Finally, Popeyes!

After months of long wait for lines to go short, finally, we were able to try Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen. This American chain of chicken fast food restaurant is the next big thing to KFC, with more than 3,100 stores in 30 countries. I was so excited when I learned it was coming to the Philippines! But I had to have a lot of patience from the time the first branch opened in Pasig last May and the second one closer to home in SM San Lazaro last July. I heard people had to line up for two hours! Uh-oh, I'm old, I sometimes have a bad back and knees, so I didn't want to queue that long. Every time I went to SM Lazaro, I would take a look at the lines at Popeyes, 
cringe and go, "maybe next time". 

Last week, at the newer Popeyes branch at SM Manila, I was happy to see short lines but alas, couldn't find a vacant table. And then, finally, last Saturday, I had the best of everything: no long lines and a vacant table to boot. Wow! I finally tasted the chicken everyone seemed to go gaga about. Did I love it? Well, I came back the next day, if that's enough proof that I did, tagging along my youngest child. 
What I/we had:

One-piece chicken with spaghetti, biscuit and drink, P145.

Honey biscuit

Two-piece chicken with rice and drink, P167.

Chicken French Quarter Burger with fries and drink, P165. 

Spaghetti (a la carte), P49.

 Menu

At Popeyes-SM San Lazaro

Popeyes fried chicken is really good, no doubt about it. But it could be a bit too salty for some people coz truth to tell, it is a bit salty. In fact, I almost finished a piece before I remembered about the gravy. The chicken, by itself, is already packed with flavor. And I loved the crunchiness of the skin! 

On the other hand, the spaghetti is much like how Pinoys love it: sweet 
and with bits of hotdog. My boy and I loved it. 

The chicken sandwich was so good, as well. Aside from the crunchy slab of boneless fried chicken, there's also bacon and lots of lettuce and tomatoes! What's not to love? 

Finally, the biscuit.. This made me no less happy. In fact, Im craving for it as I write this post. It's yummy: flaky on the outside, soft and chewy on the inside. The texture is close to our very own "hopia". It's not too sweet though and it's firm, so it could be filling on its own. I imagine having this biscuit with a steaming cup of brewed coffee. Uhmm.. Divine! Now I'd be wool-gathering about that till my next visit to Popeyes. Haha! 

Trying out Kuya J

Kuya J, that restaurant often mistakenly thought of being owned by actor Jericho Rosales, is fast becoming a favorite family restaurant and certainly growing when it comes to number of locations. Before I knew it, it was in almost all the SM Malls I went to. Doing a little bit of research, I learned that Kuya J, owned by businessman Winglip Chang, actually started as a small eatery in Cebu. Today, it has 18 branches across Luzon and the Visayas.
Last January, I finally got to try Kuya J at SM San Lazaro together with my sister for a late afternoon meal. I was craving for pancit bihon then but because the server told us that their bestseller was pancit canton, we decided to give it a try, 
plus a few others to go with it. 

Our orders:

Pancit Canton, P165. Honestly? We should have ordered pancit bihon instead. The canton noodles seemed a little undercooked. My sister and I wondered how this dish became a bestseller.

Grilled Scallops, P230. This saved the day for us because it was really good - very cheesy and flavorful. A little bit leaning on the salty side but very delicious! And it was so beautifully arranged on the plate I almost felt wanting to put all these shells on a string and tie it around my neck. Hahaha!

Banana Langka Turon, P75. The sweetness of this dessert-snack provided the balance with the saltiness of the cheese in the scallops. A perfect ending to a less-than-perfect meal.

                                                      Melon shake, P85. Sister's drink.
               
                                             Brewed coffee, P60. My drink.

Simple, clean, elegant interiors

Some ladies couldn't pass up the chance of being photographed with Jericho Rosales - never mind that it's just a standee. My sister also wanted me to take her picture here but was feeling shy. Haha!..

Though we didn't like the pancit canton, it was still a good first time at Kuya J. I'm sure they have something good to offer and that's for me to discover next time. 
Hope to see you, folks, at Kuya J! 

Happy eating!

Scarsdale Artisanal Delights at SM San Lazaro

Last month, I discovered a foodie place that's not really new. Scarsdale Artisanal Delights, in fact, opened last year at SM San Lazaro. For some reasons, I just walked into it last August. However, I made up for the lost time and ate there three times in a month! I loved everything I've had so far at Scarsdale from the doughnuts to the sandwich to pasta and yes..coffee! And if you love Go Nuts Donuts like I do, you'll love Scarsdale's too, as the two are sister-restos. 

But as I've mentioned, there's more to Scarsdale than doughnuts. They have delicious pasta, soup, salads, and sandwiches that are unique as they're made not with buns, 

but with doughnuts, too! 

These are what my kids, friend and I have had so far at 

Scarsdale Artisanal Delights. 

Grilled Chicken & Fettuccine Pesto, P180.

Pulled Pork doughnut sandwich with fries, P150.

Tomato Soup & Grilled Cheese Sandwich, P150.


Panzerotti, P65.

Scarsdale Seasoned Fries, P40.


Maple Bacon Doughnut, P70.


Red Velvet Doughnut, P70.

                                                   Blueberry Cheesecake Doughnut, P75.

                                                                    Macha Freeze, P149.

Cappuccino, small, P89.

                                                                  Brewed Coffee, small, P59.

Mango Juice, P50.

At the counter: Left, Carlo's Favorite Croughnut; Right, Oreo Cheesecake Doughnut 

Interiors

Scarsdale at SM San Lazaro

My little boy just loves the pesto pasta at Scarsdale. He had it on his two visits, though he always gave me the grilled chicken topping. I loved the toasted doughnut that came with the pasta, too. For dessert, my son loved the Red Velvet Doughnut, too, which had a creamy filling. On one visit, I gushed over the Maple Bacon Doughnut, which, to me, offered a new and unique doughnut experience as it's both sweet and savory. Perfect with a cup of brewed coffee or cappuccino! I also once had the Pulled Pork doughnut sandwich, which filling was adobo-like with its sweet-salty tang. An order of this comes with fries that is served on a coffee cup. I'd also ordered the Barbecue Panzerotti which is really empanada and it was delish as well. I liked that it was meaty on the inside and both flaky and a little crunchy on the outside. I was quite amazed, too, at its affordable price - five pieces at only P65! I just ate three and those were enough to make me feel full and satisfied. 

Meanwhile, my daughter went with me one time and she had the Blueberry Cheesecake Doughnut and Matcha Freeze, which both made her happy. A friend of mine, who was with me and my son during my first time at Scarsdale, had the Tomato Soup with Grilled Cheese Sandwich, 

which were both delicious, according to her, and indeed 

a perfect pair that was her lunch that day. 

Well, what's not to love at Scarsdale? I haven't found one and I definitely recommend that you try this place, folks. It has, by the way, a branch at Shaw Blvd. in Mandaluyong City, 

on the same building, I think, with S&R. 

Happy eating!