Snacks at Army Navy, Trinoma

We were at Trinoma last weekend for a quick buy. Apparently, it was not as quick as we perceived it to be and since we had an unsatisfying lunch, we decided to grab some fixins. As we were deciding where to eat, we passed by the Food Choices (Trinoma’s glorified term for foodcourt at the second floor. hehe). The 1st thing we saw was Army Navy. We thought this is the moment! 

He ordered Double Burger (P210), it has 2 pieces of quarter-pounder beef patty with lettuce, sliced tomatoes and onion tucked in a bun with black and white sesame seeds. I on the other hand had the Classic Burger (P165) which is basically the same, only I had single quarter-pounder beef patty. 

Double Burger

Classic Burger

We also had Crunchy Tacos Double (P160) - hard shell tacos filled with meat, tomatoes, onions, lettuce and cheese.

For our drinks, he had Minute Made (P50), while I had Vanilla Milkshake (P99). 

My take: Looking at their menu board, Army Navy was more of a Mexican food joint to me because of the of presence of Mexican foods like burittos, tortilla, tacos and quesadilla. The only American (origin) food I saw were fries, milkshake and burger - which we personally loved. The burger may not be as huge as the other fancy burger joints offers but it was oh, so juicy and tasty. It was grilled to perfection. You may have noticed that their burger do not have any sauce, it’s because its patty was already flavorful and blends perfectly with the bun. I also liked how it stayed warm until my last bite, it must be because it was wrapped in a foil. 

Tacos and milkshake were of different story. The taco for me was way too bland. It was a challenge adding lasa to fit my liking. It was disappointing enough to see my milkshake in a disposable plastic cup but I let it pass since we were in the foodcourt, worst their vanilla milkshake was nothing far from a tunaw na sundae. 

Tip: Save the best for last. When I saw that Mr. M. was not satisfied with his taco, I put down my burger for a while and finished my taco immediately. So the last thing on my mind was how good my burger was. 

The verdict: It was the burger we’re after, after all, so we’ll definitely go back. But we’ll make sure next time, we’ll dine in a detached chain in order for us to experience the most of what Army Navy has to offer.

Lunch at BonChon, Trinoma

Mr. M. and I wanted to try BonChon for some time. Maybe fate has its way, we always tend to forget it whenever we’re considering establishments to dine-in. But last weekend, since we intended to eat our lunch-out, we kept BonChon in mind as we left home, I was excited for my 1st experience. 

BonChon is at 1011B Level 1 of Trinoma. I was surprised that Bonchon has a regular fast food set-up, I thought otherwise. Since the kids were with us, I asked Mr. M. to order anything for me. I just emphasized that it must not be the same as his’ so we could share and sample on different food. And as a must for us, order juice instead of sofdrinks for Miss L.. I was again surprised that they don’t have any juices, they only served softdrinks and iced tea, both not good for our little girl. 

Mr. M. had Thigh (Chicken) Ricebox in Soy Garlic 2 pieces for P145, this comes with a drink, he had Mountian Dew. 

He got Shrimp Ricebox for me with rootbeer for P145, also in Soy Garlic variant. 

He also got Large Potato Fries P60 for Miss L. to munch in. The little girl saw me taking pictures, borrowed my phone and took this photo.

My take: The chicken was crispy and tasty from the outside, but unfortunately I cannot say that the inner meat taste the same, their serving was too small for the price too. While the shrimp has a good soy garlic-y taste, it became too bland with the rice. I don’t like the fact that the rice was malata too. It just destroyed the taste of the whole meal. The fries were okay, not far from the Jollibee’s version though. 

Tip: If you’re dinning with kids, make sure to bring their own water. 

The verdict: We will go back again, but definitely not anytime soon. 

Date Night at Zark's Burger, Taft Avenue

This happened last January, btw. Mr. M. and I were on our way to Cuneta Astrodome to catch the PBA Semi Finals game. It was our 1st solo date after I gave birth to Master E., #NotYourTypicalDateNight I know but we’re so romantic like that. Anyway, since were coming from the office we decided to finally try Zark’s Burger at Taft Avenue. Mr. M. who’s a big burger fanatic, had been dreaming to try this for centuries but because no branch was convenient to us, he settled on drooling with the thought of it. Until that day came.

Zark’s Burger is located at the 2nd floor of the Archer’s Nook, Taft Avenue, Manila. Just across La Salle and the same building where Army Navy is. Mr. M. was even teased by the charms of Army Navy but remembered he was committed to Zark’s already. See, he’s that faithful.lol There’s also a branch at BF Homes, Parañaque. 

Coincidentally, Zark’s had a sporty-casual dining vibe, which totally fits in our date night theme. Framed basketball jerseys and basketball related “actions” ornate the whole place. The television was playing NBA game when we arrived. Their main menu is even divided into a Major League and Minor League. The place was small and maybe easily jam-packed during school days.

Jawbreaker (Ultimate Burger at the back)

I had the Zark’s Ultimate Burger (1/4 pound burger with cheese sauce in a bed of fresh veggies and then topped with sautéed mushroom and bacon) for P130, it came with an iced tea and fries. Mr. M. was drooling for their Tombstone, but that humongous burger made him chicken-out upon their face-to-face encounter. He settled for the next BIG thing, the Jawbreaker (triple cheeseburger with spam, bacon and overflowing cheese sauce), P250, also came with iced tea and fries. There was an open challenge to finish the Jawbreaker in 5 minutes and it’s free. But how can you finish it if you don’t know how to start with it in the 1st place. 

The verdict: Zark’s burger patty was nothing special as compared to the likes of the Brothers Burger. It even falls apart easily but who cares? The ingredients compliments each other well that you would not even notice that their bun has nothing special too. All you care about is to finish this one greasy burger while saying ummm, in between bites. 

Tips: There’s a knife ready to use. There’s no way to finish this burger the traditional way, so use the knife in your advantage. Tummy-tacking is not applicable after finishing 1 burger. 

The verdict: Mr. M. and I was raving about Zark’s Burger the next office day that we convinced our officemates to have it delivered for lunch.

Pancake House - Guaranteed Child Friendly

When I became a mother, I tend to rate food establishments based on its competence to be child-friendly more than the food itself. I am keen to the staffs’ attitude and reception with kids. A crew who gives highchair without being asked will definitely be rewarded (with a smile).

Just recently, the M.E.E.L. crew had a spontaneous family date night, or should I call it a pre-sleep snack. We drove along NLEX and dined at Pancake House at Caltex Station right after Meycauayan Exit, (yes, the usual stop-over for travellers). I’m not sure if it was my 1st time or just the 1st time I had a recall of the establishment. Either way, I’m glad we gave it a try. 

I ordered the House Specials Set for P257, it had a taco, spaghetti with meat sauce and garlic bread, 1pc pan chicken and iced tea. Mr. M. on the other hand had Classic Pan Chicken for P186, it had 2pcs chicken and rice and complementary yogurt ice cream. We ordered milk shake to share. 

My take: The food was great. I especially liked the taco which was so meaty and filling. The spaghetti was also delicious, I am a spaghetti lover so I tend to be meticulous with it, but I’m glad it passed my taste. I was too full I just ate the chicken without savouring it, but I think it was also good since Mr. M. finished his’ even before I started eating my spag. The place had a cozy vibe with a backdrop of classic movie posters. The plus part was it came prepared with entertainment package for Miss L. The wait staff automatically handed her crayons and coloring materials even before they handed us their menu. 

I did not bother to ask for a highchair since Miss L. had the whole bench to herself. 

Tip: When at Pancake house, do not attempt to share the milk shake. Buy your own, buy your spouse his own and buy your toddler her own. 

The Verdict: It was distinctly homey experience, and friendly service – we’ll definitely be coming back.

Dinner Buffet at Kowloon House, West Avenue

Don’t you like it when you happened to be in the right place at the right time? I do. We went to the in-law’s house for the obligatory sleep-over and as soon as we arrived, FIL announced we will dine-out. Since traffic on the left side of the road (mall’s direction) was bad that night, they decided to settle to the nearest (as in, stone throw away) restaurant which is Kowloon House and availed their dinner buffet. Since Kowloon House is so near the house, I didn’t bother to bring my bag (all expenses paid remember). I was finished with my 1st plate when I remembered I’m a food blogger now and as a food blogger it is my duty to take food photos, unfortunate enough that my cellphone was inside my bag. Sorry L, next time I know better. 

Anyway, Kowloon House, is known for their dimsum, Mr. M just love their Jumbo Pao. Their West Avenue Branch is actually divided into 3 segments, all with different entrance passages: First: The take-out counters (with drive-thru) where you can buy all variants of Siopao, on-the-go. Attached to it is a casual non-air-conditioned dining area, known for its affordable beers. Second: The function hall, where private functions are usually held, set-menu is usually served. Third: Airconditioned Dining Room, where we dined. 

Their eat-all-you-can cost P299 per person, this comes with bottomless iced tea. Kowloon’s entrée is complete from 

Dimsums: Baby Pao, Siomai and Dumpling 
Rice: Yang Chow Fried Rice* and Plain Rice 
Soup: Make your own noodle soup* and Samsee Soup* 
Appetizer: Century Egg*, Seaweed, Pechay Kangkong and Special Stirred Fried Noodles 
Main course: Fragrant Chicken, Logon Vegetable, Beef Tenderloin, Pork Spareribs, Patatim, Sweet Sour Pork, Shrimp Bacon Roll*, Lumpiang Shanghai*, Fried Chicken*, Crab Foo Yong*, Fish Fillet, Pangasus Light Soy*, Stirred Fried Beancurd* 
Dessert: Butchi*, Brownies*, Almond Jelly* and Gelatin* 
* - was in my plate 

My Take: Chinese food never lets us down. I had no complain with my food selections aside from the Pangasus which was a little too fishy for my liking. We unanimously chose Beancurd as our favorite dish. The banquet head sees to it that the empty serving trays are replenished soon enough and the wait staffs provides good assistance to the diners. Although the tables don’t have fancy set-up, the place is clean, well lit and well ventilated. Considering the buffet price, you have no right to expect too much but then again I can say they delivered fairly. 

Tips: Never take advantage of the drink-all-you can part of the meal, it will not help you sample all the food. Never go to buffets when in a diet, it will make you curse the food while munching. Right Mr. M? If you’re a food blogger come equipped with camera when dining (talking to myself here). 

The verdict: Chinese food never lets us down (I’ve said that I know). So we ordered for take-out.