First Bite: Tori Chizu

Cheese is probably one of the best creations ever made! I love cheese so much that I could finish a quarter of a cheese wheel in one sitting. I love it with crackers, wine, fruits and even ramen. And when I found out that there's a place that offers baked rice with cheese, I just have to check it out!

Hello, Tori Chizu. 

Located at the busy ground floor of SM Megamall, it would be easy to spot Tori Chizu if you frequent Building A. 

My sister, a fellow cheese fanatic, and I decided to have lunch there last weekend after spotting some vacant tables inside. 

I was surprised with the very competitive prices of Tori Chizu's dishes. You could have a filling meal for two and not spend over PHP500! I went with Pork Katsudon (PHP140) while my sister went with its bestseller Tori Chizu Original Chicken (PHP149). Our meal only cost PHP294! 

As expected from a casual restaurant, service was fast. We got our orders within the 10 minute mark. 

My Pork Katsudon was a bit tough to slice but tender enough to bite. I noticed that it was slightly dry for my liking and could have had more sauce for that lovely sweet flavor. 

But serving size was great for its price. (I have to admit, I was bummed that my katsudon was cheese-free.)

My sister's order was a lot better than mine. Packed with cheesy flavor, each bite was like a party bomb for the taste buds. The chicken bits were tender and the rice had that lovely texture of Japanese rice. 

And for PHP149, this one is a steal! But what is best about this is that despite the cheese overload, it was not that salty. It wasn't even cloying!

I should have tried their Milkchiz Soft Serve for just PHP35 (cup) or PHP45 (cone). But I guess that'll have to wait for my next visit.

They are expanding quite fast and I can't wait for them to have a branch near me. 

Tori Chizu is located at Ground Floor, Building A, SM Megamall, Mandaluyong City.