Baked Macaroni (Pastarrific Pasta Meal, 7-11)

7-Eleven (http://www.7-eleven.com/), a popular retail store, sells packed meals mostly under Php 60.00. These meals range from corned beef with rice to baked macaroni. And in line with 7-Eleven corporate mission, these packed meals are handy, convenient, practical and best of all, very reasonable. In other words, it's a gold piece worth under sixty pesos.

I tasted the baked macaroni. It's cheesy, creamy and can give popular fast food baked macaroni products a run for its money.

The baked mac is neatly boxed in the standard 7-Eleven package. A photo of the baked mac is smacked right in the middle of the box. It (package) contains instructions on how to heat properly the macaroni. It's simple and stark yet direct to the point. It comes, separately, with a set of plastic fork and spoon with paper table napkin wrapped in plastic.

The 'meal' set includes two slices of triangular white bread on the side. The baked mac itself, as I've said earlier, is tasty. After putting it inside the microwave oven for 90 seconds, the "cheese melt" covered the macaroni. It looked more appetizing. The macaroni shell was not al dente. It soft without being soggy nor overcooked. The taste of the meat (ham) blended well.

The only downside is that, after heating, the white bread became hard. I could hear crunchy sound when I was chewing the bread. It was supposed to be buttered but apparently the taste was no longer there.

The baked macaroni is only Php 49.00 and it's all worth it.

French Baker

The French Baker

2/F The Landmark Bridgemark, Makati City

June 6, 2009

OVERALL GRADE: 2.12 / 5

FOOD: 1/5

Chicken Pesto Spaghetti and Banana Walnut Struessel

According to the website menu of The French Baker, the (chicken pesto) spaghetti is tossed with basil, pine nuts, garlic, parmesan cheese, and extra virgin olive oil, topped with strips of grilled chicken breast and served with your choice of grilled foccacia or garlic toast.

I was shocked to find out that, of the enumerated ingredients of this pasta dish, only the strips of chicken breast, parmesan cheese and foccacia bread are present. The rest is non-existent.

The cashier informed me that they ran out of spaghetti. They suggested fettuccine spinach pasta instead, in lieu of the spaghetti. I said yes since I wasn't so fussy about my food that day. When it was served, I quizzically looked at my food and was 'bothered' by the presence of creamy white sauce all over my pasta. I was expecting something green since I ordered for pesto. I was shortchanged of my order.

The food was served lukewarm, in fact, room temperature. It was not hot. The chicken strips were cold. The whole food presentation was alright. Lumped in the middle of my white plate is the pasta with cream all over, topped with four strips of chicken breast. The foccacia bread was placed on the topmost portion of the plate smothered by cream. The foccacia bread is not supposed to be smothered by cream because, as expected, it would be soggy. The essence of eating grilled foccacia does not serve its purpose when the taste is altered due to the cream and the bread texture becomes spongy. Foccacia should be brittle on the outside (because it was supposed to be grilled) and buttery in taste. My experience with my foccacia was far from this.

The fettuccine spinach pasta tasted rubbery. It was sticky as it is. To make it worse, the cream made it more sticky. I was after the taste of pesto but there was none at all. There was no virgin olive oil too.

The chicken was the worst. It was cold. I would understand it, even though this is certainly not an excuse, if The French Baker is in the league of outdated Tropical Hut or the defunct Cindy's where dining means "eat at your own risk." But this pasta dish is horrible. The French Baker claims to serve fresh food as their slogan boasts, "your freshness baker." They should re-think this slogan seriously when they continue to serve food that way.

The banana walnut struessel tasted very good. It was soft, moist and naturally sweet.The crust underneath was soft too. The struessel literally crumbled in my mouth.

This is, by far, the worst food that I've eaten for the following reasons:

1. I ordered for pesto and the dish served to me was not pesto. I was served a pasta with white cream.
2. The foccacia was dripping in cream sauce and eating it was not a pleasurable experience.
   
3. The fettuccine spinach pasta was served lukewarm.
4. The chicken strips were cold.
   

AMBIANCE: 3/5

This branch of The French Baker is located along the bridgeway connecting a mall and department store. There were people walking on both ends. The noise of footsteps, conversation of walking people and the sound of the PA system constantly bombard the whole area. It's this chaotic situation that makes The French Baker an ideal place to eat. A respite from the busy shopping life.

Despite the set-up, the French Baker did a decent job with their eating area. It was clean. The tables were immaculately white. The menu folder was provided on each table.The temperature was just right. Considering the volume of people walking along the bridgeway, the whole area was neither cold nor hot.

SERVICE: 2.5/5

The food was served 6 minutes and 28 seconds after getting my receipt from the cashier. I didn't mind the waiting time because I wasn't in a hurry that day.

When they served my dish, everything was quickly laid out on top of my table, the standard table paper napkin, knife and fork. I just don't get the logic why the food server included spoon. I didn't order soup. There was no use for the spoon in a pasta dish.

VALUE FOR MONEY: 2/5

My money went to waste considering that I did not get what I ordered for.

The saving grace is the banana walnut struessel which is not too pricey but the taste is excellent.

STRONG POINTS

• Location and accessibility
• Wide array of food items
  
• Service is good
• Bakery items (particularly the banana walnut struessel) are top of the line

WEAK POINTS

• While the service of the food attendant is good, their communication skills need to be improved. Perhaps they could have explained it to me why the sudden change of my order. The only correct information that I got was from the cashier regarding the replacement of my pasta (from spaghetti to fettuccine spinach) but there was no explanation why my pesto was replaced by a creamy sauce.
• The food attendants do not bother to take care of their grooming.
• No rapport to customers.
  

Lucky 21 Food Products

Empanada (empanar), according to Wikipedia, means to wrap or coat in bread. Empanada is made by folding a dough or bread patty around the stuffing. Stuffing, on the other hand, varies. It ranges from meat, veggies, meat-veggy combination, cheese, fish, beans and other flavors that the eating public fancies. Thanks to the Spaniards, empanada is now popular in the country. Some empanadas are baked, but the more popular Pinoy empanada is the flaky fried version. The “luzon” empanada is far different from the “visayan” empanada. Each region has its own version or variant but the basic principle remains the same, the stuffing is wrapped by dough or bread patty.

Lucky 21 Food Products (21 K-3rd St., Kamuning, Quezon City, 9229605, 9260142, 9261641) sell, among others, empanadas. I tasted three variants, chicken, tuna and ham & cheese. All of them are tasty, rich and distinct in flavor.

The empanadas are light brown in color and covered in coarse and flaky dough. The bite-size empanadas’ stuffing is scanty. Perhaps the amount of stuffing can be contained in one spoon. It should be called empanaditas, instead of empanadas due to its small size. This is the biggest letdown of this product.

The crust is neither hard nor soft. There are residues and flakes after eating the crust. The empanadas of Lucky 21 are not oily. Aside from the outstanding taste, this is the only good thing about this stuffed bread. The inside portion of the dough is generally moist which makes its texture contrasting.

The chicken, tuna and ham & cheese empanadas are delightful to eat. The ham & cheese is my favorite. The proverbial adage “it melts in your mouth” does not hold water in this case but the cheese is really creamy. It’s not salty. The ham gives flavor to the creamy cheese. Against the popular empanadas sold in ‘red’ bakeshops, Lucky 21 is at par, if not, even tastes better.

Food of the Gods

When I was a child, I did not have hesitation eating any food given to me. I would eat first before asking someone to tell me what it was that I just ate. Oftentimes, I find the experience delightful. There is pleasure in eating as far as I’m concerned. It satisfies my palate and tummy.

Any squid dish is a favorite. The squid itself doesn’t have taste. The taste comes from how the dish is prepared and how it complements with the garnishes (if applicable). I like the soft, rubbery texture of the squid. The black “ink” coming from its body makes eating it (squid) more exciting. I like adobong pusit. I could consume tons of rice if I have adobong pusit in front of me.

I find the taste of fish balls odd. I couldn’t define it. When I was a kid, my mom gave me fish balls skewed on a stick. After my first bite, I spat it immediately. I did not like the taste. It tasted raw, somewhat fishy and repulsive. Nowadays, I am still not fond of fish balls. I remove fish balls whenever I see it in pancit. I don’t patronize fish ball vendors plying their carts along the street where I live. Back in college, I didn’t join my classmates having fish ball buffet while waiting for the next class.

There are some Filipino food which I really find too exotic for my taste. I’m 100% pinoy. I’ve been exposed to these exotic food but I never acquired the strength of stomach to digest them. It’s appalling to see how it is prep up, to make it more ‘nice’ to look at. These exotic or should I say exquisite food befit the stature of the gods. Perhaps they have to stomach to eat them.

Pork blood does not have any taste at all. The coagulated blood is supposedly brushed with a concoction of vinegar, soy sauce and other liquid seasoning while it is barbecued over a hot flame. It’s soggy. It also becomes grainy because residue of the blood literally sticks on one’s tongue. One time, I was eating pork barbecue blood and honestly, I was immensely enjoying it. I did not know, back then, what it was. When I asked my Aunt about it, she curtly replied “blood of a pig.” I froze and threw the stick out of the window.

Chicken head’s sight makes me puke. I really don’t know why people eat this. It’s so disgusting. I only tasted chicken head once. It won’t happen anymore.

Chicken liver and gizzard are the exceptions to the list. I love chicken liver and gizzard. I like it when it is lightly sauteed.

Chicken intestines, aka as IUD (intra-uterine device) because of its appearance, is one of the more popular street food items sold daily in every streets of the Philippines. The worm like intestines actually taste just like any of the edible parts of the chicken. Dipped in vinegar, it makes a perfect accompaniment while drinking beer.

Pork ears (and face) are the main ingredients of sisig. I like sisig when the ears and skin of the pork’s face are crispy. I don’t eat sisig if it looks “creamy,” thanks to the egg topping. I don’t like the thought of eating an ear cartilage.

Pork intestines and liver seem interesting to eat just for experience. Haven’t tasted them yet. In pancit, I always ask the cook if it is pork or chicken liver. I eat chicken liver. I remove pork’s liver. Intestines, on the other hand, are integral part of longganisa. After cleaning and removing the unwanted parts, the ’skin’ is stuffed with ground meat, tied up on both ends and voila! May longganisa ka na.

Chicken feet and ass are novelty parts of chicken. There’s not much in chicken feet and ass to eat actually. I stopped eating chicken feet when I was in grade school for no apparent reason. I haven’t eaten it again since then. In Jollibee, I can’t figure it out if I am already eating the ass part because everything is breaded.

Chicken skin is sinful because it can send you to a hospital due to high cholesterol and other ailments associated with high blood pressure. An airline inflight kitchen has the best deep fried chicken skin in the Philippines. I should know, I have been eating chicken skin for quite sometime when I was still a flight attendant.

One day old chick, as the term implies, is literally and figuratively a day old fried chicken. Everything on it. Haven’t tasted it and will never try eating it.

Penoy is a duck egg which did not develop properly after 9 or 12 days. It looks, smells and tastes like an ordinary hard-boiled egg.

Tokneneng or Kwek-Kwek is a deep fried chicken egg (tokneneng) or quail egg (kwek-kwek) coated in food coloring, cornstarch and flour. I like the quail more than the chicken egg. A novel way of preparing an egg.

These are just some ‘food of the gods.’ The list is endless. Readers may disagree with my taste, that’s a given. Some of the food that I’ve mentioned above are also served in other ASEAN countries. The names may be different but the basic ingredient/s is/are the same. The diversity of food reflects the culture of a country. It also reflects how ingenious the people are based on the variety of food that they can come up given the resources of a country.

Call it exotic, extreme and odd, these food are part of Pinoy culture deeply rooted and generally accepted by the populace. Rich or poor, they all tasted one or two items in my list. Whether they appreciate it or not, that’s another story.

Pinoy Fast Food Culture, The McDonald's Experience

One of the world’s most prominent fast food trademarks is McDonald’s, in fact, it is the largest chain of fast food restaurants. Practically, the yellow M sign has invaded all continents of the world except for Antarctica. In the Philippines, the yellow M is all over the metropolis and in some provincial capitals.

McDonald’s is an American brand but through the years, it has adjusted to the palate of the Filipinos. Nowadays, there are items on the menu list which include halo-halo sundae ice mix and longgonisa with rice, truly and uniquely Pinoy. Same is true for other McDonald’s branches spread all over Asia. McDo now offers Asian food items to answer the demands of the rice eating Asian republics.

Filipination of McDonald’s is evident in the following aspects:

Filipino food on the menu list.

In order to survive in this highly competitive fast food industry, business establishments must adopt to local tastes and, up to a large extent, culture. In Asia, the staple food is rice and this has become evident in the menu list of fast food giant McDonald’s. Although American by birth, McDonald’s now serves rice and other “indigenous” food which the locals of that place highly patronize.

The taste of food has become localized as well. In the Philippines, rice dishes and Pinoy desserts are now served in McDonald’s. One McDonald’s executive in the country was interviewed by a TV network and he admitted that there were some adjustments to the food that they serve in order to head off competition from another local fast food giant. When McDo first introduced McSpaghetti, it fared poorly with the competitor’s own concoction of spaghetti. Filipinos find it too alien and sour for their taste; far from the “sweet-ketchup” flavor that common folks are used to. Only a handful of Filipinos appreciated pasta Americana. Heeding the call of lukewarm response from the eating public, McDo made their McSpaghetti the Pinoy way. Nowadays, one can hardly distinguish two spaghetti dishes from McDo and the local competitor. I know for a fact that Taiwan McDo (and some neighboring Asian countries) has local food items on their list also.

As of May 2009, uniquely Pinoy food items that are available in McDonald’s (not offered in the US) are the following:

• Longganisa with Rice – Philippine sausage
• Corned Beef with Rice
• Big Breakfast with Rice
• Chicken McDo with Rice
• McSpaghetti Meal
• Salad with Asian Dressing
• Taro Pie
• Sundae Ice Mix (Halo-Halo or Corn)
• Garlic Rice
• Extra Mayonnaise

“Clean As You Go” policy is not observed.

Abroad, everytime one leaves his/her table, it’s mandatory that one has to clean his/her table. That means all plastic trash and leftover food must be placed on the tray. Trash must be thrown in proper bins, segregating plastic trash from leftover food.

This practice, however, is not widely adopted in the Philippines. There are busboys solely dedicated for this purpose. They clean the tables of customers leaving the fast food chain. The Filipino eating public normally leaves their trash literally on the table.

Another peculiar practice is that Filipinos, after offloading their meals on the table, put their trays on the vacant table nearest to them and just leave it there. I don’t know how this practice started but I grew up seeing people do this.

Knife: upon request and issue with the tissue.

Food servers of McDonald’s do not voluntarily serve a plastic knife unless it is requested. I know that chicken is a finger food but I do not expect people to cut their chicken into smaller pieces with a plastic fork or worse, spoon. Given the upbringing, social status and academic background of these food servers, their exposure to dining etiquette is mostly confined to spoon and fork. Thus when customers request for a plastic knife, quizzical stares are seen on the faces of the staff.

I am not aware of the policy of McDonald’s regarding distribution of tissues. Oddly enough, some food servers give a single piece of table napkin, placing it on the side of the tray. How does one expect to wipe the grease of the hamburger and fries with a single table napkin? Food servers are not sensitive to the needs of the passengers.

I don’t need to mention that advertising and marketing materials are all Philippine made. Catchy taglines are spoken by local product endorsers, food items are given Pinoy names for brand recall and other activities that associate everything to the country. This planned scheme aims to make McDo endear to all the Pinoys.

Health Issue

I haven’t seen any information on the nutritional value of Bic Mac or Quarter Pounder with cheese and the eating public does not seem to care. There is no consciousness among the Filipinos to know if the food that they are gorging is good (or bad) for their health. Calorie count of McFlurry Oreo is not known to me. I guess loyal patrons of McDonald’s also are unaware of it.

Fast food culture of the Filipinos is evolving and will continue to do so due to media influence and other factors. Fast food chains will continue to shape the minds of the eating public in order to garner sales.

But the public will react, positively or negatively, based on the dictates of their stomach and demands of their palate.

My Favorite

Quarter Pounder with cheese is my favorite in McDonald’s. It surely smells awful, perhaps due to the beef patty, but it tastes good. I like how these quarter pounders are prepared: juicy and tasty. The burger is combined with small slices of onion, tomato ketchup and pickle. The tangy taste of the pickle blends well with the beef patty. I like it hot and fresh from the kitchen.

The buns are not too thick. The bread does not sip the juice of the beef that’s why it is not soggy. It retains its softness despite being exposed to the heat.

It may (or may not) have any meat extenders, but the burger tastes the real McCoy.

Karate Kid Japanese Fastfood

Karate Kid Japanese Fastfood, Ground Level,Waltermart Center, 790 Chino Roces Avenue corner Arnaiz Avenue, Makati City

May 16, 2009

OVERALL GRADE : 2.87 / 5

FOOD: 3 / 5

Chicken Teriyaki, Gyoza Ramen and Punch Tea

Presentation : As expected from a fastfood, the chicken teriyaki and gyoza ramen were neatly placed in standard Karate Kid plastic bowls separately. For advertising purposes, anything that has a trademark/logo of Karate Kid on the tray faced towards my direction. The tray set-up consisted of a glass of red punch tea, bowl of gyoza ramen, handful of tissues and the chicken teriyaki bowl. Spoon and fork aluminum container was stationed near the counter. Chopsticks were not included in my tray set-up. I requested for the chopsticks.

The ramen bowl had two pieces of bite size gyozas, ramen of course and slices of green veggies. The ramen bowl did not appeal to me base on appearance and presentation alone. It reminded me of the bowl of ramen soup which was a regular fixture in my college cafeteria. It looked flat and dull.

The chicken teriyaki, on the hand, had sprouts for side dish and a hefty rice serving. The chicken portion was a big letdown. Literally, these were little bitesize chicken pieces. The burnt portions on the chicken pieces whetted my appetite. The sauce on top of these small chicken pieces temporarily offset my frustration on the chicken portion.

Quality and Taste : The gyozas were succulent. The taste of meat was distinct despite the fact that these gyozas were floating in a bowl of ramen soup. The veggies didn’t do much to alter or augment the taste of the soup.The texture of ramen was just right, not soggy nor overcooked. It did not have that “floury” aftertaste. The soup was a bit salty. This was offset by the natural taste of the veggies which somewhat tapered the salty taste. I ordered for the snack size but the portion was more than enough to fill my hungry tummy. It was served hot on my table by the way.

The chicken was delicious, tasty and best of all, boneless. Perhaps it was the sauce or the burnt parts of the skin, but the chicken tasted so good and the sauce complimented its taste. It was cooked evenly, no uncooked bloody parts. The sprout side dish was the perfect match for the chicken. The sprout was half-cooked which was the best way in preparing veggies. It was juicy and crunchy. The rice was that of a regular variety. I thought they would serve sticky rice since it was a Japanese fastfood outlet but apparently not.

For all its worth, the food in Karate Kid does not taste anything Japanese. The food tasted Pinoy, far from the real one. Real Japanese condiments are wanting compare to other Japanese eateries.

AMBIANCE : 3 / 5

It was crowded and cramped with tables and chairs, but not with eating patrons. I perfectly understand the rationale behind the number of tables and chairs filling up every nook and cranny of a limited floor space. But what I don’t understand is this: fastfood outlets, in general, do not think of the convenience of customers in terms of ease of movement. Karate Kid was so cramped that I had a hard time squeezing myself amidst tables and chairs. It had to negotiate my way in a very narrow aisle on my way to the washroom. There’s not enough space to stretch your hands afar lest you hit your neighbor who is just 12 inches away from you.

The spoon and fork aluminum container did not have any fork when I was there. Only a handful of spoons was available. This aluminum container must be hygienic but based on what I have seen, it was far from being hygienic. The spoon was not even heated when I got it from one of the receptacles.

Too much light inside the Karate Kid outlet in Waltermart. The temperature was tolerable; not too cold to affect my hot ramen soup. The washroom was surprisingly clean. The unisex comfort room was clean and dry. No foul smell from the CR. However, there was no tissue roll in the wall-mounted tissue dispenser for the ladies.

SERVICE : 3 / 5

Echo, the busboy of Karate Kid, is the most accommodating and amiable fastfood staff that I’ve met so far. I asked for chopstick and extra tissues and in less than 60 seconds, he was there to give these to me. I asked for a refill of my punch tea. He did not personally serve it to me because he was busy cleaning tables, instead, I saw him endorsing my order to another staff. That person refilled my punch tea. Talk about customer service and crew coordination. He should be commended for this.

After placing my order, I waited for 6 minutes and 23 seconds before my food was served. I thought this was a fastfood outlet and food must be served right after punching in my order. I saw other patrons complaining about the waiting time. In fact two people (different tables) stood up and followed up their respective orders to the cashier. I was “lucky” to have my order served in 6 minutes and 23 seconds.

There were regular food servers attending to the “refill” needs of other patrons. They were busy bussing tables, refilling rice and punch tea. The food was slow to come by but it was compensated by the food attendants keen attention to the need of the eating public.

VALUE FOR MONEY : 2.5 / 5

The price of Karate Kid is neither cheap nor expensive. Working class can definitely afford it but if one is earning the minimum wage or paid by the day, Karate Kid is not the right place to eat as there are other more affordable fast food chains around.

The price of bottomless punch tea is worth it.

STRONG POINTS

• Excellent customer service of the serving staff
• Food tasted great; food variety on the list is “adequate,” more than enough to choose from
• Clean and dry washroom/restroom
• Eat all you can and drink all you can scheme is excellent especially for those who have big tummies to fill-in.

WEAK POINTS

• Very cramped, too many tables and chairs clogging every available space.
• Food does not taste Japanese, far from the real thing.
• For a Japanese fastfood, condiments are wanting compare to other Japanese eateries.

Didiboy's BBQ, Bulalo, ATBP

Didiboy’s BBQ, Bulalo, ATBP*, Aseana Business Park, Macapagal Boulevard, Paranaque City

May 12, 2009

OVERALL GRADE: 3.37 / 5

FOOD : 2.5

Pinakbet and Bulalo

Presentation : The bulalo was served in a deep ceramic container that, actually, matched the color and texture of the soup. As expected, patches of beef oil was seen floating on the soup. After stirring, we were surprised to find out that a fairly reasonable size of beef shank was in the container but the bone marrow was nowhere to be found. Green veggies (cabbage) and light brown fried garlic slices were seen floating on the oily soup. These are the only colors in the otherwise dull bulalo.

The essence of bulalo is not complete without the marrow.

The veggies of pinakbet looked sumptuous. Right from the start, I knew the veggies were not overcooked. In fact, it looked fresh and appetizing. The basic ingredients of pinakbet were there. The bagoong, from which the taste of pinakbet is heavily dependent, practically coated every fiber of the veggies.

The scoop of rice was neatly placed right smack in the center of porcelain white plate.

Quality and Taste : The bulalo was bland. It didn’t taste the real thing. There was no “beefy taste.” I thought it was a garlic soup because the pungent taste of garlic overpowered everything else. Bulalo should be rich in texture: cabbage, potato, beef shank, the marrow and in some cases, corn. Sadly, our bulalo did not have the marrow, corn or potato. There was fish sauce and chili to add spice to the bulalo but it altered the taste of the soup. Perhaps the volume of the soup is not proportionate to the ingredients that’s why the taste was washed out. The ingredients were lacking, making our bulalo far from the real thing.

The beef shank was tender. The portion was reasonable, good for two to three people. The cabbage was still crispy. This was the only thing that was good in the bulalo.

Didiboy’s pinakbet was prepared the way folks of Pangasinan (and I guess some Northern Luzon provinces also) prepare it. It wasn’t stir fried, instead, veggies and fish paste were steamed together. The result is just absolutely tasteful. No oil, no messy aftertaste of the bagoong, the smell is not even there because everything is steamed. The dish becomes healthy and a vegan’s delight.

The veggies were crisp. The bitter taste of the ampalaya (bitter gourd) is intact, the juice is unadulterated while chewing it. Even veggies sensitive to heat like eggplant and okra were not overcooked/over steamed. The rich flavor of pinakbet was essentially captured due to the way they prepared it. Despite the bagoong, the pinakbet was neither salty nor fishy. It was just right.

AMBIANCE : 3.5

Didiboy’s resto is neither pretentious nor sophisticated. It’s a place where people go to have a decent home cooked meal during lunchbreak. After paying the bill, people pack up and leave the place. It’s stark simple and yet the amenities are there: wash area, clean tables (covered with sparkling orange table cloth that matches the orange walls), art deco adorns the cement walls while the glass walls allow natural light to illuminate the whole place especially during noontime. The wall’s centerpiece is a huge mirror coolly framed by circular bamboo-like shoots. It creates the illusion of having a big area because every nook and cranny of the restaurant is reflected in the mirror.

Room temperature was just right. For a small place, Didiboy has two split-type air conditioning units. Condiment set is placed on each table. Outdated magazines are available while waiting for one’s order/s to be served. There’s no food-greasy smell inside the restaurant.

The floor area may be small but it does not pack tables and chairs in order to accommodate more eating patrons inside the restaurant. For smokers, the smoking area is located outside the restaurant where tables are set in case some smoking patrons opt to eat out. Music outside the restaurant (smoking area) is provided courtesy of the Power Station. There’s no piped-in music inside the restaurant.

The selection of food is rather typical. These are the viands that most likely you’ll cook at home or have grown accustomed already. Pinoy in other words.

Note: They just finished renovating the whole place.

SERVICE : 4

We were the first customers of Didiboy’s. We were obviously the first also to place our order of pinakbet and bulalo and yet it took them approximately 10 minutes to serve it.

The service staff know us already. Perhaps because of familiarity and the rapport established between us, they are already accustomed to our needs and peculiarities. They greet us the ’second’ we enter the room. They initiate cordial talks, but not personal ones. They extend their regards to anyone who is “absent” in our group. These gestures make up for the ‘moderately slow’ service of their cooking staff.

The all female service staff are well-groomed. They don’t have fancy uniforms but their aprons are well-pressed and clean. Since the place is small, it only takes them less than 15 seconds to serve/give anything we want. The manager is very accommodating.

VALUE FOR MONEY: 3.5

Didiboy is a notch higher than a “karinderia.” Reasonable to very reasonable is the price range, if I were to qualify it. The restaurant’s aim is to target office workers within the vicinity of Power Station. The budget meal is all under Php. 100.00 yet the portion is more than enough to satisfy a hungry tummy. Even college students can afford the price.

There is no service charge. The price list printed on the menu contains VAT already.

STRONG POINTS

• Solid customer service of the serving staff
• Value for money
• Home cooked food
• Facilities are more than enough given the limited floor area
• Very clean and does not have the typical greasy smell of restaurants

WEAK POINTS

• Very limited food selection
• Cooking staff is slow to prepare the food
• Needs to repackage its home cooked food in order to make it more appealing to regular patrons
• Inconsistent with how food is prepared, especially with the taste and portion

*Didiboy is now closed, June 15, 2009.

Mr. Choi Kitchen

Mr Choi Kitchen, Ground Level, Waltermart Center, 790 Chino Roces Avenue corner Arnaiz Avenue, Makati City

May 9, 2009

OVERALL GRADE: 2.62 / 5

FOOD : 2

Stir Fry Shanghai Noodles and bottomless iced-tea.

Presentation : The stir fried noodle was served in a fancy stainless steel bowl container with an oversized serving spoon. Based on appearance alone, I got this impression that Mr Choi Kitchen scrimped on the vegetable and meat ingredients. The noodles looked limped and greasy. No care was given on food presentation. Since it was supposed to be a stir fried noodle, everything was mixed up. Meat and vegetables were strewn together as expected.

Quality and Taste : The food was served hot. That’s one good thing about it. The thickness of noodles is, for the lack of a better term, substantial. It’s neither thin nor thick. Based on my initial impression, the stir fried noodle was, indeed, oily. It had an aftertaste of cooking oil. The vegetable and meat did not help much to alter the taste. The pinchful veggies were overcooked and soggy. It was salty to make it worse. The red meat looked like recycled left over from the various meat which was not served nor ordered.

AMBIANCE: 3.5

Mr Choi Kitchen in Waltermart, just like the rest of their branches, exudes warmth and comfort. It’s deep brown and dark orange motif feels like a hotel restaurant serving fancy cuisine. The seats are comfortable; lighting definitely adds color to the food they serve. It wasn’t the dull fluorescent light where the surrounding becomes “hospital” white. Kudos to the earth colored walls and chandelier like lights that emit subdued hues. The whole place did not smell greasy. This Chinese restaurant is clean, unlike some restaurants I know. One thing is for sure, your shirt will not smell oily after leaving this restaurant. Each table is provided with the basic condiments, spoon and fork set and a piece of paper table napkin.

The downside of Mr Choi Kitchen is that they scrimp on table napkins. This is a restaurant. Each table must have a paper table napkin dispenser. You don’t expect customers to be contended with just one piece of table napkin. You don’t expect a child to re-use his/her table napkin every so often. It’s bothersome for customers to ask food attendants, every now and then, for an extra table napkin. In fact, customers must not ask for extra table napkins to begin with. It has to be within reach when the need arises.

Condiments, provided in each table, consist of the standard salt, pepper and chili oil.

Room temperature was a bit humid when I visited this restaurant. Since the main doors are wide open, I’m not sure if the a/c inside the restaurant was turned off and they were just relying on the mall’s air conditioning system in the lobby.

Mr Choi Kitchen does not have any comfort room inside the restaurant. I witnessed one customer asking the waiter where the CR was. The waiter referred her to the mall’s CR which is located on the second floor. Unbelievable and unimaginable. Max’s Friend Chicken House, its neighbor, has its own washroom and comfort INSIDE the restaurant.

I failed to confirm if Mr Choi has even a washroom.

SERVICE: 1.5

I have been to this restaurant for more than 20 times already. This is the most decent eatery near my place. One thing is consistent though, Mr Choi Kitchen’s service is notoriously poor. I’m trying to understand whether its the staffing (or the lack of it) or the volume of people eating given a certain period of time. But logic does not explain to me why their service is poor.

That particular Saturday, I was so unlucky to have one inefficient staff as my waiter. Fortunately for him, I failed to get the name of this inattentive server. This same waiter did not give me my iced tea when I first placed an order (including the refill) and the extra tissue which I asked for. I had to call the attention of another waiter in order to deliver what I wanted.

It took awhile (I should have timed it) before my order was served. While waiting, they could have served my iced tea first. This is the standard practice in restaurants that I’ve visited in the past. Mr Choi Kitchen should have reading materials (newspapers or magazines) for customers while waiting for their food. The whole place did not have any wall mounted TV nor piped-in music. What do customers do while waiting for their order? What if its a solo customer with nobody to talk to?

I am not aware of their policy regarding freebies. Does a customer need to ask for the complimentary hot tea? Does the waiter offer it to customers? Do they serve complimentary hot tea in the first place? I did not ask for a complimentary tea nor was offered by the waiter.

It took them awhile to serve my food. It took them even longer to give me my receipt. In fact, I left the restaurant without waiting for my receipt (I gave the exact amount).

The appearance and grooming of the food attendants were on-standard: clean uniform, trimmed nails, clean hands and no foul breath coming from their mouth when they talked.

VALUE FOR MONEY: 3.5

This is the best asset of Mr Choi. Their price ranges from affordable to reasonable. The food portion compensates with the price of the food. In fact they do not even have service charge billed in your receipt.

STRONG POINTS

Mr Choi claims to serve MSG free food. This is beneficial to those customers with dietary requirements.

Location: this restaurant is located at the ground level of a mall, right smack between two escalators (coming from the basement parking and the other one goes up to the second floor) and entrance to the ground level parking lot. People can easily find this restaurant. This establishment is, by accident, handicapped friendly. No stairs on the floor, which means a wheelchair customer can have a choice seat.

Menu selection is also excellent. They serve a wide array of Chinese food. It doesn’t matter if the selections are typical of a Chinese restaurant. Bottom line, they have what I want. That matters most.

The Menu folder is neatly presented. It’s not tattered. The pictures, featured in the Menu folder, greatly help customers in general. If one does not have any idea on what to eat nor how the food looks like, Mr Choi’s Menu folder will answer these uncertainties.

WEAK POINTS

They have to improve on their service. Perhaps the food that was served to me was greasy but it does not mean that all their entrees are greasy. Perhaps it was by unfortunate chance that my order was prepared that way.

• No CR inside the restaurant
• Room temperature was humid
• Tight budget on the paper table napkin; must provide dispenser per table
• Food attendants severely lack customer service

Food Review Guidelines

As I embark seriously (hahahaha) on my new found vocation as a food reviewer, I made a simple list of guidelines which will help me review the restaurants and food which I will be featuring in my blogs.

Each category will be graded from 1 (lowest) to 5 (highest). The passing mark is 3 (weighted average).

The categories are FOOD, AMBIANCE, SERVICE and VALUE FOR MONEY. I will also be discussing the restaurant's STRONG POINTS and WEAK POINTS. Of course, the FINAL GRADE will not be forgotten as this will determine whether or not my experience with that restaurant (and the food that I ate) is worth it or not.

FOOD is the central theme of my blog. I will discuss the quality, taste, texture and presentation. I did not include smell in this category because this will be prejudicial to the food itself. Certain food items emit peculiar smell due the ingredients used by the chef. Without this ingredient, that particular food is no longer palatable. Beside, food and smell are Siamese twins that cannot be separated.

AMBIANCE is all about the pervading atmosphere of the restaurant. I am particular about room temperature, lighting, interior and the smell. I will also include music (if applicable). A restaurant must have a wash room and/or comfort room for customers. This is mandatory because one needs to wash his/her hands before and after a meal. Comfort room, as the term implies, is a place for personal necessity. One doesn't expect to leave a restaurant and go to the mall's comfort room/s in order to wash one's hands or do a personal necessity. Doing this means great inconvenience to the eating patrons in general.

SERVICE, for me, is the second most important criterion in my personal guidelines. The interaction between the attendants and customers and their knowledge on the food they serve greatly make the difference. Attendants can make up for the lousy food if proper apologies are given to customers. Grooming and personal hygiene are important. They must also have the proper knowledge of the food and wine that they offer. Nothing beats an 'intelligent' attendant who knows what the food/wine is all about.

VALUE FOR MONEY is not just about the size/portion of the food served. Literally, its the value of everything equated in pesos or dollars.

STRONG POINTS highlight the restaurant's positive traits. A restaurant can exploit and develop these traits in order to gain a foothold in the competition. This is the competitive edge of one restaurant, given its class, over other restaurants.

WEAK POINTS are areas for improvement. These are areas that leave much to be desired, so to speak.

Food (being reviewed) is totally different from a restaurant. A restaurant may be lousy, even filthy, yet the food served tastes heavenly to its loyal patrons. Likewise, a first class restaurant does not always equate to good food. These are just some of the nuances in my blog.

DISCLAIMER

Opinions written here are solely mine.

Let me reiterate this: I will be reviewing food served by McDonald's or Jollibee and the selection of food offered by Makati Shang or Manila Pen.