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.

Kristina's Inutak Premiun

I've encountered several branches of Kristina's Inutak Premium, even accepted offers of free taste. Although I liked what I tasted, I was turned off by the name. Utak, after all, means brain.

It took a group buying site offer to convince me to make my first purchase.

The branch at Shangrila is located in the lower ground floor, just outside the supermarket. The lady manning the store helped with my reservation.

Fishman

I spotted Fishman while on a lunchtime stroll. I wasn't able to try it then because the restaurant was full. I was intrigued though that people would go to a place which predominantly serves fish.

As it was after 2 in the afternoon when I visited yesterday, it was just me and another diner enjoying the restaurant's food and ambiance. The interiors which is done in tropical colors give the restaurant a relaxing vibe. Dressing up the crew in sailor suits is also a nice touch.

Fish & Co.

I used to be a regular at Fish & Co but haven't been to one since they closed the Shangrila branch. This was my first time at their Mall of Asia Branch.

If I wasn't availing of a Bistro Club perk, I would have ordered my usual, Captain Hook, portion serving of The Best Fish & Chips. Instead, I ordered the Fish Burger (PHP275), tender fish fillet fried with special spiced flour garnished with shredded lettuce and sauteed onion. This was quite good, the fish fillet was cooked exactly similar to how they would serve it Captain Hook style, crunchy on the outside but soft inside. The bread was fresh and soft to the bite.

Fish Burger

Conti's

Eating at Conti's is always a pleasant experience. I've tried Greenhills, Serendra, Trinoma and they've surpassed my expectations. The recently opened branch at Robinson's Magnolia is no exception as I was again wowed.

As we were just waiting for the mall to open, we ordered a club sandwich to share and individual servings of halo halo.

Clubhouse

The club sandwich was very good, soft to the bite, with each component complementing each other. It was served with potato chips.

Miso Ten

Miso Ten takes its name from the two main items it serves, miso ramen and tendon or rice toppings.

It's not as expensive as more popular places which serve ramen. A bowl typically costs less than PHP300. The restaurant should improve their menu because while there are five choices of ramen, there was no explanation as to how they're different from each other. i had to ask the waiter to describe each. We ordered the Miso-Ten Original (PHP275) and found it quite filling, a little salty but good although not as impressive as Ramen Bar's or SumoSam's.

Miso Ten Original

There are several options for add-ons. We ordered Roast Chicken (PHP35) which was served on the side rather than on top of the ramen as I expected it would be. There were 4 strips of tender roast chicken drizzled in what appears to be teriyaki sauce. I think this offers good value for money as it could be a main dish by itself.

Add On: Roast Chicken

We also ordered Seafood Tendon (PHP220) which is composed of 1 ebi, 1 kani, 1 squid, 1 asohos on a bed of rice drizzled with tempura sauce. The dish was very filling but typical tempura. I think they should serve tempura sauce on the side for people who want their food less dry.

Seafood Tendon

Hot tea and water were served on the house. A can of Pepsi Light set me back PHP50.

The restaurant occupies a small area in the 2nd floor al fresco section of Robinson's Magnolia. It accomodates around 30 people in the indoor seating area with more seats available al fresco. It has an open kitchen so diners sitting by the bar can watch the chefs af work.

Service wise, they were very attentive and accomodating of requests such as change of reservations and seats.

Watami

What brought me to Watami at Glorietta was the voucher for Shrimp Irodori Sushi (PHP195) from the Bistro Club privilege card. It was good especially because it was free.

Shrimp Irodori Sushi

I ordered Pepper Beef Rice in Stone Pot (PHP190) to see how it compares with what I consider comfort food, Beef Pepper Rice from Pepper Lunch. I think I would stick with the latter as far as pepper rice goes. Watami's version lacked beef and was bland, I felt it was missing an ingredient. The rice also tended to stick to the pot and got burned in the process.

Pepper Beef Rice in Stone Pot

 A can of Coke Light cost me PHP75.

I was impressed with the ambiance and the service although the lady promoting the Premiere card was a little pushy.

I would like to try the other items on the menu because they look good in pictures and in other diners' tables and because the prices seem reasonable.

PS. My bill was discounted by 20% because of the Bistro Club card. I'm not sure about upgrading to the Premiere though because they change rules every year.

Krazy Garlik

To take advantage of the perks offered to members of the Bistro Club, I headed to Krazy Garlik Greenbelt 5.

My companion and I were both first timers at the restaurant and so had no expectations save for the obvious, which is garlic.

At first bite, my companion noted that the free appetizer Garlik and Anchovy Affection, a flavorful combination of roasted garlic cloves, peppers and anchovies on crostini bread, was good. I thought it was too salty. I ate just one, she had two and relented that while it was good, it should be eaten a few at a time. She took the rest of the dish home.

Garlik and Anchovy Affection

She ordered soup of the day too which came hot in a small bowl. While rich and creamy, we both felt that it was overpriced at PHP140.

The same could be said about the garlic rice priced at PHP65. Maybe we expected more from a garlic themed restaurant but other restaurants do garlic rice much better.

She likewise ordered Fried Calamari, deep fried calamari rings served with homemade salsa. We both found it ordinary. Store bought chili sauce actually tastes better than the homemade salsa.

Fried Calamari

We also shared Pork Chop, 1 pc at PHP295, thick and juicy grilled pork chop served with mashed potato and buttered french beans in creamy mushroom sauce. Of the dishes we had, this was what I appreciated the most but again it was nothing extraordinary. The meat was tender and juicy but that's how it should be. I think though that the dish offers good value for money as it is a complete meal, a combination of carbohydrates, protein, fat and fiber.

Pork Chop, 1 piece

For drinks, we had Coke Zero in can (PHP85) and Fresh Ripe Mango Shake (PHP160).

Service wise, the staff were very attentive. At least three people checked up on our meal.

We agreed that Krazy Garlik is pricey considering that there was nothing extraordinary about the food that we tried. Our bill came out to PHP930 and that's even after discount (20% from Bistro Club) plus the appetizer was free. We both feel the place doesn't deserve a return visit. We're not crazy for Krazy Garlik.

TGI Friday's

I think the best way to check out a restaurant is to try the particular cuisine's signature dish. In the case of American, the cheeseburger.

TGI Friday's restaurant menu describes Friday's Cheeseburger as chargrilled with two slices of melted American cheese, the classic fixings and crispy seasoned fries. That does not give the dish justice as it neglects to mention the size of the patty and the abundance of garnishings.

Friday's Cheeseburger

The huge beef patty is served sandwiched between soft, lightly toasted hamburger bun with the botton portion thinner than the top to make room for the mix of lettuce, tomatoes, onions and pickles. huge beef patty is served sandwiched between soft, lightly toasted hamburger bun with the botton portion thinner than the top to make room for the mix of lettuce, tomatoes, onions and pickles.

The fries deserves special mention as it's the best I've tasted. They were crisp on the outside, soft on the inside and not oily at all.

The dish is worth its PHP395 price as it is big enough to share. Do watch out for restaurant promotions too like I did as I got this dish at half the price.

Other must trys at TGI Friday's are the nachos, ribs and desserts.