Roundy Eats! Manilachon

When you think of the best Pinoy food, lechon would definitely be on top of the list. Let's discover and taste Manilachon's take on this well known pinoy dish.

Manilachon opened it's not so new branch in SM North in late 2017. Their version of lechon, which they are known for, is the Italian inspired porchetta, spicy porchetta for that matter. For P163, you get a fairly generous serving of pork meat and skin, a cup of rice either plain or java, slices of tomatoes on the side, and a small bowl for unli serving of soup/broth.

Personally, the expectation was not that high since I've been to different lechon restos already but been disappointed all the same. The good news is, this is one  of the few better lechon restos which serves somewhat still crispy pork skin, thumbs up for that. Meanwhile, the meat is very tender, flavorful, has that herby taste to it, and a little bit spicy but tends to be on the salty side.

My verdict, if you're hungry and craving for lechon, then this will surely satisfy you. But if you seek for the authentic lechon experience, of course, nothing beats the freshly roasted lechon. 

Review: Seoul Express

I have been a fan of korean food since my college days; I consider it a healthy soul food. My favorite korean food is bibimbap. The local version, since I have not tried the legit one in Korea, consists of ground meat (pork,chicken or beef), veggies (carrots,onions,bean sprouts, kimchi), rice, and topped with sunny-side up egg.

It was a rainy night, I was craving for ramen but all the ramen shops I went to were packed with people so I decided to search for alternatives. I happen to pass by fort strip and saw Seoul Express. I remembered my friend mentioned some carinderia-like-korean-restaurant that offers affordable korean food around the area, so this must be it. The place is quite small with a few tables and it's outside seating just to note if you decide to eat here.

So, I order just the basic Bibimbap.

 I was surprised when the server brought it to my table; the serving was huge! Well, unfortunately, that's only the good thing about it. The veggies are not very fresh, and it doesn't have enough meat, but it has a lot of rice. The gochujang that comes with it doesn't taste good or anything at all for that matter; it's only a lil bit spicy but very bland. Not worth P230 for me. I do recommend their tteokbokki, tastes quite good but still, at P200+, so-so.

Review: Mendokoro Ramenba

Mendokoro opens its newest branch in BGC and people are lining up for their near perfect ramen. I also joined the hype cause finally, it's near my workplace.

Ofcourse, I ordered my favorite tsukemen but this time, instead of the usual Karai Tokusei, I opted for the Tonkotsu Tsukemen while my gf had her usual Super Chashu ramen. Well, I'm glad that I tried a different tsukemen this time. The broth being tonkotsu based, by default, is very flavorful already and by adding huge chunks of chashu, brings a different kind of meatiness and depth to it. It was on a tsukemen level of its own. I love the noodles of tsukemen, chewier and fatter compared to ramen noodles. Look at these mouthwatering and glorious pictures of tsukemen.

Our visit would not be complete without us ordering one of their secret menu ramens, the Super Chashu. The picture below speaks for itself. The chashu is like a 1/2 lb patty, HUGE!!

You should definitely come here and eat and experience it yourself. It's like alcohol, it's perfect when you want to temporarily forget your stress, problems, and all the difficulties in life, and just be happy.

Review: Ramen Kuroda

The first time I discovered Ramen Kuroda was when our office was still located in RCBC Plaza in Makati. Ever since then, their ramen has been one of my staples, and basically what I consider as an everyday ramen. For more or less P180, you can already afford a deliciously legit bowl of ramen without emptying your wallet.

About a few weeks ago, we visited one of their newest branch in Eton Centris Quezon City. It was dinner time and luckily, it was not yet full at that time and we arrived and were seated immediately. To add to that experience, we were lucky because that week, the branch is offering unli noodles. Ofcourse, we ordered our favorite, the Aka Ramen.

We always order this ramen cause it has this perfect combination of heat from the chili oil and satisfyingly savory tonkotsu broth. Unlike in most ramen shops, their broth is very light considering that it's pork based. The noodles on the other hand is thin and very chewy, and to top it off, it's hand made. The serving is generous enough to satisfy any hungry person. 

Like what I've said, it's an everyday affordable ramen but it doesn't sacrifice its overall quality and taste. 

I'm looking forward to the opening of their new branch in SM North, a bowl of ramen every other day? Definitely. 

Review: Seoulgyupsal

A not-so hidden foodie gem and a breath of life in the near empty Z Square Mall, that is Seoulgyupsal. It is a korean barbecue inspired resto that offers unlimited serving of various kinds and cuts of meat at an affordable price. For P399, you can choose 6 types of meat, pork and chicken, and it comes with unlimited serving of side dishes. Add an additional P50 and you add 4 types of beef to your options.

We didn't have breakfast or lunch, so seeing those side dishes already prepared before we were even seated was a treat to both our eyes and tummies. The side dishes consist of pickled cucumber, baby potatoes, nuts, and dilis drenched in sweet sauce, sweet mashed potato, chapchae, rice, spicy tomato soup, fluffy scrambled egg, and that delightfully sweet and spicy kimchi and radish. I enjoyed eating the kimchi a lot.

To avoid having leftovers and wasting food, you are limited to choosing 4 types of meat per order. We ordered the 3 samgyupsals, and the Dak Galbi Spicy Korean Chicken.

Out of all the 4, we really liked the Yangnum Samgyupsal and the plain samgyupsal. The yangnum samgyupsal is perfectly marinated in sweet sauce, very tender, and actually reminded me of pork barbecue while the samgyupsal is thinly cut and seasoned well with salt and pepper. Both are perfect pair with the lettuce, or ssambap. I was able to consume a tray of lettuce by myself, it's just so delicious.

Quality of food is just half the part of the experience, a good service makes that experience complete. I commend the excellent service that they deliver.

The quality of food, service, at an affordable price, what more can anyone ask for? A place definitely worth coming back.