Foodums

It has always been a mystery to me, this attraction between Pinoys and buffets. Siguro dahil sa mga fiesta traditions natin, nasanay tayo sa mga handaang maraming pagpipiliang ulam.

For P580 per person, YakiMix at Trinoma offers an “Eat all you can” buffet with a wide selection of Asian cuisine. Yakiniku, meaning “grilled meat”, is a Japanese style of cooking bite-sized meat and vegetables over a charcoal or gas burner grill.

At YakiMix, tables have smokeless gas grills as their centerpieces. One gets to cook thin slices of raw seasoned meat, seafood, sausages and even vegetables cut in small pieces. They also have all sorts of marinades or sauces to spice the food up while grilling.

If you don’t want to cook, there’s a wide array of cooked food ready to eat. Japanese food like ebi tempura, glass noodles, yakisoba, and all kinds of sushi, sashimi and maki are popular choices among the diners. Meron ding Korean food like kimchi if you prefer something really hot. And nope, they didn’t forget the good old Chinese food that Pinoys love to eat like salt and pepper spareribs, yang chow fried rice and soups.

The variety of sweet morsels (as in isang kagat lang po) for dessert is endless and they’re okey but I so love their ice cream. Selecta kasi at maraming toppings to choose from. Puwede mo ring ibudbod lahat sa sorbetes mo.

Their branch at Trinoma is huge and the ambiance goes well with large groups of diners. I highly recommend it to balikbayans who plan to treat their families, relatives, friends, and yes folks, isama na rin natin ang ever present friends of friends hehe

I wanted to show you more photos of their buffet offerings, which is quite impressive actually, but the staff don’t allow diners to take pictures of the food. Nakakuha lang ako ng konti before I was politely asked not to use my camera.

Naisip ko lang, if anybody wanted to copy their buffet spread, siguro kakain na lang siya sa restaurant na ‘yon at hindi aasa sa mga letrato lang Well, I guess they’re not interested in free advertisements or reviews. Marami na siguro silang customers

Budget: P600++ per person because drinks are not included (P650 for plates with left overs )

For that price, you get your money’s worth at YakiMix…kapag gutom ka talaga. The food tastes okey but nothing to rave about. Kung gusto ‘nyo lang mabusog nang husto at makatikim ng maraming fud, do Yakimix. It’s a food trip worth taking.

Branches:

Greenbelt 3
(02) 475-5153 to 54

4th level, Trinoma,
(02) 475-5154

Hobbies of Asia
(02) 387-8120

Tomas Morato
(02) 332-8073

SM Mall of Asia
(02) 836-1537

In Palawan, there are a lot of choices when it comes to restaurants and they all have one thing in common on their menu. Because Palawan is a group of islands, fresh catch of the day is the usual come-on. Makakatiyak kayong pumapalag pa ang mga laman-dagat bago ilagay sa kawali o kaldero.

Nagkakatalo lang po ang mga kainan sa ambiance, service ng food crew at lasa ng luto. And the price, of course.

There’s one restaurant in Puerto Prinsesa where all these requirements are met while besting most of the competition. For a measly P200 per set meal, dining at Ka Lui was truly one awesome experience

I’m trying out a different approach in reviewing restaurants so you can get a better feel of the place. I call it jpegs in motion with audio and background music hehe (gotta keep up with the times ). Mas masaya, ‘di ba?

Budget: P200 per set meal

Yup, you heard it right, guys. If you’re ever at Puerto Prinsesa, eat at Ka Lui’s. You’ll not just fill your tummy, you’ll have an unforgettable experience. I give it a perfect rating.

Location:

Puerto Prinsesa, Palawan

I’m a certified “kanin at ulam” foodie kaya hindi ako masyadong naaakit ng pizza, sandwiches, pasta and the like But my curiosity was piqued by Papa John’s entrance to the Pinoy pizza market.

Noong FOB (fresh off the boat) ako sa US, Papa John’s pizza ang unang fud na sumayad sa aking bibig…and Church’s fried chicken.

Medyo na-impress ako noon kasi masyadong malaki ang isang slice …at saka overflowing with toppings. And the mozzarella cheese? Ang kapal po kamo

Kaya noong narinig kong papasok dito ang Papa John’s, inabangan ko na siya. When they opened a branch at Greenhills, (Annapolis St.), malapit sa amin ‘yon kaya ayun sumugod ako agad.

Hmm…cute pala si Papa John

Korteng pizza ang ilaw…interesting

…pati door handle?

Flags painted on wooden pizza paddles as wall decor…cool

The kitchen

Photo op na naman si Papa sa menu hehe

Menu ulit

O eto raw ang mga ingredients ng kanilang pizza. Impressive?

Cheese sticks (P90). Appetizer namin. This is really good, the best cheese sticks, actually. Served with garlic dipping sauce. Sa kotse pa lang ubos na hehe

Texas Heat pizza P530 large (pizzas of the world). Ground beef, crispy bacon bits, onions, green pepper and Jalapeño peppers. Yummy and hot! See the whole Jalapeño peppers in one corner of the box? I tried a little bite. My larynx cringed and instantly closed shop LOL

From their classic pizzas, All The Meats pizza (P550 large). Pepperoni, Italian sausage, beef bits, ham and bacon. Meatylicious!

Budget: P150-P250 per person

I was not disappointed. It’s just like the pizza I remember. At hindi lasang karton ang crust with just the right chewiness. Although mas naglalawa ang mozzarella cheese sa aking first pizza sa States, forgivable na ‘yon. Baka kapag dinagdagan pa ang cheese, hindi na siya maging affordable kay Juan.

We ordered 2 boxes of pizza to go but I took pics of the restaurant. That’s one major difference I noticed. Mas magaganda, mas malalaki at mas classy ang mga restaurants ng mga franchisees dito sa Pinas kesa sa US. Yup ganyan tayo kahilig sa pagkain. Tambayan at gimikan na rin natin ang mga restaurants

Because you get your money’s worth, I give Papa John’s pizza a perfect rating.

Locations:

Level 2 Unit 2401, Robinsons Galleria Veranda, EDSA corner Ortigas Avenue, Ortigas Center
(632) 631-8689 or (632) 736-0570

University Mall Taft Avenue
Unit 01 Ground Floor, #2507 Taft Avenue, Manila
(632) 536-4612

Greenhills
# 53-B Annapolis Street, Greenhills, San Juan
(632) 722 9676

I love 50s theme diners. I was introduced to this type of eatery by my father when I was eight. Most birthdays in my family were spent in diners. Apple pie smothered with whipped cream and a tall glass of thick milk shake at Rosie’s ay langit sa akin noon. Kaya siguro malakas ang appeal sa akin ng oldies stuff.

Kapag may pumasok na American diner style resto dito sa atin, I make it a point to check it out. Pero parang hindi siya click sa Pinoy taste. Diners come and go. Hindi sila nagtatagal sa atin.

“The original diners were actual dining cars on railways. When a dining car was no longer fit for service, it was often employed as a cheap restaurant at a (stationary) location near a train station or along the side of the railroad.” (from Wiki)

A prototypical rail car style diner in Summit, New Jersey

Inside a typical diner (The Runaway by Norman Rockwell 1958)

The newest kid on the block is Johnny Rockets, an American restaurant franchise whose concept is to create a classic American restaurant atmosphere.

Johnny Rockets, recently opened in Morato

On one wall is a huge poster protected by thick glass depicting a theme that had become a common sight in America by the 1950s

The look and feel of the resto is too modern and antiseptic for me, despite the decor which includes framed old Coca-Cola ads

Individual mini jukebox on every table with song selections from the Rock and Roll era and classics like Macho man by Village People hehe

One cool full sized jukebox

Chrome-accented counter and counter seats

Grill and kitchen behind the counter in full view of the customers

Food and drinks prep station also in full view

A Johnny Rockets trademark, a crew that suddenly bursts into song and dance act every thirty minutes. Medyo na-wirduhan ako dito

We ordered one Rocket Single burger (P345)

One Philly cheese steak sandwich (P395) The best steak sandwich in town.

Vanilla shake (P215) Nothing spectacular but amazingly expensive

Well, actually the price of one refillable glass of soda a.k.a. soft drinks is enough to cause a heart attack ( P110) Parang 2 bote ng Coke litro

Menu:

Budget: P300-P500…even for kiddie meals

Now, there’s your reason why American diner style restos in the Philippines will remain unpopular. Only Americans and/or expats and the rich can afford their meals.

Although the food taste good, great actually, nakaka-turn off naman ang presyo . Can you imagine shelling out almost P400 for a single patty burger? Or almost P600 for a Bacon Cheddar Double (2 patties)? Come on, that’s a whole week food budget for hard-working Juan.

I owe Johnny Rockets this much for 2 sandwiches, 1 milkshake and 2 glasses of soft drinks

Dahil parang horror story ang presyo ng food and drinks nila kahit mouth wateringly delish ang food at “eat-all-you-can” ang fries, I give Johnny Rockets a sad 2 1/2 Ellicious hearts. Hindi siya bagay sa third world country. Diner food is supposed to be affordable if not dirt cheap. Isang paligo lang ang lamang niya sa fastfood. But this one? Pantasya na lang po ito nina Pedro, Maria at Juan

Location:
205 Tomas morato St.,
Quezon city