One of the Classics: Tropical Hut

I have several fond memories with Tropical Hut. I used to frequent a few branches back when I was young. My grandmother would often bring me there after school for an afternoon snack. We'd share a clubhouse or chicken sandwich, and she'd let me play for a few minutes in its play area. But ever since she stopped picking me up from school, our Tropical Hut visits stopped too. And it took more than two decades for me to rekindle my love with this nostalgic fast food brand.

Long time no see Tropical Hut.

I had this crazy craving for macaroni salad last week. I couldn't stop yearning for it. I used to order from another fast food joint. But the brand recently pulled it out of the menu. And thanks to the Best of the Best Manila, I was reminded that Tropical Hut offers it too.

Restaurant Favorite: Yoshinoya

Dining out can be very tiring. Aside from squeezing your way through Manila's horrendous traffic, you're also bombarded with so many options where to eat. And the fact that there are restaurants opening left and right every week doesn't really help. At most times, I end up finding myself going back to one of my classic favorites--Yoshinoya.

Hello, Yoshinoya. 

Yoshinoya has been one of my go to places when I couldn't decide on where to eat. With its no fail Beef Gyudon Rice Bowl, I'm set to have a filling and satisfying meal! 

Worth it or Not: Kenny Rogers Now Offers Milk Tea

The modern Filipino anatomy now consists of at least 20% milk tea with all the boba shops out there. With an average of four cups per month splurge on this sweet beverage, it is not surprising that bigger brands are now offering it too. Recently, Kenny Rogers joined the milk tea bandwagon. And I couldn't help myself find out if it is worth it or not.

Hello, Kenny Rogers. 

I was strolling around Trinoma the other day and was on the mission to grab a bowl or two of salad for dinner. But instead of heading back home after buying my meal, I ended up going to Kenny Rogers. That signage of its milk tea by the escalator sure was effective as it made me take a detour! 

Cheap Bites: Above Sea Level

Above Sea Level has been one of the most successful concepts that started in food parks. It started in January 2017 and grew to over a hundred branches and franchises nationwide. And last April, it found a new home at Pobstacion. Its fragrant dishes made it hard for us to ignore its famous battered butterfly squid. 

Hello, Above Sea Level.

Consistent with its vision to be identified as the first seafood fast food brand in the country, our crunchy treats were served within 10 minutes.

First Bite: KFC's Chaco and Cracklings

We've seen Jollibee and McDonald's launching new products here and there for the past months and KFC joined the merriment by launching its Original Recipe Cracklings and Chaco. And I finally got to try these last Friday. 

Hello, KFC.

KFC's delectable spiced chicken has always been a reliable meal for me. I never had a moment when I disliked its flavorful chicken. I do like it better though when it is twice-fried. (Hello, leftover chicken from bucket meal!)

If you're always checking your social media accounts, you may have noticed an influx of Chaco posts a few weeks ago. Even the trusted foodie Masarap Ba? reviewed it but sadly got Chaka for its rating. 

Worth it or not: McDonald's Milk Tea McFloat

The milk tea craze is just getting crazier with more and more brands entering the market. And just when I thought it was already wild enough, McDonald's joined the hype and now offers Classic and Wintermelon McFloat drinks. 

Hello, McDonald's.

I was pretty excited to try McDonald's newest drinks but it took me a while before I got hold of some as I was busy moving from one city to another for work. Luckily, we spotted one on our way back home.

McDonald's Philippines Launches The Flavors of Japan

McDonald's Philippines just launched something new that would bring Japan's Sakura Festival to our shores. And it is delicious! 

Hello, McDonald's!

I was lucky to be invited to the sneak preview of McDonald's latest offering-- The Flavors of Japan last February 26 and I had a blast indulging in these new products.

New Look: McDonald's NXTGEN

I've always been so envious of how advanced other countries are. We have several Asian countries with awesome transit system and others have gone digital in pretty much everything. If you haven't heard of Apple Pay or WePay, then you must be living under the rock. I love it though that we are slowly embracing the digital age with the growth of several apps that make things a lot more convenient for us. And McDonald's has something new to enhance our dining experience!

Hello, McDonald's.

McDonald's played a big part in my childhood. I still remember how excited I was whenever my mom would surprise me with a Happy Meal. In fact, I still find myself collecting its toys and I'd drop by regularly for McNuggets and its world famous fries.

Foodie Alert: National Breakfast Day at McDonald's

I absolutely hate waking up early in the morning. I stopped being a morning person after quitting my job that required me to report to the office so early in the morning. It was as if my body rebelled and could no longer function before 8 A.M. But I think I'll wake up extra early on Monday because it's National Breakfast Day!

Mark your calendars as March 19 is National Breakfast Day and you know what that means... FREE EGG MCMUFFIN. Oh wait. It's even better now. It's Longgadesal!

McDonald's Fish & Fries is back!

Something British is back in Manila and no, I'm not talking about One Direction. I'm talking about something yummy (or yummier if you think those guys are yummy too) and dear ol' Ronald McDonald is the man behind it.

A Love Story: Twister Fries and I

McDonald's Twister Fries never fail to make me giddy. Its smacktacular taste is so good that my tummy weeps whenever it bids goodbye. This time around, dear ol Ronald McDonald teased us by having its curly fries available in selected stores first before rolling out nationwide. And since I try to avoid the crazy Manila traffic, it took me a while before I got hold of this yummy treat.

Hello, McDonald's!

First Sip: McCafé BGC

Remember all the buzz about McCafé when it opened mid 2000s? All of a sudden, McDonald's is a lot classier and attractive to caffeine addicts. Price-wise, it is close to how the famous siren charges for her cup of joe. But the popularity of McCafé didn't last long as it didn't offer one thing the siren is known for... ambiance. Fast forward to present, McCafé made a comeback and this time, it made sure to give what caffeine lovers want. 

Hello, McCafé! 

Now Open: Banh Mi Kitchen in SM Hypermart Pasig

If you love banh mi and work or live near Tiendesitas, then this blog post is for you. Banh Mi Kitchen, known for its crunchy baguettes and delectable fillings, is now open in SM Hypermart Pasig! 

Hello, Banh Mi Kitchen.

First Bite: Genki Sushi

Ever since I heard about how fun it is to order food at Genki Sushi, the foodie in me wants to jump, giddily hop, and moonwalk to the popular Japanese restaurant in BGC Stopover. But every time I plan to visit, something happens. *pouts* This is why when R surprised me with a visit and asked me if I want to have dinner at Genki Sushi, I uttered a big YES with a big smile to match. 

Hello, Genki Sushi!!!

I have been waiting to dine here for months! And finally, I could press those buttons and a train or race car will come my way with some delectable Japanese dishes.

Despite being so sore from insanity workout (yes, I just have to say it to make me look less of a glutton), I happily micro hopped to Genki Sushi. Thankfully, the place was not packed and we managed to get a table with ease.

Before going crazy over the high tech way of ordering, the server gave us a short intro on how to order and that we could enjoy unlimited supply of matcha with our meals.

As soon as the server left, R and I began to stare at the menu plastered on the “food tunnel.” We drooled over Salmon Belly (PHP80), Lobster Salad (PHP120), Lobster Salad Roll (PHP150), Unadon (PHP350) and Chirashi Don (PHP420). 

*choo choo*

The train arrived first with Salmon Belly, Lobster Salad and Unadon.

Given the friendly prices for sushi, I was not really expecting great sushi from this place. But I was pleasantly surprised that the salmon sushi was decent. In fact, it was good. The color was nice and it was fresh. Yay! Great deal for PHP80!

The lobster salad which was topped with crunchy flakes and sweet sauce was pretty heavy. I didn't get a hint of lobster though due to its tiny serving per roll. 

When in Hong Kong: Café de Coral

The Hong Kong food scene is quite overwhelming with all the choices this not so small country could offer. This is the very reason why I didn’t really list down the restaurants I want to visit because I’m bound to find a good restaurant or two in every street. But one restaurant included in A’s recommended restaurants was Café de Coral, a popular quick service restaurant chain in Hong Kong and since we were hungry and were in front of the place, we gave it a try.

Hello, Café de Coral.

The place is very much a notch higher fast food chain. You order in front and head inside to line up again for your food.

R got the Soya National Farm Chicken and BBQ Pork with Rice (HK$42) while mine was Soya National Farm Chicken and Roasted Duck with Rice (HK$42). We also upgraded and got their newest hot beverages. Unfortunately, I forgot what these were called but mine was with ginger.

R’s chicken and pork barbeque dish was great! The tender chicken and pork were glazed with the lovely sweet sauce and it went well with the blanched veggies. The pork though was slightly dry.

My dish, which just had duck instead of pork, was pretty good too. The duck meat was tender and well flavored too and the chicken, just as delightful as the one on R’s plate. The only thing I didn’t like about mine was that the duck was quite bony making it a bit troublesome to eat.

The drinks we ordered were perfect as it was getting chilly that late afternoon and it was freezing cold in the restaurant. We had to dilute it a bit though as the drinks were a bit too sweet to be thirst-quenching.

Overall, it was a pleasant early dinner (though I thought it would be cheaper than the usual restaurants).

Café de Coral has several branches in Hong Kong. Click here for the list of branches.

McDonald's McGriddles Now Available in the Philippines

I love breakfast! I love to eat breakfast meals for breakfast (duh!), lunch, dinner, or as midnight snack! I dislike it when restaurants only offer breakfast meals in the morning. What if I’m craving for scrambled eggs, bacon and sausages at 1 p.m.? Anyway, rules are rules. :| One fine Sunday though on our way to visit our lovable grandma, we passed by McDonald’s for a much needed breakfast.

I was about to order Egg McMuffin when my sister told me to order a McGriddles instead as it’s “limited edition” breakfast. I spotted bacon so I ordered the Bacon, Egg and Cheese McGriddles (PHP113 with coffee | PHP128 with coffee and hashbrown). My mom ordered the Sausage, Egg and Cheese McGriddles (PHP113 with coffee | PHP128 with coffee and hashbrown).

While waiting for our order, I made a quick check on what McGriddles is all about and apparently, it’s a pancake sandwich with maple flavoring. Sinful? Oh yes! Yummy? Definitely.

Okay, I wasn’t able to try my mom’s McGriddles as she ate it while I was not looking for me to flash my annoying puppy eyes (which do not really work on anyone). But since she finished it, I’m guessing it was good.

My Bacon, Egg and Cheese McGriddles was pretty good. The bacon was quite crispy (though the serving was a bit stingy with just 2 small strips) and I love the contrast of its saltiness with the sweet griddle cakes. If only they put in more bacon, it would have been my everyday breakfast meal. Hello, Super Size version of me!

And speaking of Super Size Me, the McGriddles was mentioned in the well-loved documentary. Morgan Spurlock described it as “one of their fattest sandwiches to date.” So try to keep it down to once or twice a week. ;)

Here’s the list of McDonald’s branches with McGriddles:

Navotas

Sun Mall Welcome Rotonda

Farmer's Market

Pioneer Reliance

Ortigas Extension Cainta

Quirino

Granada

Tarlac Hi-way

Sto. Tomas Batangas

Dona Soledad

Bankmer (along Ayala Ave)

Lucky Chinatown

Matalino

San Pedro

Binan

Blue Ridge

Las Pinas Talon

Project 8

Angeles Intersection

(List from Pickiest Eater in the World)

Try them all before it’s too late!

-Gluttonshopper