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Category: Food Reviews

Review of Fish and Co. (Greenbelt 3, Makati)

Last weekend marked the half of December. Mostly at this time, I have mixed emotions on the coming days leading up to the holidays. At one end, I’m excited, looking forward to the short vacation when I can spend more time with my family, my boyfriend, my friends and myself. On the other end, I dread the fact that this break would also make way to adding weight on and basically, fats—which I utterly don’t welcome.

I thought I’d already gained some pounds. Last night I stepped on the weighing balance and felt a sigh of relief when I saw my weight didn’t change at all. Yes!

As a girl with an insatiable love for interesting food, this end-of-year extravaganza of luncheons and dinners would be deadlier for my long-standing goal to eat reasonably and stay fit in all seasons. It’s quite hard to avoid the minefield of treats offered in the holidays, and pushing them away when someone already has placed food on my plate is equally hard. But if this someone is Mommy or Louie, then it would be easy to pass food back to their plates to show my generosity in return. 🙂

Last Saturday, I was glad that three of my friends from college also gamely took care of my leftover. We dined in at Fish and Co., Greenbelt 3, Ayala Center, Makati for our year-end party / Christmas celebration. It was indeed another fish-tacular experience! Here are pictures to whet your ravenous appetite.

Some Trivia

Did you know that Fish & Co. started its business as a mid-level casual dining restaurant in 1998? It opened its first branch in Plaza Singapura, Singapore during the peak of the Asian regional financial crisis. Fish & Co. had managed to grow its business nonetheless and built branches in other parts of the world, namely: Malaysia, Indonesia, Middle East, Philippines and Hong Kong.

In the Philippines, Fish & Co. has opened its door to the Filipinos since 2005 as a member of the Bistro Company. According to my research, Greenbelt 3 was its first ever branch in the country!

Review of Fish and Co. (Greenbelt 3, Makati)

Ambiance: ★★★☆☆

I had eaten in Fish and Co., Singapore several times and once in the SM Mall of Asia branch. In contrast with them, this branch of Fish and Co. at Greenbelt 3 is not one that’s very promising in terms of atmosphere.

Default contemporary wall decors were present, including the different kinds of colorful fish hanging from the ceiling. However, it was a no-cold zone; poor air-conditioning was notable. The restaurant had a laid-back and decent vibe, with plenty of outdoor seating and limited indoor seating in long but narrow space. Noise was tolerable across the dining area.

Service: ★★★★★

We came with a reservation so we did not have problems getting tables and chairs for 10 people. Waiters took our orders and served them fast.

Food: ★★★★☆

I probably would not have connected “fish” and “chips” three years ago. Before I had only been exposed to Chinese food, which are mostly home-cooked. When I had my first plate of Fish and Co.’s fish and chips, I thought it was a ludicrous combination. After some bites, it made great sense.

Looking for something with relatively new taste from my last visit, I made sure to order a dish I haven’t tried. The seafood curry was my choice for the evening. It came with squid rings and fish fillet pieces which were not fried greasy but slowly braised in spicy red coconut curry sauce served on steamed jasmine rice. I loved it when its spiciness did not overpower the taste of the rest of the ingredients. I was just too full to finish them off.

Price for Value: ★★★★☆

There’s nothing quite like indulging in a restaurant with fish delights that are delicately seasoned and cooked to perfection. I will have no trouble repeating the seafood excellence that I enjoyed that night. Fish and Co. is a great dining place with friends and family. Just get ready to pay for at least PHp 250 per dish plus the 10% service charge.

In my case, I paid for PHp 335 (discounted from PHp 395 because one of my friends holds a membership card that entitled us all to avail of the 20% discount) for the seafood curry. It was a large pan retaining the most flavorful of fish preparations, so I thought it’s sound to say it duly was worth the price.

December 17, 2012
Review of Caixa Resto and Bar (Inside Makati Golf Club)

After about two months of planning and preparation, we finally made it through our division’s Christmas party last night. Here are the summary of details of the party:

Theme: Movie-inspired
Venue: Caixa Bar, 7232 Malugay Street, almost perpendicular to Ayala Avenue, Makati City
Time: 8PM-2AM
Contest/s: Raffle Draws, Christmas Tree Making Contest and Costume Contest
Presentations: The New Hires’ Performance Number and Rock-eoke (live karaoke)
Attendees: All ITS Employees, on-the-job trainees, vendors and some customers

Caixa is a Spanish-inspired bar and restaurant sitting inside Makati Golf Club, adjacent to classy restaurants in the square. Caixa is actually pronounced as “Ca-ha.” And according to my research, it is translated to “bank” in English.

We had a very hard time locating the place because of the lack of familiarity with the roads and streets in Makati. With an e-map on hand, we still had to stop and ask people around the vicinity for directions.

We reached Caixa after about an hour. As we found long queues in the food and photo booth sections, we first looked for a table and familiar faces to group with, saving the time for eating and taking of photos for later. When most had settled onto their seats, I got up with my iPhone camera and began covering the event like a secret agent with a mission. And that mission was to review Caixa Bar! 🙂 Here it goes…

Review of Caixa Resto and Bar (Inside Makati Golf Club)

Ambiance: ★★☆☆☆

The only lights that were on were the bright and colorful spotlights to the front area (a.k.a. the stage). The stage was taken by the rock-eoke band named “The Johnny’s” (part of the package offered by Caixa) with microphone stands and the drum set.

The entire bar was packed with tables and chairs with tiny spaces to move about. We had to squeeze in and walk real slowly while saying “Excuse me.” to those standing (because there were no enough chairs to sit in). Funnily, I overhead ridicules about the name “Caixa” turning to “Kasya”—a sarcastic way of saying that we can all fit in.

I wonder if bars are typically and should be like this; I haven’t been to any drinking bar before.

There were about 10 tables at the center proper of the bar, each paired to six to eight chairs.

At the back of the bar was the drinking table manned by two bartenders. It was ‘U’ in shape, filled with drinks/shots in different colors. There were high chairs intended for those who wished to sip big amounts of unlimited liquor and be wasted for the night, overlooking the ground before the stage.

Air conditioning was okay despite the size of the mob. There was a separate smoking area for the smokers, a space less chilly with white lights on.

Rest rooms were situated at the far right corner of the bar, beside the drinking table.

Two blocks of cement which (I guess) had to be part of the structural architecture of the room were blocking the view of some people (including me) at the back to see the stage.

I must say that Caixa Bar’s size failed to house all of us 150-200 people. Perhaps the good side to it is that it appeared like a cozy and intimate place where everyone can rub their elbows with everyone else. And that’s where the spirit of Christmas comes along?

Service: ★★★★☆

Bar staff were in maroon uniforms, so it was easy to distinguish them apart from the rest of us who were almost wearing all black for our costume. They were pretty attentive at all times. Food trays were immediately exchanged with new ones after finishing the last. There were no shortages of food or drinks, or at least none I heard of.

Food: ★★☆☆☆

Food entrees were not heavy for the stomach to contain. They were only pica-pica or snacks, consisting of: chicken fingers with garlic/sour cream, beef stew in sauce, pork chopped in bite-sized proportions, cheese sticks, white rice, tacos without any hint of crispiness topped with beef and cheese and sliced tomatoes add-on. For a vegetarian like me, none of these made up to my full definition of dinner.

Drinks were aplenty: water, iced tea, Chivas vodka mixed with Sprite or orange, beer, Scotch with another ton of flavors, and tequila shots. With these choices, I still had to stick to my favorite—water!

Price for Value: ★☆☆☆☆

Each of us was charged at different costs according to our position in the organization. Because I don’t drink alcoholic beverages and don’t enjoy rock bands, clubbing and partying mad like this, I give 1/5 stars for paying PHp 1000 only for a light meal. It was certainly not cheap!

The group paid a total of PHp 120,000 for the use of venue, unlimited food and drinks supply, rock-eoke band, and sound system.

December 14, 2012
Review of Kogi Bulgogi (Lucky Chinatown Mall, Binondo)

The Philippines has been invaded by the Koreans in the last few years. This is not an invasion of our territory in a bad way but one that we’re pleased about. In fact, Koreans were the top tourists in the Philippines last year. Over 100,000 of them already are residing in our plains permanently.

In a nutshell, their cultural references are being shared to us little by little. And we are accepting and embracing them now as part of our mixed culture. Joining many others, my family and I are also happily riding the Korean wave. There are the likes of Korean makeup and beauty products, Korean hairstyle, Korean fashion, Koreanovelas, K-pop and Korean food that we’re all fond of. We have not eaten Korean food for a long time (over a year); so I felt obligated to bring my family to a Korean restaurant last Sunday.

Specifically, we went to the branch of Kogi Bulgogi in Lucky Chinatown Mall in Binondo. This maybe is the nearest Korean restaurant from our house—and the first outlet of Kogi Bulgogi in Binondo area. I have tried eating in their branch in Eastwood City, Libis with my IBM colleagues back in 2010, and it was a great!

I was not writing reviews back then though. Now would be the perfect time to do a proper review thus.

Review of Kogi Bulgogi (Lucky Chinatown Mall, Binondo)

Ambiance: ★★★★★

The interior was designed with a very modern yet zen ambiance—spacious seats inside and outside, sufficient white spotlights for lighting, artificial green plants, and peaceful background. It gave us a unique gourmet experience.

Service: ★★★★★

This branch of Kogi Bulgogi is crewed by more than six sharply-dressed friendly Filipino servers who greeted us ann-yeong ha-se-yo 안녕하세요 and kam-sa-hamnida 감사합니다 before and after meals. In summary, customer service was A++++!

They explained the menu to us plus their recommendations. They were also patient when we could not decide on what to order. We didn’t have to wait for our food for several minutes, considering that cooking Korean food can take a longer time for the many different side dishes that go with it. They stopped by once in a while to check up on us. They gave us four cups of tea and four glasses of chilled water. They were super fast in refilling the side dishes (twice at max).

Staff members deserve a special pat on the back for such exquisite team service. They did all these excellent tasks without charge!

Food: ★★★★★

Before entering their premise, we had to conduct three checks. First, as always, was if they have vegetarian-friendly dishes. Second was if viands are budget-friendly. Thirdly, they must have good-looking pictures; else, my mom would not bother to order based on text-based descriptions only. :)) Three markers passed and so we continued placing our orders.

Upon gazing at their menu, I was spoilt for choice. After several minutes spent for decision-making, we ordered: Spinach & Golden Mushrooms (buttered spinach with golden mushrooms), Nude Kimbap (8 pieces of seaweed rice roll with meat, egg and vegetables), Salmon Bibimbap (smoked salmon with raw egg and vegetables–carrots, radish, cabbage and bean sprouts in claypot), Bulgogi Dub Bap (beef bulgogi marinated with sweet sauce) and Chicken Ssambap (rice with bite size chicken and lettuce).

Complimentary Korean side dishes or the banchan consisted of two sets of young corn, okra with tomato catsup, kimchi (fermented spicy radish), braised Korean tofu, glazed sweet potatoes, seasoned bean sprouts (kongnamul), stir-fried dried and sweetened anchovies (myulchi bokum) and a mix of diced vegetables with cream salad.

Sorry, this time I would just go straight to the point and describe the food in three words: YUM YUM YUM! At the end of the meal, we were way too full, super satisfied.

Price for Value: ★★★★★

Damage to the budget was PHp 1058 for those five different enticing Korean dishes in huge servings. Individual prices were very reasonable and all worth it! Everything is highly recommended. If you’re craving for Korean food, just come here and don’t think twice. You can thank me later! 🙂

Kogi Bulgogi
3F Lucky Chinatown Mall, Reina Regente St. corner Dela Reina St., Binondo, Manila
For inquiries, call (02) 755-3084
Facebook

Other branch:
2/F Eastwood Mall, E Rodriguez Jr Ave Bagumbayan, Quezon City
For inquiries, call (02) 470-6884 to 85

December 3, 2012
Review of Little Asia (Lucky China Town Mall, Binondo)

Two Fridays ago, Mom sent me an SMS telling that they were at Lucky Chinatown Mall and I should come over after work for dinner. Since they had stayed there long enough, I thought they have settled for a restaurant where we would be “pigging out.” But they didn’t.

Where oh where should we eat? is forevermore a challenging question to answer.

Chinese restos were aplenty, of course; we were in Chinatown. Mom favored King Chef. At 9PM-12AM, they offer 50% discount on all dimsum. Another choice was Tao Yuan as featured by ChinoyTV in one of their past episodes.

However, we were fagged in seeing the same food staples on the menu of almost every restaurant. The last things I want to order are: fried rice, noodles and dimsum. Though they may taste a little different from one another—with prices varying according to the plating or food presentation and the prestige of the restaurant, they are still one and the same thing.

My sister and I kept going and located Little Asia at the ground floor of the mall. We read the menu and found extensive “new-to-us” food items of Asian fusion: Chinese, Japanese, Vietnamese, Thai, Korean, Filipino, Malaysian and Indian ~ all in! I asked the waiter if they also have peso-vegetarian/vegan-friendly dishes. He pointed them out—we counted

♩♪♫♬ 1 [Little] 2 [Little] 3 [Little Asia], 4 [Little]… ♩♪♫♬

Okay, they had enough. (Here’s the link to their menu, for reference.) And here’s my unbiased take on Little Asia:

Review of Little Asia (Lucky China Town Mall, Binondo)

Ambiance: ★★★★☆

The strip mall location was funky and fun. Little Asia has two doors—one opening from inside the mall and one outside. The outside arena was designed like the one in Bugis Junction, Singapore. I just missed that feeling of being able to visit there during free weekends. Everything in sight was picture-perfect.

Adjacent to Chatime, Little Asia shined with gigantic chandeliers lit on the ceiling. The nondescript beige wallpapers complemented the bold and intricately-designed red cushioned chairs. Tables were tightly packed, with other Chinese families having dinner. The restaurant was pleasantly decorated, making the ambiance classy, intimate and alluring.

Service: ★★★★☆

The waiter graciously sat us. He recommended the best sellers on the menu. When he learned that we’re not exactly meat-eaters, he proposed the idea of taking away poultry and meat from the originally “carnivorous” viands and replacing them with vegetables they had in stock. For the rest of their service, I can’t think of any critical thing to say.

Food: ★★★★★

First in our order list was the Japanese Tofu Steak which arrived hot with pan-fried tofu, shredded chicken, broccoli, mushrooms and kuchay. The sauce was delicious with rice. The tofu was soft and tender. Writing about this makes me hungry. Vegetable substitutes did not compromise the integrity of the dish.

The second a la carte we had was Little Asia’s specialty: sautéed prawns with melted cheese and cream sauce, better known as “Cantonese Prawns.” It’s considered as a classic dish of marinated prawns tasting salty contrasted with a little bit of sweetness. I wasn’t planning on having dairy on a night like this. But small proportion did not do any harm.

Next up was the Mandarin Orange Chicken, another dish that’s well-celebrated in Little Asia. I have long been restricting my diet to zero portions of chicken because of allergies, but this one came out as an exemption. It’s composed of diced crispy chicken coated in fresh bittersweet orange sauce ~ nothing you will hate. Little Asia’s version of the Mandarin Orange Chicken is a lip-smacking delicacy. Other reviews posted on the net tell likewise.

Last for the night was a neat plate of steamed fish fillets wrapped in bacon coated with teriyaki glaze. This food should exceed your expectations. It took 20 minutes to cook, but it was worth the wait! The texture, flavor, and aroma of everything in this dish were immaculate.

Price for Value: ★★★☆☆

I can’t believe anyone would give this establishment any less than five stars for food. The only downside maybe is the price. Quite costly leh…I guess this just proves that dining experience of this pretty high caliber comes with a hefty price tag.

November 11, 2012
Review of The Burger Project (Taft Avenue, Manila)

Yesterday I hanged out with two of my best girl friends since college, Gianne and Henshel, who I call by the first letter of their names, G and H, respectively. We always have conflicting and busy schedules. Thank goodness I did not have work this Saturday, hence our wonderful meetup came to pass.

H recommended The Burger Project. When I learned that it’s a vegan-friendly restaurant and it has a branch near our alma mater, I was really very excited to give it a try.

After graduation, we had visited DLSU at most only five times. So we are not familiar with new restaurants and buildings in the area anymore. In fact, we were not sure how to get to Grand Towers where The Burger Project (BRGR) is, despite the handy guidelines advised by people on the web and access to online maps. So the three of us said we’d first meet at the South Gate before walking to the venue.

While waiting for my two girlies, I entered the school with my sister and reminisced sweet memories around every hall and corner in the LS building, the Marian quadrangle, SJ walk and the main library. Oh, everything is still sublime, indeed. This place (in the picture) used to be my sanctuary whenever Planet Gox stresses me out.

I stayed at the cyber nook and went to the DLSU Alumni Association office to inquire about the renewal of my alumni card. Gosh, the card costs PHp 500 for a year and PHp 3,900 for a lifetime. Benefits include entrance to the school, free use of swimming pool in the Sports Complex, discounts at some affiliate stores and subscription to the Rektikano magazine. I thought I won’t have the luxury of time to visit often so I’d rather spend PHp 500 on other more important stuff.

Finally at lunch time, we made it to The Burger Project easily!

Review of The Burger Project (Taft Avenue, Manila)

Ambiance: ★★★★☆

There are many burger joints in Manila. The Burger Project is one among the many that stands out, as it offers customers personalization — the freedom to choose ingredients to add into the burger. The atmosphere was friendly to youngsters, with colorful walls and accents, big, helpful signages and creatively decorated menu on the wall behind the counter.

Nice tunes, perfectly dim lights and the sense of modernity added to its all-embracing appeal. Yet what took the rating one star down was the lack of optimal air conditioning in some areas of the restaurant.

Service: ★★★★☆

To order food, we had to fill out an order form where items to complete the burger are written already with prices.

The cashier only had to take the sum of all the ingredients, mention them to the one preparing the food, stack the form to the “finished” pile and take the payment. Food was served to our table after a few minutes. The waiter was friendly and accommodating to take our pictures.

Food: ★★★★★

Yay! I can now vouch for a vegan burger in the world — to be specific, this one at The Burger Project. Originally, I ordered the concoction of: tofu BRGR, oatmeal bun, garlic cream cheese with pesto sauce. But the oatmeal bun was unavailable, so I chose the potato bun as its substitute. Did it taste like potato? No. That was sad. On the bright side, the put-together ROCH burger (yup, I had to name the burger after me) was immensely satisfying! It tasted beyond the regular vegan-style burger. It’s not fake meat made of gluten but made of tofu with spices and sauce.

I’m not any bit of a burger harlot, but I have tried burger hither and tither. So far, The Burger Project’s tofu BRGR is first in my list that has actually stood up to its acclaim. I purposely did not choose to add many frills because I wanted to test the tofu, pesto with garlic cream cheese only. This burger, in taste and texture, uniqueness, and presentation, turned out to step up from other fast food type burgers. I bet G and H’s burgers were as fantabuulous! Sizes were big, too, especially G’s.

Price for Value: ★★★★☆

Nicely proportioned, perfectly charred, juicy, the right bun, and everything else A+. There’s no more questioning to it; burgers here are the best for the cost. I shelled out PHp 140 in exchange for a great burger, great experience and great catching up with my best pals.

October 28, 2012
Review of Marina Seafood Grill (SM Mall of Asia, Pasay City)

Thanks to Ensogo.ph, we had a reason to wake up super early last Thursday. Mom bought us a voucher that saved us 50% off the actual bill from Marina Seafood Grill. For this promotion, Marina is open to customers from Monday to Thursday, 7AM to 10AM.

Joined by two long-time family friends, Auntie Chit and Uncle George, we filled our tummies with a heavy authentic Filipino breakfast that was more than enough to have us pass food for lunch and afternoon snack. And for the record, we had experienced eating breakfast buffet on a work day, together!

Review of Marina Seafood Grill (SM Mall of Asia, Pasay City)

Ambiance: ★★★★☆

Because it rained the other day, the breeze outside was more inviting than the cool air-conditioning inside. Apart from us, there were more diners who preferred to eat outside facing the bay. The restaurant was clean both in and out.

Service: ★★☆☆☆

We arrived with a reservation. Welcoming was quite informal. I handed the printed voucher and immediately we stood by the buffet table and began our food adventure.

Marina Seafood Grill earns 2/5 stars from me not because of the self-service. Self-service is usually the case for buffet meals anyway. This means that we had to clear plates, get food and silverware and refill drinks on our own. What’s disheartening was that replenishment of every food in the buffet wares took so long. Waiters were not particularly attentive enough to monitor the depletion of food outside; they had to be called before taking action! Perhaps there was no motivation to provide better service since diners (well, most) had already paid in advance through Ensogo as well.

Another cause of our dismay was that creamer for coffee became out of stock. This indicates that there’s poor restaurant management; they were not able to forecast the right inventory for everyday customers. Their coffee was too thick. Without the creamer, nobody intended to even get coffee anymore.

Food: ★★★☆☆

Replete with light food with all kinds, the buffet table was a feast for the eyes. Especially for breakfast, at this time they served garlic rice, plain rice, DIY salad with dressing, fresh fruits (watermelon, mango and papaya), corn soup, beef-base soup with hor fun, scrambled eggs, hotdogs, pork sausages, chicken, pancit, mirliton pear (sayote), bread (pan de sal), pancakes with strawberry jam, butter and honey, dried salted fish (tuyo), pineapple juice, orange juice and DIY coffee.

On a neutral note, food was mediocre and some were even sub par. There was nothing downright wrong. But there was nothing impressive either. With every chomp, they were all as familiar as our typical home-cooked breakfast dishes. Two words: Just average.

Price for Value: ★★★★☆

Marina Seafood Grill is worth a try to any buffet lovers or mouths in search of good home-cooked breakie. Original price is PHp 169 per person but because of the deal, each of us paid only half of that. There’s no added service charge. Overall, we certainly got a whole lot of good food from our buck here.

Word of warning though: Don’t come here for breakfast without a discounted meal pass. Price is definitely not worth it. The food isn’t anything to write home about. Most of them are also not worth the calories.

Marina Seafood Grill has a different menu for regular meals. Maybe that’s where they can be more proud of their Ilonggo dishes.

Marina Seafood Grill
SM MOA Branch, 116-117 Veranda North Wing Entertainment Building, SM Mall of Asia JW Diokno Boulevard, Pasay City (near Gerry’s Grill)

October 27, 2012
Review of Joey Pepperoni Pizzeria (One E-Com Center, Pasay City)

I must confess I’m not into pizzas and pastas. They taste pretty much all the same, in all the restaurants. I mean for pizzas, the universal base would be mozzarella cheese, tomato sauce and the crust. They only differ in the proportions and types of toppings and condiments you can add. When combined, assuming the cheese has not gone beyond its expiration date, the crust is not stale and the tomatoes are not rotten, they don’t taste bad. At least, they are acceptably palatable; that’s why pizzas are one of the best chosen comfort food in the world.

On the other hand, pastas would always consist in either tomato sauce (red), white sauce (milky and creamy) or pesto (green) and the pasta noodles. Regardless the type of pasta noodles, they taste all taste also the same!

My amalgamated taste buds are in search of fresh and mixed flavors. Not many pizza-and-pasta restaurants receive good score from me. And certainly, Joey Pepperoni Pizzeria is one of those which failed the test.

Menu: Review of Joey Pepperoni Pizzeria (One E-Com Center, Pasay City)

Ambiance: ★★★☆☆

The place seemed laid-back. The couch was comfortable to sit on. The printed walls were dainty. There’s plenty of room for everyone. It can house large groups. Tables can be merged and chairs can be adjoined. The TV was left hanging but not turned on. There was no music playing on the backgound either. So it can be a good hangout place for friends to chit-chat for hours.

Service: ★★★☆☆

Service staff was quick but not friendly. The service was three-star worthy — the attendant was able to give our food, drinks, napkins, toothpicks, and bill easily without a hassle.

Food: ★☆☆☆☆

Everything on the menu, as you can see above in the pictures, looked decent. We ordered three types of pastas: pesto, pasta al tonno (tuna) and carbonara. The pesto pasta did not taste like pesto at all. It came with beans and potatoes, which like the pesto, were very bland and absolutely had no flavor. Maybe the chef was inebriated? Maybe he forgot to add in salt and other spices? I’d like to think that way, but another reason could be that they just want to be enlisted as the restaurant which serves the top worst pesto pasta ever. Our own cooking is 10 times, if not more, better!

If my descriptions are not enough, try following these instructions to sample the dish yourself: Buy pasta and cook it according to package directions to al dente. Drain and set aside the pasta water after about 15 minutes. Add boiled sliced beans and potatoes and transfer them onto individual serving plates together with the pasta. Serve and eat. Can you expect to taste pesto in there? Of course not, because there was none. That’s okay. But in Joey Pepperoni, we could actually see the pesto bits. Unfortunately, it tasted as if there weren’t. I didn’t bother to finish this almost inedible food.

If I’d give the pesto pasta a rating of 0/10, the tuna pasta can take one point higher. The hint of tuna was more evident, but it was lacking some seasoning. Although, I must say that their pasta al tonno can be perfect as hospital food to suit patients whose appetite is impaired.

The carbonara was thick in traditional creamy alfredo sauce, topped bacon bits and parmesan cheese. Among the three, this was the most comestible. Still, it was ordinary and there was nothing to be really happy about.

Thinking that their signature dish is the Joey pepperoni pizza, we got it as a safe bet — big mistake! Joey Pepperoni’s overloaded pepperoni favorite was soggy and uninspiring; it was nothing like we’re used to. Like a microwaved day old pizza, it was doughy and also greasy. If the Joey pepperoni pizza has to be the indication of how good the rest of their offerings are, then I have to remind myself (and in part, all of you) to avoid going to this pizzeria and meet disappointment.

Price for Value: ★☆☆☆☆

The portion sizes were very generous. Not judging the taste of the food, prices were okay. But what’s the use of having plenty and huge servings of dishes priced at affordable rates when they are not any scrumptious? …None.

So this is the end of my review. You may check in another day and tell me how it fared for you. When you share the same judgment as me, the best you can do is drink more iced tea or grab anything from the drinks section. 🙂

Have you tried dining in Joey Pepperoni before? If yes, what do you think of their food and how do you rate the restaurant overall? If no, what pizza and pasta restaurant can you best recommend?

Joey Pepperoni Pizzeria (near McDonald’s)
Ground Level, One E-Com Center Harbor Drv. cor. Sunset Avenue, Mall of Asia Complex Pasay City, Philippines

UPDATE on December 9, 2012: This branch of Joey Pepperoni Pizzeria has closed down, after I wrote this post. 😯

October 21, 2012
Review of Banana Leaf Asian Café (Robinsons Place, Manila)

For two consecutive Sundays, Louie and I had dined in Banana Leaf Asian Café for dinner at Robinson’s Place Manila (Ermita). From its outside appeal, I thought it was a restaurant only serving Filipino dishes (which I don’t like, sorry). But actually, it’s one that has modern Malaysian, Singaporean, Thai, Indian, Vietnamese, and Indonesian (not men) cuisine housed under one roof. On the table lies a small poster promoting Banana Leaf’s several awards year after year.

While I don’t get the difference between the two outlets Banana Leaf and Banana Leaf Asian Café (aside from the two additional words there), I can attest to the fact that both of them offer really good food. If you’re craving for a mix of Southeast Asian cuisine delights, this is the place for you.

In this review, I will combine both our dining experiences yesterday and one Sunday past that.

Review of Banana Leaf Asian Café (Robinsons Place, Manila)

Ambiance: ★★★★☆

The interiors–the chairs, tables and wall ornaments–made us feel somewhere like in Malaysia, Singapore or Indonesia. Everything was nice except for the smell of the air in the restaurant (maybe because of the mix of cuisines). You may get used to it, though, and ignore the weird smell after a few minutes. We called out to the waiters to get us plates.

We laughed as they pointed that the leaves already on our table were the plates. Oh, so this is the part where Banana Leaf stands by its name! The literal leaf plates contribute more to the authenticity of eating Asian. :> You can eat with your hands if you’re comfortable doing it so. The place is spacious and it can be accommodated by large groups.

Service: ★★★★★

We were able to snag a table at once. Upon ordering, the food were delivered to our tables even before the promised time. Their menu has diverse entrees cooked in Indian, Singaporean, Thai, Malaysian, Vietnamese and Indonesian Style. You can be rest assured that there is something you will like. Given this, you may be have a hard time choosing for your order (like we had) from the 8-10 categories. Don’t rush and don’t fret. Waiters can patiently wait for you and/or advise food recommendations with their own stamp of approval. After two visits, I can say with confidence that their service is above satisfactory.

Food: ★★★★★

It’s a guarantee at every restaurant that there will be at least one dish standing out among all on the food menu. For Banana Leaf, it was the certainly the case of the Malayan Fish Curry. (You can order this Malayan Curry with choice of chicken, beef, seafood, pork chop or fish fillet.) The curry taste made me remember that of authentic Malaysian curry and made me especially miss the curry rice with fish I order every week after church service in Singapore. Banana Leaf Asian Café’s version was just so epic you just have to also try yourself.

Another noteworthy among all the food options was the Banana Leaf Spring Rolls, which I describe as small, bite-sized lightly fried Shanghai wrapped rolls with a twist–inside got more noodles instead of the usual pork and other tiny ingredients. It came with sweet and sour sauce which fit the rolls succinctly.

Next, we had Roti Canai Supreme Chili and Spring Onions, one of the staples on almost every customer’s list. This is an Indian-inspired dish, recommended for those looking for a bit of spice with their meal. I used to cook roti (without the chili) at home by heating only the bread with minimal oil on a pan. Banana Leaf’s rendition of the spicy roti canai is a fair appetizer for your palates.

Also taking the limelight was our main dish in the evening: Thai-style Coconut Gravy with rice. Our choice for the topping was fish fillet; other available options were chicken, beef, pork chop and seafood. The creamy coconut milk/sauce tasted heavenly and fresh. The texture of the fish fillets’ edges was crisp but was soft and tender in its inner core. It wasn’t anything haute cuisine but indeed really was great food.

Maybe the only entree that I did not like was the Spicy Korean Barbecue Chicken Steak. I only had one bite with its pinkish sauce and I already know it was not for me.

Last but not least in this review: The waitress introduced to us the Prawn Toast Singaporean Style, which we thought was literally toasted bread with prawn. What came out was like thin toasted kaya bread filled with sesame seeds. Plum sauce was served as dip. The overall unique presentation looked as appetizing as the real thing.

Price for Value: ★★★★☆

Banana Leaf Asian Café has become one of my favorite go-to restaurants whenever I’m in Robinson’s Place. Food is affordable. Prices of most individual dishes don’t go beyond PHp 200, and one dish has ample portions good for two people’s sharing.

When you don’t have a clue on where to eat and you know your stomach is grumbling for delicious food, try eating here and enjoy varieties of Southeast Asian cuisine.

Banana Leaf
G/F, Midtown at Robinson’s Place Manila, Ermita, Manila
Contact (02) 567-8188
Other locations

October 15, 2012