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Bon Chon Chicken Hits Manila!!! Fried Chicken Lovers, Let’s Go!
For the die-hard foodies, you guys should have heard of this recent development in Manila’s food scene – the recent opening of Bon Chon Chicken at the Ayala Triangle Gardens. For the unfamiliar peeps, here is a little introduction about Bon Chon Chicken.
Bon Chon Chicken is actually a South Korean based fried chicken franchise which is a food favorite of the New Yorkers. Bon Chon Chicken differs from the typical fried chicken dish because it has been marketed as the healthy fried chicken which has been double-fried which gives it a lighter and more crispy skin on the outside and moist chicken meat inside plus the fact that it has ginseng as an ingredient in its secret sauce. They say it is healthier than the usual fried chicken but I’m not sure to believe this marketing hype because of the fact that I know it’s double fried. 🙂 How healthy can you get?! But regardless, this merited a visit from me and friend V.
Already, the diners were piling up when we got there. We were afraid that the seats were all taken up but we grabbed a corner table and finally we got to try this Korean fried chicken wonder. The restaurant gives off the ambiance of a classier fastfood but it is still a fastfood joint.Â
We ordered their Drumstick platter (3 pcs. of drumstick with their soy garlic sauce) at Php185.00. It was as it claimed to be. The chicken skin was super crispy and it seemed like they didn’t even use flour for the coating. Super thin and super crispy. I liked this aspect of it. I wanted more sauce though on it because for me, the sauce was quite lacking and I wanted more.Â
We also got their chicken wings platter (3 pcs. of chicken wings with the hot & spicy sauce) at Php 130++ ( I can’t remember the exact price, my apologies). The 3 pieces of chicken wings were quite little so I do suggest that you order the 6 pcs small-sized wings so you won’t feel dejected. Heheheheheh!  🙂
I wasn’t able to try out any of their side dishes as we were in a hurry to catch our movie at nearby Glorietta so I will definitely go back to eat some more Bon Chon Chicken. I wasn’t satisfied with that 1 visit. I need a few more! Hehehehe!Â
In Bisaya, “pagkanipis sa panit sa ilang manok uy, mura man wala gibutangan ug harina sa pagprito. Mubalik pa jud ko para mutilaw nasad usab” (Their chicken skin was so thin and crispy that it feels like it wasn’t coated with any flour during frying. Will definitely go back to taste some more.)
Happy Christmas meals everyone! ‘Tis the season to eat and be merry! Diet is suspended for the time being! Yey!Bon Chon Chicken is located at Ayala Triangle Gardens beside Banapple!You May Also Like
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Resto Feature: A Little Bubba Gump Lovin’!!!
For Manila peeps, Bubba Gump has been a fixture in the metro dining scene for quite some time now. Located at Greenbelt 3, I have been here countless times already to enjoy their good food. And enjoy is what I do when I eat here. They have a variety of menu items which are really great although there are some that are just so-so.
ÂA few weeks ago, I again had the opportunity to have the Bubba Gump experience when my high school friends visited Manila. It was a great dinner with good food and great friends. My friends didn’t know where to eat at Greenbelt so I brought them there. The service as always is really nice. The staff were very attentive and this is always the case when I happen to eat here. The restaurant’s interiors were just the same. No change here that is visible. The act of using the plate numbers as a sign to the wait staff if you were going to place your order stayed the same.
For appetizers, we ordered one of my favorites – the Pingpong Shrimps. Lightly breaded and deep fried shrimps with a touch of heat and topped with some mango pineapple salsa. We also ordered some Calamari Rings with 2 different dipping sauces.
For my main course, I ordered together with friend S the Salmon & Veggie Skillet. Grilled salmon with some fresh veggies and slathered with some garlicy herb butter and sprinkled with capers served on top of some Jasmine rice. I loved the caper addition to this dish but my salmon was a bit dry but it was okay. I didn’t even eat the rice and already it was very filling for me.Â
My friends also ordered the Grilled Dory with Jambalaya. Grilled Dory on top of New Orlean’s style Jambalaya with some tender shrimp and Andouille sausage. This dish was okay but didn’t really garner top marks in my book.Â
The prices are quite more than the usual fare so be prepared to shell out those $$$.We didn’t even order dessert as we were all very full with the good meal and the filling conversation.
My ratings:
Ambience: 7/10
Food: 8/10
Service: 8/10
Price range: Php 300-500 per meal (includes drinks)ÂIn Bisaya: “Kung paborito jud nimo ang mga pasayan, pwes dapat jud ka muadto sa Bubba Gump para makatilaw sa ila mga lami na luto sa pasayan” (If you love shrimps, then you need to visit Bubba Gump so you can try their delicious dishes which feature shrimps).Bubba Gump is located at Unit 219, Level 2, Greenbelt 3, Makati.
Happy Shrimping!!!
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Resto Feature: Likha Diwa sa Gulod (UP Diliman)
It all started with a conversation with a dear friend. She had discovered this really good vegetarian resto located inside UP village in Diliman. I remembered the restaurant’s name but it has taken me a while before I could try it out. Some causes of delay where: 1) the location – QC is like the opposite end of where I live and 2) Someone to eat with me inside a Vegetarian restaurant.
I am not a vegan but I do love vegetarian stuff once in a while. I have eaten at really nice restaurants where I could swear I was eating meat but then remember I am inside a vegan resto.Â
One nice afternoon with my good friends in tow, we decided to meet and eat at Likha Diwa sa Gulod in Diliman, Quezon City. The interiors of the restaurant are very reminiscent of Turtle’s Nest in Cebu. Cozy and full of artworks. For those who are not familiar with Turtle’s Nest, it is a very homey artsy restaurant which features paintings by local artists and other cool stuff in Cebu City. I found my friends seated on wooden benches and we proceeded to discuss the menu and I was happily checking it out to see what offerings I could partake of for my first experience there.ÂÂ
It took me a long time to decide as I wanted to try all of their menu items because I wanted to compare them with the “real thing” if you know what I mean and also because me and the friends were catching up amidst food discussions. We settled first to have Shiitake Strips for appetizers. They tasted like fried calamari but I could sense the earthy aftertaste of the mushrooms but they were so good to eat and so light too. We also ordered our drinks: cold tea and 2 fresh veggie shakes which were very refreshing and just right for the afternoon heat.
For our main course, Ate L ordered their vegetable Kare-Kare which had a creamy and yummy peanut sauce, meaty vegetable slices and a “faux bagoong” which was really good.
Kuya C ordered Pusitsig which was also good. I ordered their Veggie Relleno (vegetables mixed, rolled and wrapped with a nori sheet). It really doesn’t sound much but I quite found it filling and good to eat. We also ordered an additional plate of Vegetable Samosas which were presented Empanada style stuffed with an assortment of vegetables and it had a lovely sauce to go with it.
Overall, the ambiance was really good and homey, the food good and very very healthy and I look forward to another meal there. For vegans, this is a must-stop if ever you are in the vicinity. The price was average. Around 100 ++ for a complete meal.Note: Photos taken with my Cameraphone.
 Likha Diwa is located at:Â1 Lt. J. Francisco St., Brgy. Krus na Ligas, UP Diliman
ÂQuezon City, Metro Manila, PhilippinesÂ(02) 925-5522 -
Tokyo Tokyo’s Sumo Remix With Fried Chicken Karaage
Just lately, I have been veering away from the fastfood trend but occasionally there are instances when I go inside a fastfood joint for a meal and the fastfood in question is Tokyo Tokyo. I have noticed their offering of the Fried Chicken Karaage but have not yet tried it out so I decided to go ahead and order the Sumo Remix with the Fried Chicken Karaage. We tried out Tokyo Tokyo at SM Bacoor.Â
Fried chicken karaage is actually a Japanese style of fried chicken of which the method of cooking actually originated from the Tang dynasty of China. Just a little bit of history there. 🙂 So this dish is Chinese in origin and adapted to Japanese cuisine.
The Sumo Remix was a huge bowl of food with lots of rice, 2 pieces of the chicken and beef misono with an assortment of vegetables and 2 glasses of red ice tea for PHP255.00 which I thought was a pretty good deal with refillable rice might I add. The chicken really surprised me. I have had the beef misono once or twice so I was pretty familiar with how it was supposed to taste but the fried chicken was quite delish. Crispy skin on the chicken thigh and a juicy meat inside. The chicken wasn’t coated with much flour which I liked and it was cooked just right. Pretty good deal methinks!Â
Not bad for Tokyo Tokyo. I love your fried chicken karaage which I plan to experiment on cooking myself sometime soon.
Guys, do try it out if you find yourself craving for that fastfood fix. It is a welcome change from Mcdonald, Jollibee and KFC’s chicken meals. As the Bisaya in me would say – “pagudpud ug duga-un sa manok uy” which roughly translates to – “crispy and juicy chicken”. I haven’t tried this dish in Japanese restaurants though so I wouldn’t know how it compares with them.Â
For this dish here is my rating:ÂTaste – 8/10Price – 8/10 (quite reasonable)Note: Photo grabbed from Openrice.com since I wasn’t able to take my own photos because I was busy chowing it down! -
On the Tummy Spot: Lord Stow’s Eggtart
I have just recently tried this eggtart item but I have been intrigued ever since. I have heard a lot of friends mention Lord Stow’s and how they are quite famous for their eggtarts. One day while with family strolling around Binondo, I came across a branch of Lord Stow’s and decided to try out their eggtarts and see if they were all that everyone has been raving about.ÂÂUpon entering the bakery in Binondo, you get this very cozy feel and an atmosphere that is quite different from the hustle and bustle of the Binondo streets. Very relaxed and homey feel with good airconditioning. 🙂 I do mention the airconditioning because if you have walked the streets of Binondo in the daytime you would know that it is quite tiresome and hot depending of course on the weather so the bakery was a welcome respite on that day.
I then proceeded to order the eggtarts and see what they were like. The eggtarts are quite small but they are packed with a creamy deliciousness that makes me want to order another one although I have restricted myself to just one thinking of all the sugar and calories that were in that eggtart. My first bite was good with the flaky pastry covering that rich and creamy custard filling inside which was not to sweet but definitely creamy! The tart wasn’t also too sweet for my taste so I really enjoyed eating them. I was in eggtart heaven!ÂÂThe tarts also come in boxes to bring as pasalubong for your friends and family so you can share with them the creamy and yummy goodness of the eggtarts. They were priced at PHP40.00 each so they are not a walk in the park as well but definitely well worth the price.ÂÂSo far this is the best eggtart I have ever tasted to date. As they say in Bisaya – “Pagkalami ug pagka espiso ba ani” which roughly translates to “Super yummy and creamy”. Although I have it on good authority that the exact term for “creamy” is “lapoyot”. Hahahahah! These are your Bisaya words for today!ÂBon Appetit!ÂÂÂNote: Photo taken with my phone camera.
exploring food forever! among other things…
