Chatime

Chatime Pioneer is the favorite milk tea place of my cousin's family. Their usual order is the taro milk tea.

Not a milk tea fan myself, even if it's nearer me, I haven't been to the store until today. What prompted my visit was the kronut, Chatime's version of the croissant-doughnut hybrid currently the rage in America.

Kronut

The Pioneer branch is unique in that it is the only Chatime serving the kronuts at the moment. As supply is limited, preorders and reservations are encouraged.

I didn't expect to find some when I passed by the store this afternoon. But when I did, I immediately ordered 2 of each kind (sugar raised, chocolate, white chocolate) even though I found it quite pricey at PHP55 apiece.

Not having tasted the New York original, I had nothing to compare it to expect my imagination of a croissant-doughnut combination. Because of the hype, I expected to be wowed. I wasn't. As it was flaky, it wasn't as soft as a doughnut and leaned more towards a croissant. The sugar on bread reminded me of the local bicho bicho. The creamy filling inside was a nice touch. The sweetness was just right. It was oily though.

The restaurant occupies two floors, with the counter and kitchen in the first and the seating area in the second. Parking is not a problem as Pioneer Center has ample slots.

Although the kronut was good, I prefer a less expensive 100% of 1 instead of a hybrid of 2. That said, I don't think I'd be back soon.

Four Seasons

Food on Four, the food court of SM Aura Premier has few concessionaires but they've been chosen well so as not to overlap with each other.

Chinese cuisine is represented by Four Seasons, from the same group which runs the popular President restaurant.

The menu is composed of dimsum, roastings, rice toppings, set meals, etc. The prices are reasonable too.

Tropical Hut

As a kid, I always looked forward to trips to the metro because it meant going to my favorite restaurants. Tropical Hut was one of them. My favorite then was the Rancho Ranchero.

As I got older, moved to the metro, I've discovered more restaurants which serve burger and somehow, trips to Tropical Hut became less and less frequent.

My latest trip to Tropical Hut was prompted by a discount at a group buying site. The Classic Cheeseburger was as I remember it, tender and juicy beef patty in a soft bun. The thick cut fries were impressive as they were crunchy on the outside but soft on the inside.

The Tropical Hut branch in Shaw Blvd. corner Pioneer St. has seen better days and would probably benefit from some renovation. While we've visited the branch a few times in the past, we haven't visited recently because a member of our group got turned off by some odor which only he was able to detect anyway. I didn't notice any during my visits. Service wise, I appreciate the crew's attitude towards its customers. I did notice, though, that it took a while for tables to be bussed. I think they shoukd improve on this as messy tables are a turn off.

Yakitori One

I was excited to try Yakitori One because they're from the same group which manages Pepper Lunch

Its menu is anchored on the yakitori or Japanese barbecue. Ten kinds are available. Each stick is dipped in teriyaki sauce using a device which assures that each stick gets a consistent amount of sauce. One can order per stick or from the suggested combinations

I ordered 3 sticks (chicken thigh, quail egg and pork wrap, pork belly) on a bed of rice topped with teriyaki sauce and nori strips plus pickled ginger on the side. The barbecue was good but everything tasted similarly because of the sauce. I longed for some variety in my meal.

Kebabers

I've been to Kebabers Kapitolyo 3 times already, with my last 2 visits just 8 hrs or so apart.

My first visit was to buy some food for take out. The crew were very helpful introducing me to the menu. I ordered the Cheese Kebab Meal, chicken and beef in particular. While I enjoyed the combination of the kebab, rice, grilled tomato and garlic sauce, another said she didn't like the smell of the food at all. Middle Eastern inspired cuisine is definitely not for everyone.