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

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

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

The Old Spaghetti House in Festival Mall

The boyfriend and I just got back from a quick R&R in Tagaytay but we found ourselves battling against the throngs of “southern-ers” flocking to Festival Mall because of the sale. Clearly, we were in the most uncomfortable location ever because we were carrying such heavy bags. Tired, hungry and frazzled, I quickly blurted out “TOSH!” when the boyfriend asked where I wanted to eat.

The un-marinara like Seafood Marinara

I’ve always liked the TOSH ambiance. It’s relaxed and uncomplicated dining. The boyfriend and I frequent this restaurant so I went with one of my menu favorites, the Seafood Marinara. I, however, thought it didn’t taste as good as the ones I previously had in other branches.

The shrimps, squid, mussels and clams were virtually nonexistent. Even toddlers won’t feel the least bit full with such small pieces. Drat. Why is everything getting so expensive yet they’re scrimping on the ingredients?? :/

US Sizzling Burgersteak with Pepper Gravy

The meat-loving boyfriend had the US Sizzling Burgersteak with Pepper Gravy. I hope I could one day devour a plate of this and not feel guily for doing such. The burgersteak looks so good.

Dessert Trio

The boyfriend’s parents and little sister jonied us for lunch-slash-merienda where they had this dessert trio. I liked the mud pie the most. The one in the center tastes just like maruya! The one on the left is an Oreo-battered cookie, which is too sweet for me. Now that I think about it, it doesn’t look like a “cookie” noh? It looks more like a ball of Oreo.

I forgot the name! If you know the name, leave a comment!

Then this mouthwatering dessert came on a sizzling plate. Underneath that ice cream is a chocolate chip cookie. You have to lift the cookie off the plate before you end up with a toasted cookie. Haha. The boyfriend’s little sister had such a hard time “scraping” off the cookie. I didn’t think TOSH desserts were any good, but apparently they are! I’m definitely ordering dessert next time.

%%Lazy Dates at The Old Spaghetti House%% is a post from: Patay Gutom

Pasto, Paseo Center

Pasto, which I first got to try with the boyfriend last year, is slowly inching its way on top of my list of favorite restaurants solely for its affordable pastas and thin crust pizzas.

Their Paseo Center branch is on the third floor, which is pretty hard to miss when you’re not up for riding the escalator and up the stairs to the mezzanine-like third floor. But since we all have a certain fondness toward their dishes, we didn’t notice the stairs.

Vongole

I initially wanted the Gamberi dish but Liv also had her eye on the same dish so I changed my order and went for the Vongole pasta (Php235) instead. It’s an olive oil-based pasta dish with tomatoes and clams.

The presentation did not excite me at all. I was pretty much disappointed with the lack of tomatoes and, uhm, clams. You can’t even see any clam on that photo. There were like, three tiny pieces, I think. Boo!

I was expecting to be positively punched by this but it tasted kind of bland for me. Not wanting to waste my order, I smothered it with lots of chili flakes.

Gamberi (Php235)

Now this is what I originally wanted, the Gamberi pasta (Php235). This one looks so much better than my pasta. I could at least see some shrimps. Haha. Also in the pasta are fresh tomatoes and some asparagus.

My Vongole and Liv’s Gamberi were served first. But it was kinda funny how the waiter placed them on our table but then took them back a minute later because he “thought” they were meant for another table. Five minutes later he returned with the same plates.  :D

Pollo Cremoso (Php225)

Grace had Pollo Cremoso (Php225), a very appetizing bowl of penne pasta with sun-dried tomatoes and mushrooms. The green “specks” on the side of the dishes are bothering me. They look like green dirt. I say do away with those “fancy” shebang. Nothing beats a clean plate.

Melanzana (Php215)

This one’s the Melanzana (Php215) pasta. It has eggplant, smoked bacon and mozzarella.  I don’t like eggplant so I don’t think my mouth will be experiencing this anytime soon.

Polpette (Php215)

This was the only spaghetti on the table! This was what Natz had and I think this one’s called Polpette (Ph215). It’s your traditional spaghetti and meatball dish with tomato sauce. By the way, I want those meatballs! I mean, meatball.

Free crostini for at least 1,000 pesos worth of orders

There was a promo running that day where Citibank card holders get a free Crostini for orders worth at least Php1,000. Yay to free food! I liked this a lot. A great appetizer to start a hearty meal.

Di Carne pizza!

Here’s the Di Carne pizza (Php265), which I really like because of its great crust-sauce-toppings ratio. On top are Italian sausage, smoked ham and pepperoni.

A little trivia: because of how thin this pizza is, one of us (not me, definitely) managed to wolf down a whole pizza on a previous visit. Then again, what’s so wrong about that? Julia Roberts did eat an entire Margherita Pizza in Eat Pray Love, right?

Hello, Grace!

By the way, forgive me for these awful photos. I forgot my camera in the office because we were in such a rush. Good thing I remembered to bring my phone, which is just as good in taking pictures.

%%Pizza, Pasta and Pasto%% is a post from: Patay Gutom

Chillin at Chili's

I didn’t think it was possible to put food in my mouth after devouring mountains of food for lunch and merienda that day. But apparently, my tummy can take a wee bit more than I think I could.

The boyfriend and I planned to go home right after work because he wasn’t feeling well, while I needed to nurse my dented sleeping pattern ruined by the previous night’s karaoke marathon. For some reason, however, we wounded up at Chili’s in Greenbelt 5. Oh well, there goes my once-a-week-food-trip rule.

Al fresco dining

The restaurant was packed that night. The queue outside was so long but we were lucky that the boyfriend’s friend already had a table waiting for us. Then I remembered, it was Pay Day Friday! Hence, the throngs of yuppies.  We dined al fresco because we’re a group of smokers.

It drizzled a little, prompting us to move our tables closer to the restaurant. Luckily, it didn’t rain any harder that night amid the looming typhoon. How awful would that be to have rain on your plates, right?

The server assigned to us, Hanz, was super friendly. He should win the Mr. Congeniality title in their Greenbelt branch. Plus, he looked so much like our friend’s ex-boyfriend (Gerald Anderson look-a-like, I swear).

Boneless Buffalo Chicken (Php255)

Anyway, we all know how huge servings are at Chili’s, so I just ordered a Boneless Buffalo Chicken salad (Php255). The server wheedled me into adding grilled shrimps as my add-on. I assumed their regular salad would be “just enough” for one person but clearly I was wrong. Somewhere in Makati, a weighing scale was protesting. Haha.

I love the stack of grilled shrimps and buffalo chicken on top of the greens, blue cheese, bacon, carrots, tortilla strips and pico de gallo. The ranch dressing and the spicy sauce of the buffalo chicken were a nice contrast.

It was a heavy, heavy “salad” though. I didn’t finish it, as a matter of fact. If I had not eaten two slices of pizza some two hours before dinner, I think I would have been able to consume everything on my plate. This one’s a regular plate lang–now, imagine the to-share size (Php450) of this dish. The horror!

Beef Salpicao (Php595)

Surprisingly, the boyfriend let me order the dish he’s gonna have for that night. He let me pick the dish I’m most curious to taste, photograph and blog about. Haha. Such a supportive boyfriend!

Picking one dish off their extensive menu was hard so I chose one that I was most familiar with–Beef Salpicao (Php595). It was a sumptuous dish, one that is made for big, grown men for sure! The beef was tender and juicy, cooked medium well. I like how the veggies on the side weren’t overcooked. They were still very crunchy (and exciting to eat).

We didn’t dare order dessert because we were both so full. Next time I go to Chili’s, I’ll walk in with an empty stomach!

I love their food, the servers and their “yes we can” attitude. There is one downside though, which is completely not related to their food. I just wish they had more than one restroom.

%%Food Coma at Chili’s%% is a post from: Patay Gutom