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