Restaurant Favorite: Dulcelin Gourmet

Dulcelin is no stranger in the food industry. Known for its scrumptious Mango Torte and Wagyu Tri-tip, it has gained patrons all over the metro. And when I came across Dulcelin's restaurant along West Triangle, I knew where to eat next. 

Hello, Dulcelin Gourmet.

Contrary to its name, Dulcelin Gourmet's restaurant doesn't have that fancy or snooty vibe. And surprisingly, the place was still packed at 1:30 p.m. on a weekday.

First Bite: Fat Daddy's Smokehouse

Receiving a text message from P always mean good (and yummy) news and her message last Monday was no exception. It was a looloo invite to try Fat Daddy's Smokehouse. At first, I got it confused with the burger joint that has that three letter word that love to settle on unwanted areas. Thanks to P's email. I got the idea that it... could be even better! 

Hello, Fat Daddy's Smokehouse.

I WAS LATE. I underestimated the distance between my place and Burgos Circle. I even got lost due to my lack of night vision. So much for being an early bird.

The group was already enjoying the big tray of Jera’s Ultimate Pulled Pork and Bacon Nachos (PHP550) when I arrived. Even though it was already “touched”, I was still overwhelmed by the huge serving size. This one is definitely good for sharing! I think even 10 foodies cannot finish this dish (assuming there are other dishes).

Taste-wise, it was packed with flavor. I enjoyed the harmony of textures and flavors among the crisp seasoned and slightly salty tortilla chips, sweet and tender pulled pork, delectable bacon strips (which was stripped off its salty flavor because of the Alabama barbecue sauce) and of course, cheese! This dish was far from being short of toppings or sauce!

I tried Chef Pat’s Ultimate Cheese Dip (PHP450) next and it was indeed very cheesy! I loved that it was oh so thick (thanks to the layers of mozzarella and cheddar cheese). Getting a spoonful was a challenge though as there were huge onion rings stuffed inside too! But it did not hinder me from smothering my fried tortilla chips with the scrumptious dip! (There were no toasted baguettes left when I got to try the dish.)

One of my favorites is the Crispy Fried Pickles (PHP120). I was quite surprised to say this as I am not a fan of pickles. But I had no idea that I would enjoy it a lot when deep fried covered with panko and corn crust and dipped in a delightful white sauce which reminded me of ranch. It was a lovely appetizer and made me salivate for more.

Next served was the Crisp Fish Tacos (PHP320) and it was one of my favorites that night. The beer battered Alaskan Pollock had a nice light taste which was a great break from the dishes with very heavy flavors. 

I loved the crisp of the batter and the taste of the garlic sauce. I skipped putting barbeque sauce on my portion as I really wanted to have a break from the sweet barbecue sauce.

Smoked Beef Brisket (PHP550) and North Carolina Pulled Pork (PHP220) were served right after and this marked the end of my break from barbeque sauce.

The 250 gram smoked beef brisket, which was smoked for 16 hours was divine! It was so tender! Though it was one of the dishes with relatively small serving size (because of its thin cut), I’d highly recommend this. It was packed with flavors without it being overpowering. Oh, and this is senior friendly. It was effortless to chew this dish!

The North Carolina Pulled Pork was similar with the ones on the nachos. I guess if you order the nachos, you may opt not to get this anymore.

BLAT, or Bacon, Lettuce, Apple and Tomatoes sandwich (PHP275) was a crowd favorite. Though just like most of the other dishes, this one also have the yummy homemade bacon. But for some reason, this sandwich is a notch higher in the taste department with its refreshing baked spiced apples. It went really well with bacon, veggies and remoulade sauce (a type of aioli) adding nice cinnamon spice that I simply love.

First Bite: Big D's Smokehouse

My uncle couldn’t stop raving about this ribs place in Eastwood and told us that he’ll treat us there on his birthday. Confident about his choice, he scheduled the last Sunday of the Christmas break to be his birthday celebration at Big D’s Smokehouse.

Hello, Big D’s Smokehouse.

We arrived a bit too early in Eastwood and ended up waiting for 20 minutes outside for the restaurant to open. 

I was a bit hesitant to dine here as the place didn’t exactly get a lot of good reviews online. Some said that the ribs were dry while others were disappointed with every single dish they ordered. But it’s free so… game!

My uncle wanted to order The Big Feast which includes a plate of nachos, two servings of onion rings, 2 pasta plates of your choice, 2 orders of chicken fingers, 3 full slabs of ribs, 4 side dishes, 5 cups of rice and a sizzling plate of pulled pork for PHP2,999. I did the math and if you choose all the most expensive pasta and sides, you manage to save about PHP200 or have that sizzling pulled pork for free. (I guess it wasn’t that bad if you do not want to think of what to order anymore.) We also ordered a plate of Hush Puppies (PHP175) as additional appetizer.

First served was the platter of nachos and it looks so oily. The tortilla chips were thin and crisp which I enjoyed. But I would have liked it more if the beef topping was juicy. The one we got was dry and the cheese wasn’t as creamy or gooey as I wanted it to be.

Onion rings were served next and it’s your usual crisp onion rings with garlic ranch dip. Nothing much to talk about.

Hush Puppies soon followed and it was a crowd favorite. The combination of cheddar, mozzarella and parmesan cheese created a delightful and crisp cheese ball! It also had the right level of tart. But what I loved most about this dish is that every bite is promised with an ooze of the heavenly cheese combination. 

The smooth and creamy melted cheese with the crunchy batter was divine. I also enjoyed it with the garlic ranch dip.

The chicken fingers (PHP190) looked so… thin. Taste-wise, it was a bit bland and dry. We had to put a generous amount of honey mustard for it to be more palatable. At least it was crisp.