Had a KFC Fix, Thanks to My Weekend in Bordeaux

A couple of weekends ago (okay, if we're being honest, it was a month or so ago), I had to fly to Bordeaux city for a work-related requirement. Besides a work trip, it also doubled as a vacation of sorts. Some officemates are currently based in the city and because of them, I was able to go and see the pretty sights of the city (some photos here).

Mesmerized by this sight (more for the Col. Sanders sign than anything else)

And then of course, after all the walking (it's big here in France), we needed to take a pitstop. My friends new exactly where to take me- KFC.

I know, I know. It's not exactly a five star restaurant, not even close. But KFC is near and dear to my heart. If I have a fling with Manang's Chicken, I have a full-blown love affair (sorry, babe) with KFC. My heart goes thump-a-thumpin' for the fried chicken recipe perfected decades ago by Colonel Sanders himself (who wasn't really a colonel, but that's another story).

Drooling right now.

In Lyon, where I'm based, the nearest KFC is in another town (in Bron), which is more than an hour's commute away. Not having my mistress close by is heartbreaking so I was ecstatic more than glad to be FINALLY having KFC's finger-lickin' good fried chicken in Bordeaux.

They had long lines too (it felt just like home).

A bucket of 8 chicken pieces, 8 hot wings, 8 crispy tenders, 4 side dishes, and 4 bottomless drinks is priced at 20 euros (about Php1,816). It's a lot more expensive than our KFC buckets, but compared to other restaurants, this deal isn't too bad. The set is more than enough for four (hungry cows).

I am happy to report that France's KFC chicken is as crispy, tasty, and juicy (and unhealthy) as it is back home. But they don't have gravy nor rice. Boo.

McDonalds of the World: Royal Bacon in France

Bonsoir everybody! The day is about to close on this side of the world and I thought to start writing about this little fastfood chain that I visited recently. McDonald's! Here on BaconTunaMelt, we have the series called McDonald's of the World and I'm already living in France, of course I wouldn't pass up the opportunity to feature their nomz.

McDonald's of the World: France

Quite honestly, it was one of the first few places I looked for (seeing a McDonald's in a strange place oddly comforts me). It wasn't until I first had to venture my way around the city to open a bank account until I finally found one, specifically in Bellecour.  

Bellecour is one of the more popular destinations in Lyon, France. In the heart of the city, this square is one of the busiest. Right in the middle of it is the statue of King Louis XIV (a tourist destination) and near the area are landmarks such as the Hotel de Ville and is considered a mecca for shopping with a long stretch of filled with stores of all kind (including Louis Vuitton and Cartier).

McDonald's at Place Bellecour

Right above one of the exits of the Metro (Bellecour station) is a McDonald's. I actually kind of got lost getting there, heading in the opposite direction towards the Poste Principale (the main post office) instead of the commercial area and had to backtrack (here, walking shoes is a must, if you like your feet) to find it. It was such a relief when I found it, because I was feeling kind of down (you would too if you had to eat my cooking) and McDonald's nomz, wherever it is, is comfort food.

Inside, it was almost like your typical McDonald's restaurant. The place smells like fries, the familiar yellow M logo, and the crew in fastfood uniform (caps too!). Everything, of course, was in French, including the menu. Also noticeably different, is that in every counter, there's a self-service machine to pay via debit card. Cool!

Maxi Best Of Royal Bacon (€6.90 or about Php423)

It took me a while to order because I couldn't understand much of what was on the menu, but when I saw the words "royal" and "bacon" all in one line, I knew I had to get it. The lady behind the counter couldn't understand much English but I kind of figured out how to order the meal and upgrade the fries and drink while at it (the ugrade cost €0.50) and order a dessert, all for take out.

Look at that patty!

Sadly, the dessert, supposedly chocolate mousse, got lost in translation. Or something. I ordered and paid for it but it wasn't in the bag (I forgot to check until I was home). No matter, I had with me a burger that seriously smelled like home (I dunno, it might be the grease). The Royal Bacon is a one layer burger with a wide beef patty and some bacon strips sandwiched between very thin burger buns.

To the very hungry me (I walked several kilometers only on breakfast nomz), it tasted really, really good. The beef was not as greasy as I was expecting it to be (surprisingly), and thick enough for me to actually taste the flavor of meat and the hint of bacon (the thin buns helped too). The fries were cold by the time I got home but their special sauce (something like an herbed mayonnaise) made up for it. Except for the fact that ordering can be a bit of a challenge if you can't speak the language, I give McDonald's in France two thumbs up. 

(Click here to read the other posts on the McDonald's of the World series)

McDonald's of the World

1st post: McArabia in Abu Dhabi

2nd post: Twisty Pasta in Hongkong
3rd post: Samurai Burger in Bangkok

4th post: Shrimp EuroKnallers in the Netherlands

Chic-Boy Gives Us a Taste of Cebu for Cheap

All set to nom on Chinese food at Lutong Macau last Friday, we were disappointed to find out that the restaurant was closed for a private party. Instead, we ended up having an excellent Pinoy dinner only a few paces away at Chic-Boy, a 24-hour grill that serves chicken and baboy cooked the Cebuano way.

Part of what I love about restaurants in Jupiter street is the free parking provided for diners by most restaurants in the area, Chic-Boy was no exception. We had no trouble finding room to park in front of the restaurant.

I'm happy to say that for a fast food grill house, the place was fairly roomy and cozy. The restaurant was divided into two sections, the airconditioned non-smoking dining area and the open smoking area. We opted to stay indoors (it was a bit warm outside) and proceeded to order.

From top- left, clockwise: Ginisang Kangkong sa Bawang (p30), Ensaladang Mangga (p25), Inihaw na Talong with Bagoong (p25)

For appetizers, we ordered a bit more than usual. We ordered the Ginisang Kangkong sa Bawang, Ensaladang Mangga, and Inihaw na Talong with Bagoong, your regular Pinoy side dishes. Chic-Boy didn't really offer anything new or unusual to the dishes, but they were good (althought the bagoong could be better) and very, very affordable.

Cebu Lechon Liempo (p160)

One of their baboy specialties is the Cebu Lechon Liempo. For one hundred sixty bucks, you get a plateful of the classic Pinoy grilled pork belly seasoned ala Cebu lechon. Mind you, it doesn't taste like your typical liempo, the meat is juicier than normal and it has the flavor of the famous lechon from Cebu. One order is good for sharing. My only complaint is that it had too much fat and a little less lean meat than I would have liked.

Sinigang na Bangus (p48)

To warm up, we had an order of their Sinigang na Bangus (no, that price is not a typo, it's really that cheap). Comforting sinigang soup together with a good few pieces of bangus and a handful of vegetables are served in a medium sized cup at Chic-Boy. Like the appetizers, there's also nothing very new in this order (if you're used to Filipino cooking) but it still satisfies you in more ways than one. The order can be good for sharing too, especially if you have other orders.

Cebu Lechon Manok Half (p120)

The chicken specialty at Chic-Boy is their Cebu Lechon Manok. Half a chicken can be had for only one hundred and twenty bucks whileas a whole chicken is two hundred ten bucks. Not bad at all. The chicken is so tender that pieces of meat would fall off if you try to bite a chunk. Like the Cebu Lechon Liempo, it also has the distinct taste of Cebu lechon. It was pretty good (and cheap too!).

Turones con Leche (p30)

This is my (current) absolute favorite from Chic-Boy. Turones con Leche is just like the mini version of your everyday turon. It's smaller and isn't fried with brown sugar. The best part about it is that it comes with a not-too-sweet caramel sauce for dipping. Because they have no additional sweeteners, your caramel dip (which is divine) will act as sweetener. Great combo.

Considering that Jupiter street is home to several fancy restaurants and Chic-Boy had a classy fast-food feel to it, we were pleasantly surprised at the cheap price. Everything that was ordered amounted to just two hundred bucks (or so) per person. And that included a (very) full meal, complete with appetizers, soup, dessert, bottomless drinks and a couple bottles of beer. 'Twas a good night.

Chic-Boy Chicken at Baboy
Location:112 Jupiter Street, Makat
Contact info: (02) 659-4762

Other details: Chic-Boy Chicken at Baboy Website; Chic-Boy Facebook Page
Map:

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Bingeing on Malcolms Triple Patty Wagyu Burger

G'morning gaiz! We're halfway through Monday and I'm feeling very optimistic (I wasn't late today, hrhr). Did any of you see the super moon that was supposed to be up last Saturday? (I kind of did, but it wasn't as super as I was expecting it to be.)

Anyhoots, what we're here to review today are the Wagyu burgers of Malcolm's Burger. Weeks and weeks and weeks and weeks ago (been rry busy ಠ_ಠ), I was introduced to this (then) newly opened burger joint in the heart of Makati CBD.

At the corner of V.A. Rufino and San Agustin streets is this tiny burger stop that serves Wagyu burgers the way you like it (map at the bottom of this post). They have fastfood staples like french fries, onion rings, and chicken wings, but of course, we were there to try out the burgers ѽ͜ (ᵔ ̮ ᵔ)› (I just wanted to use this emoticon).

The Ultimate Malcolm's Bacon Cheeseburger (p135)

I picked an order of The Ultimate Malcolm's Bacon Cheeseburger. With a name that long, I was expecting great things from it. And it rated better than expected. A thick and juicy wagyu patty was sandwiched between a medley of lettuce, cheese, tomato, onion, bacon and a couple of buns. It was so good that I was able to finish the large(r than usual) order.

Malcolm's Triple Patty Wagyu Burger (p245)

They also have customized burgers where you can choose the number of patties and additional toppings (besides lettuce, tomato, and onion). I'm not sure how many superlatives I can say about it without sounding like I'm being paid to advertise their burgers (I'm not!). But three very tasty Wagyu burger patties piled on top of the other in between two burger buns is a serving of juicy, meaty, savory, and tantalizing greasy goodness in a bun.

The iced tea is pretty good too (the hint of calamansi gave it a kick).

The place only has a few small tables for dine in customers and it gets pretty full quickly at lunch on weekdays so I suggest to just get the burgers and enjoy the delicious burgers in the comfort of your own office pantry.

Malcolm's Burger
Location: 311 G/F PDCP Bldg, San Agustin, Makati
Other info: For deliveries, call 2121212 (QuickDelivery)
Map:

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McDonalds of the World: Shrimp EuroKnallers in the Netherlands

Hi guys, this will be a quick post. We shall again be disrupting the Delightful Davao series for an update on yet another series. It's been awhile since the last post on the McDonald's of the World series and it's high time for a new one. Mostly because we recently got photos of the nomz from McDonald's Netherlands from an anonymous donor.

McDonald's of the World: Netherlands

Because I haven't been there myself, the pictures will have to do the talking (writing, in this case). So, here they are-

Looks like the Dutch also like chicken (like me!). But hey, they have Chicken Sate (Met satesaus), which is something I would expect more from McDonald's in Indonesia or Malaysia rather than the Netherlands. And, and, and, and... is that a Kit Kat McFlurry I spy? *drools*

I can't understand much of what's written on the menu but I can see the prices. That's 5.90 euros for the salad, 3.75 euros for the Happy Meals, 1-2 euros for the Euroknallers. That's a 356 peso salad, 226 peso Happy Meal, 60-120 peso side dishes. It's not as expensive as I thought it would be (I was told a Value Meal is priced at EUR15 or Php905. Yikes!).

Chicken Sate (Met satesaus)
(EUR 3.75 or Php 226 for burger; EUR 6.05 or Php 365 for a meal)

Garnalen met chilisaus (EUR 2 or Php120)

SHRIMPS! Mcdonald's in the Netherlands sell shrimps! WANT! To the awesome person who shall remain nameless and anonymous by request, thank you for the photos. :)

(Click here to read the other posts on the McDonald's of the World series)

McDonald's of the World

1st post: McArabia in Abu Dhabi

2nd post: Twisty Pasta in Hongkong
3rd post: Samurai Burger in Bangkok

McDonalds of the World: Samurai Burger in Bangkok

Today, we'll add another entry (the third, yay!) to BaconTunaMelt's McDonald's of the World series. Thanks to my tita, who's regularly in Thailand for business, our latest entry will be about the Bangkok version of the much loved, sometimes hated, but nevertheless very popular fast food chain.

McDonald's of the World: Bangkok

When visiting Thailand, communication can be a bit of a problem. While the Thai people don't look much different from our countrymen, unlike most Filipinos, few will be able to converse with you in English. Even in Bangkok, the country's capital, not many can understand, and much less speak the language. You'll have to get used to hand gestures and basic words to transact in most parts of the city.

Clowns are still creepy, imo

One of the most basic hand gestures that you should learn when you get to any part of Thailand is the wai. The wai is a traditional Thai greeting that can be used for many different situations. Bowing with your palms together in a praying position is the Thai way to politely say say "hello", "thank you", and even "i'm sorry". Adopting Thai culture, the Ronald McDonald statue that welcomes you as you enter the store is in the traditional "wai" pose.

The menu is in Thai

The standee has chinky eyes ~_~

The logos and the theme is the same as it is in all McDonald's branches around the world, but the menu in Bangkok is in Thai and their standee has the Thai chinky eyes. Maybe our posters should be in Filipino (plis no jejemh0wnz).

Samurai Burger Meal (116 baht/169 pesos) + Corn Pie (15 baht/22 pesos)

Tita Ging ordered the Samurai Burger Meal (specially for BaconTunaMelt <3) which comes with a Samurai Pork Burger, fries and a drink- like your typical McDonald's meal. The meal costs one hundred sixteen baht, or about one hundred sixty nine pesos, a tad more expensive than our meals here. The Corn Pie costs 15 baht, or twenty two pesos. (I used Google's current exchange rate: 1THB= 1.46 PHP)

The pattie is somewhere in there

With a name like Samurai Burger, you wouldn't think it's from Thailand. The patty is made with pork instead of beef and is slathered with teriyaki sauce (hence the name) and is topped with heaps and heaps of lettuce.

My tita says that the Corn Pie is not unlike our very own local dessert- the Filipino maha blanca. Corn kernels are mixed in a sweet and creamy mixture and wrapped in the same crunchy crust of the McDonald's Apple Pie.

Thanks for the pictures Tita Ging! Check out my titas' fabulous clothes, click here to visit the Pikachu's Closet Facebook page (they're cute, I promise!). Happy start of the weekend, gaiz!

McDonald's of the World Series

1st post: McArabia in Abu Dhabi

2nd post: Twisty Pasta in Hongkong

Army Navy: Burger + Burrito + Freedom Fries

And now that the holidays are over, we are back to regular programming (I'll worry about the boatload of pictures that I have to sort out later). I trust that everyone had a good holiday? We're on to yet another new year and let's get rid of all the bad juju of the year that was (and think of happy nomz instead).

For months now (actually since the McDonald's Twister Fries vs KFC Bucket Fries post), friends have been urging me to try the nomz at Army Navy.

They claim that the french fries at Army Navy tops all the french fries available pretty much anywhere. Big claim methinks, specially because Army Navy is a relative unknown in the land of fast food bigwigs with branches popping up in the city only recently. I just heard about this new burger joint towards the later part of 2010.

The menu

In line with its name, the newish fast food chain has a mess hall theme, with a simple ambiance of stainless tables and chairs accentuated by wood, greens (a color I associate with the army), and sheet metal decor. The menu is simple- it contains basic fast food grub that includes burgers, burritos, chicken, tacos, sandwiches, fries, onion rings, iced tea, and soda.

Burger

It would be a shame to go to a burger + burrito place and not try the burger. There are three to choose from- the classic Burger, the Double Burger, and the Bully Boy Burger (with three quarter-pound patties piled on top of each other) and I ended up trying the classic.

Burger (p135)

This large, single-patty burger was more than enough for (a very hungry) me. The quarter pound patty was a little undercooked for my liking but I think you can request them to cook the meat until it's well-done. It isn't my favorite burger (it's still Double Brother's Burger at the top of the list for me) but it's not bad, I actually want to try the Bully Boy Burger someday just for the heck of it.

Burrito

The next item on the list is the burrito, of course. I, for one, am really happy that we finally have a fast food store (besides Taco Bell) that sells burritos. I'm a big fan of the stuff, but the only branch of Taco Bell here is at GateWay mall, and I hardly head thattaway. 

Chicken Burrito (p135)

I ordered the Army Navy Chicken Burrito and I would have to conclude that it is made from all things happy and good. Biting into the soft roll filled with strips of chicken and flavored rice is truly a fantastic treat for the senses. Top it with their special sauce and it's heaven on earth. Best of all is that it's a complete meal all in one neat package.

Freedom Fries

One last thing that I couldn't pass up is the famous Freedom Fries. These are the very same fries that they say trumps all fries commercially available. I just had to find out if that claim is true.

Freedom Fries (p60)

With a semi-spicy coating, the famous Freedom Fries isn't much different from Twister Fries and KFC fries in flavor. But unlike the other two, Freedom fries are thinner and are less oily, without the greasy aftertaste of Twister Fries nor the mushy texture of KFC Fries. They're crispy, light, tasty, and they live up to the hype. Thumbs up!

Also good to note is the Army Navy iced tea called Libertea (p45/p55), it's one thing I'll keep going back for even without all the other things on the menu. The branch we visited at Glorietta 5 is a small little corner that's almost always full. For people up North, you can visit the bigger Tomas Morato branch and for Southerners, do not fret, the one at President's Avenue at BF will be open very soon (yay!).

Army Navy

Location: G/F Glorietta 5, Ayala Center, Makati

Contact Number: (02) 501-3106

Other Info: http://armynavyburgerburrito.com/

McDonalds of the World: McArabia in Abu Dhabi

Besides social culture, there is also a diversity of culinary cultures around the world. We Pinoys love rice, the Americans go for mashed potato, the Italians prefer bread. Unsurprisingly, this also applies to fastfood stores. McDonald's, possibly the world's largest fastfood chain, is one good example. Although they have a preset list of menu items like the Big Mac, Quarter Pounder, and Filet-o-Fish which can be ordered from any branch, each country with a McDonald's franchise has added their own personal touch.

McDonald's of the World: Abu Dhabi

Here in McDonald's Philippines, we have fried chicken, the McSpaghetti and rice meals. We don't think anything of it and it's nothing unsual for us; besides, local fastfood chains sell it too, we're used to it, it's nothing special for us. But bring a foreigner to a McDonald's here and he'll be surprised to find them on the menu (they'd also be surprised at the smaller sized drink cups and french fries, but that's another story). In other countries, they have different specialties as well, and you'd be surprised at how unusual some are.

KFC Double Down is the Talk of the Town

Everyone's been talking about it since it was launched locally just last Friday. I just had to see what all the hype was about so I dialed 887-8888, KFC's delivery hotline, and had a KFC Double Down delivered for lunch today. And yes, my arteries have survived the onslaught of cholesterol and are fine for now, thank you.

So what's the fuss all about? Why is everyone lining up over at Colonel Sanders famous fastfood chain to get a KFC Double Down or two? Check out this week's talk of the town-

KFC Double Down (p100 over the counter; p110 if delivered)

KFC's latest item on the menu, the KFC Double Down Sandwich is a sandwich with no bread at all. What it has is strips of bacon smeared with a dollop of mayonnaise and melted cheese sandwiched between two juicy slabs of glorious KFC Chicken fillets. And as expected, the Double Down did not disappoint. 

The heavy sandwich is an overload of rich flavors- the taste of the chicken seasoned with KFC's secret recipe combined with the flavorful trio of mayo, cheese and bacon tastes like a delicious party in your mouth. A party not unlike those drinking parties you enjoyed but regretted as soon as you wake up with a headache the following morning. This new food craze is not recommended for the weak of heart. Literally. 

There's no denying that it's not an ideal healthy snack, its ingredients spell h-e-a-r-t-a-t-t-a-c-k-i-n-t-e-n-m-i-n-u-t-e-s. But if you're young and healthy, go for it, the KFC Double Down Sandwich is undoubtedly yummy and addicting. Call KFC Delivery now and don't be the last one to try this delicious treat!

KFC Delivery Hotline

Contact Number: 887-8888

Other Info: -a minimum order of p200 is required

                  -the delivery charge is 10% of the total amount

                  -waiting time is 30 minutes or less

Modern Peking Duck of Singapore - Sinfuly Delicious

Another great find on my recent trip to Singapore, Modern Peking Duck, can be found in most food courts of the big name malls along Orchard Road. The main draw of these little stalls is obviously their Peking duck, but also on their menu is a rather sinful suckling pig.

Peking duck and suckling pig sold in a fast food stall? For most of us, Peking duck and suckling pig are usually reserved for special occasions. The last time I remember having really good suckling pig was years ago at some fancy-schmancy Chinese restaurant where we were celebrating a cousin's graduation. In Singapore, these are just food court nomz. Then again, most mall food courts in Singapore look like classy restaurants.

Modern Peking Duck's The Big Pig (SGD6)

Modern Peking Duck sells rolls of chopped Peking duck or suckling pig enveloped in a crepe-like wrapper (they look like cute mini wraps). They have an aquarium-type preparation area where you'd see the server in plastic gloves chop up the duck or the pork into small, uniform pieces and line them up on the round wrappers ready to be neatly rolled by the next server and packed in red boxes of five (their neatness excites satisfies the OC in me).

Monster Burger at Legaspi Market

After succeeding days without electricity in the house (and in most of Metro Manila) after that surprise typhoon Basyang, I finally got to sit down and write (type?) again. I hope everyone and their families are safe and sound.

I've heard many good things about this once-a-week food fiesta in the heart of Makati, the so called market for the rich and (in)famous, known as the Legaspi Market. When the boyfriend's family invited me to go with them one Sunday, I gladly tagged along with my trusty camera, Igor, in tow. 

Sunday market

Legaspi Market happens every Sunday on what is usually a parking lot on the corner of Rufino and Legaspi streets in Legaspi Village, Makati. They usually open early, around 7am (the mass starts at 9) and close shop about midday to after lunch. Tents are put up and food stalls are lined up to entice you with the lovely smells of their unique dishes. Fresh produce are also sold, along with an assortment of unusual and interesting food products.

Assorted food choices at Legaspi Market

The first thing we did was to stop by this Spanish booth in one of the corners because their lengua's good reputation is known far and wide. Testament to this was the empty trays  in their stall by the time we got there. I'll have to go back again to try it another time.

We went around a couple times to see what's available and still open for business. The smoke coming from Monster Burger's grillers was one of the things that drew us to their booth. Another is their inch-thick slabs of pure beef patties.

Half pound burger patties

These, ladies and gentlemen, are Monster Burger's glorious half pound burger patties for their half pound burger that can be bought for just one hundred and thirty pesos (p130)! That's a very good price for a burger of this size. I just realized that I have no pictures of the entire burger- with the bun, vegies and condiments. We scarfed down the burger too quickly.

The patty was a little on the bland side, but that can be fixed with a little bit of ketchup, it's better to be a little bland than salty. The burger sure was meaty, juicy and pretty heavy. It's a pretty good deal. You don't get half pound burgers for that price around these parts.

 Signage and prices

Quarter pounder burgers are also being sold at Monster Burger for seventy five pesos. That's more affordable than other quarter pound burgers I know. They also sell frozen burger patties if you want to throw a burger party (and you can pretend you made your own burgers ^_~).

Because we got to the market around noon, the stalls were about ready to pack up. And as expected from any place with concrete floors and just tarpauline as shelter at noon, the place was sweltering. All the same, it was an enjoyable and unique experience. We found out about Monster Burger's burgers, and went home with happy tummies and various goodies!

Nothing Beats SEx on a Rainy Morning - A Sinangag Express Review

When the boyfriend asked me to go with him to get his new monitor from a store somewhere at BF Parañaque, I asked him if he knew where to find it. And when he said it was right next to Sinangag Express along Aguirre Street, I perked up right away. The thought of a warm sinangag meal on a rainy morning always cheers me up.

Sinangag Express, naughtily nicknamed SEx, is a commercialized tapsilogan with branches at select locations in different cities. There are two branches just in BF- the one along President's Avenue and the one we went to, along Aguirre Street.

The Menu

The dining area was dimly lit, which was fine because we were there in the morning when there was light outside. They also had no airconditioning, but the place was cool because it just rained and there was a light breeze. But the tables and chairs were nice and solid and didn't feel like a typical fast food joint.

For lunch, we ordered the classic Tapsilog (p60) and the mouth-watering Special Pares (p75). Let's start off with the-

Tapsilog

The classic Tapsi

Tapa + sinangag + itlog = a classic combination that will forever be a favorite. SEx's tapsilog is a delicious set, their tapa is nicely seasoned, the rice is soft and garlicky and the serving size is pretty good (bigger than Tapa King's). And it only costs 60 pesos a meal! Rating: 5/5

Special Pares

Special Pares (p75)

Enticed by the huge streamers outside with blown-up pictures, I ordered the Special Pares without looking at other menu choices. There was a pretty big bowl of soft sinangag rice topped with fried chopped garlic and onion that came with a smaller bowl of minced beef. The rice was good, soft and garlicky, just like sinangag should be.

The beef was soft but it was too stringy, I was expecting it to be served in chunks just like regular pares. It was also too sweet and a tad too oily and it didn't have that sesame seed-y taste that I associate with pares. Perhaps it was because I expecting it to taste differently that I didn't like the dish so much. Rating: 3.5/5

All in all, it was still a nice visit at Sinangag Express. Good food, cheap prices, big servings, friendly staff, clean environment. Sums up to a pretty good dining experience for me.

Budget Meals - Big Daddy's (BIG) Chicken

If you're in Greenhills Shopping Center and you get some major hunger pangs but you have just a hundred pesos left in your pocket, I suggest you look for Big Daddy's Chicken for a cheap and satisfying big meal.

This was my situation last weekend after window-shopping at Greenhills tiangges. I was looking for a place to grab a quick dinner when their sign, the brightly lit orange logo that had 'CHICKEN' in huge block letters, easily caught my attention.

Taking a quick look at their menu assured me that this was a place well within budget, so I promptly got a tray and decided on what to order.

Big Daddy's Chicken's sign says HELLO! EAT HERE!

Big Daddy's Chicken serves huge slabs of chicken (or pork) chops coated in crispy golden breading together with rice and soup. As a twist, you can choose one of these as flavoring for your chicken- spicy, lemon, nori or plum (yes, the fruit).

I like my food with a bit of a kick, so I decided to get the spicy flavored chicken with rice and soup (p85). I was debating with myself whether to try out the plum flavoring (just because it sounded so weird) but in the end I stuck with spicy.

Perfectly spicy!

The first thing you notice when you get your plate is the giant slab of chicken chop. From the picture's angle, it doesn't look too big but trust me, it is. The chicken is fried to a golden crisp and I liked the spicy chili powder they used (reminds me of the chili flavoring from Ersao- another fast food joint I want to revisit).

See that big chicken slab?

Here's a picture of a different meal- the original chicken with pasta (p90). The pasta wasn't anything special, it's your typical spaghetti noodles in creamy white sauce. While the unflavored chicken was also good, I still prefer the spicy flavored one.

All in all, it was a yummy and very filling meal for less than one hundred pesos. Sulit!

The idea for Big Daddy's Chicken came from Taiwan's famous street food called Ji Pai. These are huge pieces of fried breaded chicken chops that can be bought from food carts along the streets for cheap. It turns out that the ones from Taiwan are even bigger, looky-

Taiwan's famous Ji Pai are insanely huge.