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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Jupiter Archives #2: Veggie Delights at Corner Tree Cafe

Like I said in the Lutong Macau review, the first post for Jupiter Archives, one of my foodie goals for this year is to try as many restaurants along Jupiter Street in Makati before the year ends.

And this is why I've been dragging this poor guy to Jupiter Street nearly every Friday night. He's been a good sport so far, humoring my regular requests to find unusual restaurants to dine at. (Thanks, doll.) We usually just cruise along the bright and busy street and stop at whatever restaurant that catches our attention.

The nondescript storefront of Corner Tree Cafe

Last Friday night, we already had restaurant in mind when we saw the dimly lit restaurant (it looks a bit bright in the picture, but that's only because I adjusted the levels) across the street and decided to eat there instead, just because. The quaint little corner store turned out to be the vegetarian restaurant called Corner Tree Cafe.

In contrast to all the other restaurants that lined the street, Corner Tree Cafe had very low lighting which made the space look cozy and inviting. The area had a romantic feel to it, with easy music filling your ears,  candles lit on the table, a little nook in one corner where you can read magazines and books, and very few Friday night guests. (The only other party present had a super cute, well behaved and bright eyed pomeranian puppy with them.) 

Appetizer-

Greek Spinach Filo Triangles with Feta Cheese Dip (p150)

Once we got settled in, we had a look through the menu and it was only then that we realized that Corner Tree Cafe is a vegetarian restaurant. Neither of us are vegetarians, but we do like our greens. 

We started the dinner off with the Greek Spinach Filo Triangles that came with a feta cheese dip. The spinach had a hint of tartness to it, was wrapped in triangular filo dough (same dough used for baclava and flaky pie crusts), and baked to a nice soft crunch. It's a bit pricey at 50 pesos per triangle but it's lovely.

Main course-

Kare Kareng Gulay (p160)

A week ago, I was picking at the kare kare I ordered from another place, removing the meats and keeping just the vegetables when I expressed my sentiment that restaurants should serve kare kare with just vegetables in it.

It was like someone heard me say it, because on the menu of Corner Tree Cafe, I found exactly what I wished for. They had Kare Kareng Gulay that comes with a cup of red rice and bagoong at an affordable price of 160 pesos. The meal comes in a medium-sized bowl filled with all the vegetables that I like swimming in nutty kare kare sauce. Yummy!

Bowl of Chili (p245)

My date ordered the Bowl of Chili. It comes with a big bowlful of beans, corn kernels, a dash of unidentified vegetables, herbs and spices in slightly spicy tomato-based sauce and a cup of red rice. Although it would have been nice if it also had some ground beef in it (of course it wouldn't, it's a vegetarian restaurant!), the chili was rather good.

Verdict-

The homey interior of Corner Tree Cafe

The interior of the cafe gives off a relaxing vibe. The decor, the music, and the lights set a very romantic mood. If you and your date are vegetarian or you just simply enjoy vegetarian dishes, this is the place to go. The prices are affordable, the ambiance is sweet, the service is good, and the nomz are fantastic- in short, Corner Tree Cafe is the perfect date place (unless of course if you hate vegetables). Also, any restaurant that allows guests with supervised pets gets two thumbs up in my book.

Corner Tree Cafe

Location: 150 Jupiter St. Bel-Air, Makati

Contact Number: (02) 897-0295

Other Info: Corner Tree Cafe Facebook page 

Keep reading BaconTunaMelt and wait for the third entry on Jupiter Archives!

Jupiter Archives #1: Quality Chinese Food at Lutong Macau

Friday night crowds are usually something I try to avoid. Busy malls don't appeal to me, so I look for restaurants in isolated buildings or street corners instead. Lately though, I find myself drawn to the famous Jupiter St. in Makati, where a row of restaurants line the length of the street one after the other.

While I have eaten at some of the eateries on the street before, I want to make it a goal to try them all  (and write my stories) before the year ends. We'll be starting off with Lutong Macau, an oriental restaurant that's a popular spot for small gatherings among Makati corporate drones.

Friday night feast

Luckily, the place wasn't too crowded when we got there. We were ushered to our table pretty quickly and were welcomed with the very distinct smell of Chinese cooking. Our predicament was that we wanted to try many dishes, but as there were just two of us, it seemed a bit indulgent to order too much on a regular night.