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.