Manila's top secret buffet place [you wish!]

when my mother-in-law, told me we were going to have dinner in a buffet place which charged only P195 per head for adults, i wasn't sure what to think.  you won't find a decent place serving buffet for that low a price even here in davao.  the cheapest here is atleast P270++ per person.  so when dinner time came, i convinced myself not to expect anything and prepare for what might be a night of gastronomic disappointment.

i happily realized that my fears were unfounded as soon as we stepped into the restaurant.

 

The buffet table was filled with unexpectedly good mostly chinese fare.  and the variety was surprising!  from the more common ones like sweet and sour pork, yang chow fried rice, and pancit canton to oyster cakes, a tofu dish, steamed lapu-lapu in soy sauce.  they also had siomai, congee and bird's nest soup and even japanese chopstick-food like sushi and maki rolls complete with wasabi and kikoman.  and mind you the california maki's orange-colored roe was real [sorry, i don't know what they are called].  there was also green mango with bagoong, i thought it out of place, but many seemed to like it there.

and the dessert spread was not bad either, from fresh fruits to filipino desserts like buko pandan to chinese buchi.  i 'met' and tasted for the first time steamed egg  in a cup, i found it strange that it was in the dessert area because it was not sweet at all.  but i liked it anyway.

of course, there is a but.  with a price like that you can't expect the ambiance you get from a pricy restaurant.  you can't expect an abundance of space, nor can you expect to be able to eat in peace with soft music in the background.  we shared the place with a big group which was celebrating somebody's birthday.  of course they sang and accompanied it with a birthday cake and loud cheering and clapping as the celebrant blew the candle.  on the other side of our table was a group of co-workers probably in an impromptu after work dinner escapade, so they also contributed to the noise.  and of course add to that the other sounds you expect to hear in a busy chinese restaurant.

well, obviously it's not really a secret dining destination.  the place was filled to the brim when we arrived.  Luckily, a big group was just starting to leave so we managed to get a big round table fast.  we were 18 in all [yes, the hubby's side of the family is a big one, we weren't even complete that night] so we were kinda scattered into different tables.  we spent only P3kplus that night which really amazed us as we rang up more than double that amount in the past nights.

i would normally advise you to go there early as buffet places usually fill up easily and the quality and freshness of the food usually deteriorates by the hour, not to mention the quantity and variety.  But here it is happily different, they constantly refill all dishes and they serve them freshly prepared until an hour before closing.  so don't worry about the traffic or being late, you're sure to get good food when you arrive.

Tramway Tea House 
76 Sct.Alcaraz Street Cor. Banawe Street, Quezon City
[02]411-1565 / 410-3717
Opens from 11:30 am - 2:30 pm, 6:00 pm - 10:00 pm

welcome home!

okay, the pancake house did not originate in davao but i can't help but write about it.  i don't know why but it is one of the places i like to eat and hang-out in especially when i have to go at it alone.  the food rates are not that affordable i know but the homey-ness of the place and it's bright clean interiors just make me feel right at home.  and the food selection si so varied that studying their well-made menu is one of the things i love doing before i make my order.  there's always something interesting and new to try.

but being the segurista and predictable diner, most times, i order the same thing 99% of the time.  a refillable cup of brewed coffee and my favorite [for years now] - the chicken asparagus sandwich.  until just recently [read: yesterday and today] i ended up ordering this combo, even if i intend to try something else once they hand me the menu.

yesterday afternoon, as i was not that hungry, i wanted something less filling.  i ordered the classic medley which is 2 pancakes with butter and syrup, a side order of sausages and a cup of brewed coffee.  i was careful to just put a couple of drops of syrup but i smothered on the whipped butter.  every bite was a sweet, creamy, fluffy forkful of comfort.  sure, i could make tastier pancakes with bisquick mix, but the magic of Pancake House is this:  you get what you expect.  from the pictures in the menu, to the way the food looks when it is served to you, to that first bite that you make, to the last drop of strong, freshly brewed coffee.  it is consistent, just like home.  until today that is....

today was sadly different, i had to go to SM after fetching my daughter from school.  it was 4pm and my first and only meal was a quick brunch.  i was hungry and my daughter wanted pasta.  we went straight to Pancake House   and i ordered white-sauce pasta for her [i forgot what they called it], it had shiitake mushrooms, asparagus and bacon.  i ordered a taco for myself and the usual strong coffee.  to cut my story short, only the coffee was good.  the pasta was bland and tasteless and the taco filling was 90% garnish and just 10% meat [more of meat paste, actually].

for the first time i was disappointed in my 'home away from home'.  but, no permanent harm done.  the magic is still there, i guess i'll just stick to my good old reliable chicken asparagus sandwich till the next time i'm brave enough to try something else. =P

 [that man is sitting in my favorite booth.  see me in the mirror?]

 my beloved sandwich


Pancake House
2nd Level, SM City
Davao


note:  all pictures were taken a few months ago, during a more satisfying visit.

friday night wish:

i wish i were here right now.

yep, it's that dark in there.  just like an old western saloon should be.

where there is always cold potent brew to be had, you can guzzle yourself to sleep, he he.

where the food menu is international yet unexpectedly cheap, think nasi goreng [this was a strange thing to find] to good old american burgers to european sausages.  don't forget to try the hot mustard!

where you can relax, unwind and cozily chat the night away.  not a bad idea to go by your lonesome too, there's discovery channel to stare at and soothingly faded music in the background.

where you can temporarily forget the outside world and pretend you're in an old cowboy movie, but not looking for trouble of course.

where you can find nice deli items to bring home to your kids, validating your 'me' time/date night or whatever.

i wish i were here right now. [sigh]

 DE BOERDERIJ

106-c DBC Bldg-H, McArthur Hi-way, Matina, Davao City
(near Ma-a junction and NCCC mall)

BayanSpan 082-303-2199

Smart 0921-971-1051

Globe 0927-998-5905

another crabby experience

i can't really say when i started seeing crab buffet restaurants sprouting all over the city.  to date i think i can count 5 recently opened ones.  i don't know why but i think the more high end Let's Crab Eat restaurant pushed for the opening of these more affordable options.

i got my first taste of the 'crab buffet concept' at Sari Makan Crab Buffet Restaurant.  A friend boasted of eating there twice and wanted to go back for more.  So when another friend made a quick round-up of us long time pals, Sari Makan was the first choice to feast in.  Due to the name [Crab Buffet] one friend actually thought that they only served crabs or sea food, which she is allergic to.  We contemplated on buying food for her to bring to the place [lol!].  I on the other hand was apprehensive of the crab thing, being an eat-with-your-hands kind of food, and i also dreaded the laborious task of picking the flesh from the many partitions.  Not worth the effort, most of the time, i thought.

but we were assured that there were other things to eat so we went to the place at 6 p.m.  which turned out to be the best time to arrive in a buffet restaurant.  the food is in all it's fresh, steaming-hot glory, untouched by previous diners, and the best seats in the house [meaning: nearest to the buffet table =P]

the other reason we chose the place was the unbeatable price of P270 per person which was the cheapest in it's league [or so we heard, somebody prove us wrong please].  i prepped myself by washing my hands well, instead of the usual alcogel, as it was going to be a serious meal up ahead.

the place had a straightforward, no frills ambience [hence we did not have to pay for it, he he] and can seat up to around 30 comfortably.  More importantly, i noted that the place was well-lit and really clean.  true enough there was kaldereta [i think] but it was a goat dish for sure and there was also kare-kare [oxtail stew].  Both were delicious, my friends swore, and tender too.  i can't vouch for the taste though as i do not eat goat nor beef.

i stuck to the sole crab and prawn dish which was really yummy i had to exclaim, 'sauce pa lang, ulam na!'  and the requisite fried chicken leg and of course my beloved rice.

the prawns were scrumptious.  as for the crabs, some parts were over-cooked and paste-like in texture.  but the claw-meat, which was intact and perfect, plus the finger-licking, lip-smacking sauce more than made up for that and the fact that there was hardly any aligue [crab roe].  they also had a decent dessert spread which i unfortunately, had no room for anymore.

i polished off, i think, 3 whole crabs [they were small okay] and a few more claws =P.  plus, there's something about sharing a meal with friends who are more like sisters, it just made it all more enjoyable and appetizing.

so if you ask me, yes it was worth all the effort of picking at the flesh.  they had more than the usual shell cracker, there was also a crab pick which suspiciously looked like a manicure-pedicure tool [just joking].

seriously though, i'd definitely go and get my hands crab-dirty all over again with my girls, anytime. =D

p.s.  sorry there are no actual crab pics as it was in-between refill time when i got up to take pictures. =P

Sari Makan Crab Buffet Restaurant
Bonifacio St. [beside Alsons]
Davao City

Davao's Big 'Little-Secret' Food Court

having lunch at 3pm poses 2 problems.

1 - you're so hungry, all the will power you need to keep your vow of skipping rice for a month is gone the minute you see the food line-up.

2 - you're so hungry, your brain can't seem to zero in on any food establishment which will seem worthy of an inevitable food binge [not to mention, thinking of one that won't put a hole in your pocket]

well, it happened to us yesterday and after about a few minutes of wasting gasoline trying to think of a place to eat, my sister finally remembered an eatery she wanted to try.  she said she saw a long line of 'lunchers' around a week ago.

the place is the opposite of hoity-toity, but it's not your scary possibly-hepa-a-infested venue either. it's like the in-between of a fastfood and 'carenderia', but with restaurant trimmings. think: non-aircon, turo-turo style service, banquet tables, wine glasses, breakable serving-ware and plate-ware.  and an abundance of RC cola drinks.

the food was great considering the price, tasty, and the variety of choices was mind-boggling, from streetfood fare of crispy chicken skin, to lutong-bahay guisadong gulay to fish wrapped in pandan leaves on a bed of coconut milk-based sauce.

as a result we ended up sharing 3 cups of rice, 7 servings of different ulam and 2 bottles of RC cola.  we only spent P188.

i checked out the rest of the place with its super high ceilings and an odd shaped serving and dining area, it was a hot day but the heat wasn't so bad with the ceiling fans.  i think it used to be a company-building garage in its other life.  i was all the more surprised to discover that it was a wi-fi zone.

the place was surrounded by dormitories and a school was just a block away, hence the long lines at meal hours.  they close at 12 midnight and there are viands displayed all day long, prepared at odd times.

as we were about to leave, the staff was displaying 2 freshly cooked, steaming-hot viands, making us wish we had just arrived.

TOP SAW FOOD COURT
Narra St., Davao City [between Sta. Ana Avenue and Monteverde St.]

a kitchen that's bound to grow bigger

Tiny Kitchen, if memory serves me right, started out by selling their bread in supermarkets.  the nice packaging made me get one loaf and try it.  the next thing i remember is that they began selling bottled tuyo and other delicacies and not long after, they had their own tiny store in Mabini St.

they sell all kinds of baked goodies as well as frozen ones you could re-heat in the home oven.  i used to tell the lady behind the counter to put tables so they can serve dine-in customers.  and about a year after that, they did open up a new and bigger shop.  slowly the menu board started to fill-up with yummy sounding items.  i finally found the time to sit down and eat there today.  they had a new pasta item on the menu, but the name escapes me now, dang!

it was Penne something, something that was definitely spanish.  i loved it.  it was obvious that they used great ingredients as it tasted nothing like those canned sauces we usually get in restaurants serving pasta [ you know, even the imported ones taste like the can they came in]

the sauce of this dish is rich but not cloying.  you could taste the spanish chorizo it was infused with, and the mussels were soft and tender with no fishy smell at all.  i usually don't like mopping up left-over sauce with bread but this time i did.  i wiped the dish clean. Yum!

TINY KITCHEN
F. Torres St., Davao City
[082]2346095

p.s. the pasta dish is named Penne Catalonia.  and i was right, it is spanish.

chinese comfort food

chinese fastfood outlets are a dime a dozen here in davao city.  From dimsum stands to noodle houses to restaurant-style set-ups, you are sure to find one in every street. but only one stands out the most because there is not one time that their branches are not busy and bustling with hungry customers.  Mandarin Tea Garden

whenever i am out on solo flight at meal times, i look for the nearest Mandarin Tea Garden outlet.  i can enumerate a string of their reliably delicious offerings but i almost always end up asking for the same thing: Ravioli Noodle Soup and Fresh Fruit Salad.  the combination doesn't sound so great but i tell you, the first one makes up for the fact that i'm eating out alone and the latter is a very healthy dessert choice, just try not to devour all that yummy cream.

so, the next time you catch yourself out on the street and hungry, head to the nearest Mandarin Tea Garden.  Try out my favorites and experience the satisfaction only comfort food can bring.  Slurp!

two very crabby places

H [my hubby] and i love crabs. when i was pregnant with the little girl, we ate crab plenty of times because H craved crabs a lot. this was when i discovered that this old chinese restaurant in Villa Abrille served the best crabs in town. we fell in love with their Sate Sauce preparation that we hardly ate crabs anywhere else again.

so when it was a 'must have Sate Crab day', i remembered that a flashy new crab retaurant opened in Torres St. i urged H that we try it out. He refused to eat in any expensive looking restaurant without recommendations so we drove straight to Villa Abrille.

everytime we go to Davao Asia Restaurant, before we start imagining all that aligue, we make sure to ask the waiter up front if they have female crabs. when the answer is no, we back out. nevermind the whetted appetites, we can't have crabs without the aligue.

So when we arrived, my face fell when the waiter said 'no she-crabs anymore'. as i turned to inform the waiting driver, H, the waiter said 'why don't you try out our new branch?' which one? i didn't know they had other branches. He said, 'the new one in Torres'.

I happily told H the good news and off we went to Let's Crab Eat, the newest resto in town. we were not disappointed, the Sate Crabs were the best we had so far, super rich and for sure cholesterol-full, he he.  And i, the hygiene-freak was very happy to see that they had modern interiors and because it was new, it was very clean.  we had our new crab haunt.

our life with the Jadali-Sabets

how can i not write about MAJID'S PERSIAN KABABS! First, we fell in love with the food. Then we fell in love with the couple [Majid and Arlene] behind the food. Then we became business partners with them. And now we are practically family. Majid became our ninong sa kasal. Arlene became ninang to our first born, Miguela. And now, hubby and I are ninong and ninang in their eldest daughter, Farzane's marriage.

We first got to know Majid when he chatted with us, his new customers, around 7 years ago. We heard about the place from hubby's brother and being true blue foodies, we tried it out. we couldn't get over the tastiness of the kababs as each type had its distinct flavor and aroma. the goat kabab immediately became our favorite. served with nan [locally called pita bread], grape seed powder, THE secret sauce, and a salad, we were in gastronomic heaven.

the difference of Majid's food from other foreign dishes is that you truly will never get tired of it. unlike pasta or pizza or even burgers, you can eat kababs again, and again, and again. and because we were crazy about it, we had it for lunch and then for dinner, everyday of the week. what's not to love about it? you get carbo from the pita bread, protein from the goat [or beef or chicken], all the nutrients plus fiber from the salad. one complete healthy meal! and its not even diet food!

and then, majid fell in love with us, well more with my hubby actually, as according to him he had not many filipino friends. he then started inviting us over to his house, first to meet his wife and 3 kids, and then to feed us some of the most amazing food we ever encountered. in our visits, we learned about how Majid, an iranian, and Arlene, a filipina met. they told us about their life, how their family started out, their struggles, and how their little food business began. hubby and i were still courting at that time and so all we could do was eat and listen intently. we learned a lot from their stories. we were in their house practically every weekend, that is, until we had Miguela.

as we came into our own as a family, we saw them less and less. hubby started to become busy with the business and i with taking care of miguela. our visits with them became few and far between. but we remain family, and with family, you don't need the constant contact to remain close.

for 3 years now, Majid has been taking care of 2 branches. the original one in Rizal St. has grown from 2 tables to more than 10 tables. and with a lot of convincing and guarantees from hubby and i in the early years, they are now serving many other persian dishes. come to think of it, maybe Majid was making us his guinea pigs for the recipes he wanted to try selling. we made good, i guess, as 2 of our favorite dishes continue to be bestsellers.

Now, hubby and i make it a point to eat at Majid's as much as our schedules permit us. our usual order: 2 chicken biryanis, 2-4 goat kababs [depending on our hunger level], salad, hummus, loobia and whatever drink we fancy for that day.

so, for all of you who strangely still do not know of this place which is already a landmark in davao, visit Majid at J. Rizal Street [in front of Rizal Promenade]. Tell Majid i sent you. So he will love me more than he loves hubby. ha! ha! ha!