Keeping Fresh at In-N-Out

A trip to the West Coast isn't complete without visiting In-N-Out. Lucky for us, there's an In-N-Out branch at Fisherman's Wharf in San Francisco.

Fisherman's Wharf branch

In-N-Out appears to have a very basic menu, but you can click here to learn more about their not-so-secret menu.

Everything tastes 100 times better with fresh ingredients and this is exactly the reason why In-N-Out has an almost cult-like following. It has managed to keep its ingredients fresh and has avoided using preservatives unlike most burger joints.

Our Tray

Cheeseburger

Perfectly Toasted Bun + 100% pure American Beef Patty  + American Cheese + Fresh Vegetables = Burger Heaven

Double-Double Cheeseburger

Double Beef Patty + Double Cheese = Double Happiness

Animal Style Fries from the Not-So-Secret Menu

Hand Cut Potatoes + Special Spread with Pickles and Onions = Best Fast Food Fries 

For the best bang for your burger buck, In-N-Out is it!

In-N-Out has locations in Northern California, Southern California, Arizona, Nevada, Utah & Texas. For more information, click here.

A Break in Lotteria

I needed a break from eating traditional Korean cuisine after a couple of days in South Korea. I headed to Lotteria in Myeongdong.

Lotteria is a fast food chain serving burgers, fries, and fried chicken. Exactly what I needed!!!

Fries

Not the best fries I've had but I didn't care.  

BBQ & Spicy Sauce

Fried Wings

The chicken had very crispy skin and was also juicy inside. The BBQ and spicy dips made it a winner.

Bulgogi Burger

Very sweet and lacked flavor. Should have ordered the popular shrimp burger.

Of course, Lotteria will not compare to the more popular chains but it's worth a visit for those who want to experience American fast food with a Korean twist. 

Lotteria has multiple branches in South Korea. For more information, click here. 

Tai Hing at Food Republic

I was recently back in Hong Kong where I was unable to fully unleash the glutton in me. yey!!! This is the 4th of 5 parts.

We had lunch at Food Republic while on a break hunting for the cheapest bargains available at Citygate Outlets. 

Food Republic is a food court chain operated by the BreadTalk group and it offers cuisine from all over the world. American, Korean, Indian, Thai, Vietnamese, Taiwanese, and good old Chinese food can be found here.

One can truly get overwhelmed with the wide variety of choices available in Food Republic but I already had my stomach set for Tai Hing.

Tai Hing is a fast food chain that has over 40 branches in HK and Mainland China. The Hong Kong Tourism Board has dubbed Tai Hing as having "5-Star Barbecued Meats." Predictably, I went for the board's recommendation.

Chicken and Goose Rice (46HKD)

Oh-so-ordinary! Unfortunate really, given the many options I gave up to have this.

Lesson Learned: Never believe in the Hong Kong Tourism Board again!

And oh, I spotted  Singapore's popular Sergeant Chicken Rice at Food Republic though I have to say I'm not a fan.  

Food Republic has branches in Hong Kong, Mainand China, Singapore, and Malaysia. For more information,  click here.

A Glimpse of the Local Fast Food Scene in HK

I was recently back in Hong Kong where I was unable to fully unleash the glutton in me. yey!!! This is the 3rd of 5 parts.

Since we were always pressed for time, I had my share of fast food dining during this trip. Please don’t feel bad for me as I generally had a pleasurable time immersed in the local fast food scene.

Here’s a glimpse of the three most popular local fast food chains in Hong Kong:

1. CAFE DE CORAL

Cafe de Coral is the leading fast food chain in Hong Kong and this recognition is well-deserved as Cafe de Coral is consistent in churning out good comforting meals at affordable price points. When in doubt, there’s no other place to go but here! Don’t forget to order a cup of tea in order to have one of the best versions served in all of Hong Kong.

Menu changes depending on time of day

Well, hello there, auntie!

Raddish cake was to die for!

Delicious honey chicken with perfectly cooked eggs

A trip isn't complete without ordering barbequed meat.

Better than DTF

2. MX

MX, a chain of restaurants under the Maxim's group of companies, is the best bet for affordable barbequed meat. One can always be assured of fresh, high-quality, delicious barbequed specialties with MX. Its non-barbequed offerings are not so bad either.

Temptation!

Trendy Vibe

Best goose to be had on the cheap

Comforting Curry Flavors

3. FAIRWOOD

Fairwood is the new kid on the block and it still has a long way to go. Flavors, presentation, and food portions are often underwhelming. It also needs to be more service-oriented before it can truly compete with the giants of Hong Kong's fast food industry. Dine here only when desperate!

Orange theme for Fairwood

Early Morning Crowd

Sad Looking

Pathetic excuse for a ham&cheese sandwhich

Looks Yummy, Tastes Otherwise

Tiny Leg Portion

Pales in Comparison 

Cafe de Coral has over 140 branches in Hong Kong. For more information, click here.

MX has over 70 branches in Hong Kong. For more information, click here.

Fairwood has several branches in Hong Kong. For more information, click here.

The Ever Reliable Café de Coral

I was recently in Hong Kong. Get to know what Hong Kong has to offer through my adventure. This is the 9th of 14 parts

Café de Coral is a popular quick service restaurant in Hong Kong which offers good food at reasonable prices. It also has a wide selection of food choices as menu changes through breakfast, lunch, tea time, and dinner.

Causeway Bay branch

So popular in fact that Cafe de Coral is still full of people at 3 p.m.

Its roast specialties are always a hit as shown by the long line here:

I usually go for the white chicken and roast duck combo, but opted to try something new to me this time.

Baked Thick Cut Porkchop with Rice (32 HKD)

While the presentation could be improved, the dish hits the mark as porkchop is very soft and the tomato sauce complements both meat and  rice spectacularly. Serving is also huge as one order can actually be shared by two people.

Hotdog with Dried Tomato and Herb Sausage (17 HKD)

Café de Coral proves there’s no bad food to be had here with even a simple hotdog managing to shine. The hotdog has a smoky taste with the condiments and the fresh vegetables giving it full flavors. One million times better than Ikea’s!!!

The hotdog meal comes with milk tea which Murtle said was excellent.

Milk Tea

As expected, Café de Coral managed to deliver good comforting food! No wonder I always make it a point to visit Café de Coral whenever I’m in Hong Kong.

Cafe de Coral is located all over Hong Kong. For more information, pls. click here.

S&R Calzone: For Mozzarella Lovers Only

Aside from the countless choices of imported goods, S&R also offers a good line-up of snacks in their food service section. Instead of opting for pizzas, I decided to give its ham and cheese calzone (119php) a try one day.

The calzone looked promising since it was oozing with mozzarella cheese. Unfortunately, the mozzarella was the only good thing about the calzone for the bread itself was a bit dry. It was hard to swallow without a sip of drink to go with it. S&R also scrimped on the ham which led to a bland sad calzone. Will skip the calzone next time I visit S&R.

On a side note, a trip to S&R is never complete without buying roasted chicken.

For 229.95php, this is a steal since it’s arguably the most flavorful roasted chicken in town. Sauce not needed!

S&R has 4 locations. Visit snrshopping.com for more information.