Just Get In!

No, that wasn't an order, I was telling you the name of this restaurant in Quiapo that recently became my favorite Chinese food place. Located along Villalobos St., it's named "Just get in" and looks interesting enough to make people "obey". Aside from the restaurant's quirky name, another thing drew me closer to the place--people crowding around a table just outside the door, buying fried siopao that looked yummy! So, I was one of those who "obeyed" and got in. Hahaha! The first visit was followed by another one, tagging along my youngest child. From the looks of it, a third visit is looming quite soon. We loved the food especially the fried siopao, which I buy 
for take out whenever there's an opportunity.

These are so far what we have tried from the menu :

Braised Beef Noodles
Half a boiled egg, noodles, chunks of beef, bokchoy and broth -- the elements of a perfect comfort food to warm a hungry tummy. This was delicious and the serving was huge it could feed two less hungry people. The strong Chinese spice 
(was it star anise?) might be adverse to some, though. 

Fried Chicken with Rice

My son's order. All kids love fried chicken, I suppose? But the mom, does, too, so I had a bite and loved the leg that was perfectly spiced and fried to a perfect crunch. I was 

a bit surprised - and happy to find halved boiled egg on this plate.

Fried Breaded Pork

This is originally served with plain rice but you can ask that it be replaced with fried rice, like I did. The saltiness of the breaded pork was just right but the crunch that I was anticipating when I bit into it was missing and that left me kinda sad. 

I loved the fried rice, tho.

Fried siopao
Now this, for me, was the "bomb" at Just Get In. The dough was firm but tender and the filling -- there was a lot and very tasty, too! The minced pork was gingery, with a hint of sweetness and soy. I love this fried siopao so much that I make it a point 
to buy some whenever I go to Quiapo. And then I make it 
my baon to work for a few days in a row.

My take out 
Look at the thick filling! 

Free peanuts and tea
On my first visit, I was served free adobo peanuts while I waited for my order.
There is complimentary hot tea, too, but you have to ask for it. 
They don't offer it. Lol.

Menu

Inside Just Get In

Fried siopao for sale outside

Just Get In near the end of Villalobos St. in Quiapo, Manila 
going to the Quinta Market.


Visit Just Get In, folks, when you're in Manila's Quiapo district. There's a lot to try here, whether you're coming for breakfast, lunch, meryenda or dinner. Enjoy tasty Chinese dishes at prices that won't break the bank. Dont forget 
to take home some fried siopao, too!
Happy eating!

Unli-Korean barbecue at Fantastic Chef

There's no question about it. Korean food is now part of Pinoys' gastronomic life. Restaurants serving unli-samgyupsal aren't so hard to find anymore. 
They're just about anywhere! 

While on vacation in our hometown in Quezon last month, there was this Korean resto that my sister saw on Facebook, and she told me she wanted to have her 
"despedida" there before going back to the US.

So, we were at Fantastic Chef in Manila for dinner on a Sunday and I was glad our group of 12 was seated at once. I called earlier to reserve but was told that they didn't accept reservations. Anyway, my first impression of the place was it was cleaner and had a more contemporary interior design and "younger" vibe than other Korean restaurants I'd been to. I also liked that they have good ventilation 
and not smokey like some other places. 

Unli-samgyupsal costs P499 per person but that only includes pork and chicken. If you want to add beef, you have to pay P50 more. Side dishes are unlimited, 
too, but drinks are not included. 

Our dinner:

Korean barbecue - - all pork and chicken

Some of the side dishes

I think the only thing that they have which other unli-samgyupsal places do not offer is the coleslaw. But my favorite among the sides here at Fantastic Chef is the one at the center of this picture, which, if my memory serves me right, is fish cake.

 I love their metal combination plate. It makes eating more organized and less messy. I also love their spicy soup which is included in the side dishes. 

 Menu

 At one area inside Fantastic Chef. There's another wing to the place.

Fantastic Chef at Remedios Circle, Malate, Manila

I could say that we had a nice dinner at Fantastic Chef, if not for some downsides. The marinated meats were tasty, and so were the sides. The servers were helpful but some weren't very friendly. There was one, a woman, who seemed to be annoyed when we requested for something. Also, some of the things we were asking for took 
forever to arrive at our table. I guess it was because it was a Sunday 
and the place was full of customers.

As for the price, I think it's a bit more steep than in other similar places for unlimited Korean barbecue. Why? Because for the same price in other restaurants we've visited, we could already have bottomless drinks as well as desserts such as fresh fruits. Overall, however, Fantastic Chef isn't so bad and I could say we still had a good experience on our first visit. The location is good, by the way. It's easy 
to find and there's a nearby police station so it's a safe area. 

Try Fantastic Chef, folks, and stuff yourself silly with 

unlimited samgyupsal. I would want to again! 

Happy eating!

Black Scoop Cafe on Manila's UN Avenue

There's this cafe that's been opening up branches here and there lately. One day, I got excited knowing it would have a store in our office neighborhood and I had been waiting. But Black Scoop Cafe surprisingly branched out near our church on Taft Ave. I saw on Facebook that it was jam-packed on opening day, so I let a couple of weeks pass before I set my foot in there -- with two of my kids in tow 
after the Sunday afternoon service. 
Our orders:

Buffalo Wings

I ordered this with a separate cup of rice for my son. There were six pieces which were a lot for him so he shared the wings with his "ate" and mom. I could say these were tender 
and savory but also sweet -- a no-no for me.

Clubhouse Sandwich

I love clubhouse sandwich but Black Scoop's wasn't that good for me. I don't know whether it was the ham or the gooey cheese that I didn't like, or both. But there was a lot in one order so two persons may share this plate of sandwiches. 
There's nacho chips too!

Blueberry Cheesecake

This was a surprisingly bland cheesecake so my kids didn't like it so much.

Mango Frappe
My daughter's drink. She liked it and I did too for the yummy mango flavor. 
Who doesn't like ripe mangoes anyway?

Hershey's Milk Tea
My boy's choice. He always goes for chocolate and he loved this one.

Hokkaido Milk Tea
My order. It was my first time to have this flavor for my milk tea and I loved the rich, creamy taste. But then, I asked for a non-sugar drink but this was 
still saccharine for me. Maybe it's the pearls?



Menu

Assortment of breads and cakes

Interiors

I love that long solid wood table!

Counter

Black Scoop Cafe at the UN Square, UN Ave. corner San Marcelino St., 
Ermita, Manila


I have yet to eat something I would love at Black Scoop Cafe but there's a lot more to try from the menu, which, by the way, is more extensive compared to those of other coffee shops. For now, it's the drinks that I approve of. I hope to be in front of the line when the Visayas Ave. branch opens! 

L.A. Village at the new Laperal Apartments

When I enrolled my youngest kid in one of the schools in the University Belt or U-Belt in Manila last year, I discovered L.A. Village at the contemporary Youniversity Suites, and was amazed at the transformation of the old Laperal Apartments of my youth. It's that huge art-deco style building on the end of Claro M. Recto Ave. near the corner with Legarda St. I myself was a U-belt "inhabitant" for eight long years starting from the early '80s and I knew Laperal as the old, run-down place where one of my high school friends lived with her family. I would go to their place once in a while, so I was very familiar with the huge, post-wartime-built building. 
In the years that passed, Laperal Apartments grew older and older until such time that it became too dilapidated to be lived in, so all tenants and business establishments left. I have no idea how long the building was left to decay until a husband and wife saw its business potential, bought it, and had it converted into what is now the 
Youniversity Suites that houses L.A. Village. 
I came across this comprehensive and very interesting article in RealLiving entitled "Would you believe that there are cool apartments inside this old building in Manila?" written by Maita de Jesus and learned about the long and amazing journey of Laperal Apartments from run-down to ravishing. Thank goodness for the never-say-die attitude of the power couple, the old building now houses safe and lovely dormitories for students, complete with modern amenities (even a swimming pool, I read!) and the L.A. Village food park (though the article says it isn't really a food park).
The "village" houses stalls serving various cuisines from Chinese, Filipino, Mediterranean to Japanese and American. My kids and I have made several visits and I'm sharing here some of the foods that we've ordered since last year.


Tonkotsu Ramen, P150.
I ordered this at Rosanjin, the biggest locator at L.A. Village that serves 
affordable Japanese food.

Spicy Ramen, P150.
My son's order. He said it was good though 
not so spicy. 

Crunchy Salmon Roll, P85.
This would have been good if only they used sticky rice. That's what all sushi is supposed to have, right? Otherwise, the roll would crumble and disintegrate before it even reaches your mouth like what happened every time I tried 
chowing each piece down. Ugh! The saving grace? 
The crunchy salmon center!

View from where we were seated at Rosanjin

Goto espesyal, P45., Tokwa't baboy, P40.
These were from last year and I don't know if the prices are still the same. Anyway, these were from Lugaw Republic at the second level of L.A. Village and really made 
me happy, being a real "lugaw" nut! I loved the garlicky porridge with 
sliced tripe, which was even more heavenly when paired with 
the fried tofu and pork (tokwa't baboy). Yum! 

Inside Lugaw Republic
I sat by the window -- the perfect spot when you want to do 
some thinking and writing.

Lugaw Republic menu as of last year

Tacos from one of the small stalls last year, which wasn't there 
anymore when we came back last week.

View from the ground level entrance

An authentic, restored German World War I fighter plane -- the 
focal point of the entire place 

Stalls on the second level

Western food is sold at this vintage van.

Live band!

L.A. Village is a hip place to unwind after a day's classes for students and toil for us in the workforce. There's plenty of food to choose from, the place is casual and laid-back, and there's even a live band to provide entertainment. What's more, prices are 
pocket-friendly as the stalls' main clients are students. So 
swing by, folks, and feel young for a moment. 
Happy eating!