Gerry's Grill

I know Gerry's Grill might be quite popular with young professionals. I see a lot of them. Recently, they put up a franchise at Emerald Ave, Ortigas Center. It's got quite a nice interior. Only thing I don't like about it is the very unpleasant smell outside... from exhaust and sewage I think...

Anyway, the place has free WIFI so I am happy. The food is priced ok. Reasonable. They provide fruit shakes and grilled tuna so I can eat healthy.

Then there's another Gerry's Grill in SM Lipa City. It's almost the same as the one in Ortigas but unfortunately, this one in Lipa is a bit dirty... I don't appreciate at all the messy bathrooms. Also, they seem to have messy setup, quite dirty setting even inside a mall. For some reason, I feel that the cutlery and the plates aren't washed well. The food is of course still reasonably priced.

Mind you, there are very few healthy choices in Gerry's Grill. That's because Filipinos really love fatty and sweet foods...

So you have to be picky... because Gerry's Grill offers lots of Filipino favorites that are definitely going to shorten your life expectancy. If you are easily tempted with lechon kawali, halo halo, sisig... then please, for your own sake, eat salad at home (and no dressing please!)

Pho Hoa and Spaghetti House

It's been a long time since my last post. I have been in bad health condition and unhealthy lifestyle from March to July 2008. Fastfood joints and franchises to blame? No... :(

I am to blame.

But I changed my eating habits since August... and would like to recommend to you 2 restaurtants that I consider quite healthy.

1. PhoHoa - located at basement, Robinsons Galleria
- A Vietnamese restaurant
- My favorites are: Pomelo salad, Breaded Tofu
- Good price for healthy food... nothing beyong 200 PHP

2. Spaghetti House - located at 2nd floor Robinsons, Galleria
- Good price for good serving of pasta
- My favorites are: Pepper Crusted Fish with Dried Tomatos (pasta dish) and Gourmet Tuyo (pasta dish)
- My BF's favorite is Pesto with Grilled Chicken

Exotic Restaurant

I went to Paete to check out carton boxes for handmade organic soaps. So, I visited the famous, Exotic Restaurant.

It's where you can see a 10 ft "sawa" or snake with a diameter of around 8 inches, wild birds and big aquarium fish.

They have upgraded the ambience I must say.

I ordered Pancit (noodles), mixed vegetables, garlic rice, buko juice and fish. They are all called exotic names so I can't remember all of them. The place is quite pricey. I paid around Php 1500 but there we were 4 people.

Do I recommend it? Yes :0) For a change and it's healthy anyway. It's the best place in Paete that's for sure.

A month after

Hello Everyone, it's been a month I didn't post anything on my blog not because I stopped eating out but because of the following reasons:

1. I was too busy writing my thesis that I can't even blog anymore... other than that I still need to work for our company so not much time for blogging.
2. I ate a lot outside during this period, not much choice. I didn't have time to cook. I gained 5 lbs after just a month of eating burger king, mc donald's, yoshinoya and jollibee... and yes I had 2 KFC meals :-(
3. I decided to just summarize a full month's detail in one blog entry.

This is a summary of my experiences:

1. Have you been to Home Depot area near Valle Verde, Pasig? They have a "paluto" place there where you have to buy from a kinda wet market and have restaurants cook the food you bought for you. I went to the last store at the corner. I suggest that when you try this place, try to visit the other places in the middle of the establishment. The one I went to wasn't very good. But acceptable. The food was healthy yes because I bought my own vegetables and fish. Don't worry, they can also feed you with ultimate fatty Crispy Pata. I had food there with family (5 people) and it cost us Php1500 for the "cooking" and Php 900 for the "ingredients". Quite pricey so I won't consider going back especially if the food is not as good.

Why do I say that?
1. Their sinigang is flooded with water for one.

2. Jade Palace -In Shaw, you'll find a run-down hotel called Jade Palace. It's very famous with Chinese people and I must say their food tastes great. I usually get broccoli with garlic (180), sweet and sour fish fillet (220), and yang chow fried rice (180). This costs me around Php 600 I think. I gave you the best approximate prices. This is really nice food and I would recommend it. They do take outs as well so sometimes I call them up to order. They would deliver in 40 minutes. 633-2927 is their hotline.

3. Wok In, Shaw - Well this is probably a very terrible choice. I went there because one time Jade Palace was so busy and full of people. Wok In is in front of Jade Palace. I had my usual chinese food order: yang chow, fish fillet and broccoli. I paid as much as I pay for Jade Palace. I got less food, less quality but I got TONS of OIL in my food. The place is "ok" but I would not go to their bathrooms. The chairs and tables look like they have not been changed in the last 20 years. This is really danger zone restaurant. I just took a risk :-x Stupid risk.

4. Binalot - Yes, I still got my regular tapa order from Binalot. Still recommend it for regular 3x a week meals.

5. Chicken Bacolod - I had about 10 meals in Chicken Bacolod last month... I always got the Pecho with garlic rice. Good Value. I didn't order drinks and I pay Php112. (89 for the pecho and the rest for the rice). It's good :-) So try to visit this place in Robinsons Galleria Ground Floor. :)

6. Max's - well of course I had 2 meals from Max's. The restaurant is good value mind you.

7. KFC - At the Robinsons Galleria Food Court, they have the WORST KFC service. Around 7pm, they have no chicken breast and no chicken wing. They will just serve you chicken leg. So I suggest they call themselves KFL - Kentucky Fried Leg.

I can't complain about the food here because I ate here knowing what the perils of the "fried" will do to me but I can't believe their customer service. It's amazing that their cashier can't remember your order after just 1 second that you told me. So remember, tell them 3 x and write it for them if you have to.

8. Burger King - BK would give me good value for grill burger. So once in a while I don't mind eating it...



So this is the summary. I am sorry I can't remember the other places I visited.

Btw, I visited this "Exotic Restaurant" in Paete but this one deserves its own blog entry. :-)

Rai Rai Ken, Robinsons Galleria

The last time I visited this Japanese restaurant was a year ago. My old time favorite is the garlic, chili ramen that cost me Php180 per bowl plus 12% Vat and 10% service charge. I wasn't so giddy going back to this place today because I know it would be expensive...but for variety's sake, I visited the restaurant.

To my surprise, the Chili Garlic Ramen favorite I used to get is now just Php150. So I thought, I got a bargain. I noticed new staff as well, like a new manager.

My ramen did not taste as good for some reason. The bowl was smaller and the noodles were less compared to the one I got before. Now, I got half the egg. The taste gave a very telling difference. I didn't like the mix of pechay. It didn't use to be there. The garlic addons were not as much as before. The pork tasted like corrupted pork... it's a HUGE downgrade.

I would happily pay for Php180++ as a treat... but not pay less for less quality.

I give this restaurant 1.5. I didn't like my meal and I had to go to Le Coeur De France for an extra croissant.

Piadina, Robinsons Galleria

I used to eat here a lot because I love the chili garlic oil. However, eating there last week wasn't an exceptional experience for the price you pay.

I had pasta (my choice), piadina (tuna), iced tea and some mushroom soup for Php 230. The pasta wasn't great... the piadina tasted like regular tuna sandwich with some dying lettuce. The fairly good one was the mushroom soup... but I wasn't happy paying Php230 so I think I didn't get my money's worth.

I give this restaurant 2.5 only. First because I will not really go back here again. It's been a year or two since I last visited this restaurant before the meal I just here just recently.

The place is not particularly special. It's located in Galleria East Wing along with the less pricey restaurants like Chicken Inasal.

Piadina isn't authentic Italian as well. Their pastas were sooo common. :-(

Now, the only reason why they could even get 2.5 is because the manager was friendly and cheerful. However, just like most restaurants I go to in Philippines, the waiters are so despondent like they just stare on the ceiling and talk with their mates...

Mexicali, Robinsons Galleria

Well, I just want to make a note that I ate here again... for the lack of choices again. It's holiday today so most of the shops are closed.

It wasn't an illusion last time that they were decreasing the size of the order. My enchilada (vegetable) can be consumed in less than 10 minutes and I am a slow eater because I try to chew my food at least 20 times per bite.

I'm now looking for other places to eat...

7 Corners Crowne Plaza

I wasn't particularly happy eating at 7 Corners last week. There are few positives with more negatives.

1. Channel 7 was there. They were featuring 7 Corner's as a restaurant. I think their host is the half twin of Richard Guitierrez but since I do not watch tv, I don't know who that was.
2. They featured lamb for the month of February. I had some curry lamb, it was tasty and tender but it had a lot of bones.
3. They charge you Php270 ++ for a simple pineapple juice that I did not enjoy at all. Of course, it's a ripoff.
4. The choices in the Japanese section were not as appetizing except for the shirmp salad.
5. The deserts were the same... but I had nice small piece of blueberry cheesecake and a bowl of teppanyaki.
6. I had roast beef as I needed some animal protein... I didn't like it so much though.
7. They did serve a good variety of fruits and leafy vegetables, the problem there is that the ingredients were not prepared in a tasteful way... so if you don't know how to mix good salad dressing and ingredients, you're like eating a home meal with a 5 star bill.

So will I go to 7 Corners again? Yes next month. I try to have it once a month anyway but it's not something I look forward to because they seem to not change the menu.

Btw, they have 7 cheese selections and pizza, bread and chocolate deserts... so for sweet lovers, this is would be your heaven. I just eat here for variety and for some treat... I don't think you can eat so much sweets if you are on a diet anyway.

Cafe de Lipa, Lipa City

This is probably the cheapest cafe I have ever seen in my life. They even serve coke for Php25, same price as Ministop would charge me. This place has wifi and allows laptop users to use their power unlike other shops who would want to cover their sockets with tape so people can't use the electricity. Recently, I have been seeing a lot of people having their meetings here. It's quite refreshing there's a small shop like this in Lipa. The bathroom is really kept clean as well. I'd recommend you visit it.

Next Door, Home Depot, Mandaluyong

Well this is just another chinese restaurant that has too spicy chili sauce. The price is reasonable I should say and they do serve cold beer with frozen glass. I would recommend that you try this out. It's simple and it's for the family. I should give this place a 3 to 3.5 only because I think chinese food is really quite oily. Also, chinese food seems to taste the same despite the name of the dish.

This place is really like North Park...

Mexicali, Robinsons Galleria

I am a fan of this franchise until recently when I got quite distasteful behavior from the cashier -- a woman, with long hair, seems chinese and about 5 ft 3 inches tall. I made my usual order and because I got too curious about how to make my vegetarian enchiladas, I went to the counter to view the preparation process. Then this cashier looked at me. I saw it but since I didn't need anything, I kinda ignored her. Then she said, "Yes may I help you?" (despite having people in front of her ready to order). So I simply said, "Oh just checking my order". She said, "It's *being* prepared and yes we will serve all orders at the same time." It would have been a neutral statement hadn't been that she was not smirking.

From that incident, for some reason, when I got my meal, I kinda felt like I got fewer vegetables, less cheese, less rice. This is probably how my perception was changed after that surprising customer service.

So, will I go to Mexicali again? Probably only when I have no other choice.

I am sorry if I would be too strict. However, customer service needs to be consistent or the total dining experience is just ruined. There used to be another cashier, a very short, perky woman who would always smile at you. I have not seen her for weeks. I would have preferred to be attended by her.

This restaurant is still a 3 to be fair. Perhaps that woman just had a bad day. However, I doubt if I will go to Mexicali as happily as I would before.

Almon Marina, Megamall

I like this place. I got a pumpkin soup at a very reasonable price of just Php 60, mango shake at Php 65 and a lamb kebab which I think cost about Php 170. This price was really pretty reasonable and very tasty. I would back of course. I give this small restaurant a 3.5 to 4.

The preparation of the food was pretty slow because there was really a lot of customers yesterday evening. I believe it was Valentine's Day.

So Almon Marina has a whole lot of food choices. Old/young, vegetarians/meat eaters, cake lovers would find this place quite satisfying. The food quality is great and considering the good price, I give a 4 out of 5. The food servers are taught well on customer service and they are quite polite.

I suggest you visit it. If ever I go back to Megamall, I'd really consider dropping by here.

Gloria Jean's Coffee, Shangrila Mall EDSA

I get 10% discount on all Gloria Jeans stores. Some stores are nicer than other some are really shabby. However, the one in Shangrila is quite decent.

These days, people say that coffee is good for you. It is true for me to some extent. It does give extra energy and increased short term memory.

So would you rather go for Gloria Jeans or Starbucks coffee?

I believe Gloria Jeans coffee has nicer blend. However, it's very sweet. I still prefer Starbucks. However, I would only be satisfied with a perfectly blended Starbucks Frap.

Do I recommend Gloria Jeans? Yes. It's relatively cheaper than Starbucks and Coffee Bean and you'd know it's good quality. I would also recommend their Oatmeal cookie. It's filling and tasty.

How about customer service? I'd say they are trained well.

How about going back to Gloria Jeans in Shangrila? Well, I can go to Gloria Jeans Robinsons Galleria all the time because it's much closer to where I live so I won't particularly go back to Gloria Jeans Shangrila.

I give this coffee shop 3. It's good for taking a break and has a much cheaper price.

Figaro, Robinsons Galleria, Ortigas Center, Pasig City

Really, I have an issue here with customer service. Note that I have not been to any other Figaro store but the one in Robinsons Galleria, Ortigas Center, Pasig City.

This store has "shocking" customer service. Waiters would complain if there are customers trying to order while they so happened to be on their breaks. They would also wait for other waiters to clean up. And worst, if you stand there looking at food choices and would try to order some, they would not address you unless you make eye contact and gestures that you want to buy. The coffee here is NOT special at all. The only reason why I went here is the wifi...

The score for this coffee shop is 1.5... all because of the location and wifi. Otherwise, please just go to another coffee shop.

ChickPea, Robinsons Mall, Ortigas Center, Pasig City

I met 2 owners of ChickPea yesterday. One is Neil and the other is I think Jaime? I am not sure as we didn't talk so much. I had 2 ChickPea meals that's why I met Neil and the other owner on different times. This joint is a small shop in Robinsons Galleria. It serves no meat, healthy food - salads, wraps, sandwiches.

I ordered Falafel with Alioli twice. However, I realized, I can't eat garbanzos or chickpeas so I have not visited ChickPea since yesterday. I might visit them again tomorrow or Monday to see if they have meals that I can eat.

The owners of this small joint are graduating students of Ateneo. I'm glad to see very entrepreneurial people in the Philippines. I hope their venture inspires more people to make money and provide value to other people.

I'd recommend this food joint (as I think it is) because it serves healthy foods. The price is just right at Php75 to Php80. However, I think they might not attract people who would like to eat more filling meals for that price. They are located in a quite expensive location.

So if you are up to a healthy meal, try ChickPea.

Mexicali, Robinson Galleria, Ortigas Center

I have been to Mexicalli a lot lately, specifically that branch in Robinsons Galleria. Mexicali in this location, is located on the ground floor of the mall, near the East wing. It's just right in front of the parking lot if you are entering from the entrance from Crowne Plaza Hotel.

I started liking the Vegetarian Buritto. It's actually my treat since I decided to control my food intake lately.

The vegetarian buritto can be bought for only Php 125, just that you have to pay extra for some service charge so normally, I would pay around Php130 for 1 meal. Not bad.

The food is prepared quickly, served hot. It has tortilla chips and tomato side dish as appetizer. Of course, this part I give away as I can't eat tomatoes.

The buritto itself is very filling. It has rice, beans, grilled vegetables like eggplant and zuccini I think. You may add some garlic sauce or chili sauce if you like. However, the mixture is already quite tasty that I don't bother adding extra sauces.

Today, I went out with my brother and he like the Chicken Enchilada that he ordered. He got it for Php153, including all charges.

So I give this restaurant 3.5 to 4. The service is good and acceptable. The place is neat and clean and you get what you pay for. The restrooms are inside the mall. This branch is quite small so no provision for rest rooms.

Tokyo Tokyo, Robinsons Mall, Lipa City

I visited Tokyo Tokyo again for the lack of choices. I ordered one of the safest meals of all time: Yakisoba. I got it 15 mins after I ordered. It was incredibly salty that despite my hunger, I didn't eat it. It was too oily as well with lots of pork. Such a disappointment.

Where to eat in Ortigas Center, Pasig City, Philippines?

I don't cook. But I am a good cook (people say). So why don't I prepare my own meals?
1. I work a lot...and I would like to spend only a maximum of 1 hr going out to eat.
2. I don't have time to clean up the cutlery, knives, plates etc that I use when I cook.
3. I do not have a stay-in maid. I only cook in my mom's place because she has a maid.
4. I do not like washing dishes.
5. I do not really have time to go to grocery and shop for raw materials.

These are the reasons why I prefer to go out and eat. However, for the last few months, as I get older, I have developed stress dyspepsia. I either hyperventilate or vomit the food I eat.

This is why I have to be more picky about the food I ate. Goodbye KFC :-(

As I search for cheap, healthy food, I realize that Philippine restaurants do not offer so much variety. I am quite tired of the restaurants I visit now. I have to eat 3 times day so the choices I have in Ortigas keep diminishing.

I decided to write about my visits to restaurants. I hope that they would serve healthier meals going forward.

If you can recommend a good place to eat, please contact me or comment on my blog. I prefer cheap, healthy food. I do not eat chicken and pork. I can only eat lamb, beef and deep-water fish.

Chef & Brewers, Emeral Ave, Ortigas Center, Pasig City

I got here during happy hour. I think it's really quite expensive to eat here. The drinks are quite cheaper than Fridays though. I used to go to Chef & Brewers more often but I got tired of their live music because their bands (even if they have different bands per night) keep playing the same old songs... More comments later. I am quite sleepy and I tired that I can't write about all the places I visited this week. This is quite a busy week.

Burger King, Robinsons Galleria

I just want to make a note that I ate here again just this week.

Breadtalk, Megamall, Mandaluyong, Manila, Philippines

Breadtalk in Megamall is small compared to Breadtalk Singapore. Surprisingly, now they also serve cakes which are not technically bread but maybe they realized that Filipinos are such sweet-tooth people. They also serve fatty breads like sisig-filled ones. Their cashier was probably having her period when I bought some bread last week. She was quite grumpy :-)

Breadtalk is a fancy food. It's something I will not consider for a regular diet. It's made of white bread, albeit very soft, not very healthy. It's also not cheap. Each piece is around Php 40 to Php 50. Their serving size will not fill your stomach after a few hours work.

Breadtalk offers interesting designs and flavors that might be good for "pasalubong" or gifts... but they stand in close competition to closer alternatives like Donuts.

I'd give Breadtalk around 3, as they have an original concept of self-service in a restaurant. They appear clean and organized as well. Price is quite high and since it is a walk in store, there are no real amenities like a table where you can sit on while enjoying the bread. I'd visit again... but as I recall, last time (other than Jan 22, '08) I bought Breadtalk products was in 2004 when I was in Singapore.

Bubble Tea, Megamall, Edsa, Mandaluyong, Manila Philippines

Over-priced beef stew, flies, outside seating, small servings.
Need I say more?


I guess I do... I would give Bubble Tea credit for it's interesting concept. It's not quite original as I think it's just a modification of the once famous pearl drinks. Bubble tea sells drinks with pearls. They have tea drinks with pearls and fruit drinks with pearls. The cost per drink is quite expensive considering the small plastic glass they put your drink.

They serve meals like beef stew, chicken and cakes (as I remember). You can check out the pictures in blog for more info.

I don't recommend Bubble Tea because it gives me less food than what I think I paid for. The presentation is decent... clean utensils and nice plates. However, you would need to sit outside their store at the basement of Megamall. You'd have not much privacy as people walking around would see you.

I won't come back to this place. I just tried it out a bit. Really difficult to find a nice place that serves good value, healthy meals...

I am beginning to think that these days, eating healthy is quite expensive.

7 Corners, Crowne Plaza, Ortigas Center, Pasig City

I decided to have a treat today, have some good meal. I am seriously taking at least 30 mins to 1 hr deciding what to eat lately because I really am tired of eating fatty, non-nutritious food. So, I decided to visit 7 Corners.

I signed up for a Priority Privilege card with Crowne Plaza / Holiday Inn hotels March 2007 to get substantial discounts to hotel rooms and of course, 7 Corners. 7 Corners is an all-you-can-eat first class restaurant. I've visited this restaurant at least 6 times last year and I think I'd visit it more often in the future. I usually have business meetings here. Sometimes, when workmates do well, I'd offer free lunch and/or dinner at 7 Corners.

7 Corners, I presume, takes the concept of letting customers experience 7 world-known cuisines:
1. American - They serve angus beef, imported from USA. They serve generously of course. This is a highlight for me because beef is the only type of meat I can eat regularly aside from lamb. Of course, 7 Corners also have some fried rice with vegetables, grilled chicken and tuna. I think these are the dishes found on the American menu.
2. Filipino - Well the usual Filipino food...
3. Chinese - 7 Corners serves all sorts of dimsum, shrimp balls, shanghai fried rice, chicken dishes... usual chinese...
4. Japanese - I love this section. They serve maki, sushi, Japanese egg tarts, seaweed dishes, shrimps, crab, fish...
5. English - all kinds of tarts, pies, ice cream deserts, cakes like blueberry cheesecake, sans rival, etc.
6. Italian - they have pasta, bread, at least 6 types of cheese, pizza
7. Indian - they have curry, roti, spicy indian dishes

To visit 7 Corners, you have to go to Crowne Plaza, 2nd floor from the lobby.
Crowne Plaza Website

Let me comment on this buffet restaurant point by point:
1. Customer service - the chefs per section are great however some waiters are a bit snobbish and do not anticipate your needs considering it's a hotel.
2. Price - Each person would have to pay Php 1175 per visit. If you get a priority card, you get 50% discount when you eat alone or with one person. Hence, for me, the pricing is only reasonable because I get substantial discount. Makes sense for me -- a $10 usd meal. However, if I do not have this card, I probably won't go as often as I do.
3. Food quality - Excellent. Though one time, I didn't like the Indian selection but when I ate at 7 Corners today, I was happy again so I will visit in a few days once more.
4. Ambiance - Well, it's peaceful and a bit quiet considering you'd see a traffic-laden highway outside the windows.


I give this restaurant 4.5 so far the highest grade I ever gave.

Mexicali, Robinsons Galleria, Ortigas Center, Pasig

I had a healthy, good-sized vegetable burrito. I was pretty satisfied. The location was simple yet clean. The price was cheap, just Php125 for one regular burrito. Cashier was accommodating. Yes, I'd love to have another burrito in a few days.

Take note, I had to vegetable burrito.

Tokyo Tokyo, Robinsons Galleria, Lipa City, Batangas

Tokyo tokyo... This is probably the most decent restaurant in Robinsons. The rest of the restaurants there are all either fatty or junk.

1. Food Quality, Taste, Packaging - I hated the Kamikaze Fireball that I ordered. It's made of pork and it's not tender pork. So I give them a 2.
2. Value for Money - Well to be fair, I think my order was just Php 79. I got nice vegetable side dish and unlimited rice. This goes 2 as well as even if I paid only Php 79, I would have gotten a better meal from Binalot.
3. Premises, Amenities - They have quite clean location, no bathroom though. So 2.
4. Customer Service - Outright 1. They did not take my order . They forgot my order and just gave me iced tea. They thought I canceled my order when I just canceled one of two kamikaze dishes. So I had to wait 5 more minutes after waiting about 5 to 8 minutes already. I won't go back to Tokyo Tokyo Robinsons, Lipa City for a while, perhaps about 6 to 8 months. And I will go back only when all other restaurants in the area are closed.

Karate Kid, SM Lipa City, Batangas

I have a very interesting, melodramatic story about this restaurant.

1. Food Quality, Taste, Packaging - The yakisoba I ordered was nice and it had a lot of vegetables.
2. Value for Money - I paid good price for my yakisoba, less than Php 100. It was a generous serving. So food quality and value is reasonable, they get 3.5
3. Premises, Amenities - They do not have bathroom, they have small restaurant but it's clean and decent. So I give them a 3.
4. Customer Service - This is the problem. The cashier, who is also the waiter, who is also the cleaner, tried to keep our Php 20 change. We didn't raise up the issue right away because we were waiting for him to give us Php back. But he carried on his task. Then we raised the issue that he needs to give us Php 20... he said he doesn't have change. We told him that he should not do that and should just tell us if he doesn't have change. He said he was sorry. It was a bad experience. So we looked for the manager who was sitting at the back of the restaurant, I am not sure what she is doing but she wasn't even helping the guy at the counter take orders when there were people coming. I think I give him restaurant 0 for customer service and attempted fraud...

I'd go back though, but only if that cashier is no longer there...

McDonald's, Emerald Avenue, Ortigas Center, Pasig City

So I have nothing much to say about McDonalds except that they are good to be around for breakfast. They have rather cozy place for reading newspapers each morning and they have wifi. Sometimes, I'd spend a few hours working in McDonalds.

McDonalds staff are well-trained in customer service. It's very hard to get upset. You can see the staff trying hard to be friendly.

Today, I had a quite funny experience. The waiter took my order so I said, "I'd like an egg mcmuffin please". Then the waiter said, "Ok Ma'am, is that egg mc muffin with egg?" I was shocked with the question but I burst laughing afterwards. Sorry, I didn't want to be rude but I couldn't help it :D.
This was my breakfast one time. As usual, I get sausage mcmuffin, orange juice.

Binalot, AIC Gold Tower, Emerald Avenue, Ortigas Center, Pasig City

This is a cheap meal. I have it at least 3 times a month. I am a regular customer. This particular Binalot branch is just 3 mins walk from my apartment. Binalot meals are cheap, reasonable, filling. I particularly just order Tapa or Bistek. They would prepare my order in less than 2 minutes. So during times that I am in a hurry, I would also think of getting 1 order of Binalot tapa. I'd give this restaurant a 3. Customer service is friendly...No real amenities but to be fair, it's a TOGO shop. Price is very reasonable and serving is generous.

I buy either the tapa or bistek meal for Php 79 each.

Max's Restaurant, Robinsons Galleria, Ortigas Pasig

I go to Max's at least 2x a week when I am staying in Ortigas. Max's Restaurant is located on the 4th floor of Robinson's Galleria, beside Mongkok. This restaurant has good value and mind you, they fry food using vegetable oil. This restaurant also has wifi so I can actually work while waiting for my order.

I usually get the breakfast value meals that cost me Php 155 per meal. Sometimes I get the boneless bangus. They serve half the fish, a glass of iced tea, some vegetable side dish, garlic rice and 2 pieces of egg. I think I pay some tax but this is good value for me.

1. Food Quality, Taste, Packaging - Some of their dishes actually taste good so I give them 3.5 here. They are not exceptional but good and I would recommend people to visit this particular Max's branch
2. Value for Money - I give Max's 4. It's good value.
3. Premises, Amenities - Well, they can improve their bathroom. It's not too clean but better than most. So I give them 2.5
4. Customer Service - Max's serves quickly. They have trained waiters and waitresses as well. They used to ask at least 3 times if I want desert but they have lowered down their upselling to just asking once now.

I'd go back to this place of course. It's nearly like my staple food.

Circles, Eat all you can, Sta Rosa, Cabanatuan

Pay Php 100, no tax, no service charge. You can already eat all you can (filipino dishes). Circles serves refills of the dishes as soon as the dish is almost finished. You don't even have to ask for a refill. I believe they must have served at least 18 dishes and I'll try my best to enumerate those I remember:
1. Grilled Tilapia
2. Grilled pork chops
3. Baked Macaroni
4. Vegetable tempura
5. Chop suey
6. Fish and vegetable omelette
7. Gatang langka

8. Pinakbet

9. Tinolang Manok

10. Green Salad

11. Steamed okra and kangkong with alamang

12. Adobong Kangkong

For desert, they served:
1. Casava cake / sweet potatoes
2. Banana with cream and cinnamon
3. Saba with jelly
4. Pinindot (desert with coconut milk, jelly, banana, coconut balls)
5. Sapin Sapin
6. Pineapple jelly with raisins

The place was clean enough. You can't say ultra sterile but it was clean enough... no strange smell. The furniture were simple (monoblock chairs). The waiters were alert and attentive. These are good traits. The were a lot of customers who wanted to take advantage of the good deal.

There were a lot of vegetable dishes, which makes the food selection - HEALTHY.

1. Food Quality, Taste, Packaging

Circles is 4 - For Filipino foods, they quite got every taste. Very authentic selection as well.

2. Value for Money - Circles got a 5 here. What can you buy Php100 in Manila now? A bowl of Yoshinoya Yakiniku? You get a lot of good, healthy, Filipino food from Circles.

3. Premises, Amenities - I give them 2.5 I didn't go to their bathroom. I was busy eating :-) However, from the design and the structure of the place, it is obvious that the investment is not spent on beautification of premises.

4. Customer Service - alert and attentive as I said, however, they were not wearing uniforms or anything that makes them look presentable... so I give them 2.5.

This gives this restaurant 3.5

Of course I'd go back to this restaurant again when I get another chance to visit Nueva Ecija. I'd also recommend travellers and city dwellers to go and visit this place. I tell you, it is worth your money!

Pancake House, San Rafael, Bulacan, Philippines

Pancake House has always been overrated for me. However, I ate at this particular Pancake House branch inside the 8 Waves Hotel because it's one of the decent, clean, restaurants along the National Highway.

For me, Pancake House doesn't even serve the best pancakes... not even simple fruit & cream waffles (the best one I had was a $2.5 strawberry waffle at Macy's, Chicago). I know that's not special to most people, but that's standard of comparison of the pancakes and waffles. So let's see what I got at Pancake House in this branch:

1. Food Quality, Taste, Packaging - I had this very small serving of Halo Halo. As you can see, the fork is taller than the whole glass. This costs Php 45 plus tax. Rating is around 3.

2. Value for Money - You guessed it. I give Pancake house a failing mark. Their food is nothing special but their price is too high. Rating is 2.

3. Premises, Amenities - To be fair, Pancake house is clean and not smelly like other fast food joints that have pungent detergent odor. Rating is 3.5

4. Customer Service - I asked that there'd be no beans and of course, you can see the very beans against the glass. Always, waiters seem to ignore what I say or they just plainly forget... but that makes me wonder what they write then they seem to be writing down that I requested for NO beans. So I am not happy with customer service. I'd give a tip if I were. Rating is 2.

Now, the rating for Pancake House is 2.5-3

I would come back to Pancake House only if it is the only decent place in an area. I pay very high points on cleanliness and nice toilets. And I would pay premium for not-so-good food just so I can use better amenities.

Chowking, Solano, Nueva Vizcaya

Chowking, Solano is located at the heart of the city, just right beside the National Road. It has 2 storeys and a wider than usual table spaces. They were obviously understaffed because I heard a waiter complaining how tired he is and that there are no other people around to help him attend to customers. I have been standing in front of the cashier who was anxious and can't concentrate.

Porto Nuevo Hotel, San Jose, Nueva Ecija

This is one of the best value hotels I have ever been to. I spent Php 1300 for a superior room for about 25 sqm. The room has a matrimonial bed, 25 inch tv with cable, wifi, air conditioning, new towels, bottled water, free breakfast (in fact, I finished my corned beef with egg and fruit salad breakfast), hot water, nice big-tiled bathroom and smooth sheets.  Again, for Php 1300, I got really good value and I am sure I will stay in this hotel again next time I go to Nueva Ecija.

The hotel has 14 rooms for guests and 2 conference rooms.  It has a simple restaurant by the lobby and ample parking.  In front of the hotel is a restaurant serving Filipino dishes.The staff members were friendly and helpful.  I got lucky here. The hotel has just been built 6 months ago.

Banaue Hotel, Banaue, Ifugao Province

This is a government-owned and maintained hotel, from research, the most expensive place in Banaue. When I got there, it was not really expensive:













Standard room P2300
Deluxe P3000
Junior suite P4500
Suite P6000

I got the deluxe one and had 2 beds there. The bathroom had big tiles! Of course, I had my own view of the rice terraces. The pricing was reasonable for what they offered and the hotel food price was about 10% to 15% cheaper than what I would pay in Manila. They have a lobby made of logs, a fire place and at night, they have cultural shows. The cultural shows need work but quite entertaining for half an hour. At the lobby, you'd also find native-made goods for sale. I heard this hotel was built during the Marcos era, spearheaded by Imelda Marcos. When we got to the hotel around 7pm, the lobby was filled with foreigners. I believe, there was about 80% foreigners and 20% Filipinos, mostly from overseas. I saw French, Germans, Americans, Australians, Koreans and Chinese during dinner.

The hotel restaurant overlooks the rice terraces. Most of the rooms have the refreshing and peaceful view of the rice terraces. The hotel has internet access but no wifi. They have a business center but it was not open 24/7 and I was advised to visit downtown for internet access. Banaue Hotel could really attract more tourists if they had internet access available for free. 250 steps from the hotel's garden is a native Ifugao house. It's historical structure. The hotel has a pool. I am guessing around 60 sqm. It's built by the side of the ridge and has a beautiful view of the rice terraces.

The food at the restaurant is tasty, reasonably-priced and served generously. Each meal was served with vegetables, either grilled or steamed. Their chopseuy (P110), grilled tuna (P210), beaf steak (P180), pancit canton (P110) and pancit bihon (P110) were nice. The waiters were obviously trained for customer service. They are friendly and are able to converse with foreigners. Anywhere you sit in the restaurant, you'd have a view of the rice terraces. The food is served within 5 to 10 minutes.

It was very cold (colder than Baguio) in Banaue when we wet. It was foggy by midday and was drizzling.

8 Waves Hotel, Ulingao, San Rafael, Bulacan, Philippines

They have internet connection (wireless). I had to ask the front desk to allow me to have the password but they seem to be unable to use it. Luckily, I met with the hotel owner on my way to the business center and I had to explain that I had to access the internet using my own pc because the payroll software is installed there and I have to use it for to pay BIR using BPI expresslink, http://www.bpiexpresslink.com/. The hotel has a pool, nice landscaping and huge parking area. It has a MINISTOP branch in front of the National Highway.



http://www.8waveswaterpark.com.ph/

Mcdonald's Branch, Meralco Ave, Ortigas Pasig

Well I will get pictures later because I eat at Mcdonald's for breakfast almost everyday I wake up early anyway. So I usually get sausage mcmuffin for Php52. Sometimes I get coffee if I am too sleepy. This branch is close to where I live. Every early morning, a lot of call center agents show up on this store to have some breakfast. So the queue to the cashier is pretty heavy. I wish Mcdonald's would put more staff:
1. Agents are probably starving over one night's work
2. People are in a hurry to have breakfast for the day's work

Anyway, service here is ok. I always hear from foreigners how friendly the staff members are. For some reason, I never really experience that.

I don't know if you notice but I am particular about the smell of the spray that Mcdonald's use for disinfecting the floor or whatever liquid soap they use to mop the floor or clean the tables. It's nauseating... I hope they'd change that too. It makes me have less apetite.

So I go to this branch every morning mostly due to the promixity to the place I live. I'd give this restaurant around 2. Reasonable breakfast value plus if I eat the right food, I won't consume so many calories. I'd go back to this restaurant of course. So location helps.

Had I a different and closer choice, I would have Mcdonald's breakfast once a week only.

Burger King, Robinsons Galleria

This is my Whopper Jr. from Burger King Robinsons Galleria Mall, ADB Ave, Ortigas Center, Pasig City. I got it for Php99. Good timing that BK is celebrating their anniversary. Each Whopper Jr is free if you order a Whopper or Whopper Jr meal. I paid a total of P128. What did I get?
2 Whopper Jr.'s
1 Iced tea middle size
1 order of french fries
1 chocolate sundae

Good value? I'd give it a 4. Not 5. Only 4 because even if they had generous serving of fries, it's unhealthy, fatty food. I'd eat a BK probaly 2x a month during their promo period. The burger was nicely cooked (for my taste) because it was grilled so less fat. Sundae was good, just the right size.
Now, customer service is acceptable. The cashiers/waiters smile at you. I'd mention their shift manager. She was a bit busy when I bothered her for mustard. She got anxious so she kinda smirked at me, but after a few minutes, she got me the mustard with a smile. All is well. I thought BK would lose some points on customer service. But they are competitive with other fast food chains in this arena.
BK rating is 3 to 3.5 (due to the promo). This is good value alternative.

Mongkok, Robinsons Galleria

Mongkok, Robinsons Mall, ADB Ave, Ortigas, Pasig City

Mongkok is a Chinese restaurant, on the 4th level of Robinsons Galleria. It's not a place I go to everyday. The restaurant is around 40 sqm. You are greeted by a waitress beside a stack of dumplings as you enter.
My order:
1. Beef Brocolli Php 200 - beef was chewy. Nice sauce but I didn't like beef consistency. There was some fatty part as well. I like the brocolli was part of the dish. It was a very small dish though. I have pictures here. To get a good idea of the size of the meal, pay attention the size of spoon vs the size of the plates used. The spoon is the normal spoon we use daily.
2. Yang Chow Fried Rice 100 - Nice tasting but lavishly oily. I ate a lot. It had shrimps, peas, egg.
3. Sea Food Roll 90 - This was nice but quite expensive. It's 2 pcs of rolled white fish, crab and noodles.
No tax, no service chargeTotal bill was P390
I ate there around 1pm. Not a lot of people around as it was after lunch. Waiters were a plenty. They are ready to help, dressed in their white polo barongs. The total bill was reasonable but I can't say it's a really good deal. The place was clean. They have no bathroom area though.
My rating of this restaurant is 3. I would come back here in 3 to 6 months. Because it's oily and Chinese dishes are just so common. At least I was not let down with this meal.

Mexicali, Megamall

How many minutes does it take to wrap a burrito? I went to Mexicali in Megamall, Mandaluyong to order a beef burrito for P125. Good enough price. In USA, I pay US$6-$7. The serving size however, was 60% less. I gave my order to the cashier. One beef burrito take out. I asked it to be sliced in half. She said sure. She charged me P131.25 They put tax. I asked my order to be served "to go" and inquired how long it will take. She said 5 minutes. So I sat for 5 minutes. I still didn't have my order. I went up to the counter and I saw 3 people "starting" to work on my burrito. I was surprised because there were only 3 tables occupied in this restaurant and I was one of them. So I watched the man make my burrito. He put some beans and rice to my burrito crust (whatever that's called) with utmost care. Then he got a strainer, poured ground beef to it, probably to drain the fat. Then he slowly put drained ground beef on top of the colored rice. Then he heated it in the microwave for 2 minutes. After heating in the microwave, he went to another counter section to add vegetables. I asked him not to put tomatoes because I can't eat tomatoes. Then he said OK. He was a bit anxious now that I have broken his routine. I asked if they can put the lettuce instead. He asked another helper and they obliged. Then they put grated cheddar cheese. That's it. They served it to me with nachos and tomatoes in a plate. I reminded them that my order was "to go" and that I don't like tomatoes. They said OK. I also asked them for the 2nd time to slice the burrito in half. From the time I ordered, it's now been 15 minutes that I was there. Finally, they gave me my order, in a Mexicali box. I opened it. Smelled ok. I saw the tomatoes! I guess life can't be perfect but at least I had my order. I liked the combination and the taste. However, this is not a meal I will have every week or every month. Probably good if I have Mexicali once a year... or if I get generous, once every 6 months.

It's not too healthy food for now. The price of P130 for a meal is reasonable but Mexicali has small service size so. The service is slow and unattentive.

So my rating here is 2

El Pollo Loco, Megamall

El Pollo Loco has a store around 120 sqm or so in Megamall, first floor, Bldg A, Mandaluyong. Majority of their dishes have chicken except the spaghetti with ground beef and the nachos. The prices seem reasonable for the chicken dishes and the chicken combos seemed reasonably sized.
However, I can't eat chicken because it is bad for my blood type. So I had to order spaghetti for P37 and nachos for P30. I was happy with the cheap price. I had ice tea but I forgot the exact price I paid for it.
Here's a detailed description of the meal I had:
1. Iced tea - small glass, full of ice, watery, sweet. My overall review - waste of money
2. Spaghetti - the noodles are creatively spread out the flat plate so it will look more than what it really is. The sauce is sweet, catered to Filipino taste. It wasn't appetizing but it was "good enough" because I was hungry and I missed my regular lunch hour by 45 mins already. If I weren't so hungry, I would not even eat it. Btw, I didn't finish it, I gave it to my bf after tasting it.
3. Nachos - this is probably the fattiest, oiliest nacho mixture I have ever had. The beef on it has very visible lard. The cheese is yucky. I didn't finish that at all. I am know for scraping every food at the table. My dad has taught us not to waste food. But my God, I will kill myself if I eat those nachos.
4. Chicken wrap - My bf ordered this. After one hour eating it, I asked my bf how it tasted. He said he doesn't remember. Though I remember a really thin piece of lettuce wrapped around the chicken. It was also small enough. It cost P52. The Max's lumpiang ubod is bigger than this chicken wrap by 100%.

Customer service - as you guessed... it's poor. I had to wave my hand more than 2 minutes before the waiter 1 meter in front of me "noticed" that I needed to follow up my order.

So this is my experience eating at El Pollo Loco. From a rating of 1 to 5. I give it 1. So their pricing might be ok for the chicken meals but I will not eat in El Pollo Loco again. It is not good for my health and I am not impressed.