Zark's Burgers Philippines - "It's Fresh. It's Huge. It's Great."

ABBEY: We didn't succeed dining-in the first time at Zark's Taft, but that doesn't stop Pareng John to treat us into this burger paradise. So we tried Zark's Katipunan on our short stint back in Pinas. 

No queue, as it is November 1 (All Saints' Day). I got Jawbreaker; a triple patty-burger with crispy bacon, fries and drinks for less than 300Php. Finish it within five minutes and it is free. I didn't give in. I want to indulge and savor the giant burger in front of me. Sorry but I had the patties to be well done. 

I hope next time I'll be able to try the Tombstone (death by a 2-pound burger).

WILL: If you are not big, unique and affordable the Philippine market will not give you any chance to succeed. Zark’s Burgers is one of the pioneer of big burgers in Manila and they emerged gracefully. Talk of the town. That is why our friends brought us at their Katipunan Branch

1^st of November, holiday, most of the stores were close and so lucky they were open to serve that day. We were ushered to their third floor and straight away asked for our orders. I went for Zark’s Ultimate Burger (Php150.00 with fries and iced tea).

Quarter Pounder is a lot but I almost ate it all. Haha! Their beef patty has a Filipino touch. It reminds me of the patties I am eating during our lunch break way back in my grade school days.

Thanks Denise and John. Till our next food trips! :)

Gerry’s Grill Restaurant and Bar Singapore (Starhub Centre)

ABBEY: Ate Monette's birthday came and she held her party at Gerry's Grill in Cuppage Road. A table for 20 was reserved. We got sinigang na hipon, tokwa't baboy, barbecue, and their top item Crispy Pata.

The barbecue is delicious; sauce is dripping and each bite is a delight. The meat is tender and flavorful. I liked cripsy pata the most. Though it is a red flag for healthful living, I hope it won't hurt when I indulged with one and half of that :) Very crunchy and it really went well along with their soy sauce. 

A great party indeded; full of stories, laughters, and food.

WILL: Happy Birthday Ate Monnette. She celebrated her 2013 bday at Jollibee Singapore and this 2014 we booked for 20 people at Gerry's Grill located at Starhub Centre. We can't be accommodated indoors so we went for alfresco dining.

Their Sizzling Pusit Ala pobre is so tender. Pork Bbq is so nice that I asked for more sticks of it. I am here to taste their famous crispy pata. Yes it so crispy, yummy and quite spicy. Crispy pata is so nice that I asked April's plate of it to be transferred in front of me and Abbey.

Definitely this is a very recommended place for people here in Singapore to taste the Filipino Cuisines. Check out their websites for their menus and other locations.

Till next birthday celebration Gerry's Grill. Oh, before I forgot, you can pe-order your food, it will save waiting time.

Dear Darla Pizza by Yellow Cab Philippines

ABBEY: My wife introduced me to this unique pizza when we were dating during boyfriend/girlfriend stage. And we came to like it. 

You'll be given a pizza in which you can top it up with herbs and greenies then roll it like a burrito. The pizza is aromatic and delicious. I can finish maybe two at one sitting. What a fun way to have your dinner.

WILL: Shakey's, Pizza Hut, Manhattan, and even Domino's are here in Singapore, what I am missing? Sbarro and Yellow Cab.

When Abbey and I got the chance to splurge for some pizza on our way back here in Singapore, we easily jumped in. OMG!, so thankful to have a Yellow Cab branch at NAIA terminal 3. 

Together with Abbey's colleague, we ordered Dear Darla. With excitement, I am the one who first pull of a sheet of pizza, put the alfalfa sprouts and arugula, sprinkles with chillies, top up some of their famous oil. Wow! I can finish the whole box! I am drooling while putting these words together. Haha!

I will surely visit Yellow Cab again! Thanks my Dear Darla for satisfying my cravings!

Mang Larry's Isawan (Isawan sa UP Campus)

ABBEY: By the time Pareng John and Mareng Denise treated us for a full body massage they also planned our food trip at an isawan located inside UP Diliman. But that was spoiled due to rain and the place got muddy. On an open ground near the vicinity of Alumni Hotel was a food shop where you can satisfy your grilled-inards hunger. Chicken isaw (intestine) is priced at 5php a piece.
And pork barbecue at 10php. Two dips/sauce are there to choose from; spicy and not spicy vinegar :) The container of spicy one is almost red due to chillies. I only eat isaw and barbecue but since it is already dark when we got there I just munch on whatever I got :) They were all delicious and fresh. We also had dirty ice cream and avocado shake which made Wilma's sore throat worse.

WILL: This is was long awaited promise of Mr. And Mrs. Chua to me and Abbey, when they jokingly asked where is our next stop for our Saturday adventure, we hollered isawan sa UP. 

UP isawan is famous to its clean and yummy grilled chicken and pork intestine. And when we reached the place, too many people, our order was done after 1 hour of waiting. Is the waiting worthy? Yeah! 

For only Php5 you can indulge with this streetfood. Oh darl, the vinegar, its legendary! Haha. While waiting buy some ice cream in the cart and try the avocado flavor. 

Apologies for this very dark pictures. The area was not well lit. Enjoy!

Balducci Ristorante (Serendra) - Executive Lunch

ABBEY: We were strolling at Serendra and looking for a place to dine. We entered Balducci; an Italian-cuisine restaurant that offers sumptuous lunch sets. 

I got steak with angel hair olive oil pasta (Involtino Manzo con Capellini Aglio Olio). The pasta is cooked well and full of flavor. The steak is medium-rare. Its sauce is creamy and has good amount of saltiness. 

WILL: Yehey! At last we are going to Serendra not for a night out but for a wholesome lunch with my forever friends and my husband. 

We walked and walked but no place strikes on my attention until we saw the Balducci Ristorante. It magnetised me, how?, the ambiance. My expectation of the quietness met and it felt so homey. Intimidating but the price is quite affordable. 

We were there to check out their executive set lunch which is surprisingly no dessert included nor drinks. I ask for Polleto al Mattone con Penne al funghi which is mainly a chicken and white sauced mushroom pasta. They offered complimentary bread and spreads which are chicken liver spread, butter and tomatoes. When our orders came one by one, I instantly dig in to the caesar salad and pasta. I love salty food but I can't stand their chicken. I immediately call the attention of their manager and she offered us another meat. I refused and just told them if they can give me another set of their beautifully cooked pasta. 

The set lunch costs Php550.00 

Jamba Juice Philippines - Bonifacio High Street, Bonifacio Global City Branch

ABBEY: Whether you are only riding on the hype or seriously getting fit by eating healthful foods or just craving for unique taste on your daily routine, Jamba Juice can give you that feel. I can't say how many calories it has for every drink but one thing I'm sure I enjoyed it. 

John and Denise bought me medium-sized Banana berry smoothie (banana, blueberry, apple-strawberry juice, non-fat yogurt, raspberry sherbet, and ice). Sweet and sour burst into my mouth upon taking the first sip. It quenched my thirst after walking at noontime in Bonifacio High Street. That shop also serves frozen yoghurt. While waiting for your order, you can strike a pose on their photobooth and send them on your mail.

WILL: Jamba Juice are available only in South Korea, Philippines and Canada. And we were so delighted that my friends treat us for a sip on their Bonifacio High Street, Bonifacio Global City Branch.

I looked up on their menu and some of their classic smoothies… The coldbuster, strawberry surf rider, Caribbean passion, peach pleasure, protein berry workout, aloha pineapple, razzmatazz, banana berry.

The concoction of strawberries, banana, apple-strawberry juice, nonfrozen yogurt caught my attention and it was called, Strawberries Wild. I got a medium-size for Pho165.00. It tasted so good, fresh and creamy.

Their place is so pleasing and relaxing. They also have this fun photobooth at the side of the counter. While waiting we took a lot of shots and send the copy to our emails.

Very nice place to bond. If you’re tired of coffee kicking you with caffeine, try this refreshing and healthy drink. Jamba Juice for the gold!

Italianni's Philippines - TriNoMa Branch

ABBEY: We have our first dinner date at Italliani's Glorietta Branch. And Wilma paid for that. Poor me that I don't have that much money to pay for a decent dinner date. I got a taste of their house bread dipped in olive oil with balsamic vinegar. So as a re-enactment we went for lunch at their branch at Trinoma. This time it is on my tab. 

I ordered a quarter of spring chicken and I got pesto with chunks of ground beef as Wilma saw that mine got a good presentation. All our needs was finely attended. It was a great lunch; the food is flavourful and delicious, ambiance is homey and I got to have lunch there with my wife :)

WILL: Are you tired of the fastfood chain ambiance of the different pizza parlours? Well, as always, I enjoy the food more if the place is quiet and have a peaceful aura.

Tuscan and foccacia bread really captured my heart dipped in olive oil and balsamic vinegar. That bread is a complimentary and I keep on asking for more until my order reached in front of me.

I ordered Penne with sausage but there some beef so I asked if Abbey can switch his Herb Spring Chicken for for me. Gladly I asked him to give me the chicken, it is so tender anad flavourful. Their chix alone can make my whole day happy. Haha.. 

Their people served us extensively. They keep on coming to our table to check if we like the food and we need more drinks. 

Thanks a lot italianni's for a very memorable time each time we visit any of your branch.

Razon's of Guagua - Pampanga's Famous Halo-halo & Pancit Luglug

ABBEY: Razon's was famous for their halo-halo. So we gave in to our cravings after our facial session. We visited their branch at Monumento Circle. The staff warmly greeted us and we told our order: halo-halo and sizzling bulalo. 

A few minutes later our food was served. I assure you that the gravy is delicious. It really goes well with the soft and flavorful bulalo. Wilma even ordered for another serving of the gravy. 

Then time came for dessert. Only three ingredients: macapuno, leche flan and saging na sabah. Their ice is finely crushed and mixing it all together is a breeze. It is not too sweet and you won't ask for sugar to boost the sweetness. It was a 500php-snack which I enjoyed with my loved one.

WILL: I am craving for halo-halo and everytime someone asked me what I want to eat when I got in Manila, I always replied "Gusto ko ng halo-halo". I got what I want, Chowking and Razon's but for now we will blog about the famous Razon's dessert. 

Surprised that they have a branch at Monumento, after we visited Let's Face It, I asked Abbey to dine in before going back to my Tatay's pad. 

I planned for their halo-halo only but my favorite sizzling bulalo enticed me. We ordered 2 halo-halo, one sizzling bulalo, 2 rice, and an extra gravy.

Drooling! The halo-halo never fails me. The finely shaved ice, the leche flan, sabah,  macapuno bombed up sweetness inside my mouth so yummy. Gluttony showed up when the sizzling plate appeared in front of us. So flavourful.  

Abbey and I will sure mark their Monumento branch.

Oishi's Rinbee Cheese Sticks

ABBEY: Back when I was a kid, Rinbee is one of my favorite chips from Oishi manufacturer. We used to make it as pasta during our cooking games or just munch it as we watch our Saturday morning cartoons. 

It cost a peso back then but you won't settle for only one. You'll definitely crave for more of those cheese sticks.

WILL: This is one of the famous snack in the Philippines.  Okay, okay.. This isn't a snack, this is junk food.. Hehe.. 

When my brother went here for vacation, I asked him to bring some for me and then the rest was a history. Haha!

The taste is still the same, good thing! Oh, I really miss the cheesy, crunchy sticks.

Jollibee Singapore

ABBEY: Who wouldn't take a bite to a langhap-sarap Jollibee Chicken Joy? For us, every  come-back visit to Philippines we will always find a time to dine at any Jollibee store. That's why the buzz was all over Singapore when the news of opening a Jollibee branch hit the city-state. According to older Filipino expats, back then Jollibee was already here but was closed due to lack of market as they say. 

I was almost have gone to its opening day but it was a good decision not to as the queue is very long and the minimum wait time is 3 hours. Finally on Easter Sunday as we remit money back to Pinas we got our chance to visit the "busiest bee". 

In the front door, I posed with Jollibee and it made me feel like a child again :) we got two 2-piece Chicken Joy, spaghetti, chocolate sundae and Champ; all for little more than 30sgd :) Each bite put a thousand flavor in my mouth. It is as if we're back home for an hour; the place is homey and hasn't lost its Pinoy touch.

WILL: How famous is Jollibee in Philippines? Well, some mall housed two of branches just to accommodate the people who wants to enjoy the "langhap-sarap" foods that they offered. 
      Lucky Plaza in Orchard is indeed lucky to cater the first branch of Jollibee here in Singapore. Filipinos really love and missed the tasty servings of this fast food chain, that you must queue for 1-2 hours to enjoy the food. 
      We went there last March early morning 930am I already in line and waited for half an hour to be served. Like there is no tomorrow, I asked for 2 orders of 2-pc chickenjoy, 1 spaghetti, 1 champ burger and 1 chocolate sundae. Very sad that the Jolli-hotdogs were finished. 
      Gosh, like a child, Abbey and I bit the chicken with joy. The fries is really lovely. 
      It feels that we were back in our childhood, very happy to see Jollibee's statue in foreign land, I asked Abbey to strike a pose! 
      We will surely be coming back for more langhap-sarap experience! 

Matia's Inato Food Haus - Cebu City

ABBEY: 

You can't see any business sign of this diner but word of the street spreads like wild fire. Cab drivers know this place and a lot of patrons visit it again and again for grilled delights. We're an 8-pax party when we dined-in. We were really hungry when we arrived at the place and Matia's didn't disappoint us. 

We were ushered to a table and took our order. For 750 PHP we got 2 large plates of grilled chicken, pork belly, and gizzard. This also comes with puso (cooked rice wrapped in banana leaves) and drinks. The BBQ meat is tender and flavorful. I think I finished 5 rice servings. (really hungry huh). Now I know why this diner is popular in Cebu.

WILL: After pouring all of our adrenaline when we do the zipline at Adventure Cafe, we headed down from Balamban to eat in one of the famous ihaw-ihaw (grill) of Cebu, Matia's. 

      This restaurant seems a backyard turned to an al-fresco diner. A lot of people from different walks of life was there. We ordered a lot of grilled food but my favorites is the atay (Liver). I think I ate 4 sticks of those. When I saw that they have mango shake I immediately asked Abbey to get one for the ladies. Well, can't get enough of one, I ordered one more for take-out. It just get rid the dizziness I have felt that day. 

      This is worth visiting in Cebu. Best priced ihaw-ihaw.