It's Not Cheap... It's Affordable

food at Goto King

My friend Pau often accuses me of always eating at fancy places. He knows that I usually dine out during my off days and when I updated him of where I set my buns and pack my calories, he would always reply (as if it's already a set template), "Pang-mayaman na naman ang lugar." I oftentimes retort that I only order the lowest priced items on the menu to shun his satiric comments but that would instigate him some more. The friends I have, really. =)


Some people thought that if you're blogging about food, the misconception is that it always have to be extravagant. It doesn't really have to be that way all the time. I wholeheartedly believe that you could still get good quality meals without the expensive price tag. Here are some of the food I enjoyed that you might have already tried and encountered without creating a big hole in your wallet or pocket. And I'll try as much as I can for this post not to sound like a Miss Universe's Q&A portion. He-he!

A Do-It-Yourself Stir-Fried Noodles To Go at Hong Kong Style Noodles

jumbo size Hongkong style noodles

I know it doesn't look photogenic but this stir-fried noodle dish always delivers. Of course, that would depend on how you mix and match your sauces. I ladle my jumbo cup with lots of oyster sauce, then some teriyaki sauce. A bit of toyomansi. I usually ignored the sweet chili sauce. Then right before they sealed my treasured noodle cup, I asked for a spoonful of the chili garlic then they top it with whatever dumplings I fancy at that moment (usually shark fins). I don't know if it will be the same with other people who has high tolerance for spicy food, but when I mistakenly put two spoonfuls of the chili garlic into my cup. It created a firecracker explosion in my mouth. In retrospect, I think it was my friend Ilah who introduced me to this dish a few years back and I never stop ordering this whenever I pass by a Hong Kong Style Noodles & Dimsum stall at the mall since then. (Priced at about P75.00 for a jumbo cup)

HONG KONG STYLE NOODLES & DIMSUM

Various spots & locations

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Buttery Ensaymada at McCafe

ensaymada

Now, who would have thought that this beloved Filipino coiled bread could be had at this American fastfood franchise's coffee shop section? And that it actually taste better than other ensaymadas being offered in the market today? It was served before me after being heated in the toaster oven and I marvel how the butter glides over the side. When I bite into it, the bread yields easily. The butter lubricates my tongue with it's sexy embrace, then I felt the sharp flavor of cheese then the grittiness of crystallized sugar. Partner it with their brewed coffee or flat white and you're in for a blissful treat. (Priced at about P90.00)


Locations almost everywhere.

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Create Your Own Chicken Platter

chicken platter at World Chicken

An enticing proposition this is. You have the option to tailor-fit your chicken platter with your choice of sauces and side dishes. And instead of the greasy, oil fried type of chicken (just for the record, I love 'em, too), this one is flame-grilled. Hence, one is ensured of the chicken meat succulence without worrying about grease and oil. 

This visit to World Chicken in their branch in Greenbelt 1 came about because I got lost while walking along Arnaiz Avenue (now why I wasn't surprised of this occurrence?). I texted my friend Pau for directions and it lead me to this part of the mall that I haven't been to before. And then I saw World Chicken amidst the cornucopia of shops and stores. And the aroma that wafted through my nostrils as I pass by it suddenly made me feel hungry.

I easily get flabbergasted when faced with too many choices. I asked for the French taragon sauce which I later find the flavor too benign to my liking. I should have opted for a more bolder sauce like the Teriyaki or the Ranch BBQ. But there's no doubt the the chicken meat is indeed succulent. I also love the mealy texture of the mashed potato doused generously with gravy. (Priced at about P179.00)

www.worldchicken.com.ph

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The Crazy Chicken

chicken at El Pollo Loco

From fire grilled chicken to another. This chicken boasts of herbs, spices, aromatics and citrus that makes it so flavorful you wouldn't even miss the gravy. The portion has gotten smaller from the last time I've been to El Pollo Loco but I still love their chicken to bits, or should I say I'm still crazy all over their chicken. The Cheesy Pollo Macaroni is also a mainstay order whenever I'm here at their SM Megamall branch. (Priced at about P185.00)

www.elpolloloco.com

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Glamorized Taho

So, who says taho cannot be served with style? The pandan flavored Soy Bubble Milk Tea has all the right elements that one would find in a regular milk tea drink albeit this one has a smoother, cleaner taste because of the soy. The Taho Mocha was served on a tall clear cup. The shot of espresso kicks, the silky taho smoothens it out, the milk and chocolate made it richer. It's a healthier option of a caffeinated drink if ever there is one. (Priced at about P60.00 and P70.00 respectively)

www.facebook.com/soyabar

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Chicken Burger Pinoy-Style

ultimate crispy chicken burger

While a lot of people are all singing praises with Manang's Chicken original soy garlic glazed chicken, I wasn't really impressed by it. I was really put off by the too sweet glazed that they're using. But one other chicken item at Manang's that I do really like is their Ultimate Crispy Chicken Burger. The sweetness of the soy garlic glaze in this chicken sandwich was not as intense (at least for me). And if you're like me who like it with some spice and everything nice, ask for the extra spicy glaze. The spiciness was not overpowering but it gave the glaze a more structure flavor. Also liking those potato chips, too. (Priced at about P139.00)

www.manangschicken.com

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It Got To Be Goto King

clockwise from top right: fresh lumpia, goto, halo-halo and iced tea

Lugaw (porridge) will always be a comfort food for me. My Tita would often prepare it over the weekend, especially if the sky is overcast and the weather is drizzly. She would usually use the malagkit (sticky) rice to achieve that super thick consistency of the porridge. So when I'm out and about in search for lugaw, I would also expect a similar consistency when it comes to thickness. If it's denseness is not at par, I'll be hugely disappointed. The lugaw, er, should I say goto at Goto King satisfies my yearning for a thick porridge. Squirt it with some calamansi if you like but I could do away without it. I also have an inordinate liking for fresh lumpia: ubod (heart of palms), turnips, green lettuce wrapped on crepe. It's the peanut sauce that make or break this dish. The sauce used on their fresh lumpia was sweet and salty with strong garlicky flavor. And shards of peanuts were strewn over for added crunch. (Goto priced at about P50.00 and the fresh lumpia about P30.00)

www.gotoking.com.ph

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Bento Boxes At Tokyo Tokyo

a sample bento box at Tokyo Tokyo

Bento boxes at Japanese restaurants were always a bestseller choice especially if you wanted to stretch out your budget. Tokyo Tokyo's choices of bento boxes always satisfies me if I'm looking for reasonably priced but good tasting Japanese food. The pork tonkatsu, tempura and kani bento boxes were my usual orders whenever I visit a Tokyo Tokyo branch. They're expanding their menu every so often that they now offer Japanese-style hamburg, ramen and Japanese hotdog sandwiches which they call Japadog. Might try those when I visit a Tokyo Tokyo outlet in the coming days. (Priced at about P150-P180)

www.tokyotokyo.ph

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Bagnet Meals On A Budget

bagnet rice meal w/ gising gising

I do love bagnet. Who doesn't? That's why it's a no-brainer for me to chose Brgy. Bagnet station among the myriad of food stallls at the SM Megamall's Food Court. Though the bagnet that I tried wasn't as crunchy as I had hoped for but it's still rimmed with enough fat to satisfy aplenty my porky cravings. On the other hand, the heat on the gising-gising side dish that I ordered was really intense but good nonetheless. I only just wish there's more coconut milk to it. (Priced at about P150.00)

www.facebook.com/brgy.bagnet

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Chicken & Laksa

meal at Paotsin

Paotsin is famous for their dumplings. My friends were engrossed with their shark fins, beef wanton and kikiam. But when I was tagged along to try one of their stall in Robinson's Galleria food court, I was drawn by the Laksa Soup and Shanghai Chicken instead. The laksa was served with wanton noodles that were quite bitey in texture; and has enough spice to create beads of perspiration on my forehead and to gesticulate the hotness of the soup by fanning my mouth with my tongue stuck out. I do like the Shanghai chicken. The enjoyed the tenderness and juiciness of the meat as I dunked it on the provided sweet and tangy sauce in a fiery red color.

There's still a lot more affordable meals that I have not listed here. If I try to jam it all on this post, it might take forever for me to finish this (and this post is already long as it is). So I would reserve the others for a future post. Ciao for now! :)

Various stalls and locations