right?

Angus Sliders with a side of potato chips for Kim.

Angus Slider. 295php.

These cute, almost bite- sized sandwiches has US Angus Beef patties, lettuce, tomato, Chuck's sauce and mayo- mustard. They might be cute and small, but they certainly are huge and packed in flavor. And the patties are from the same cut as the ones used in Chuck's own Half Pounder, so they really are thicker than your average patty.

And a half Slabwich of French Kiss with side of onion rings for me.

Half Slabwich of French Kiss. 220php.

Let me start by saying that I really didn't expect the half sandwich, or Slabwich as they call it, to be really big. It is literally a slab! Based on their description, a half slab would be about 5- 6 inches long and weighs at about 3/4 lbs. But I'm guessing this one weighed more than that, and aside from being about half a foot long the slab was about 2 inches wide. A French Kiss Slabwich consists of corned lengua, sauerkraut and a horseradish spread. Lengua is beef tongue, and it is one of the fattiest beef parts. Since this was corned, it was really tender and really seasoned well. Sauerkraut is pickled cabbage, and it really adds a nice sour taste to the lengua which was a little onion-y. The horseradish spread was supposed to complement and provide a nice garlic flavor to the sandwich but I really didn't taste the garlic in it at all. In fact, I had to ask for garlic sauce just to have a different taste in my sandwich. Despite that, this one was a well prepared sandwich that was really filling for a whole meal. I couldn't imagine how big a full slabwich is, and how I would finish it.

If you're looking for a good meal but don't want the eat a conventional plate of rice and a viand, Chuck's Deli's sandwiches can surely satisfy you. With the great variety in their sandwiches, without a doubt there is something for everyone. The prices might not be cheap just because you're thinking it's just sandwiches, but these are nicely prepared with fresh meats and ingredients.

Chuck's Deli
G/F Eastwood Mall, Eastwood City,
Libis, Quezon City
http://www.chucksdeli.com.ph/
https://www.facebook.com/chucksdeli

Outback Steakhouse

December 9, 2012. Sunday.

By now, you probably know that we really don't mind spending a lot just as long as it is on good food. So be forewarned, this entry/ dining experience constitutes the most we have ever spent on food together. But it was really all worth it, especially if you're a carnivore.

 

We originally planned to eat at House of Minis along C5 since I really wanted to get some steak. We were coming from Ortigas and there was some sort of rerouting being done right at the intersection of C5 and Ortigas Ave. I was forced to turn left towards the direction of Libis. But I was not be deterred in my quest to have steak that night. Luckily there's a steakhouse right smack in the middle of Libis. You may have heard of it; it goes by the name of Outback Steakhouse.

I know Outback and House of Minis differ greatly in price and the style of cooking. Outback is your upscale (very upscale, actually) steakhouse with aged and dry rubbed steaks, and House of Minis by comparison would seem more like your average mall steak on a hot plate. Still, steak is steak. And I really wanted my steak that night.

I haven't been to Outback in a while, but I must say not much has changed. It still has that old steakhouse vibe going for it, with the use of wood all throughout the resto's decor and furnishings, a bar in the middle, booths of varying seating capacity all around, an incandescent lamp above every booth and of course the faux retro Australian spread out all over the place. The place looks old, but I mean it in a good way. It still feels homey and welcoming.

We ended up ordering the following:

First we were served the traditional Outback Dark Honey Wheat Bread.

This has got to be the best complementary bread ever. It's served warm on a cutting board with a cupful of churned butter. The bread has a sweet cocoa taste to it that really goes well with the slight saltiness of the butter. A perfect meal starter.

Then we got Kookaburra Wings.

Kookaburra Wings (half). 279php.

We both love wings, so we got this for our appetizer. We had it only mildly spicy since we didn't want to wreck our taste buds for our main course. This is Outback's version of the Buffalo Wings. The wings were fried to a nice a crispy texture then tossed into their sauce. Really went well with the blue cheese dip it came with.

Kim ordered a half slab of Baby Back Ribs.

Baby Back Ribs, half slab. 659php.

The half slab was served with fries on the side. The meat easily slid off the bones, all while still being juicy. The barbecue sauce it was coated in was had a tangy taste to it, and it also had a nice little peppery kick to it.

And I ordered a 10 oz. Angus Ribeye.

10 oz. Angus Ribeye. 1455php.

Steak, finally. I like my meat cooked well done since I really don't want any pink left in them. I gauge how a good steak is by the amount of steak sauce/ gravy I would need to eat them. And with this one, I didn't even bother asking for any! I loved the marbling on my cut of ribeye, it just had the right amount of fat to it. Those we think fat is a bad thing, that's not entirely true for steaks since the fat really adds to the flavor of the meat. Despite being cooked on an open flame, my steak managed to remain juicy and tender. It was so good that I really couldn't remember how my sides of rice pilaf and baked potato went.

We both got Cokes.

We liked how they were served with chilled mugs.

We really enjoyed eating here that we are already planning on when to come back. The food might really be on the expensive side, but then again we think it is all worth it.

Outback Steakhouse
35 E. Rodriguez JR Ave.,
Libis, Quezon City
(02) 634 - 3801

Other Outback entries:
Back in Outback! Claiming Our Valentine's Freebies
Outback Steakhouse: Valentine's Date