In A Land Far Far Away...

Wish I could say the trip to Katipunan for Boulevard Diner was worth it...

BUT 

cheap cheese,

 sour wings,

and soggy buns just won't make the cut.

Tried to erase the memory of dinner with desserts at Mom And Tina's.

I can't say it worked.

Boulevard Diner is located at 91 Xavierville Avenue, Loyola Heights, Quezon City. For more information, call 5045634 or click here.

Mom and Tina's has three branches in Metro Manila. For more information, click here.

Curly and Sandy's

It was Curly's birthday recently and it only meant one thing... 

She had no choice but to give me a treat!

I was glad that we both agreed on having the celebration at Sandy's Pizza as I've been wanting to give this far-from-my-neighborhood pizza joint a try.

San Juan branch

Sandy's Pizza, the San Juan branch at least, can only accommodate a limited number of dine-in guests because it only has a couple of tables outside the order window. The table gods were thankfully with us and we were able to snag a table when we went there. 

Aside from being the birthday girl, Curly is also the bigger glutton so don't be surprised by the amount of food we had.

Honey Glazed Wings

Sweet and nice. A good version of  a pizza parlor staple. Just don't expect it to be as good as those offered by establishments that specialize on wings.

Tuna Arabbiata

This was recommended by the staff of Sandy's and it certainly hit the spot. I loved the amount of spice this pasta had.

Thai Chicken

I was generally underwhelmed because there was not much meat and the flavors of the pizza, though undeniably Thai, were not fully developed. I longed for a bigger bolder taste which Thai cuisine is known for.  A saving grace was the chewy dough that I enjoyed.  

Though I was not too happy with the pizza, I commend Sandy's Pizza for being bold to come up with unique pizza flavors. There will be a next time for me with Sandy's as I'm eager to try other flavors such as Indian Chicken Curry Crunch, Filipino Adobo with Kesong Puti, and Mexican Taco Pizza. 

Sandy's Pizza has three locations: San Juan, Makati, and Katipunan. For more information, click here.

Murtle and Me at CBD

Murtle joined me for lunch at Ayala Triangle Gardens during a hump day work day.

Restaurants fill up fast during the lunch hour and we ended up at Cheesesteaks, Burgers, and Drinks or CBD.  CBD opened a month ago and is operated by the same group that owns Tender Bobs.

Latest Ayala Triangle Addition

 Inside

Lunch Crowd Lining Up

How Convenient

Murtle and I Shared:

Curly French Fries (60php)

Very crunchy though something's missing...

Chicken Buffalo Strips 10pcs. (285php)

We ordered the buffalo strips spicy and it thankfully came out perfect with the spice level just right. Especially good once dipped in the blue cheese sauce. A good alternative to regular chicken wings.

CBD Classic Burger (135php)

The sweet bun complements the strong beef flavors of the patty. Also perfectly cooked keeping the burger moist and juicy. Shoestring fries are addictive. Worth every penny!

CBD is good enough for a quick lunch fix during a work week.

Cheesesteaks, Burgers, and Drinks is located at Ayala Triangle Gardens Makati City. For more information, contact 8392882. 

All Time Low at Don Henrico's

Don Henrico’s is my family's favorite restaurant back in the day. It’s been a long time since we've last eaten there so I decided to have food delivered by Don Henrico's during my birthday . I now regret the trip down memory lane as Don Henrico’s proved that there are things from the past that should stay in the past.

I hate to be negative but everything we had was oh-so-bad. Bear me with folks as this will be the last negative entry in a while.

Let’s start the train wreck:



French Onion Soup (75php)

The texture was more of a mushroom soup than an onion soup. I knew this wouldn't turn out delicious but I just had to try it.

Petite Mozzrella Sticks (175php)  

An appetizer that was so heavy because it had too much breading. How can this be petite?



Dip Nachos (180php)

A complimentary item which was at least decent. Crispy nachos which I’m sure Don Henrico’s just sourced from somewhere.

Don Henrico’s Buffalo Wings (7 pieces for 720php)

Classic dish that I LOVED when I was a kid. Sadly, Don Henrico’s scrimped on the tangy sauce this time. It was also very dry and Nina noted that the oil used for frying the wings tasted old. Yuck.

Classic Carbonara (420php for sharing)

Not classic at all as the carbona had peas and carrots. Pelgene Parkus was not feeling this. One would think that a pasta place would at least make a decent version of a simple dish.

Oven Baked Ribs (360php for Double)

I immediately knew that the ribs were going to be bad the moment I laid my eyes on it. It was hard as rock and the sauce was very sweet. The flavors of the sauce were nowhere near what’s expected of a ribs sauce. To make matters worse, the sidings of sweet corn and carrots were dried out and gross looking.

Basic Cheese Pizza (420php for 14 inches)  

My siblings know their cheese pizza and this left them unimpressed.

Don Henrico’s Supreme Pizza (540php for 14 inches)  

 The best compliment this pizza got was that it was ok.

When asked to comment on the meal, Barney said: ‘Wala akong nakain na masarap!”

Truer words have never been spoken.

Don Henricos’s has branches all over the metro. I f you dare, visit http://www.donhenricos.net/ for more details.

Good Food at GoodFellas

I’ve been searching for good burgers to try and came across GoodFellas. It’s a relatively new restaurant in Kamuning which serves burgers, steaks, and other comfort food.

Similarly, college friend Ban was raving about GoodFellas so we decided to go there with other friends Dheena and Curls.

Let’s get on with the food:

Flamingo Wings (375php)

I like my wings done the Don Henrico’s way so I didn’t enjoy how sour and spicy this tasted. Better when dipped in ranch to neutralize the taste.



Pat & Geno Sandwich (270php with fries and drink)

 Recommended by our waiter and what a good choice it was. The combination of flavorful beef plus delicious cheese oozing out of the bread makes for one dynamic sandwich. Loved this!

Margherita Burger (265php with fries and drink)

I just remember this having lots of cheese but I no longer remember how it tasted. Forgettable to say the least. Will have to try other burgers next time!

Carlito's Gang* (375php for share)

Ban ‘s favorite. Very tender and flavorful indeed! Seasoning is also just right.

GoodFellas House Steak (325php)

Best steak to be enjoyed on the cheap. Not only is the portion size huge for the price but this was also big on flavors. Are they sure that this is just local beef? Ten times better than the steak I had at 145 Fahrenheit.

It's important to note however that on my second visit, the Pat & Geno Sandwich was just so-so while the GoodFellas House Steak we requested to be cooked medium rare turned out raw. Curls investigated why the food suffered and learned that the kitchen was short on staff that night. How sad.

We also ordered a different sandwich during our second time.

Johnny Roastbeef Sandwich (270php with onion rings and drink)

Good with real beef flavors but I still prefer Pat and Geno.

I wish that GoodFellas would be more consistent in producing good food as I hate to see a restaurant full of potential go to waste.

And oh, special thanks to Ban and Dheena for the cake surprise during our first time from Cara Mia. It was yummy!

GoodFellas Steaks and Burgers is located at 56 T. Gener corner K-1st Street Kamuning, Quezon City. Contact them at 4133187. You can also visit their facebook page.

*Photo taken from GoodFellas facebook page.

PB &Co: Interesting? Yes! Delicious? Maybe…

It was too late when I learned that there was an on-going sale at Mall of Asia one weekend. We were already there and had no choice but to brave the crowds.

When it was time to eat, it wasn’t surprising to find most restaurants packed. Tired, hungry, and feeling the heat, our party of 3 no longer cared and decided to just enter the first restaurant that had available seats.

It was a lucky coincidence that Peanut Butter and Company fit the criteria as I’ve been wanting to give this interesting concept a try ever since it opened at SM North Edsa.

Almost all the food in this restaurant of course has peanut butter. An exception is this:

Box of Chips (65php)

OK. Crispy and made from real potatoes. Murtle didn’t like it though.

 Barbeque Wings (125php)

The wings had a good balance of sweet and spicy. The peanut butter, however, felt more like an after thought instead of a necessary component of the dish. Yummier without peanut butter in my opinion.

Roast Beef Sandwich Half (105hp)

The peanut butter overpowered the entire sandwich as the beef was lacklustre. The peanut butter carried the sandwich instead of the other way around. Better try other sandwiches first.

Classic Spaghetti (135php)  

Sweet style spaghetti with a hint of peanut butter. Different at best

Ulrich also had no problems finishing his milkshake.

Classic Milkshake (125php)

I’m not so sure what will happen to PB Co. when the novelty wears off. But that's just me as majority of the population might not mind having a little more peanut butter in their lives.

Peanut Butter and Company is located at the Ground Floor North Wing (near SM Hypermarket), SM Mall of Asia Pasay City. It also has a branch in SM North Edsa.

Everything But The Steak at Wagyu Stone Grill

I remember complaining a few years back how far Eastwood is to where I live. Times, sadly, have not changed. Going to Eastwood is still a bitch but at least there’s something to look forward to every time I brave the commute given the numerous dining options in Eastwood as of late.

One Tuesday, I found myself in far-away Eastwood together with my mom and sister for an errand. It was nearly lunch when we reached Eastwood so we decided to eat first, buckle down to business later. Out of the countless interesting choices, we decided to dine at Wagyu Stone Grill.


Upon entry, I noticed that Wagyu Stone Grill looked chic and elegant as it should be given that a big part of the steak experience is the ambiance. Service was also impeccable with the wait staff promptly attending to our every need. When it was finally time to order, our attendant also efficiently answered our questions, proving that she was very familiar with the menu.

Green Pea Soup (included with any order of wagyu)

 At first, I was none too happy to learn that pea was the base of our soup but was thankfully proven wrong since the soup was creamy and delicious making me wipe out my bowl in record time. 

Green Salad with Poached Chicken (275php)

The vegetables were fresh and the fruits (mangoes and grapes) gave it the added flavor that brought this salad to a whole new level. This was excellent save for the small serving size. It looked more like a siding than a stand-alone dish.

Buffalo Wings (245php)

Seasoned very well. I would have wanted the skin to be a bit crispier but I reminded myself that we didn’t dine here for the wings.

New York Strip (220gat 1,295php)

What was supposed to be the pièce de résistance of our meal. It was served on a stone grill with the attendant instructing us to flip the meat after 30 seconds to allow it to cook evenly. I have to say that I had high expectations with this dish for I was eating at Wagyu Stone Grill after all, where stone grilling wagyu beef is supposedly their specialty.

Funny that I had trouble cutting the meat during my first attempt. This spelled trouble; thus, I was no longer surprised when I was underwhelmed by the flavors of the steak. Our attendant, ever the attentive trooper, asked how our meal was progressing at this point, and my mom politely expressed our disappointment with the steak. She got us gravy (que horror!) to enhance the taste while explaining that it could be because they do not put spices on their meat save for salt and pepper.

Having cooked my fair share of steaks, I know that the true gauge of good meat is when it still manages to shine with just the most basic of ingredients. Wagyu Stone Grill, to my surprise, failed miserably in this regard. The steak was bland and nowhere near special. My sister and I even had to argue on who will get the last piece of meat since neither of us wanted to eat it anymore. (I lost the battle.)

Next time I am craving for steak, I would opt to cook the meat myself than head to Wagyu Stone Grill. Not managing to deliver on their “specialty” is a deal breaker.

Wagyu Stone Grill is located at A121-A122 L2 Eastwood City Mall, Brgy. Ugong, Quezon City.

Rib Nights at Texas Joe's

I was in Subic last Labor Day Weekend. See what I was up to! This is the last of 3 parts.

Texas Joe’s is a new restaurant in Subic creating a lot of buzz. It’s an authentic American smokehouse which prides itself on having the best pit-smoked pulled pork, sticky ribs, and tender briskets in town. It also has a bar, aptly named TJ’s Salon, making it ideal for a night of drinking and unwinding. A pool table and flat screen TVs greet patrons upon entry to the joint.

 

Texas Joe’s, however, is also appropriate for families with its big servings, kid-friendly menu, and welcoming servers. Kids are also given a set of crayons to keep them distracted while waiting for their food to arrive!

Since we were still full from our late lunch that day, we decided to order light and just had chicken wings and the house specialty, ribs.

Complimentary corn bread was served while waiting for our orders. This is a welcome break from the usual bread baskets we are accustomed to.

Texas Tornado Wings with Carolina Honey Sauce (239php)

  Good. It has a woody, smoky taste and the wings were succulent and well-marinated. Only gripe is that a non-wing portion found its way to our table. They probably ran out of wings.

Joes Spareribs (549php)

We went for the large order (5 bone) which is good for two hungry people. Texas Joe’s ribs are imported from Brazil and it showed since the ribs were very meaty while still maintaining its tenderness. The ribs were also pretty tasty, consistent with the restaurant’s philosophy to only use aged hickory wood in the cooking process.

The ribs didn’t really need additional flavor but it was interesting to experiment with the different rib sauces available. They have Texas Joe’s Original Barbeque Sauce for a tangy flavor, Sweet Carolina Sauce for those who prefer their ribs extra sweet, and Habanero Hot Sauce for a spicy kick. I personally enjoyed eating the ribs best with the Sweet Carolina sauce but others in our table begged to differ. Best to try it yourself and decide.

While I can’t say that Texas Joe’s spareribs were the best I’ve eaten, they do offer a superior version of this old time favorite. On my next visit to Subic, I will drop by this restaurant again to try their other specialties.

Texas Joe’s is located at Bldg. MC12, Waterfront Road, Subic Bay Freeport Zone, Zambales. Visit http://www.texasjoes.com/ for more information.