ALL OTHER THINGS

Chubby girl with the thick eyebrows and cold eyes.

[chocodippedstrawberry]

Vikings

I’ve always been a fan of eat-all-you-can restaurants. I guess it comes with having a big appetite. Or perhaps, I’m just a glutton for punishment. So, when my cousin invited me to have lunch with them on her birthday, I didn’t have the mind and heart to say no. Let the eating commence! 

We took a taxi from Lucky China Town Mall going to The Mall of Asia. The ride took a bit longer than the usual since there were people rallying somewhere in Roxas Boulevard. When we got there, we were still contemplating which place to dine. It was a struggle choosing between Four Seasons Hot Pot City and Vikings. In the end, the latter won just because we couldn’t be bothered in cooking our own food that day.

Seeing as we were behind schedule, we didn’t get to dine in Vikings during the lunch time. First, it was because we didn’t have any reservations so they couldn’t guarantee a table for us. Furthermore, we would only have limited time staying there. As a result, we decided to wait for few more hours and settled on reserving a table for the night time.

Thanks to those people who didn’t come for their reservation, we got in really fast despite us having the 16th number. I immediately noticed the elegant interior the restaurant was sporting; their fine ambience had made me hungry and sleepy at the same time.

For the food itself, I initially wandered somewhere in the Chinese section. No one can separate me from Chinese food! I thought that’s why even in Vikings, I was still inhaling the glorious food that were hakao and bean curd roll. I also picked some Japanese food, vegetables, California Maki, Katsudon, steak and so much more. Let me just tell you that I’m someone who is easily deceived by food’s appearance. It was not long before I victimized myself by getting those delicious looking bacon rolls with asparagus and the bacon rolls with some beans (I think) in them. I cried. Just kidding! However, they didn’t really appeal to my taste. Sighs. The trouble I go for food.

I was bored so this happened.  Andi for Andrea. 

As for the drinks, I got some water, root beer, pineapple shake and the cucumber juice. The latter tasted fine but then it was only at first that it tasted that way. Even so, I believe that I drank more than I ate food that night. I blame the weather for making me more thirsty than hungry. It wasn’t long before I reached the best part of the dining experience: the dessert. Cakes, yogurt, marshmallows, ice cream and the like. It was a match made in heaven! Don’t forget the chocolate fountain, the three chocolate fountains. I was gushing too much about them inside my head. Only dessert could turn me into mush.

Seeing as it was Andrea’s (my cousin) birthday, we availed the birthday promo. It was fun seeing the employees singing Happy Birthdays not only to my cousin but to the other celebrants as well. They were a bunch of happy employees; one could see that they’re enjoying what they were doing. Also, Andrea received a cute cake with a tiny candle on top, from them.

Blow a wish and everything will vanish. Just in terms of the fire from the candle. Lol!

Just like the last time I’ve eaten there, Vikings satisfied me in more ways than one. Although, I didn’t get to taste a lot since it’s impossible to taste every single thing they have there. There were just too many. Better luck next time for me, again. Moreover, they let the customers answer a survey regarding their service; I was the one who answered the survey for our table. For that, I give them a rating of 4/5. 

Vikings is located at Building B, By The Bay, Seaside Boulevard, Mall of Asia Complex (MOA), Pasay City.

[chocodippedstrawberry]

Army Navy

(Source: https://www.zomato.com/manila/army-navy-sampaloc-manila)

Having finished a run in UST awhile ago, Andrea and I were dead tired and hungry; all we wanted to do was eat. So, we decided to reward ourselves by treating us with good food. We settled on Army Navy which we think is capable of doing that.

Awhile ago in UST.  

As soon as we entered Army Navy, we immediately ordered each of us a burger and nachos to share. We only have to wait for a few minutes for our orders to arrive. I’m not much a fan of nachos, so when I tasted them, I thought they were just fine. As for the burger, they tasted remarkable! I could easily say that it was the best burger (aside from Burger King’s) I’ve eaten in my whole existence. I don’t know how to describe how it tasted but all I can say is that I enjoyed eating every single thing in the burger. Yes, it was that scrumptious!

Considering we were really hungry that time, we finished the nachos and burgers in just a few minutes. Then, we asked for some service water from the waiter. The waiter was very pleasant in attending to our needs. It was nice, seeing as there were a lot of people eating aside from us.

To sum it up, Army Navy is a good find when you want to enjoy a burger. I would really come back just to taste their burger again. I think I got my money’s worth that night; we were just right for picking Army Navy to satisfy our stomachs. I give them a rating of 4.5/5 stars.

Army Navy is located at UST Campus, Dapitan Street, Sampaloc, Manila.

[chocodippedstrawberry]

Itadakimasu

On the 3rd week of March 2015, we (my cousins and I) were thinking of eating in an eat-all-you-can restaurant again. Micha suggested Tajimaya Charcoal Grill which she recently just tried. She said that it’s a restaurant that we would also enjoy like she did. I just think we’re gluttons. Kidding! Not. 

So, when Saturday came, we rode the LRT 1 station and one jeepney ride to get to MOA. As soon as we reached MOA, we have immediately gone inside and searched for the directory since we didn’t know where Tajimaya was located. After several minutes, we finally found the restaurant. We peeked inside and saw that there were just a few who were having lunch, so we decided to enter the restaurant.

(Source: https://www.zomato.com/manila/tajimaya-mall-of-asia-complex-pasay-city)

Once we entered, employees greeted us ‘Irasshaimase’ which means welcome to our store in Japanese. One of them led us to a table which was like a booth because it separated us from other tables. Seated in our chairs, we were given the menu and we chose to avail the eat-all-you-can. Since it’s not self service, we just have to wait before they serve us the food we’ll be grilling.

First and foremost, they served us the appetizers which were Salad with Sesame oil, Kimchi and bean sprout. After that, they have one by one put the rest which were beef, pork, shrimp, chicken, sausages, lettuce and some kind of squid balls. Let me just say that their food has a distinct flavor; it’s very addicting. Together with their equally as delicious iced tea, it was a mean combination. My favorites were beef, pork and sausages. Especially the sausages, they were very chewy and flavorful. You can never go wrong with them.

Usually, when I go to a grilling restaurant, it always happened that I liked their beef but not the pork. In the case of Tajimaya, they exceeded my expectations by having their pork sliced thin and them not being hard to chew. However, the shrimps were really hard to peel considering I was using spoon and fork. I’m one of those people who don’t like peeling shrimps with their own hands since the scent of them is really hard to wash off. As a result, we didn’t ask for a second plate of shrimps.

All in all, the food tasted out of the ordinary. It’s not your normal grilling restaurant where everything tastes the same as other restaurants. I commend them to anyone who wants to dine in an eat-all-you-can restaurant. You’ll get your money’s worth here, seeing as it’s only priced at 653php including the VAT. Moreover, the ambience was really nice where you have your own booth and the other tables won’t overhear your conversation. As a whole, they deserve a rating of 5/5 stars. 

Tajimaya Charcoal Grill is located at Second Floor, Entertainment Mall, Mall of Asia Complex (MOA), Pasay City.

[chocodippedstrawberry]

Dairy Queen MOA

Last March 21, 2015, I was at MOA to hang out with my cousins. After a tiring day of walking around, we finally decided to take a break and to have a snack. For that, we chose Dairy Queen because it’s the first dessert shop that crossed our minds. Besides, we wanted to enjoy an ice cream that tasted really wonderful. What better way to satisfy our cravings than Dairy Queen? Truly, there’s no other way! 

Once we got there, we noticed that there was a long line but even so we got in line. After several minutes, it was my turn to order and I chose Choco-dipped Strawberry blizzard; it’s my favorite ice cream to order at Dairy Queen. Hence, the username. Anyway, I told the lady manning the counter what I wanted and she told me to repeat what I said. At the time, what I thought was she didn’t hear me. So, I repeated it and I saw the confusion in her face. Ah, she didn’t know what I was ordering.

Here’s what their current menu of blizzards looks like.

To tell you the truth, Choco-dipped Strawberry is not seen in their current menu. They only have selected flavors shown at the front which I don’t like. They should have displayed them for people to try them out. However, you can order other flavors even if they are not shown on the menu. I would know because I’ve been buying Choco Dipped Strawberry blizzard at Dairy Queen SM San Lazaro for a long time now.

Here’s what the menu previously looked like. 

So, just imagine me craving for something and not having it because the one getting my order didn’t know their own menu, I was not happy to say the least. Since I was not a war freak, I didn’t push it. Instead, what I ordered was Strawberry Banana. I paid my order, got my receipt and waited for the Strawberry Banana.

Spot the hidden Mickey! 

(From left to right: Mango Cheesecake, Strawberry Banana and Choco Chip) 

As soon as we got our orders, we immediately searched for a spot to sit on. Alas, all we got was the stairs. We seated ourselves there and finally the moment we’ve all been waiting for: eating time! I didn’t like the taste of Strawberry Banana. I didn’t know if it’s just because I was craving Choco-dipped Strawberry badly or I didn’t like how Strawberries tasted with Bananas. Nonetheless, I finished it despite the growing annoyance every time I put the spoon in my mouth. Along with my chosen flavor, I also got to taste what my cousins bought which were Choco Chip and Mango Cheesecake. I liked the Choco Chip; I’ll definitely try it next time. I couldn’t say the same for the Mango Cheesecake.

Overall, I didn’t like the experience I had with the branch of Dairy Queen MOA. The lady should have known what I was supposed to order; she shouldn’t have asked me what Choco-dipped Strawberry was. For me, that was a big no-no! For that reason alone, I give them a rating of 1/5 stars.

Dairy Queen is located at Ground Floor, Main Mall, Mall of Asia Complex (MOA), Pasay City.

[chocodippedstrawberry]

Eyebrow Game Strong

Ever since I was a kid, I have been sporting these thick eyebrows of mine. Or eyebrow. It was that thick that I even have hair in between those two eyebrows. I guess it comes with being balbon (hairy). After I finished high school did I only started to get them fixed. Just because, before, I thought that if I shave, wax or thread my eyebrows that they will grow back hairier than ever. I was really scared of that happening to me. That was why it took time before I let someone did something with them.

About 2 years ago, I first have my eyebrow threading service at Lay Bare Waxing Salon. Let me just tell you that threading is really painful.  It does not help that the area that will be threaded is around the eyes. Just think about how anyone’s eyes are sensitive, it’s the same for the skin surrounding them. Anyway, I didn’t know that before that was why I tried that service thinking that the pain would be similar as waxing. Oh, how wrong I came out to be. 

BEFORE

Excuse my glaring eyes. I’m nice, I promise.

For the past few days, I noticed that my eyebrows were getting a little bit unkempt. So, I decided that it’s time to go back to a waxing salon. When I got to Lay Bare Waxing Salon, I saw that there were only a few people who were inside which was why I settled in going in. At the time I came in, there was no one managing the counter so I just signed up my name and service and waited for someone to assist me. Minutes later, an employee gave me a small sheet of paper to write down things such as my name, service, date, etc. and to answer some questions for safety measure. After that, the only thing I had to do was wait for my turn.

AFTER

Once my name was called, I stood up and followed the lady who would be doing my eyebrows. She led me into a room and left to get the things she needed to do the service. Minutes later, she knocked on the door and came in holding something in her hands. Before she threaded my eyebrows, she had put something warm on them; I felt like it was an ointment of some sort. Well, I could not be too sure because my eyes were closed. The instant she started threading my eyebrows was the moment all I could think of was pain. Pure torture, I tell you. Having thick eyebrows didn’t help that. After she was done threading them, I opened my eyes and they were kind of teary-eyed. Phew! It’s done! Hallelujah! She gave me a mirror and asked me if I was okay with them and I was. Then, she just put some aloe vera cream on my eyebrows to soothe them and left the room.

3 WEEKS LATER

I didn’t get to picture them when they were red. Here is what they looked like after a few weeks. 

Every time my eyebrows are threaded, the area surrounding them is really red. Truly red. That redness kind of makes me uncomfortable because it’s not normal to see a girl with really throbbing eyebrows. By that, I meant a lot of people took notice of them which made me look down. The floor never looked so beautiful in my life. 

Overall, this is a good service for me just because I would never consider having my eyebrows waxed. That’s too risky for me. Also, I only paid 110 pesos for the service. As a student, I think that makes it really affordable. I liked how my eyebrows looked; I will definitely come back even if the whole service is painful for me. You know what they say: No pain, no gain. 

Lay Bare Waxing Salon is located at Lower Ground Floor SM City San Lazaro, Sta. Cruz, Manila.

Rating: 3/5 stars

[chocodippedstrawberry]

A Day Full Of Fun

Since it’s holy week and the elders have gone to some place far away, we were left to our own devices. (Hooray! No supervision equals doing whatever we want.) As a result, we planned to hang out somewhere we could enjoy ourselves, without spending money. Seeing as one of us is residing in Avida, we thought that we could just swim or play basketball there. We settled on playing basketball just because we’re kinda boyish in nature. Keyword: kinda.

When we got there, we have to wait for our turn because some guys were playing on the court. Hence, we decided to entertain ourselves by hanging out in the playground. When I said hanging out, I meant us playing like we’re kids again. Also, we tried to use some of the gym equipment; I thought we looked really weird using them. Well, we have our own ways in using them so we just did whatever we deemed fun.

After half an hour or so, the guys finished using the basketball court. Finally! It’s our chance to show our moves. Just kidding! Out of us four, only Micha(the white one with the Kobe shoes) plays really well considering she’s a basketball player in her own school. You go, girl!

A video posted by Michaella Co (@michaellaco) on Apr 1, 2015 at 11:19pm PDT

Once we got tired (due to basketball and really hot weather), we chose to go up to Phoebe’s condo unit to take our breaths and to eat. Of course, we can’t take eating out of the picture. As we got out of the elevator in Phoebe’s floor, we saw the delivery guy from Shakey’s giving Tita Leah our lunch. Talk about timing! Combine the Garlic bread, Pizza, Carbonara, Mojos and Coke, we dug in like nobody’s business. The fitness we gained from playing basketball was quickly swallowed down by our appetite, without any mercy. Goodbye healthy living, goodbye.

After we finished eating, we opted to stay indoors first and relax, seeing as the sun has no plan to reduce its warm rays. We talked, fooled around, took pictures and even danced crazily. It was a really loud afternoon for us. We really didn’t have an off button that day. Oh sun, you gave us too much energy! 

When the sun dwindled down, we have gone down to check if anyone’s using the court. Sadly, there were a lot of kids there, even at the playground. In the end, what happened was we just walked around which lead us to the swimming area. We just hung out by the pool and took a lot of pictures. What can we say? The view was perfect from where we were sitting.

At the end of the day, I felt like it was a day well spent despite my aching bones. It helped that I was with the people I care about and enjoy hanging around. Just writing about it makes me giddy all over again. It was a nice escape from reality and I wouldn’t mind experiencing a day like this again. 

Avida Towers San Lazaro is located at Tullahan Bridge, Manila, 1000 Metro Manila.

Rating: 5/5 stars

[chocodippedstrawberry]

Wan Chai Tea House

(Source: https://toptensofrandomthings.wordpress.com/2013/08/11/top-10-chinatown-restaurants/)

A family always has that go-to restaurant when they have to celebrate an important event. For my family, our go-to restaurant is definitely Wan Chai Tea House. That is why on the day of Phoebe’s birthday, January 23, 2015, we went there to have dinner.

Located at 918 Benavidez  Street, Binondo, Manila, Wan Chai Tea House is open at 8:00AM to 11:00PM from Mondays to Sundays. They offer a wide range of dishes of Chinese cuisine at an affordable price.

When we have gotten there, we noticed that there was no space available for parking. So, our driver has let us off first for him to find an available spot. Once we entered the restaurant, a server, who recognized us, has immediately approached us and directed us to a round table.  After given the menu, we have browsed it and decided to order Yang Chow Fried Rice, Birthday Noodles, Assorted Cold Cuts, Beef Tenderloin (Chinese Style), Fried Chicken with Kropeck, Scallop with Wintermelon soup, Seafood Tofu Pot, Almond Jelly and bottomless iced tea.

As usual, Yang Chow Fried Rice tasted really good. You could even eat it without any dish to complement it. It was that tasty. For the Birthday Noodles, I liked Noodles with sauce on it so this was really good noodles for me. Plus, there were some quail eggs at the side. Which tasted great, by the way. Next was the Assorted Cold Cuts. This was a must order! In a platter, you could taste asado, lechon kawali, seaweed, century egg and steamed chicken or duck. That was some mean variety there! The rest which were Beef Tenderloin (Chinese Style), Fried Chicken with Kropeck and Seafood Tofu Pot tasted amazing, too. The only exception for me was the Scallop with Wintermelon soup. I still prefer the Spinach soup over that in any day. For dessert, we have some Almond jelly and cake to finish our dinner. The almond jelly was okay. I did not dislike its taste but I also did not love it. It was just in between them. Lastly, the cake was bought at a store near Wan Chai Tea House which was really convenient for us. It looked attractive and at the same time tasted yummy!

For the service, I could say that our server was really attentive to our needs. He was always just standing near our table, waiting for him to be needed by us. Also, he would refill our glasses without any of us requesting him to do so. He was polite and pleasant in serving us. However, they kind of took too long in serving the food but it was understandable. You only expect fast service from a fast food restaurant which they were not.

Full stomachs equal to happy smiles! 

All in all, food tasted great. The service was good; we had a nice experience from dining there. The only thing I did not like was their parking. I believe that they only have four or five spots for parking. Our driver has to park a little bit away from the restaurant. Other than that, everything was fine. Certainly, I would still go back there just because I really really really love Chinese food! Hooray for Chinese cuisine!

I will give them a rating of 4/5.

[chocodippedstrawberry]

Hwangso-Ga

(Source: http://hwang-soga.com/index.html)

I like K-pop! Just watching them sing and dance, even if I don’t understand a thing (thank you, subtitles!), really fascinates me. Liking these Korean idols and their talented moves, I can’t help being curious as to what they are eating in their home country. That is why I decided to try out Hwangso-Ga!

(Source: http://hwang-soga.com/index.html)

Located at 1547 M.  Adriatico St., Cor. Pedro Gil St., Ermita, Manila, Hwangso-Ga is open at 11:00AM to 3:00PM and 5:00PM to 10:00PM from Mondays to Sundays, except on holidays. They offer an eat-all-you-can buffet of authentic Korean dishes made from the freshest ingredients that will satisfy your plate.

(Source: http://hwang-soga.com/index.html)

We were really excited to go there because of the good reviews we have read from the internet. Reading what they experienced from the restaurant, we were determined to try Hwangso-Ga’s authentic Korean food. So, on the day of January 15, 2015, my cousin and I decided to go there after our classes ended. If you didn’t know what the restaurant looked like, it was best if you searched it first online, since the sign was in Korean. I didn’t know how to read the Korean language and I have not gone there before, so Andrea was the one guiding me in going there.

(Source: http://hwang-soga.com/index.html)

In entering the restaurant, we have servers greeting us in Korean (‘annyeonghaseyo’) from left to right. We didn’t expect that so we were just standing there, looking very awkward. After that, someone directed us to our table and asked us if we were going to avail the eat-all-you-can. We said yes and so we started our Korean food adventure.

(Source: http://hwang-soga.com/index.html)

First, we grilled some buffet beef samiyupsal, which were really chewy and juicy. They tasted great. To complement the beef, we got some lettuce for us to wrap around them and some sesame oil with salt and pepper, for added flavors. Also, we picked up some breaded chicken, potato balls, fruit salad, boiled baby potatoes, fried chicken and soup. What I really liked among them was the boiled baby potatoes. They were very addicting.  Aside from that, I didn’t get a lot of Korean food because I didn’t like how they looked. Except from Kimchi which I have tasted before, I didn’t get some of those because my taste buds were not fond of them. To end our lunch, we got some fruits to munch on while waiting for our bill.

(Source: http://hwang-soga.com/index.html)

Lookie here, it’s Psy! Oppa Gangnam Style! Op! Op! Op! Op! 

As for the service, I noticed how the servers were very attentive to their customers. For instance, they always asked us if we would like to have another plate of beef. Also, without us saying anything, one of the servers changed our grilling pan after we have finished grilling our first batch of beef. Another thing I liked was the slanted grilling pan. At first, I didn’t know the purpose of it being slanted but then we got to grilling. I saw the oil pouring down from the pan to a container, which was really helpful to one’s health. Who would want to intake all those oil? Ugh!

(c) Andrea Co

One thing was missing when we dined there. There was no Korean music! I was kinda saddened by that fact. Nonetheless, the food was great. The servers were polite, happy and very attentive. Even as we leave the place, they have greeted us, along with their owner, their goodbyes and thank yous. They have given us a lot of importance. I felt really welcomed and appreciated. 

For that, I will give them a rating of 4/5.

[chocodippedstrawberry]

King Chef Seafood Restaurant

(Source: www.kingchef.com.ph)

Just to clear something out, I love Chinese Dimsum very much. They are these amazing little chewable things that my taste buds really respond to no matter what. With cravings on mind, I present to you one of my favorite restaurants who is especially known for their Dimsum, King Chef Seafood Restaurant.

(Source: www.kingchef.com.ph; https://www.zomato.com/manila/king-chef-sea-food-binondo-manila)

Located at Second Floor, Lucky Chinatown Mall, Binondo, Manila, King Chef Seafood Restaurant offers Chinese cuisine at 10:00AM to 11:00PM from Mondays to Sundays. At 3:00PMto 5:00PM and 9:00PM to 12:00AM, they give out for as low as 50% on all Dimsum when you dine in at their restaurant.

For the first day of second sem, my cousin and I planned to eat out after classes. We decided to do that at King Chef. When we got to Lucky Chinatown Mall, we noticed that it has not reach the promo time yet, so we walked around the mall for a little bit. When the clock struck at 3, we have gone immediately to the restaurant.

As we entered King Chef, a server wearing the restaurant’s red Chinese uniform greeted us warmly and directed us to our table. Seated at our comfortable seats, we could clearly see and feel the bright atmosphere of the restaurant which was really nice. A few minutes later, the server came back to give us the menu with a paper attached to it. Here was what I liked about King Chef; they have this ordering system where on the paper you will see all the food in the menu and beside them was their corresponding box where you will write how many you want of that product. Before we ordered, we made sure that our ordering time was within the range of the promo time. We asked the server and she said that we could start ordering and so we gave back the menu and ordering paper with our orders along with them.

These were what we ordered: chicken feet, hakaw, radish cake, bean curdle roll and fried prawn dumpling. First and foremost, I didn’t like chicken feet at all but their chicken feet made me think twice. So, when I tasted it, I realized chicken feet were not too bad after all and that I might purchase some again. Of course, there was no doubt that the ever famous hakaw(shrimp dumplings) would taste good. They were remarkable! I assure you that once you tasted one, there would be no going back. As always, radish cake tasted nice and soft, as ever. Next would be the bean curdle roll. This was a must try! This dimsum has a lot of flavors going on inside it; my taste buds were begging for more! Lastly, you will never go wrong with an order of fried prawn dumpling where in everyone will agree that they were mouth-watering.

We were still at the restaurant at quarter to 5. Ten minutes before 5, a server went to us and asked if we want to order one last time before the promo ended. We were full already, so we turned the offer down. I liked how they remind us of that just because we were paying them all at their half-prices. At the same time the promo ended, we requested for the bill. We only have to pay 500+ considering that there was the discount. If we didn’t dine at the time of the promo, we would have paid 1000+ for the Dimsum. Though, they were really expensive but I assure that you will get your money’s worth there.

One thing I didn’t like about the restaurant was they took too much time in giving back our changes. If I was not wrong, I believed that we got out of the restaurant twenty minutes after we paid the bill.

Two happy customers. 

To sum it all up, King Chef Seafood Restaurant was a good place to eat Dimsum because of the taste, promo, atmosphere and service. Would I come back for more? Definitely! Without a doubt!

With that, I give them a rating of 5/5.

[chocodippedstrawberry]

Tong Yang Promenade

(Source: https://www.zomato.com/manila/tong-yang-greenhills-san-juan-city)

Last December 2014, I decided to join my aunt and cousins in eating out for lunch. We were picking between two eat-all-you-can restaurants which were Sambokojin and Tong Yang. It was hard choosing between the two but in the end, Tong Yang won because they offered shabu-shabu unlike Sambokojin who only has grill. Since this was my first time eating in Tong Yang, I was very excited and just couldnot wait to try out their food.

(Source: https://www.zomato.com/manila/tong-yang-greenhills-san-juan-city)

Located at Ground Floor, Promenade, Greenhills, San Juan City,Tong Yang Shabu-shabu & Barbecue Restaurant is open at 11:30AM to 3PM and 5PM to 10:30PM from Mondays to Sundays, except on holidays. They offer a wide range of buffet ranging from Japanese to Chinese cuisine.

(Source: https://www.zomato.com/manila/tong-yang-greenhills-san-juan-city)

Seeing a lot of meat, seafood and vegetables, I could say that it was really hard to choose from the selection. I have gotten some barbecue, oyster and beef for us to grill. Oh, the beef! There were a lot of them and I did not even know what types of beef they were but they all looked so delicious. I also picked up some crabsticks, sushi and California Maki. Meanwhile, my aunt and two cousins have gotten some shrimp, crabs, vegetables, eggs, corn, scallops, mushrooms and beef too to put in the soup. For the soup, we preferred Sate over Cream Soup. And I was glad we did, because it tasted ‘out of this world’ amazing! For the sauce, we all got the same Sate Egg and mixed it with a little bit of garlic, spring onions and chili. As for the dessert, I have gotten some fruits and a bowl of ice cream for myself. To finish them all off, I have gotten myself some four seasons drink to help me swallow them down.

This was me grilling something.

This was me grilling something version 2.0.

(c) Andrea Co

For a Sunday, I expected a lot of people, besides us, coming in at Tong Yang. And, bingo! I was right. Nevertheless, our server was moderate in attending to our needs. For instance, we needed butter for grilling, so we asked for a cup. Despite him getting busy with other customers as well, the server has given us one within reasonable time. Moreover, I really liked that they placed some kind of paper (filter paper, I think) on the grill. It made grilling easier just because I was the one manning the grill. I also liked the ambience that was very calming which made me comfortable in eating whatever I wanted. But, what I truly liked about the restaurant was their meat station. Whenever I went to the meat station, there would be plates of beef there available for one’s taking. There was not once that I’ve gone and found out there was no beef available and I have to call a server for him to cut some for me. None! By doing that, they made me one happy girl!

(Source: https://www.zomato.com/manila/tong-yang-greenhills-san-juan-city)

One thing I noticed about the dessert section was that it was not as wide as the buffet selection, but that was alright because you would be so full by the time you were getting yourself some.

(c) Andrea Co

Andrea and I were in the middle of swallowing food when Bei told us to smile.

(c) Marjorie Serrano Co 

Overall, I would say that my experience in Tong Yang was very pleasant. Especially, it was because we got to stay for 3 hours and only paid 595php each. I thought it was all worth it and very affordable compared to other grill and shabu-shabu restaurants. I would definitely come back next time for more!

Rating: 4.5/5 stars