More than just Fried Chicken: BonChon's K-Fries

BonChon has been the top of mind brand when it comes to Korean fried chicken here in Manila. It came to our shores back in 2010 and it has continued to delight our taste buds with its perfectly fried chicken since then. And after the success of its favorite K-Style Chicken and Bibimbowl, BonChon expanded its menu that will make you come back for more. 

Hello, BonChon.

I usually drop by this popular Korean food chain whenever I crave for some Soy Garlic Chicken. Since I always have an order in mind, I never bothered to look at the menu. 

Restaurant Love: Schmidt's Hotdogs

Schmidt’s is one of the well-known hotdog brands in Manila. It serves various well-garnished hotdog sandwiches at relatively steep price but are worth every penny. It has been years since I last had a bite of Schmidt’s hotdogs and when I spotted it last weekend, I made sure that I do not miss my chance sinking my teeth into some juicy meaty treat. 

Hello, Schmidt’s! 

The place is pretty small and seemed to be designed to look like a kiosk with a few tables and benches for dining. Since Podium is hardly packed even during holidays, we easily got a table. 

My mom and sister were still stuffed from lunch so we decided to just go with one sandwich—The Julius (PHP190). I also added PHP60 to get one liter of Iced Tea which is normally priced at PHP90.

Service was quick and we got our meal and drink in less than 5 minutes.

The iced tea wasn’t very sweet making it a great thirst quencher.

I fell in love with the hotdog sandwich’s bread. It was very soft and fluffy. 

When In Hong Kong: Ikea Bistro

I love Ikea. I simply could not resist visiting one whenever I find out that there’s one nearby. The adorable and affordable furniture pieces make me want to redesign my place ASAP. But aside from the smart space pieces, one thing I love about Ikea is… IKEA BISTRO. Oh meatballs!!!

Hello, Ikea!

It has been a while since I last visited one. I remember getting meatballs and soft-serve ice cream every time I visit. It was a sweet reward after walking around the huge Ikea store.

This time around, it was even more thrilling to look around especially since I now have my own space to spruce up. But let me skip my whole I-wanna-try-that, I-wanna-sit-on-that-one, and ooh-what-is-that-cool-thing phase and go straight to the mouthwatering snacks Ikea offers.

I was surprised that despite the massive size of the store, they scrimped on the bistro area. It makes you remember that you’re in Hong Kong where space is as precious (and expensive) as diamond.

Anyway, nothing can hinder me from getting my meatballs, even when the bistro is packed.

We got an order of Swedish Meatballs (HK$9, 5 pieces), Hotdog with Soft drink (HK$10), and Smokey Honey Sausage (HK$10, 3 pieces).

Participate in a Food Eating Contest... Check!

To check if I really am a glutton, I joined the Food Warrior Eating Challenge organized by Manila Ocean Park last September 17, 2011. 

My fellow glutton wannabe and I arrived at the Manila Ocean Park at 10am as we were told that we needed to be there early for some medical tests. To our surprise, we were greeted by a ghost town fair with empty tents. 

Apparently, we arrived too early. We were not informed by the organizer that the check-up was moved to 12NN. But that bright smile of one of the organizers and the fact that she somehow got my name right made me forget about that boo-boo.  

We also noticed that there were only a few participants who joined the event as I overheard some of the organizers that they were still open to more participants. I guess the line “possible loss of life” scared potential participants.

Anyway, we patiently waited till the check-up and the actual competition. While waiting, we, I mean, I roamed around and saw this cute restaurant called MAKAN MAKAN ASIAN FOOD VILLAGE. Channeling the tourist in me (and taking advantage that I do look like a tourist… sometimes), I took photos of each of the station and I promised myself to dine there ASAP (meaning that same day). 

Finally, the Food Warrior Challenge was about to start. GAME FACE ON.