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! 

KFC's 'Chizza' is one bright idea!

Fusion food. The best of both worlds. Hitting two birds with one stone. Whatever you'd want to call it, I just think KFC's "Chizza" is one bright idea. Doubles the yum, doubles the fun! Well, that is if you love fried chicken and are nuts for pizza, too! I don't know when KFC came up with Chizza but it got my attention only last week and I wasted no time trying it. Me and three of my kids had the perfect reason to eat out for lunch last Saturday - our "ulam" of "ginisang munggo" got spoiled. 
Haha! So off we went to the nearest KFC where I had this Chizza 
while the kids still went for fried chicken and rice plus the sidings.

Chizza. Ala cart is around P120. 

Original recipe fried chicken with rice 


Mashed potato and coleslaw 

Bucket of fries 

Mushroom soup

Pecan pie. Goes well with brewed coffee! 

Strawberry Lush Krushers

My family has always loved KFC for their delicious fried chicken and I thought Chizza, with the usual pizza toppings that we love - pepperoni, pineapple, bell pepper bits and cheese - added a brand new way to enjoy it. The creamed mushroom soup, by the way, has been my favorite, too at KFC and a must-order whenever I visit. I also got to try and like one of their new offers, the pecan pie. It's quite small but just right for me coz I don't want to be eating a lot of sweets. It was a perfect pairing for my brewed coffee, which I'm so glad to have become part of KFC's all-day menu. 

Well, thanks to KFC, I didn't fret over spoilt "ginisang munggo". Haha!. 

Army Navy: My happy tummy place

Visayas Ave. in Quezon City has been my second home for 11 years now because it is here where I go to work and spend 1/3 of each day, five days a week. And happily so. This stretch of a road is both residential and commercial, giving a feeling of both home and business. Whatever I need - food, housewares, school supplies, and just about anything, can be bought in the market at the far end of the road, and the groceries and restaurants and mini-mall (Wilcon Depot) that line the road on both sides. Surely, there are more restaurants now than when I started working more than a decade ago, and my officemates and I rejoice whenever a new one opens its doors.  Haha!
Last year, Army Navy, which serves all-day breakfast plus burgers and Mexican food, opened a branch on Visayas Ave. and I believe it's still the latest foodie place to open there. And I was happy to add this to my list of favorites. I've eaten there four times since then, 
once solo, the other times with my kids and co-workers. 
Here's what we've enjoyed at Army Navy: 

Burger, Classic, P165

Fearless Fried Chicken, P175.

Crunchy Tacos, P160.

Freedom Fries, P75. 

Tortilla chips, P35; Cheese dip with jalapeno, P20.

Freedom Toast ala Mode, P65.

Brewed coffee, P50.

Strawberry Milkshake, P99.

LiberTea Large cup, P75.

Army Navy on Visayas Ave.

I love everything I've tried at Army Navy. However, I order the crunchy tacos for myself everytime I visit. That's how much I love it! I also heap praises on their fries - the best I've had anywhere! I've never had fries that thin, crunchy and flavorful. Their blueberry French toast ala mode is also a must-try. For me, it was perfect with coffee - never mind if there's a scoop of ice cream on it (the contrast between hot and cold makes it all the more interesting. :)) It's a heavenly dessert that gives a sweet, nice ending ending to any meal. And speaking of coffee,  I'm happy they serve it all-day at Army Navy. And quite good at that! For me, it's of just the right roast - not light, not too dark either. All in all, I've had such happy visits to Army Navy because of the yummy eats and good coffee. 
I'm looking forward to my next!