Kaon Ta!

Mamma Maria's Pizzeria

Sun, 20 Sep 2009 12:05:38 GMT

Location:
Gorordo Avenue, 888 Building
Cebu City
Tel. No. 032-417-1177

Specialty:
Authentic Italian Pizza and Pasta

Rating:
Nyss - 4/5
Geus - 5/5

FOOD:
Mamma Maria's Pizzeria originated from Bacolod City and even though we are also originally from Bacolod, the first time we tried to eat at this place is here in Cebu and we love the experience.

Mamma Maria's is famous for being the Home of the Biggest Pizza in the Philippines. How big? The pizza's diameter can be as big as 63 inches. So how was the taste? We can say that their pizzas are big in taste too.

We ordered Kebab Pizza. Geus loved the taste and he loved the peperoncini topping. If you love shawarma, you will also adore this pizza flavor.

Kebab Pizza � Tomato Sauce, Mozzarella Cheese, White Garlic Sauce, Beef Tenderloin, "Spicy" Peperoncini

We also ordered Black and White Pizza. I am not sure why they call this Black and White when the pizza came with yellow sauce. The bearnaise sauce's flavor was strong but I love it. It reminds me of mustard or curry but of course it was made from other spices like tarragon, pepper, and chervil leaves. The manager of Mamma Maria's said that their sauce is imported from Sweden.

Black and White � Tomato Sauce, Mpzzarella Cheese, Beef Tenderloin, Pork Tenderloin, Mushrooms, Bearnaise Sauce

Lastly, we ordered Bola-Bola (Meatballs) Spaghetti Pasta with meatballs (obviously) and tomato concaisse sauce. "Concaisse" is normally spelled as "concasse" and it's one way of cooking tomatoes which is to crush or to grind them. The spaghetti pasta tasted of real tomato and the best part is the generous amount of basil leaves that they mixed into the sauce so it really suited my taste.

Another good thing about Mamma Maria's is that bottled softdrinks cost only 15 pesos when restaurants nowadays price softdrinks from 30 pesos. The just proves that this place is really affordable.

Mamma Maria's has 27 pizza flavors to choose from. The flavors range from the usual meatlovers to the exotic pizza with crocodile meat. They also offer 8 pasta dishes.

AMBIENCE/SERVICE:
Mamma Maria's is open 24 hours a day so you can order pizza and pasta anytime you want to. The pizza dough is made as you order so you can be assured that your pizza is always freshly made. You can actually see the baker as he prepares the pizza because their kitchen counter is located beside the cashier right where you can see it.

As an added bonus, the place offers free wi-fi so you can enjoy the pizza while surfing your favorite website.

The waitress assigned to our table was very polite and attentive. When we asked her if we could take out nachos, she explained that it might become soggy when we reach home. I think that is admirable and worth noting because Mamma Maria's is not just after increasing its sales, the people who handle it also want to make sure that the quality of their food remains good.

PRICE:
Kebab Pizza (Single) � PHP 125.00
Black and White Pizza (Single) � PHP 110.00
Bola-Bola Spaghetti (Medium) � PHP 49.00
Bottled Pepsi � PHP 15.00

Range of Pizza Prices:
Single Size (8") � PHP 49.00 � PHP 160.00
Regular Size (11") � PHP 99.00 � PHP 320.00
Family Size (15") � PHP 195.00 � PHP 640.00
XL Family Size (21") � PHP 375.00 � PHP 995.00
XXL Party Size (30") � PHP 695.00 � PHP 1,730.00

VERDICT:
Nyss � I will go back there until I have finished tasting all pizza flavors. Since the price is really affordable, I would be able to do this without emptying out my pockets.
Geus - This is one of the best pizza I ever tried. I will surely be back.

Hukad Golden Cowrie Native Restaurant

Sun, 06 Sep 2009 16:46:54 GMT

Location:
Stall F209 2^nd Level

The Terraces, Ayala Center Cebu

Cebu City

Specialty:
Filipino Dishes

Rating:
Nyss - 3/5
Geus - 3/5

FOOD:
Every once in a while, we miss eating in Filipino Restaurants hence we decided to try this Golden Cowrie-sister restaurant located at the Terraces in Ayala Center. Hukad is a Cebuano term that means getting rice from the pot and putting it on a plate. That is why when the servers in Hukad would ask you if you want more rice, they would say "Hukad pa?".

We ordered Kare-kare. It was made of thick peanut sauce but unfortunately it was not rich enough and we both felt that it lacked salt. The thing with Filipino is that the food is usually served "ready" unlike Americans who would always have salt and pepper on their tables to add taste to the food they're being served. But some people would say that Kare-kare is best eaten with Bagoong (shrimp paste) which is already salty so there is no need to add a lot of salt to the kare-kare. I agree but there are people who are allergic to shrimps so adding a little bit of flavor to the main dish won't hurt.

We also ordered scallops. Geus loved it. For me there was too much butter and too little cheese. Also there were only 6 scallop shells in one order so if you are a seafood lover, it would be best if you order another order as one order can be good for 1 person only.

Lastly, we ordered puso salad (salad made of banana flower or banana blossoms) because it's been a while since we've last eaten puso ng saging. The blossoms were diced. Our helper would also often cook this dish but instead of dicing them, she would just slice the banana leaves into cubes of about 1 inch long. Our helper would also put a generous amount of vinegar, onions, and garlic. Hukad's Puso Salad tasted good but for me it lacked vinegar. But I have a penchant for sour food so I think the Puso Salad would fare well with people who don't like a lot of vinegar in their food.

The Sago at Gulaman was supposed to be Geus' drink but when they served it, the sago (tapioca) balls were clustered together forming one big lump. Even when you stir the drink, the sago still clung together. In the end, Geus just decided to make it his dessert and therefore ordered Coke in Can as his drink. The Sago at Gulaman tasted good except for the clumps of sago.

AMBIENCE/SERVICE:
We decided to time the number of minutes from the time we ordered to the time the food will be served and we were surprised that it only took 5 minutes. This was really surprising since there were a lot of customers around.

The waiters were also very attentive and polite.

The place does not really have a Filipino feel to it unless you look at the small details which some of us may miss. Their light is designed as a hanging "puso". Their plate is covered with banana leaves.

PRICE:
Baked Scallops � PHP 119.00

Kare-Kare � PHP 188.00

Puso Salad � PHP 49.00

Ahhh Rice � PHP 30.00

Sago at Gulaman � PHP 40.00

Nestea Iced Tea � PHP 35.00

Coke in Can � PHP 42.00

VERDICT:
Nyss � It's a place to go to when you would like to eat Filipino dishes. Just don't expect them to be extraordinary in taste. I will go back because the price is not too expensive and the location is accessible.

Geus - An ideal place for a barkada lunch-out. I love the scallops!

Makan Asian Hawker's Foods

Fri, 04 Sep 2009 03:32:25 GMT

Location:
1^st Level, The Walk

Asiatown, IT Park, Lahug

Cebu City

Tel. No.: 231-3800

Specialty:
Asian Fusion

Rating:
Nyss - 1/5
Geus - 3/5

FOOD:
Every time we eat in a restaurant that serves Thai food, we never fail to order Pad Thai, Bagoong rice, and a curry dish. This is because we always try to compare our favorite dishes in Lemon Grass to the new restaurant we are dining in.

Makan's Chicken in red curry sauce is under their Signature dishes list. This dish's spiciness is rated with two chili icons. We asked the waitress if they can serve it mild but she said they can't. I would've given the restaurant more points if they can serve the dish the way we want it to be served because for us it means that they are cooking the dish as customers order as opposed to cooking every thing in bulk in the morning then serving them when customers order. I am not sure though how they cook their dishes and when they cook them so let's give this restaurant the benefit of the doubt when it comes to this point. The Chicken in red curry sauce was too spicy for my taste that I only ate the chicken without enjoying the sauce.

Their Pad Thai is different from the Pad Thai's we've eaten because it did not use peanut sauce. Instead, tamarind-chili sauce was used. However, I could not taste the tamarind's sourness or the chili's spiciness that it felt like eating an ordinary noodle dish with beansprouts.

"Pad Thai � Stir fried noodles with minced pork, shrimps, and beansprouts seasoned with tamarind-chili flavored sauce"

Their Thai Bagoong Rice though was just right for my taste. It was not too oily or too flavorful. I've always wanted my bagoong rice cooked in such a way that it won't drown out the flavor of the accompanying dishes and Makan's is successful in doing this.

"Khao Pad Kapi (Thai Bagoong Rice) � Thai Rice flavored with shrimp paste and topped with stewed pork, scrambled egg, and green mango salad."

The Mango-Banana Shake would've have been better had it been more sweet and the Buko-Lychee Slush would've have been better had they used more lychees.

AMBIENCE/SERVICE:
We had our dinner at around 9 o' clock in the evening so there were not a lot of patrons around. Our food was served fast and the waitress assigned to us was very efficient and friendly.

Makan's decoration does not really channel an Asian vibe. It looks like it's a "drinking" place rather than an Asian restaurant. Maybe this is because they cater more to the "drinking" crowd but it would've been nice if the decorations are less dark.

Our dining experience would've been ordinary had it not been for the one small cockroach that was roaming around our table. I wasn't able to get a picture because the tiny cockroach was too fast but seeing that really lessened my appetite and it did lessen the points I am going to give this restaurant. Seeing cockroaches in restaurants is really a no-no and the management should do something about the cleanliness of the place.

PRICE:
Khao Phad Kapi (Bagoong Rice) � PHP 190.00

Chicken in Red Curry Sauce � PHP 195.00

Pad Thai � PHP 155.00

Mango-Banana Shake � PHP 55.00

Buko-Lychee Slush � PHP 45.00

VERDICT:
Nyss - I probably will not go back unless someone tells me that the restaurant fumigated the place or did general-cleaning.
Geus - I like their food! But i agree, a little improvement on their place is needed.

Chateau de Busay

Wed, 18 Mar 2009 16:58:10 GMT

Location:
Lower Busay Hills, Nivel Hills, Lahug
Cebu City, Cebu
Tel. No.: (032) 231-2000
Website: http://www.chateaudebusay.com/

Specialty:
American / Filipino

Rating:
Nyss - 2/5
Geus - 2/5

FOOD:
Neptune Seafood Platter for 2.

Geus and I went on a date to Chateau De Busay and with luck, we found a meal ideal for a date. The Neptune Seafood Platter for 2 consists of two plates of steamed rice, calamari (fried squid rings), prawn topped with a slice of lemon, grilled fish, mussels, and buttered corn, carrot, and green beans.

Before they served us the main dish, they served bread and butter for free. It would've been better had they asked us what bread we would like but that is asking for too much. The bread is free and it tasted better than pan de sal so I was still happy.

When our main dish arrived, our expectations were high. We were paying a little bit more than what we normally pay for seafood in Chateau De Busay, so naturally, we thought that our food would taste good.

We love seafood so it was a little bit disappointing that the food did not taste as well as we expected it to taste. The batter used for the calamari lacked salt. The prawn lacked flavoring. The mussels tasted like steamed mussels even if they already added spice to it. And the buttered vegetable clearly lacked the buttery taste it so needed. The only saving grace for the meal was the grilled tangigue (Spanish Mackerel) with onions and tomato. When I eat, I want to enjoy the food as served. I don't want to add pepper or salt to whatever I eating. I noticed though that in the United States, most American restaurants serve food that is bland and adding flavor (through the ever present salt and pepper) is left to the customers. Maybe this is also the reason why Chateau De Busay's food is not as flavorful as we Filipinos like our food to be.

I have to admit though that the serving size was more than enough for one person. However, the serving size does not matter that much as long as the food tastes well.

Geus and I ordered Frozen Iced Tea. It was nothing extraordinary and we were glad that the price we paid for it was also not too high.

AMBIENCE/SERVICE:
When Geus and I arrived for dinner on a Saturday, there was still a wedding going on in the garden area. Since we opted to sit outside, we could hear all of the program's proceedings. That is why, if you want to be on a romantic dinner date, it's better to ask first if there is a scheduled wedding. I love weddings but watching a wedding's reception uninvited is not my cup of tea.

Our servers were a man and a woman, middle-aged, and rarely smiling. They, however, were attentive to all our needs. This made us think that they may have been working in Chateau for a long time already.

The restaurants decoration is perfect for a romantic date. The ambience (when there is no wedding reception taking place) is also perfect. You could see the Cebu City lights and it adds to the romance in the air.

The place is around 45 minutes drive from Cebu City proper. There is also very limited public transportation so if you want to go here, be prepared to spend a lot for taxi if you do not have a car. Most people would make the taxi driver wait after they have finished eating so that they will still have a ride back. If you do this, please also remember to order food for the taxi driver. Or better yet, drop by Jollibee and order take-out food for him.

As I have said several times, the place is perfect for a romantic date or even a proposal. Just make sure that no wedding is taking place and just don't get your hopes up on the food.

PRICE:
Neptune Seafood Platter for 2 � Php 550.00
Frozen iced Tea � Php 55.00

VERDICT:
Nyss - I will probably go back just to enjoy the view. I will order their specialty next time because I am hoping for a better dining experience to go with the view.
Geus - I give my two points to the venue. For the food, maybe we ordered the incorrect one.

Larsian

Wed, 18 Mar 2009 15:37:05 GMT

Location:
A.S. Fortuna
Mandaue City

Specialty:
Barbecue

Rating:
Nyss � 3/5
Geus - 4/5

FOOD:
You have never really been to Cebu unless you have eaten in Larsian.

Larsian is one of Cebu 's must-try food places. The place sells barbecued products: pork, chicken, and fish. They have your regular grilled meat: pork belly, tangigue, chicken. But they also have your "exotic" grilled meat: adidas (chicken feet), chicken gizzard, chicken and pig liver, chicken and pig intestines, and longanisa (sweet sausage). The best thing about the place is the price.

The barbecue in Cebu is cooked differently. They use ketchup to marinate the chicken and the pork hence giving them a reddish color. Because of this, there's a little bit of sweetness to the meat. For a better dining experience, make sure to also use the dipping sauce made of vinegar, soy sauce, calamansi (Chinese lemon),and pepper (sili). For an added spice to your dipping sauce, make sure to crush the pepper.

For those who are not on a diet, do try the chicken skin. We never fail to order this every time we go to Larsian. Depending on where you get this, chicken skin can sometimes taste like it "melts-in-your-mouth" because of its softness and flavor. Of course, you would have to really control yourself from eating too much because of its cholesterol level.

A truly Cebuano dining experience would not be complete without puso. Puso is cooked rice wrapped in coconut leaves. When I went to Cebu for the first time, I thought that puso is prepared this way: you cook rice in a pot, then scoop rice out and wrap them with coconut leaves. But I was wrong. Rice grains are placed in coconut leaves first then boiled in a large cauldron until cooked. This way of cooking makes the rice less soft than your usual steamed rice but it's the perfect partner for the barbecues.

AMBIENCE/SERVICE:
Larsian is one big barbecue plaza where there are different stalls selling the barbecues. You can choose which stall you like to order your food from based on the stall's display or you can choose based on how convincing the server is. After choosing your food, you can go to one of the tables set up in the middle of the place. There, you will have to wait for around 10 minutes for your food to be served. Even though this place is relatively cheap, you can actually ask your server on how you want your barbecues cooked. I like mine to be less "pagud" (slightly-burnt).

You can order softdrinks or juices in can. If you go there with your barkada or family, you can also order 1.5-Liter softdrinks. Be careful though and check if the glasses they give you are clean.

The place provides you with tissue so you can use that to clean your glasses and utensils. I am not sure how often the government checks sanitation permits in this place.

When we went to Larsian, we did not see any washing area. But we did not need to use one because we were given very thin plastic that we used to cover our hands so that we didn't need to wash them before and after eating.

There are a lot of barbecue plazas in Cebu . Larsian near Chong Hua hospital is the original, I guess since I've read somewhere that the name Larsian comes from the combined names of the first barbecue stall owners � Pilar and Siano. But there are also other "Larsian" places or barbecue plazas in Cebu and they can be found in A.S. Fortuna, near Jollibee Highway, near Sykes building, and in Centro Mandaue. I am sure there are plenty of other barbecue places because Cebuano loves barbecue.

Wherever you want to eat, you still can enjoy the perfect combination of the barbecue and puso. Add good conversation to that and it would be the best meal before or after an all-night gimik.

PRICE:
Puso (Rice) - Php 2.50
Note: approximately 4 pcs of Puso equals one regular serving of rice
Liver - Php 12.00
Longanisa - Php 12.00
Pork Barbeque - Php 6.00
Chicken Skin - Php 10.00
Chicken Intestines - Php 3.00
Regular Coke in a bottle - Php 12.00

VERDICT
Nyss � Larsian's barbecue is one of my comfort food so yes, I will be back soon.
Geus � Indeed, you have never really been to Cebu unless you have eaten in Larsian. Affordable food and fast service. "Larsian is a household name in Cebu". That saids it all.

Kul Kitchen

Wed, 03 Dec 2008 02:39:30 GMT

Location:
Skyrise Building I, Villa Street
IT Park, Lahug
Cebu City
Tel. No. - 2387988

Specialty:
Asian Fusion
�
Rating:
Nyss�- 1/5
Geus -�2/5

FOOD:
I convinced Geus that we try out the place because I heard a lot of raves about it in one popular forum here in Cebu.� When we arrived at the�place, we asked the waiter for his recommendations.� He recommended a�lot of things but we got interested in the Creamed Ribs and the�Ginataang Tangigue.

"Creamed Ribs - You can't miss this thick sauce with cream and mushroom served along humble cuts of pork ribs KUL KITCHEN'S SPECIALTY"

Our orders arrived after about 5 minutes.� I was impressed with how�fast they served the food.� However, my being impressed turned to my being�dismayed when I saw the presentation of the food.� My Creamed Ribs was�swimming, literally, in light brown sauce.� For a Creamed Ribs, it�didn't look too creamy.� I was more dismayed when I saw that the corn and carrot side dish was covered with the same sauce.� I braved myself to�eat that non-creamy Creamed Ribs thinking that maybe it would surprise�me and taste good.� The beef was tender, that I admit.� However, I�don't think it was creamy at all. The sauce tasted like an ordinary�gravy.� And the beef did not taste good.� As I finish my rice, I began to taste something metallic and fishy.� I don't know if it was because of�the hot plate that might not have been washed properly or it was�because of the gravy.� I don't want to find out since I do not have the�intention of ever going back.� I am easily�impressed when it comes to food but the metallic and fishy taste of�the dish lingered in my mouth.� I can still imagine the taste until now.� And oh, they forgot the mushrooms.� I love mushrooms and they forgot�the mushrooms.

"Ginataang Tangigue - Linger on this mouth-watering coconut sauce with a tinge of spice when you long for that old Filipino touch"
�
Geus ordered Ginataang Tangigue because he was in a seafood mood.� The tangigue slice was big and it could have been shared by two�people.� However, the fish was also literally swimming in a Shrek-like green�sauce.� It was the first time that I saw a green ginataan sauce.� When�I tasted it, I realized where the green color came from.� It must've�come from the curry powder they used.� Maybe they could rename the�dish as Curry Tangigue and not Ginataang Tangigue.� Just my two cents.

Geus ordered the Longgan Slurpes.� The waiter said that Longgan is a�variant of Lychee and he was right.� The drink tasted good even if it�tastes a little bit sweeter than lychee shake.

AMBIENCE/SERVICE:
When we arrived, there were a lot of people and the only tables�available were the ones at the middle and the one at the back.� We chose the�one at the back not realizing that Geus' chair was blocking the�restroom door.� There was no sign that it was the restroom and the door was�also designed to camouflage as part of the wall.� We asked to transfer�to another table which is a good thing because it would be unappetizing�to eat while we are just inches away from the restroom door.

The place is teeming with people.� There were so many people eating�there that I wondered if we ordered the wrong food or the cook was not in�the mood that night.� Geus said that since the food is cheap, most�people working in call centers and nearby companies would prefer to eat�there.� But I thought, Ila Puti's food is a lot better, why don't�they just go there? However, I kept that thought to myself because�as I have said, we might have ordered the wrong food or the cook was�having PMS.
�
PRICE:
Creamed Ribs - Php 145.00
Ginataang Tangigue - Php 145.00
Coke Regular - Php 30.00
Longgan Slurpes - Php 65.00
�
VERDICT:
Nyss�- I will not go there again.
Geus - I think i need to go there again and try something different from their menu just to be sure if we ordered the wrong dish at the wrong time. But for the meantime I'll stick with Ila Puti.

T.G.I. Friday�s

Thu, 27 Nov 2008 17:15:41 GMT

Location:
Ground Floor, The Terraces
Ayala Center Cebu, Cebu City
Contact Number:

Specialty:
American

Rating:
Nyss � 3/5
Geus - 3/5

FOOD:
Everybody loves Fridays. And everybody loves to eat out, hang out with friends, and enjoy during Friday nights. And with this, Cebuanos welcomed the opening of T.G.I. Friday's with open arms.

There had been a lot of buzz about this restaurant. Weeks before it opened, people started talking and blogging about it.

Of course we did not go there during the opening. We wanted to give the restaurant a fair review so we avoided the opening day jitters of the crew.

It was a Thursday when Geus and I decided to dine in the restaurant. The greeter led us to a table good for two and showed us the menu. She then introduced us to the waitress assigned at our table.

I ordered the 6-pc Buffalo Wings because that is the only dish I have tried in a Friday's restaurant in the US and I wanted to compare the taste.

6-pc Buffalo Wings � Traditional upstate New York style chicken wings marinated in our spicy sauce, then deep fried. Served with crispy celery sticks and tangy Bleu Cheese dressing.

I love this dish. The spiciness is just right and it was complemented by the Bleu Cheese Dressing. The chicken wings are, of course, smaller than what they serve in its US counterpart but this is mainly because of the size of the chickens here in the Philippines. The size did not really matter because the 6-pc serving was enough for both Geus and I. My only complaint about this dish is the accompanying celery sticks which were no longer crispy.

Geus ordered one of their Friday's Favorites � the Jack Daniel's Chicken and Shrimp. The waitress asked us if we wanted cheddar cheese mashed potatoes, rice pilaf, or French fries to go with the chicken and shrimp. We chose French fries. I was surprised that we actually had a choice since they only mentioned mashed potato side dish on their menu.

Jack Daniel's Chicken and Shrimp � Juicy fire grilled chicken breast drizzled with our Jack Daniel's sauce and some crispy Cajun-spiced fried shrimp with more sauce for dipping. Served with our cheddar cheese mashed potatoes and seasonal vegetables.

The dish tasted like it was home-cooked. I know some people like their food to taste like that but not me. When I eat out, I want to eat food that I cannot cook at home. There was nothing spectacular about the grilled chicken except for the sauce. I didn't feel the Cajun-spice in the fried shrimp. Their seasonal vegetable was corn. Corn is always available here in the Philippines, as far as I know, so I don't think that it belongs to the "seasonal" vegetable category. However, the French fries was delicious. I normally do not eat fries but the one they serve at Friday's is probably the best that I have ever tasted.

We ordered Coke but they ran out of soft drinks in can. They need to replenish their supplies as soon as they are dwindling down. If they run out, they can always buy in the nearby grocery just so they can provide the customers what they want to order.

AMBIENCE/SERVICE:
T.G.I. Friday's in the US is more like a pub with dim lights and wooden fixtures and furniture. The one in Cebu is a little bit modern with bright lights. I like the decoration. I had fun having my pictures taken with old posters from Charlie's Angels and other TV shows plus posters of musicians like The Beatles and Bob Marley.

Our waitress was a jewel named Job. She was very attentive although I found it a bit funny how she would say "certainly" every time you ask for something. Can we have fries with the meal? Certainly. Can you please give us the bill? Certainly. Can you dish out our plates? Certainly. I think they were taught to answer this way in their training but maybe the trainer forgot that certainly has a lot of synonyms. I loved how our waitress never forgot how we wanted our orders cooked and how we wanted our water served. I also like how the waitresses were taught to squat when taking orders. This way the customers won't have to strain their necks while looking up at the waitress while they place their orders. Good job trainers!

If there is one thing that I despise about my T.G.I. Friday's experience, it is the presence of the manager. In other restaurants, I would not notice the managers because they do their work discretely. The only times I felt the presence of managers was when the restaurant did not have enough crew to serve all the customers. However, the manager in Friday's acted a little bit weirdly.

She stood by the door, unsmiling, with arms crossed while her eyes darted from customer to customer. It is one thing to ensure that the employees are working well and the operation is running smoothly but doing this while looking friendly is still important. Geus and I were taking pictures and that weird manager stood at the back of Geus and looked at the picture he took. We did not eat there to be observed by her. How could customers talk to each other when there is someone looking at every thing they do? I think she needs to be reminded not to be a distraction to customers. She made us feel like we were not worthy to eat at Friday's. Let us know if you experience something like this when you eat there and maybe we could email the management if this happens to a lot of people.

PRICE:
6-pc. Buffalo Wings � Php 255.00

Soda in Can � Php 65.00

Jack Daniel's Chicken and Shrimp � Php 485.00

Plus 5% service charge

VERDICT:
Nyss � I might go there again if only for the Buffalo Wings but I hope the manager from hell would not be there.
Geus � I agree, I felt being watched by the manager thinking that I cannot pay the bill... hehe

Tempura Japanese Grill

Wed, 02 Jul 2008 01:04:36 GMT

Location:
Ground Floor, North Wing
SM City Cebu, Cebu City
Contact Number: 0922-885-4493

Specialty:
Japanese

Rating:
Nyss � 5/5
Geus - 4/5

FOOD:
When I was younger, I had eaten Beef with Teriyaki sauce at one forgettable restaurant and it tasted so awful that from then on I swore off Japanese food. The sushi and sashimi I tasted while I was growing up also did not satisfy my palate so until last week, I never tried Japanese food again.

It's a good thing that G is adventurous when it comes to food because had it not been for him, I would not have tried eating in Tempura Japanese Grill.

Since I was apprehensive at eating Japanese food again, I ordered what I considered as a "safe" dish. I ordered Gyudon. And can I just say that because of this seemingly simple dish, I no longer and will no longer stay away from Japanese food? The dish arrived hot � hot enough to cook the raw egg on top of the dish. As I mixed the food, I can smell the sauce and my stomach started grumbling. I did not even know I was hungry. The smell was as appetizing as the taste. The sauce was rich enough and plenty enough to cover the beef strips and the rice. The sauce is so good that even without the beef I would've finished the rice. The beef was tender and there were enough mushroom to make a mushroom monster like me happy.

Gyudon � Rice Topping with thinly sliced beef tenderloin with mushroom, onion leeks, and light sauce with egg on top

G wanted something different so he ordered tofu. I know that not a lot of people like tofu so I did not expect that the dish would be good. G also ordered rice to pair with his tofu.

Gomoku Chahan � Fried rice mixed with seafood and meat

Tofu Teppanyaki � Japanese beancurd with fresh mushrooms and diced chicken in teppanyaki sauce

The tofu was a little crispy on the outside and tender on the inside. There was still an "overflow" of mushroom. Although the diced chicken was not as plentiful as the mushroom, overall the dish was still very good. Maybe this is because of the rich teppanyaki sauce.

G's rice tasted like Valenciana � a yellow, sticky rice dish which originated from Spain's famous Paella dish. I would've wanted the Gomoku Chahan rice to have more flavor but then again the sauce of G's main dish was already very flavorful so there was no need for an equally flavorful rice.

G and I both ordered the Citrus Green Tea which, at only Php 50.00, was already refillable. I liked it. Very much. The green tea flavor was not strong and it was sweet so it was the best companion for the dishes we ordered.

AMBIENCE/SERVICE:
Tempura Japanese Grill's tagline is Leading the way in Japanese Dining Pleasure and they were true to their words.

From the moment we entered, the waiters were attentive. There was a time though where the waiter forgot to give us our menu but it only took a few seconds for us to call them and ask one from them. They served the food in less than 10 minutes. Before we started eating, G took pictures of the food first and a waiter approached us and reminded us that our food is ready. It was funny but it just showed us that the waiters are really attentive.

Since the restaurant is inside a mall, the ambience is not really impressive. However, even if the restaurant is crowded, the tables are situated far enough from each other for the customers not to bump into other customers while eating. Next time, we would try their grilled specialties and get ourselves seated in our of their tables with smokeless grill.

One good thing about this restaurant is it is Filipino owned which makes you proud of the taste of their food and their impeccable service.

PRICE:
Gyodun � Php 174.00
Tofu Teppanyaki � Php 107.00
Gomoku Chahan � Php 49.00
Citrus Green Tea (Refillable) � Php 54.00

VERDICT:
Nyss � I've discovered that Japanese food can actually taste good so I would definitely go back. How does next week sound?
Geus � My first set of Japanese food (other than Sushi) and I like it very much. Lami!

Don Henrico's

Thu, 21 Feb 2008 09:10:03 GMT

Location:
Ground Floor, Entertainment Center
Ayala Center, Cebu City
Tel.No. (032) 234-1729

Specialty:
Pizza and Pasta

Rating:
Nyss � 4.5/5
Geus - 3/5

FOOD:
We were very hungry that day because we just finished watching the Sinulog Dance Parade. We had to walk from Ayala to Mango and back and so we were famished by dinnertime. When we arrived at the Ayala Entertainment Center, almost all restaurants were full. Luckily, we were able to grab a table at Don Henrico's. Geus wanted to eat rice but the only available viand that he could eat with rice was Buffalo Chicken and even that would not have satisfied his hunger. That is the reason why we just opted to order one pizza and one pasta dish. We both love seafood so we ordered Tutto de Mare and Fisherman's Pizza.

Tutto de Mare

Shrimps and squid cooked in flavorful marinara sauce with garlic, chili, tomatoes, and selected herbs smothered over fettuccine noodles.

I always order Tutto de Mare every time I go to Don Henrico's because I like the fact that they use real tomato sauce and not just the canned version. Although there are lots of Don Henrico's restaurants all over the Philippines, I think what makes the Cebu branch special is that they don't scrimp on the ingredients. Their cook put in lots of shrimps and squids.

Fisherman's Pizza

A catch of shrimps, squid, and tuna on a bed of Don Henrico's crab fat sauce, mozzarella, cheese, mushrooms, red and green bell peppers, and spring onions. Ten inches.

It was our first time to try the Fisherman's Pizza and we found it good mainly because of the number of squid and shrimp slices and the presence of bell peppers which retained still their crunchiness. My only complaint is that I could barely taste the tuna and the crab fat sauce but maybe they really made sure that the crab sauce won't have an overpowering taste.

Their juices were served in can so I suggest that they spice up their drinks list.

AMBIENCE/SERVICE:
We were seated the moment we entered the restaurant. Although our table was near the rest room and the table was small, it was still a miracle that we were seated fast. The service was also fast. Ten minutes after we ordered, we were already eating our food. The waiters were polite and they made sure that we got everything that we needed.

As I have mentioned, we were seated about 5 meters from the rest room but surprisingly, it did not disturb us. Maybe because of the nice way they designed the place that people going in and out of the restroom did not disturb us or the diners near us at all.

PRICE:
Fisherman's Pizza (Small) =- Php 275.00
Tutto de Mare � Php 245.00
Pineapple Juice � Php 45.00
Pineapple Orange Juice � Php 45.00

VERDICT:
Nyss � I'd go back there to try out more pasta and pizza. This is the best Don Henrico's branch I've ever been to.
Geus � Yep, i love italian food... i like Don Hen. But, I can eat same great taste at a lesser price.

Andok's

Thu, 21 Feb 2008 06:15:05 GMT

Location:
Gaisano Mactan
M.L. Quezon Highway
Pajo, Lapu Lapu City

Specialty:
Lechon Manok
Dokiks Fried Chicken

Rating:
Nyss � 2/5
Geus - 2/5

FOOD:
Our old boarding house was near Andok's in Mabolo so we would often buy Dokik's fried chicken there for dinner. Sometimes, if we had extra money, we would also buy their Lechon Manok especially before we discovered Sr. Pedro. When we heard that Andok's is opening their own restaurant, we were dying to see what the place would be like and what the food would taste like.

Geus ordered Bistek Rice. The serving was small. Although the dish was cooked only after we ordered it, it smelled like it was cooked the day before. The dish was very dry and was in dire need of sauce.

I ordered 2 pieces pork barbeque and rice. The pork barbeque tasted good but it was not something that you would look forward to eating again. I would like to commend them though for the vinegar sauce they served with the pork barbeque. It was very good. It had the right amount of sourness and spiciness.

AMBIENCE/SERVICE:
Andok's is a fast food chain, I really did not expect great service but the cashier took the order fast and without mistake. It took them a long time for the Bistek Tagalog to be cooked though.

The place is filled with bright yellow tables. off-white couches, and red chairs which would make you feel like you are in Jollibee. However, even if the place is new, the walls are almost bare and there were not a lot of people around, I didn't feel that the cleanliness of the place is at its best.

The weird thing with our dining experience is the way they price their menu. Andok's has a Budget Meal but it won't give you any savings at all. For instance, their budget meal consisting of one cup rice and two pork barbeque costs 48 pesos. If you buy those items individually, you will also pay 48 pesos. So what is the use of having a budget meal? It would be better if they make the budget meal cost 5 pesos more and add iced tea or softdrink to the set.

PRICE:
Bistek Rice � Php 65.00
Steamed Rice � Php 10.00
Pork Barbeque � Php 19.00
C2 350 ml. � Php 18.00
Nestea Ice Rush Green Tea � Php 19.00

VERDICT:
Nyss � I don't want to go back because the chicken in Mang Inasal tastes better and the price there is cheaper.
Geus � Since they are new to the restaurant business, they need to improve a lot in service and other menus.