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Wok With Me

I was never a sisig fan until I entered medical school. I used to wrinkle my nose with disdain at the sight of miscellaneous pork parts on a hot plate and wonder why anyone would eat something that was clearly going to do damage to your arteries.

THEN I tasted Wok's sisig.

How I actually got around to scooping a spoonful into my mouth escapes me, but I will always be thankful to whoever it was that convinced me to get past my initial food snobbery and discover the world of sizzling porcine wonder.

The interiors are confusing, to say the least. African tribal masks next to Kermit the Frog and Miss Piggy, chandeliers that belong to a Chinese restaurant, busts of nymphs frolicking by a pond, miniature statues of the reclining Buddha... It feels like you're walking into a cultural identity crisis.

Even more overwhelming is the massive number of selections on their menu. Unless you're a regular, the formidable amount of possibilities you're presented with is a bit of a strain on the neurons. We're here to shed some light on what you should definitely order. If you haven't guessed by now from my lengthy spiel, you must be as confused as the person in charge of the decor.

Pork Sisig, P100. 5/5.

THIS IS THE REAL DEAL, PEOPLE. AND YES, THAT IS MOTHAFRICKIN' CHEESE ON TOP. AND I APOLOGIZE FOR THE ALL-CAPS USAGE WAHAHA. This is possibly one of the best sisigs you will ever taste in your life. It is perfect. Every mouthful is PERFECT. Words fall short. I revert to a more primitive state whenever this dish is placed in front of me. I'm sorry for not knowing the exact words to describe the pure perfection of their sisig. All I can offer are caveman-like grunts of approval. Trust me, you will not regret the years shaved off your life by eating this.

Thai Bagoong Rice, P105. 4/5.

Chunks of green mango, slivers of fried egg, and a hefty serving of (usually cold) tocino atop a mountain of rice, fried with bagoong. Tocino?! What?! Yeah, we thought so too. Pretty strange combination, especially since this is being touted as "THAI" bagoong rice. However, it works. Even if the tocino is usually served strangely cold. Sweet, salty, sour, and carby. Pretty darn good.

Boneless Chicken B-B-Q, P100. 2/5.

Meh. Well, okay, to be fair, it wasn't that bad, but it wasn't that great either. I say this with certainty because this review should have been written months ago, and this particular item does not get any synapses firing. I am currently staring at the pictures of the said dish with the same blank expression of someone who sees a one-time acquaintance from across the room and would rather not get into the dirty business of walking across to say hello again.

Diced Chicken in Chili Garlic, P100. 5/5.

Another okay dish. Nothing great. More sweet than spicy, and not really that memorable.

Chicken Sisig, P105. 3/5.

Not bad. Not quite a substitute for the awesomeness that is the pork sisig, but it will do. The chicken is usually pretty juicy despite the fact that the chunks are white meat, and grated cheese is never a bad idea. Friends who are stricken with last-minute remorse regarding the general well-being of their arteries usually order this and end up just staring enviously at whoever orders the pork sisig.

We failed to order the Bulalo Steak (P110), which is another dish that Wok is famous for, but we've ordered it (way too) many times in the past to know that it's something you end up thinking about during those days when you just need something that is so delicious but pretty much horrible for your body.

In summary, one heads over to Wok for two dishes alone. The rest are so-so meals that will do the job when it comes to filling empty stomachs, but to fulfill primal carnivorous urges, only the pork sisig and the bulalo steak will do the trick. Especially the pork sisig. Trust us on this.

- Bets

Wok with Me P80-P110 per meal Unit 102 Dioreza Plaza Building, Dapitan Street, Sampaloc 781-5908/781-5759 (They deliver! Minimum is P250.)

Make me miss the Philippines. I'll make sure to look around here when I visit back. Keep up the good work.

Thank you! :) We really appreciate it.

Updates

Hey guys, it's been way too long since our last post! Unfortunately, our last year of medicine has been keeping us extremely busy. However, keep posted. This isn't the last you've seen of That Hole in the Wall. ;) Thanks for following us! Happy eating!

hi there, i love your blog, coz i love hole in the wall places as welll, and being medical students, remind me of how i was few years back.i am a vascular surgeoni just want to make a correction. Atsu ramen is not in banawe,( i found thatg out when i was looking for it the whole stretch of banawe. It is located in Araneta Ave.. keep on [email protected]

Thanks so much for the feedback Doc! :) Sorry for the erratum. Noted, thank you. :) And thanks for following our blog, it means a lot to us. :D Expect more entries to come soon after our exams hehe. :p

- The THITW Team

Steak 101

After being away from expressing my passion and love for food for 3 long years because of med school's hectic schedule, I am finally back to doing what I love most: sharing my mind-blowing, mouth-exploding food finds to all the gastronomically insane like me who want MORE. I want to take this opportunity to thank Svet for bringing me back and for inviting me into her team of food addicts.

Okay, it's clobbering time!

I am all about LOW PRICED and DELICIOUS meals, and when I say delicious I mean high calorie and high fat food. I don’t eat... I FEAST. So for my maiden voyage here at THITW, I would like to share with you Dapitan Square's one and only STEAK 101.

Steak 101 is located at the heart of Dapitan Square, the well known food strip just across McDo Lacson. It boasts of student friendly meals that are not heavy on the budget. Whenever I want to escape from the f*%&@#+ high priced med caf and get a quick snack that's both cheap and satisfying, Steak 101 is the place that will definitely satisfy my urge for "not bad" sulit meals.

Crackling Liempo, P50 w/o drink, P55 with drink. THUMBS UP!

There are a lot of places around UST that sell the carinderia staple that is liempo with rice. Most fried liempos I’ve tried almost always turn out bad mainly because they serve it pan fried, not deep fried. The secret to a perfect dish of fried liempo is by deep frying the pork and transforming the greasy fat laden piece of flesh into a golden, crisp block of fatty explosion! It is because of this reason that I love the fried liempo of Steak 101. Just by eyeballing the menu and seeing the word CRACKLING, you'll surely be curious as to the truthfulness of the dish's name. So to test, I close my eyes and take in the first bite… The pork is crispy and the skin on top of the fat really is crackling! Every piece of liempo exudes the fat exploding flavor in my mouth (I deeply apologize to those who don’t like fat, I am a big fan of adipose). MOUTH EXPLOSION at its finest.

One order includes the crackling liempo, a cup of java rice, a side of mashed potato, a side of Mang Tomas sarsa and a cup of lemonade or red iced tea. For me, this dish is perfect save for just one problem: the side of Mang Tomas isn't always refillable. I particularly like Mang Tomas with fried liempo so when I eat here I always ask for refills. I had an experience where the ate wasn’t in a generous mood. To solve this, all you have to do is just make tiempo and ask the ate in a nice way. OR you can ask the lady who I think owns the place, she gave our table a full bottle. So that’s it, this dish really is CRACKLING!

Crackling Sisig, P60. THUMBS DOWN!

I just LOOOVE sisig! So when I saw that they also offer sisig CRACKLING, I thought I was going to die just like I did with the crackling liempo. When the sizzling plate arrived on the table, I took a bite... To my dismay, IT DID NOT taste anything like sisig. Just like Ron's post about the churros, the sisig tasted like NOTHING. Yes, nothing. How the hell could that have happened?!? The presentation was perfect! On the hot plate were crispy looking pieces of pork sizzling their way to perfection with a slowly cooking egg on top. This couldn't be bad. I took a whole spoonful. DISASTER. It was FAKE. Fake sisig is the worst thing that can go into your mouth. It was that bad. And to top it all off, they tried to make it crackling by adding CUCUMBER (see picture above for those little green pieces of sadness). It was just WRONG! Compensating for the lack of sisig by adding CUCUMBER? SERIOUSLY?! May crunch nga pero gulay naman! This dish was just so wrong! SAD TO SAY, sisiraan ko lang tong sisig na to.

Tonkatsu, P50. THUMBS UP!

If you want to get your money's worth, then you should get tonkatsu and add an order of extra rice for that GRABE, SULIT NA SULIT EXPERIENCE! One order literally fills the whole length of the sizzling plate. Nothing special about this dish, it just tastes like good old tonkatsu, but it comes with a unique sweet sauce that gets you going and going until you'll have to order an extra cup of rice. The best part is that the sauce is unlimited unlike the Mang Tomas. The Japanese fried pork lies on top of a bed of cabbage that's just nothing but decoration, but I'm still giving them one up for presentation.

Mashed Potato, P25. THUMBS UP!

Mashed potato at Steak 101 is just magnificent. I don't get a single order because it comes with the crackling but my friend Jhun NEVER eats a meal without an extra order of these yellowish potato clouds. It's mashed potato with big chunks of potato inside and that’s what makes it delicious. Every spoonful contains a combination of mashed and chunky potato that does wonders in your mouth. This is a must try!

Red Iced Tea and Lemonade, P7. THUMBS UP!

Yes, you read it right. A cup of red iced tea or lemonade for just P7! Quite cheap eh? SUPER CHEAP! It costs P7 if you order it by cup but if you add it on to a meal, it’ll just cost you P5. I preferably order the red iced just so that I can shift away from the usual lemonade, which is also good. By looking at the price you might conclude that the drink might be diluted, but rest assured that its flavor is up to par with all the other packaged drinks out there. This really is value for your money.

Steak 101 is that kind of place you eat at when you're trying to save up for something special (like those new Jordans or Kobes that'll be coming out this April). It’s that kind of place where you can enjoy a good meal without having to pay too much. So if you're quite strapped for cash and can’t find anything decent to munch on at the med caf, then head on to Steak 101 at Dapitan Square and I can guarantee you that you'll leave with a full stomach and a happy wallet.

- Martin

Steak 101 P25-P60 per meal Dapitan Square, Dapitan Street corner Lacson Avenue

#steak 101 #dapitan square

Atsu Atsu Ramen

Hey everyone! Not only have we made it through the hellish days and nights spent toiling over the scourge that is Clinical Epidemiology, we've prevailed with flying colors! Thank you for the prayers and the support. We're finally back to regular programming hehehe.

So, what have we been up to recently besides slaving over Medicine? Actually, pretty much nothing else. :| Now that we finally have our lives back, we're incredibly excited to finally return to eating more than caf food and hastily packed lunches from home. So without further ado, on to the food!

Almost a full month ago, UST celebrated its quadricentennial year. Of course, what would a quadricentennial anniversary be without the festivities? An almost week-long celebration ensued, which culminated on a Friday in a huge all-out campus-wide event that sadly, I didn't attend. Instead, the THITW crew and I headed over to Atsu Atsu Ramen, a Japanese restaurant owned by business partners Paul Cuenca and Bong Martin (who also happens to be BJ's uncle), to do some serious reviewing.

Bong Martin and Paul Cuenca

Right smack along Araneta Avenue, Atsu Atsu Ramen seems to have been placed in a pretty strange location, seeing as there more factories than restaurants littered around the area. Paul has a pretty good comeback. "If the food is good, the people will come."

Unlike the abundance of flashy mass-marketed "fusion" Japanese restaurants that have been mushrooming around the metro, Atsu Atsu offers a more dignified, unpretentious, quieter breath of fresh air. Most Japanese restaurants in Manila serve Filipinized versions of Japanese food. You know what I'm talking about. Heavy on the salt, the sugar, the sauce, the breading, and the grease. Though I do admit, I get a hankering for Philadelphia rolls and deep fried sushi every so often, traditional Japanese cuisine still takes precedence for me. If you're looking for authenticity, Atsu Atsu is all that. "I wanted to serve authentic, non-bastardized Japanese food," Paul explains.

Simple but with meticulous attention to detail, Atsu Atsu's interiors make you feel like you're in an authentic ramen house. Two of its main chefs have been trained by traditional Japanese chefs and have been with Paul's team for 15 years. They're no stranger to the business as they set up Furusato, one of the first Japanese restaurants in the Philippines.

Atsu Bun, P85. 3.5/5. White bun filled with simmered pork, vegetables, mayonnaise and sauce.

We started off with the Atsu Bun, which, as the server described, was "Japanese cuapao". This is amazing eaten hot and fresh. The pork strips were INCREDIBLE and cooked PERFECTLY. I loved this.

Atsu Kakuni, P140. 3/5. Simmered pork in special Japanese sauce.

The pork was melt-in-your-mouth tender and lovingly simmered in a delicious sauce. The boys fell in love with this because of the high fat-to-meat ratio. I personally shied away from this because I feel iffy eating something that visibly has almost as much fat as meat, but everyone else insisted that they loved this and that it adds to the flavor. Don't get me wrong though, this wasn't greasy at all, despite the glistening fat. It tasted clean, simple and delicious.

Chicken Teriyaki, P145. 2.5/5. Grilled chicken with teriyaki sauce.

This didn't particularly stand out for us. The chicken was tender and well-cooked, but the taste just wasn't that memorable.

Steamed Gyoza, P85. 3.5/5. 5 pcs. Japanese dumpling.

The gyoza was delicious, albeit a little greasy despite it being steamed. The dipping sauce complemented it well. I loved the fact that the wrapper was slightly toasted, as you can see from the pictures. The texture was amazing. Soft, slippery and doughy but slightly crispy. YUM. The pork was a little undercooked but it was still pretty good.

Ebi Tempura, P150. 4/5. Shrimp tempura.

The batter was light and NOT AT ALL OILY, which elevates this dish above most of the Japanese restaurants around here. Atsu Atsu does not cheat you by upping the ratio of batter to shrimp. It did not overwhelm the taste of the shrimp, which was fresh and sizeable, unlike the scrawny excuses for tempura that most of us have come to know. This was really good tempura.

Tori Karaage, P150. 3.5/5. Boneless fried chicken.

Oh man was this good. The flavor was CRAZY DELICIOUS. This is the kind of fried chicken that you dream about. Thinking about this makes my mouth water. How can I describe this accurately? The taste was out of this world. Our only issue with it was the copious amount of oil that gushed into our mouths with each bite. Perhaps if this were improved, this would be one stellar fried chicken dish.

Chicken Yakitori, P140. 4/5. Skewered chicken with special sauce.

The chicken was so soft, it practically melted as soon as we bit into it. Flavorful, juicy, and mind-blowingly tender, this was a pretty great dish.

Miso Ramen, P160. 4.5/5. Miso base ramen that has strong rustic flavor with simmered pork and vegetables.

Tokyo Ramen, P160. 5/5. Shoyu base ramen soup topped with simmered pork, green onion, half an egg, bamboo shoots, and fish cake.

Now for the stars of the show. THE RAMEN. To be completely honest, you should head over to Atsu Atsu solely for the ramen because they have PERFECTED THE ART OF MAKING IT. Though the other dishes are worth mentioning, they pale in comparison to Atsu Atsu's ramen.

The Miso Ramen is supposed to have the strongest flavor among the other variants, but it actually tasted subdued compared to the Tokyo Ramen. The Miso Ramen has a clean, uncomplicated taste. It's the kind of ramen you'd want to eat on a rainy day, when you want to feel toasty and warm. The Tokyo Ramen, however, is complex, rich, and contrary to the descriptions on the menu, much stronger in taste as opposed to the Miso Ramen. The Tokyo Ramen was hands-down my favorite and is now my holy grail of ramen here in the Philippines. It's that good. The noodles are toothsome and thick and each of the components complemented one another perfectly. Trust me. THAT GOOD.

Umani Ramen Set, P285. 4/5. Shoyu base ramen with vegetables, seafoods, sesame oil, hard boiled egg. The soup is rich and satisfying, almost more a thick ramen gravy than soup.

You can also order ramen sets which are served with 1 piece Okaka Onigiri or 1 piece Atsu bun (WE HIGHLY RECOMMEND THE ATSU BUN!!!) as well as 3 pieces of steamed gyoza and a mini salad. You get lots of bang for your buck for only P285. It's supposed to be good for one but it was pretty formidable even for a big guy like Francis.

I'm going to review the Umani Ramen separately from the Miso and the Tokyo ramen because it didn't really taste like the ramen that I'm accustomed to. It tasted more like its description: gravy. That's not necessarily a bad thing, because it was hearty, rich and packed with flavor. COMFORT FOOD. I'm still biased towards the Tokyo and the Miso ramen though, but give the Umani a shot.

Overall, the prices are incredibly reasonable for the authenticity and the quality of the food you get. The team differed in terms of favorites, but we all agreed that the ramen was OUTSTANDING. If ever you drop by Atsu Atsu, we beg you to order their ramen. It will change your life.

'Til the next review! - Bets

Atsu Atsu Ramen by Zen P80-P300 per meal Barangay Sto. Domingo, Araneta Ave., Quezon City

Erratum: We originally posted "Banawe Street" as the location of the restaurant. Thanks to Dr. Jeff Chua for pointing out the error. :)

#UST #atsu atsu ramen #japanese #ramen

Apologies!

Hey guys, we owe you a really big apology for running incredibly late on our reviews! We are seriously swamped with school right now but we promise that our long overdue review on a really amazing Japanese restaurant will be up by next weekend.

In the meantime, we'd like to introduce a new face in our group. He's one avid food fan with a seriously insatiable appetite. Welcome, Martin! Watch for his reviews soon! ;)

Wish us luck, everyone! We promise to get back to the good stuff. If we make out of these weeks alive. HAHAHAHA. Kidding. OPTIMISM IS KEY!

Happy eating, guys! Be back soon. :)

Pasta Plate: Confections

Hello! Sorry for the weeklong delay. This last shift has just begun and is proving to be the toughest one yet. Snaps for weekends! And so I am going to take this time to take a break from the chaka-fest that is med school (I actually should be doing something important. "C.E." you're killing me!), and give you more of the food reviews you love. I hope you’re ready (or kahit hindi) for another serving of Pasta Plate cause there’s more, but this time we’ll take a peek into their selection of sweets, which they aptly dub as CONFECTIONS (Thank you for stating the obvious. Ganun talaga. Wag na umarte. Hehe!)

Pasta Plate's collection of Confections.

Didn't get to try these. I think these are "Crinkles" in cupcake form. So much for pastry tradition.

Churros con Chocolat, P25 - Hmmm... Where do I begin? I'm not some kind of an expert or something, but aren't churros supposed to be doughy, bread-like pastry things? This version doesn't even come close to being doughy, it's... 'Something'. I'm not sure what it was (Batter? Breading?? Cornstarch???), but it's fried 'something' and not in an exciting kind of way. We got pumped when I ordered it. Churros? For P25? Not bad! But it was. An order has 6 churro pieces, and a chocolate dip. Svet grabbed a piece ecstatically, but her face immediately turned into this "throw up at 'ya" face and exclaimed, "NAMAN..." And when she says that, you know something's bad. She tried dipping it in chocolate, but still this did not quell her dismay. I tried it, and experienced the exact same thing. It was like biting into tempura batter (A tasteless batter) with a hollow center. The chocolate dip won't help either. And it was kind of pale in appearance, as if it wasn't fried well (Maybe that's why!). Parting words: Stop pretending that you're a churro, when you're not. Mapagpanggap ka.

Banana and Nutella Panini, P45 - A lttle meh. Nothing spectacular. I had high hopes for this one. I love Nutella (I love the fact that it has the word 'Nut' in its name but doesn't make me all itchy in the throat. Haha!) and I thought that it would go great with the banana, but it's nothing special. It's even bitter at times. Maybe the all pressing didn't do the banana + nutella combination any good. The crew barely touched it, and left everything to me. I used the chocolate dip from the churros to shake it up a little. Overall, for the price and all, it's a little ho-hum.

Fudge ala Mode, P40 - It was only after I ordered the two above when I found out that they had this. Being the great pals that they are (and for the sake of me reviewing something), Dave and Svet offered to get us this. Everyone in the place seemed to be ordering this after their meals, so that got me all excited. Who wouldn't get excited with things "ala mode"? At first bite I loved how the moist, warm fudge cupcake contrast the cool, sweet vanilla ice cream. Combining these polar opposites (as in anything ala mode) will give you a different kind of dessert experience. This made me a bit greedy and wanted to get as much as I can. But as I went on, I and some of the others, noticed a burnt, bitter taste, which I didn't mind at the time. After everyone got their fair share, and me still the greedy sow that I am, shamelessly declared, "The dessert queen will get the last bite!" and the helpless subjects complied. But my hoggishness had instant karma. The last, central portion turned out to be the core of all burned pieces. Hooray! That last bite was awful! Burnt. Charcoal-y. Burnt. Talk about leaving a bad taste in the mouth. The subjects laughed at their queen, and the queen washed it off with water. Sayang! It could've been great if only they prepared it right. Let's start by not burning the cupcake, shall we? So the desserts in Pasta Plate are a little so-so (some even awful). If hindi overcooked, undercooked naman (say hello churro!). Maybe pasta is their strong suit (hence the name). I hope they improve the preparation (esp. the Fudge ala Mode) because they can be "pwede na" after meal treats (para hindi na lumabas and take their dessert money somewhere else). There are still other Confections I haven't tried yet, and who knows maybe they're not half as bad as the ones above. If you're still up for it, try the rest and tell me what you think.

- Ron

Pasta Plate

Haaaallooooo everyone! We're sorry for the delay, we've all been pretty busy adjusting to the rigors of regular school hours post-exam week. To add to the craziness, UST recently held a semi week-long celebration of its quadricentennial anniversary. 400 years of Thomasian education! Woo hoo!

Anyway, enough jabber. ON TO THE FOOD!

We wanted to start things right after the horror of shifting exams, so we headed off to Dapitan to explore and hopefully discover a hidden treasure trove of gastronomic delights. (We also needed to find a place that wouldn't make our wallets cry tears of despair.)

We found ourselves in V. Concepcion and serendipitously stumbled upon a tiny restaurant tucked into one of the buildings along the street. We had probably passed by the place many times in the past and failed to notice that it actually existed.

The interior of Pasta Plate is warm, homey and inviting. Although it tends to get a bit cramped whenever it's a full house, the general atmosphere is cozy enough for you to genuinely enjoy your dining experience.

Yihee.

Some busty Italian woman urging you to eat her pasta.

Self-explanatory. :p

Tuna Carbonara, P70. 3.5/5

One great thing about Pasta Plate is that the noodles are cooked al dente. This was a pretty good dish. It was creamy, peppery, and didn't scrimp on the tuna. We really liked the fact that most of the meals were priced reasonably.

Chicken Ala Kiev, P85. 3.5/5

"What makes chicken ala Kiev 'ala Kiev'?" Dave pondered. After a moment of thoughtful silence, we realized that we had absolutely no idea. "Parang place ata yung Kiev?" Ron offered helpfully. Right you are! Besides being the capital of Ukraine, "Kiev" is a way of preparing chicken. "Boneless chicken breast pounded and rolled around cold garlic butter with herbs, then breaded and either fried or baked." Wikipedia is my best friend. This was a filling dish with a crapload of rice, as you can probably see in the picture. The chicken "ala Kiev" was pretty tasty, but it was also pretty tough.

Cheesy Chicken Pesto, P100. 3/5

The pasta was amazing. I am a sucker for simple food done right. I believe they used garlic, onions and olive oil for the pasta. It tasted clean and fresh. Ron and Mean loved this too. However, my beef lies with the chicken. IT WAS COLD. I'm not talking room temperature. I mean COLD. When I cut into it, the meat was a little tough. No matter, I went on and put a forkful into my mouth. I grimaced immediately. The outer part was warm, but the inner contents were almost glacial. Mean and I surmised that they probably just microwave their food. It was a shame since the filling, a glorious mix of really buttery, creamy cheese, herbs, and pesto, was actually pretty good. I should have asked one of the servers to reheat it.

Chicken Fillet Pesto, P80. 2.5/5

The pesto was average. Nothing spectacular, to be honest. The chicken strips looked and tasted like the chicken fillets that you get from the frozen section of your grocery.

Hungarian Pesto, P85. 3/5

Ron ordered this and immediately regretted it when he took one forkful and turned to me with a panicked look on his face. "MAY NUTS BA 'TO?!?" Unfortunately, our Dessert Diva is tragically ALLERGIC TO NUTS. They make his airways constrict like a vise. Even the mere smell of nuts makes him nervous. There WERE pine nuts in the pesto and Ron grudgingly exchanged his meal with Dave's and cast longing looks at the glistening slices of Hungarian sausage. The pesto pasta, again, didn't set off taste explosions in our mouths. It was just okay. The Hungarian sausage, however, worked incredibly well with it. We really love Hungarian sausage. Salty, spicy, porky, and with slightly toasted edges. How can you go wrong? Have I mentioned how much we love Hungarian sausage?

Chicken and Pesto Panini, P70. 3/5

This was undoubtedly the winner among what we had ordered. Somehow, their pesto worked better when pressed lovingly between two slices of bread that resembled ciabatta but wasn't quite it. Warm, delicious and filling. We weren't quite sold with the price though, but the panini is satisfying and makes for good comfort food.

Overall, we think that Pasta Plate has a lot of potential for growth. If they manage to iron out the kinks and perfect their meals, we think that you'll be getting a lot of value for your money.

Shoutout and a big thanks to Ralph for the unexpected birthday treat. ;)

- Bets

Pasta Plate P50-P100 per meal 1228-A V. Concepcion Street, Sampaloc, Manila

By the way, check out our friend Mark's awesome new food blog! He says we inspired him to start his own. Thanks Chatty! :)

#pasta plate #v. concepcion

Simple Line

After our atherosclerotic, kidney failure-inducing, just utterly disappointing lunch at this certain place that Bets used to love, we felt like we just had to wash off all that salt, grease and basically all the negativities inside us. Most of us were craving for something sweet, something cold. A dessert, perhaps?

Or... A cold, refreshing drink might do the trick. Since we were about to pass by Dapitan St., we opted for some milk tea in an attempt to soothe our souls with something healthy and relaxing. And where else to buy, but from the pioneer and probably the most controversial tea place in or around UST, Simple Line. (Or Life... Whatever floats your boat... But I guess Simple Life sounds better and "not edited for the sake of legal issues.")

The erstwhile Simple Life started the "who knew tea could be this good and not taste like our lola's drink" fad around 2008 and has been going around amidst all the popping new tea stalls trying to jump on the “milk tea” bandwagon. But despite the months of mysterious hiatus, it's back. And with a vengeance, I suppose. With its new and improved menu, Simple line offers more interesting variants like Oolong tea, herbal jelly "sinkers" and rose flavored tea which will be featured here. Although it's no longer located at the UST carpark, it is still the go-to place for tea-lovers and just plain thirsty students alike.

Here's the new branch in Dapitan, complete with the original "tsinay"-looking cashier who gets the orders and gives out the “call” numbers written on a plastic thingy and perhaps one of the owners of Simple Line, a couple of “tea bartenders” behind her, all the tea stuff which they claim are imported from Taiwan and the other paraphernalia they need to whip up those herbal-infused beverages that we like so much.

4/5

This is basically what I order most of the time, aside from Yogurt Green tea. And I have to admit that I'm a bit biased when it comes to this 'cause I almost exclusively drink green tea. But that's where the THITW crew comes in to give me their two cents worth of whatever we sample. (Thanks guys!)

Unlike other tea places, the green milk tea in Simple Line has an inherent, delicate jasmine taste (which I and Bets like, but others may find weird, "like drinking sampaguita extract or something"). Although they use powdered milk, there are no floating clumps and the milk blends perfectly with the tea. And the firm and chewy bricks of coffee konjac complements every sip very well, however, it seems quite scanty. (In contrast with Serenitea's sinkers which makes almost a third of the drink. =))

4/5

Betoy got the Rose Green tea which made me fairly curious, thinking if it will turn out like the ones that the arch-competition of SL serve (which for me tasted like the essential oils that are heated on those fancy clay diffusers). Surprisingly, this one doesn't! Instead, it tasted more like a fruit juice with a hint of strawberry that has a rosy "middle-note" to it. And to top it all off, Bets seemed to really enjoy it.

4/5

Lastly, we have Simple Line's best seller, the Tapioca Black milk tea. With their signature syrupy, sweet and chewy tapioca pearls mixed with their classic, slightly bitter black milk tea, Ella (AKA Maple Syrup) was at a loss for words and simply said, "Ok lang siya, same old. =)" (then back to her cam).

I think the name says it all. It's simple. It's life. Simple Line offers simple, healthy, and flavorful choices and somehow, it has been part of our lives as Thomasians. (Hehe.)

-mngrl

Simple Line 1212 V. Concepcion St., Manila (near Dapitan St.) For delivery: 09228839567

Crepe Cones

HEY GIRLS! And boys! It took me a day to pay respects to the Entrée Epicure’s heartbreak over Almer’s Canteen (See Svet’s emotional breakdown below). I worry about her sometimes. Some of the bad food might really end up messing with her appetite (and her emotions). It just shows how dedicated we all are (esp. our EIC) in bringing you honest, cutthroat reviews. Definitely no sugar coating. And this, my friends, is the perfect segue for another non-sugar coated review of sugary sweet desserts. Crepe lovers are in for a treat. Satisfaction to your cravings is just around the corner (as in sa Dapitan), in the form of CREPE CONES.

The Crepe Cones stand with Ralph quietly looking on (a rare occurence) as the Ate prepares his order. Let the menu board speak to you as you contemplate on the perfect topping to go with your ice cream. In this case, "Hey boy! Have some mangoes! *rapture*"

The lovely ladies of Crepe Cones. The Ate without the pink hat and apron gave me a slight (just slight) frown. Maybe because I gave her P500.00 when it's just P39.00 (I wanted change), or she's just tired. No hatred. I really did have ulterior motives. Hahaha!

Ralph's, with mangoes.

Mine, with brownies.

Crepe Cones, P39 (with ice cream and choice of one topping) - After the dismay that was Almer's, the crew wanted to bring their spirits up, and so we searched for desserts. Diana spoke of a crepe joint that's cheap and boasts of ice cream with toppings, and it's called Crepe Cones. If you know of "Crepes and Cream" in the malls, Crepe Cones is a "crepe-for-less" version.

As with Crepes and Cream's "Sweet Crepes" selections, the Crepe Cones serve their crepes in the form of... Yep, you guessed it, cones. I have to say I have a bit of a problem with this set-up (for both brands ha!). You see, I want my eating experience to be pleasurable, easy and breezy. The cone form can be a bit of a hassle, with the paper wrapped around the cone, and as I try to remove it, most of the time the crepe falls apart. Next thing I know, I have sticky ice cream drippings all over my fingers and if I'm really lucky, my clothes, and you know how that thrills me... But that's just me. Come to think of it, if they serve it in the usual flat, plate form (as in Cafe Breton), one would need to sit down for a while to eat it, which would be a problem if you're the "on-the-go" type, who's carrying tons of stuff and wants to make it to class/work. And so I don't really know how to reconcile this. Maybe I just need to learn the technique of eating crepes in cones. Haha!

As for the crepe itself, first of all, I think they prepare it with all cleanliness (disregarding the open air setting of Dapitan). They wear gloves and aprons (at least those handling the food directly) and they have complete, clean equipment, from the flat, circular hot plate to the spatula with the long rod that spreads the batter evenly on the plate. As for the taste, it's pretty decent. Although it could have been more pancake-y, and buttery. Perhaps a little sweeter, but I guess it was ok.

For the contents of the crepe, the highlight of it all is the ice cream. The ice cream is not just a topping, it is the main filling. I wonder what brand they used, or if it's their personal recipe because it's quite good. It's soooo creamy! I'd be happy with a plain one, if it weren't for the thought of being "lugi" because I didn't pick a topping. Speaking of, you can choose one from a number of toppings ranging from fruits to chocolates. With a little price increase, you can add more toppings to create your favorite combination. I stayed with the regular price and chose brownies, and they were ok, a bit too chewy and rich, not necessarily bad brownie qualities if you ask me. I didn't taste Ralph's (with mangoes) for I was sick and I didn't want to infect him. But I guess it was ok, judging by how he seems to send a vibe that what he is eating is good, if not, "the best". Although the filling is not as "to the brim" as with the popular brand. With just one scoop of the ice cream and the topping(s), the filling is almost at the bottom of the cone. But with a P39 crepe, you dare not complain.

Crepe Cones could very well be a crepe addict's haven if he/she really wanted to get one on a whim. For P39, it's quite cheap for a crepe (but still a bit much for a student's dessert, I think), enough to quell your crepe cravings with a good creamy scoop of ice cream and your favorite topping. The Crepe Cones stand can be found in Dapitan, beside Simple Line.

- Ron

Almer's Canteen

I'm sure most of us have experienced falling in love with someone because he put his best foot forward when you first met. THEN, in that pivotal moment when you finally proclaim your undying love for him, he changes and turns into a repulsive slug and not at all like anything you thought he was.

This is how we feel about Almer's.

Why have you turned us against you?! :( We've always had nothing but love for you.

First of all, we have no intention of offending Almer's purists. Remember, this food blog is based on our opinions. You might still find some redeeming qualities where we find none.

It is with a heavy heart that we write our first negative review. We promised to give you the truth, so here goes.

Outside Almer's.

I first had a taste of Almer's famous sisig when I was still in first year med. It's been said that you're not truly from UST if you haven't eaten their sisig. I fell in love. It became one of my benchmark sisigs, along with Wok's. It was a sizzling, delicious, meaty plate of wonder, and oh my God, Almer's gravy worked so well with it.

It's been around two years since I last ate at Almer's, but I expected nothing less than porky perfection.

How the mighty have fallen indeed.

The creepy extremely narrow stairs leading to the second floor. Beware, ladies in heels.

Second floor.

Incomplete menu on the wall.

Menu complete with "Bilao Menu" in case you feel like ordering a big bilao-sized serving of sadness in the form of really horrible food.

Our intrepid server. In the interest of fairness, Almer's has good service. He was really prompt and when Dave asked for extra gravy, he came back with bowls of gravy for EVERYONE.

Sisig, P60. 1/5

Where to begin. The sisig was the first to arrive, with the server ceremoniously announcing its descent onto our table. The disappointment and shock only registered on our faces after taking the first bite. Maybe the chopped onions making up 2/3 of the whole thing should have tipped us off, but nothing could have prepared us for the utter fail of this dish. The pork tasted... Like nothing. Maybe it should have tasted like onions? Onions and egg? But seriously, it tasted like... Nothing. Like a sad excuse for pork. It was oily, tasteless, and sad. Ronah tried resuscitating it by throwing in hot sauce. Then vinegar. Then soy sauce. BUT NOTHING WORKED. You just can't bring the dead back to life.

Jerk Chicken, P65. 1.5/5

I asked the server what "Jerk Chicken" was exactly, and he said it was chicken, only spicy. You have only to say the word "spicy" to me to describe food and I will immediate think it is delicious, so it's no wonder I opted to order this. What arrived on our table looked promising. Bathed in gravy and looking really well-seasoned, I had relatively high hopes. The sad little clump of mashed potatoes in the middle of the plate didn't discourage me. I forged onwards and took the first bite... And tasted nothing but salt. It was chewy and it looked like chicken, but it tasted only like salt. My lips burned afterwards not from the spice (which was absent) but from too much sodium. No exaggeration.

Spareribs, P60. 1/5

This looked promising as well. The cut was lean and it smelled amazing. However, we were shocked to discover that it tasted exactly like the Jerk Chicken. Like salt in the guise of protein. Oh, the heaviness in our hearts.

Lechon Kawali, P60. 1/5

We spotted Mean nibbling thoughtfully on her food after all our disappointed ranting faded into resigned chewing. We were horrified to realize that she was pushing about half of the contents of her plate to the side, seeing as almost all of the pork cuts were inedible due to their PURE FAT CONTENT. There were only a few bits that actually HAD meat, and the little that Mean had to make do with were not enough to salvage the dish.

Though we left Almer's with full stomachs, we also carried extremely heavy hearts. We had come to expect so much from the establishment and we were left feeling completely gyped and unhappy. What happened? How did the quality of the food manage to deteriorate so terribly in the span of just two years?

Needless to say, we will not be returning.

Boo.

- Bets

Almer's Canteen P45-P100 per meal Alfredo Street, Sampaloc, Manila

#almer's canteen #alfredo street

1236 Grillery

HAPPY HAPPY NEW YEAR, GUYS! We hope you all had an awesome break. We sure did, seeing as it was OUR LAST CHRISTMAS VACATION EVER. That's right, fools. In a few months, we're moving up the medical food chain and becoming clerks. That pretty much means no more vacations for any of us, but screw it, we're all ridiculously excited for the crazy learning experiences (i.e. daily humiliating affirmations of how little we actually know) clerkship has in store for us.

Anyway, enough med school chatter! ON TO THE REVIEW!

Ahh, 1236. How we love thee. I don't think there are any words for expressing just how much we revere this little "grillery" along Asturias.

We are crazy about the place, the food, the prices, the airconditioning, the constant loop of MYMP/Sitti/*insert random easy listening/acoustic Pinoy musicians HAHAHA*, heck, we even love Kuya 1236 (yes, we are shameful, we claim to love him but we don't even know his name). Hefty servings, awesome selection of food, thought-out presentation, and reasonable prices. You might balk at paying for something greater than double-digits, but trust us, 1236 is worth every peso.

The little sign up front does a disservice to the place. "Steak. Chicken. Pasta." DO NOT BE FOOLED. 1236 is so much more than that.

The exterior. Do not be fooled by the seemingly sketchy sign.

Interior.

Kuya 1236 whipping up a new batch of the iced tea that comes with every meal.

The ever-present lady at the counter. We think she owns the place. Ella freaked her out a little with this shot as is apparent by the stunned look on her face.

Menu, front. Don't ask us why there are stethoscopes on it. (Though we personally think that it's their tribute to their loyal med student following. Cough cough.)

Menu, back.

Beef Salpicao, P130. Sauteed beef tenderloin in garlic with oyster and Worcestershire sauce. 3.5/5

I was craving for salpicao that day, and wonder of wonders, 1236 had it on the menu. Beef was tender enough and soaked in a salty semi-sweetish sauce that had mild heat. As a beef dish, it was pretty good, but since it touts itself as "salpicao", perhaps it could have been better. Maybe it's because my idea of salpicao is a dish with melt-in-your-mouth cubes of buttery beef, copious amounts of garlic, and zero sweetness. Still a good dish, nonetheless, but not something I would order again if I wanted salpicao.

Fish Fillet Avatar, P125. Breaded fish fillet with butter, white wine, and spinach cream sauce. 4/5

The fish was fried to perfection. The breading was crispy and not at all oily, and the fish fell apart in delicious flakes upon contact with my fork. (Thanks Ry for the sample!) The sauce was delicious and creamy. Enough said, no more questions about why the heck it was named that way.

Pork Picatta, P120. Flattened pork tenderloin, cooked in parmesan cheese and egg with creamy tomato concasse sauce. 3.5/5

This was all right. Mean was on the fence about this. The sauce tasted like something that belonged in a pasta dish, but it worked pretty well with the pork, which, by the way, was a little tough.

Deviled Chicken, P120. Fried pocket chicken fillet strips with spinach, chili garlic and cream cheese. With homemade spicy tomato concasse sauce. 4.5/5

One of us always ends up ordering this whenever we eat at 1236. This is a reliable go-to dish that is consistently DELICIOUS. The sauce isn't as spicy as the name makes it out to be, but it still packs some mild zing. And yes, that is a devil's pointy tail on the plate. Another reason why we love the place is the quirky presentation.

Beef Duxelles, P148. Grilled beef tenderloin with tomato concasse sauce and demi glace. 4/5

I will not lie. I have honestly forgotten how this tasted, but I DO remember that my mouthful was pretty great. To prove how delicious this dish actually was, BJ, who had never eaten at 1236 prior to our review, returned to Asturias to have dinner there on the exact same day. Then he returned to have lunch there the day after. That should give you an idea of how good this probably was.

Buffalo Wings, P125. Deep fried chicken wings with sweet and spicy buffalo sauce. 3.5/5

This was all right, perhaps not stellar, but it was good enough. The buffalo sauce didn't really taste like the buffalo sauce that most of us are accustomed to. The chicken was a bit too spicy for Ella (but not me, although my tastebuds are probably immune to anything less than tear-inducing spice), but it was still pretty tasty.

Pork Apple Bagnet, P115. Fried pork tenderloin with cinnamon apple sauce. 4.5/5

If we were to choose only one dish to eat forever from the menu, it would be this one. This was incredibly delicious. Like, SUPER MIND-BLOWINGLY DELICIOUS. Imagine super tender, lean pork coated in light, ultra delicious crispy breading with a delicate crunch upon contact with your teeth. But wait, there's more! IMAGINE THIS CRAZY DELICIOUS CINNAMON APPLE SAUCE ON TOP. Dear Lord. Trust us. You need to order this.

Thai Fish, P125. Deep fried cream dory fish fillet, cooked in butter dough with spicy coconut cream sauce. 4/5

Another winner. 1236 has mastered the art of deep frying and amazing sauces. Lightly breaded cream dory in buttery spicy coconut cream sauce. So good. The Thai Fish sauce is one of our favorite sauces ever. We actually ask for this sauce on the side even when we order other dishes.

To put things lightly, we are mildly obsessed with 1236. The service is fast and really friendly, the food is creative and pretty darn impressive, and the servings are huge.

If the servings can make BJ happy, you know you're in for a really satisfying meal. WAHAHA joke lang BJ!

Another plus is the airconditioning and the super clean interiors. If you're ever in the area, we urge you to drop by and see why we think 1236 is one of the best places to go to for an amazing meal after a soul-sapping day in med school. You might even see us there if you're lucky HAHAHA. :p Happy eating, guys!

- Bets

1236 Grillery P75-P160 per meal 1236 Asturias Street, Sampaloc, Manila

#1236 grillery #asturias

Banana-Rum-A

Last one before we go on a Christmas break “review hiatus”, and it’s going to be on the university famous BANANA-RUM-A, by the main man himself Mang Tootz (See Svet's review below). And I am actually afraid to do this review, for fear of disappointing throngs of Banana-Rum-A followers, but here goes.

There’s Ateh with her wok whipping up a fresh batch of Banana-Rum-A Turons outside for everyone’s viewing pleasure.

Banana-Rum-A, 3pcs for P10 – In case you’re still wondering, “What the heck is Banana-Rum-A?!” well they’re the Filipino classic Turon. It has the banana filling, with langka, wrapped with turon wrapper (what is it called actually?). With a dash of sugar, it is then fried to perfection, and there you have it, the merienda favorite that is Turon. But Mang Tootz, being the radical that he is, put a little twist into this classic treat. The key ingredient to his creation is Rhum. Yes, you read it right, Rhum. Hence the moniker Banana-RUM-a (with reference to the 80’s British pop group Bananarama. Haha!). Being the genius that I am, I didn’t get it at first. It was only my crew who told me that they put Rhum in the turons. Haha! And finally, for more pizzazz, they added sesame seeds and cinnamon powder, and voila! The famous Banana-Rum-A!

Turons are a personal favorite. Heck, it even has my name on it. Haha! So I’m always on the look out for fresh takes. I had high expectations with Banana-Rum-A, for it has a great following among UST students.

I loved how the banana was still fresh, i.e. not dry, withered and lifeless even after minutes of being fried like other random turon joints. That’s a major plus considering that they make them in batches and they leave them in open air until sold. Other turons would be lifeless by then, but the Banana-Rum-A definitely surpasses that.

The banana-langka combination blended well, you wouldn’t bite and taste just banana or just langka. In short, you can’t separate one from the other, which means they paid attention in crafting the filling and not just put the banana and langka on top of each other.

The wrapper was not burnt, it was just right, not “fragile crispy”, and for me a sign is you wouldn’t get “tusok” inside the mouth when you bite it off and they become fragmented and pointy.

The sesame seeds and the cinnamon powder add personality to the turon. Usually, I’m not a fan of sesame seeds, but with the cinnamon powder, I guess it was ok.

As for the Rhum taste, well… It was ok. I’m not sure if it’s just the batch I had, but it tasted like gulaman. Don’t get me wrong. I love me some gulaman. But I can’t get over the fact that my turon tastes like gulaman. I asked my girls (and Dave) if they tasted the same, and they did. But then again, maybe it’s just the batch we got. In the Section A2012 Christmas Party, the Banana-Rum-A was served for dessert, and the gulaman taste wasn’t that evident. It isn’t bad, ok? It’s just that it DID taste like gulaman. Haha! So they should do a little work on the consistency aspect of it.

Two thumbs up for value for money. For only P10, you actually get three pieces. You can share with two other pals or if you were really hungry (or greedy) you can have ‘em all to yourself (after all they are smaller ones compared to other big turons out there), and it would be just right. I’m taking home two orders for my Mom and Dad (and let them judge if it does taste like gulaman) and it wouldn’t hurt my pocket.

The final verdict is that the Banana-Rum-A is a good, affordable finisher after a hearty, oily, cholesterol-filled meal at Mang Tootz Food House. Although they need to be more consistent with the Rhum, or the sugar to tame the gulaman taste of it, which I repeat is not bad. After all it wouldn’t be famous and draw crowds if it were awful. You be the judge! Drop by Mang Tootz Food House with your “Diyes” and taste for yourself.

-Ron

Melona Ice Cream Bar

The long overdue dessert reviews. Sorry for the delay! I am supposed to do two already. First up, Hanayo’s MELONA ICE CREAM BAR (Tama ba?)

Melona Ice Cream Bar, P30 – I have always been a sucker for ice-lollies, ice drops, popsicles, cream bars, or whatever you like to call them. During our visit to HANAYO (see Svet’s review below), Ryan treated all of us for ice cream. We wanted the Fish Red Bean Ice Cream, but it was too expensive for Ryan. Hahaha! So he opted for Melona Ice Cream Bars. There’s a Melon flavor (obviously), but it’s strange to call the whole line Melona if there’s also a Strawberry flavor (and I’m not quite sure if there are other flavors out there). But hey, it’s their ice cream; they can call it any way they like.

I got the Melon flavor, and I liked how creamy it was compared to local brands. It’s the “green” Honeydew Melon type (not the “orange” regular Melon), and I have to say I like it better. At first I thought I am going to be “bitin”, but it’s just right so as to not get “suya” (channeling Diana Cupino right now) and it’s not super sweet too. You can actually bite through it without getting “ngilo” which is amazing for me since I like to get a big chunk and let it melt inside my mouth. And oh, it doesn’t melt easily, so that’s a plus for those who get distracted with sticky ice cream drippings, such as myself. Svet let me try the Strawberry flavor, and I like it too. It’s like a baby’s dream on a stick (I don’t exactly know what I mean by that!), creamy strawberry goodness. On the down side, it’s quite expensive for just a cream bar, especially if you’re still a student who’s on a tight budget.

Overall, it’s a good quick dessert to get once in a while when you have money to spare. It’s an instant creamy treat to freshen you up in a snap. There are more Korean ice cream variants (I think), and I can’t wait to taste all of them. Try them when you have the chance! Melona and other Korean ice cream products can be found in Hanayo, and I think in the Med Caf and some selected groceries.

- Ron

#melona #korean ice cream #hanayo

Mang Tootz Food House

We were floored by all the positive feedback (THANKS, GUYS!) regarding our first review, so we were pretty excited to get started on the next one.

"Mang Tootz" sounds like one of those affable sando-wearing, gin-shooting, sisig-loving characters from Pugad Baboy. It may sound like a sketchy place to head over to for lunch, but trust us, it's anything but.

The place is pretty straightforward, with a couple of tables up front and some inside. It's a turo-turo, with students lining up at the counter where if you're lucky enough, you'll be served by the legendary Mang Tootz himself. He and his crew run a tight ship. You can hear them shouting out orders over the din of the hungry students, passing trikes, and car horns. Instead of being off-putting, it lends a certain crazy testosterone-laden energy to the place.

Anyway, enough chatter. On to the food!

The exterior. We highly recommended getting seats outside. :p

"Pakiusap! Pakisabi na lang po ang order at wag ako payukuin. Masakit na po kasi ang tuhod ko kakayuko. - Mang Tootz."

The man himself.

Students lining up at the counter.

Their wall of fame. There's a picture with P-Noy up there somewhere. (Not in this photo, though.)

The complimentary soup that comes with every order. Boo. Not good. It tastes like thick water with egg and meat bits. Most of our bowls were left untouched. You can probably scoop some onto your rice if you like the latter moist. But taking it alone will probably make your face crumple into something that resembles this emoticon:

Trust us.

Sisig, P40 ala carte, P50 with rice - This was just all right. On the upside, it wasn't drowning in oil like how most other sisig joints make their sisig. There was a good "fat to laman" ratio. But it lacks the oomph that comes with good greasy artery-cloggers such as Almer's or Wok's sisig. It's not something you'll look for on the days you want to eat yourself into fatty food oblivion, but it's not bad.

Chicken tenders, P40 ala carte, P50 with rice - One of their best-sellers, and with good reason. This tastes like a budget version of Chili's chicken crispers. The serving is pretty formidable too. Mang Tootz understands the intricacies of a student's nutritional needs.

Tacos, P40 ala carte, P50 with rice - "Ano yan?" we asked Ron as he ceremoniously placed his plate onto the table. "Tacos," he replied. Our facial expressions reflected the curiosity burning in our minds. TACOS?!? Correct me if I'm wrong, but aren't tacos crispy tortilla shells stuffed with beefy Mexican goodness? Upon taking the first bite, you will understand why Mang Tootz deemed this dish worthy of the title "TACOS". It tastes just like taco filling should. Spicy, meaty, and brimming with Mexican deliciousness. Felipe Calderón would approve.

Pork mushroom, P40 ala carte, P50 with rice - Yum. The pork bits were meaty, delicious and substantial. Unlike other places, Mang Tootz does not scrimp on their meat and cheat you by putting in a lot of fatty bits. They give you exactly what you paid for. Porcine wonder cooked in gata. Yummy.

Everything was pretty good, but the real star of the show was the chicken kebab.

Chicken kebab, P60 ala carte, P70 with rice - We had actually finished ordering our individual meals when we heard Mang Tootz bark out "NASAAN NA YUNG MGA KEBAB?!" at which point, our trusty Dave stood up to investigate. What kebabs? We hadn't seen any kebabs at the counter! It turns out that they were being freshly grilled at the other side of the street. Let me describe their chicken kebab. The meat is fresh and juicy and grilled to perfection. Serving is good enough for one starving person or two moderately hungry students who are willing to share.

To summarize, Mang Tootz is a winner. You might have to contend with the swarm of students during lunch time, the sweltering Noval heat, the noise, and the occasional fly dropping by to say hello, but trust us, this place is worth it. You get a lot for the little that you pay for, and what you get is good stuff. :)

P.S. We are currently on Christmas break (our last ever before clerkship), so you won't be getting any reviews until next year (which, by the way, is in a couple of weeks!). Have a merry Christmas and an amazing New Year from the THITW crew. :D

- Bets

Mang Tootz Food House (Which is also spelled as FOODHAUS on the staff's t-shirts.) P40-P70 per meal 1135 P. Noval Street, Sampaloc, Manila

#mang tootz #p. noval

Hanayo

This is it! Our very first post! Woo hoo! Hahaha! Please go easy on us. ;p

Our first class finished early today and one of our classmates suggested that we eat at Hanayo, a (relatively) new Korean restaurant off Dapitan. We were initially reserving our stomachs for lunch, but we're pretty easy to convince when it comes to food.

Outside Hanayo

Must Try Specialty! Sige na nga! Hahaha!

The counter plus the waiter trying to blend into the background. Hahaha!

The interior is spacious, clean, air-conditioned, well-lit, really crazy colorful, and has two floors. (I feel like I'm reciting from the General Survey during history-taking HAHAHA.) Places like Hanayo are rare to come across around UST. We're used to elbow-to-elbow dining with sweat dripping down just about every crevice in our body. Hanayo is a welcome change dining-experience-wise.

You order by ticking off the stuff that you plan to get on a checklist-type sheet of paper. You then hand it over to the guy at the counter so you can pay for your meal and they can finally start cooking up some Korean goodness.

On to the food!

Like most Korean restaurants, each order comes with complimentary banchan. In Hanayo's case, we were served kimchi and fish cakes (?!? BWAHAHA I'm sorry, I have no idea what the latter is called.)

Omu rice, P85 - Dave's order. A hefty serving of fried rice wrapped in a cushion of eggy goodness. Though Dave's face begged to differ about the goodness. He gave this a 3/5 with a "meh" expression to boot. The poor peas were left all alone on his plate after he polished this off. BWAHAHAHA.

Tokbokgi (Sweet and spicy rolled rice with beef), P100 - My order. SUPER GOOD. Deceivingly sweet at first, but this had us chugging down water and spewing out flames. My threshold for spicy food is pretty high and I found this pretty hot. Sweet, spicy, with chewy gnocchi-like tubes of rice and bits of beef. This isn't served with rice, so make sure to order some on the side to balance out the crazy heat of this dish.

Dak jgim (Sweet and spicy chicken), P100 - Ella's and Mean's. To quote Ella, this tasted like lutong bahay. We couldn't really taste anything besides the spice. The chicken was cooked pretty well though, but this dish isn't anything to write home about. It's not bad, but it's not that great either.

Katsudon, P120 - Ron's. It was katsudon that tasted like katsudon you can get at any Japanese fast food restaurant. The serving was pretty sizeable and it was enough to fill a hungry stomach. Again, it was okay, but it wasn't great.

Tok rameon (Spicy noodle soup with rolled rice or mandu) P100 - BJ's. This was pretty good, although BJ thinks that the restaurant just uses pre-packaged Korean noodle soup and adds the rest of the "special elements" in. The rolled rice is really super good though. I think Hanayo won me over because of the rolled rice.

Bibimbap, P140 - Iñigo's. We can't really say anything about this dish because we failed to sample it. HAHAHA TAKAW MO, DABU. Joke lang. All we can say is that the egg looked particularly eggy and the yolk was still jiggling thirty seconds after being placed on the table. WAHAHAHA. Iñigo looked pretty satisfied though, so we're taking that as a good sign.

All in all, the food was pretty good. Nothing stellar, but good enough to keep you and your stomach happy until dinner. You get your money's worth, and your wallet won't really hurt after paying the bill.

Ryan was kind enough to treat us all to the Korean ice cream being sold in Hanayo afterwards, but that's a post reserved for the Dessert Diva himself, Ron Dagala. :p

- Bets

Hanayo Korean, P80-P150 per meal Antonio Street, Sampaloc, Manila

#hanayo #korean #antonio street

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