Food Review

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Food Review

    [Feature] Chocolate Sundae: Jollibee's Cheap Dessert

    Posted by: Edmar del Castillo Guquib / comment : 5 ,


    "Jollibee's chocolate sundae is smooth and creamier in my taste buds compared to McDonald's."

    One reason I want hanging out at Jollibee is because of their Sundae-in-cup which is more popularly known as chocolate sundae (although there have been other versions).

    Jollibee sundae
    For a palagutom like me, having this cheap food at hand is already a big deal!

    That is 25pesos man! I can already afford that! Aside from the fact that I love sweets, I also love the price.

    I am glad Jollibee has made it cheaper because few years back, their chocolate sundae was around 30 pesos while McDonald's remain low at 25 pesos.

    Jollibee's chocolate sundae is smooth and creamier in my taste buds compared to McDonald's. The chocolate syrup really blend good with it.

    So Jollibee, please keep the price low, or lower, hehe.

    [Vigan] Bagnet with KBL: Not A Mission Failed

    Posted by: Edmar del Castillo Guquib / comment : 12 , , , ,



    "Take note that people tend to regard Vigan Bagnet as similar toLechon Kawali. I must say,Bagnet is bagnet and it is not the same as Lechon Kawali at all."

    If we talk about Vigan, of course food is a must try. Vigan is such a culinary haven for those who love doing food trip especially for food bloggers as well. Palagutom Boy landed in a restaurant called Cafe Leona located at the heart of Vigan's Mestizo District or the Heritage Village and from this tourism core, I had to enjoy the Vigan Bagnet!.



    For those who are wondering what KBL means, KBL is the favorite sawsawan of every Ilocano especially the best partner for the Vigan Bagnet.

    Take note that people tend to regard Vigan Bagnet as similar to Lechon Kawali. I must say, Bagnet is bagnet and it is not the same as Lechon Kawali at all.

    Bagnet is more deep fried to the extent that the meat becomes ultra crispy and that what makes it "Bagnet."

    Now let's go back to KBL. KBL is the official sawsawan of Bagnet and it stands for Kamatis (tomato), Bagoong nga Monamom (anchovy fish sauce) and Lasona (onion, note: Ilocanos prefer onions grown in Ilocos and not those huge onions from China with no taste). Ilocanos love to eat the highly-saturated taste of onion raw mixed with bagoong.

    Asking about the price, Ohhhhh... I am so sorry! I am saying sorry because I don't know the price. This food was a free treat of a fellow blogger and didn't mind to ask for the price.

    So this is not a mission failed because I did not spend money for it. Whether or not this food is priced with 10 pesos or 1000 pesos, I ate it free so it is a mission accomplished without me spending any penny at all!
    ---------------------------------
    Gutom Location:
    Crisologo Street
    Vigan City, Ilocos Sur, Philippines

    Mission Status:
    Mission Accomplished

    Review Criteria:
    Presentation: 10
    Taste: 20
    Innovation: 30
    Price to Quality Ratio: 40
    Total: 100

    MY SCORE: 62/100

    < 50: Needs improvement
    50-60: Average (It is easy to find everywhere/It is Common)
    60-70: Above Average (Just Ok!) 
    70-80: Very Satisfactory (It is worth the prize)
    90-95: More than Perfect (It is more than what you paid for)
    95-100: Beyond compare! (Word can't explain the excellence)

    [Baguio] 75pesos: Affordable Yang Chow Rice

    Posted by: Edmar del Castillo Guquib / comment : 14 , , , , ,


    "Palagutom boy was about to see many restaurants in Session Road and he got frightened that he might starve to death because every restaurant he sees looked like offering an expensive food. I have fear of expensive food."

    If you happen to crave for Yang Chow Rice and you are currently in Baguio City, the Palagutom boy has found an affordable place to eat in Baguio City the summer capital along the busy Session Road. At 75pesos with ice tea included and large-sized  Yang Chow Rice  with fully air-conditioned restaurant in retro setting and free wi-fi, that's solved!

    The traveling gutom has landed in Baguio City for another mission. He was so hungry for his walking tour again (yes, I can't afford to spend money for taxi but to use my feet, lol).

    Because of tiredness, he again explored the length of Session Road in Baguio city to look for a good-looking, sosyal-looking and fine-looking restaurant with cheap food. Palagutom boy was about to see many restaurants in Session Road and he got frightened that he might starve to death because every restaurant he sees looked like offering an expensive food. "I have fear of expensive food," Palagutom Boy said to himself.

    After almost an hour Kris-crossing Session Road, Palagutom Boy bravely entered a restaurant called Jimm's Retro Diner and to tell you, just entering the restaurant, you will really feel the retro ambiance.

    Elvis Presley is singing at the background and he is the star of this day. He also got several photos displayed inside the restaurant and I just wonder if this restaurant is owned by Elvis Presley, just kidding!

    Ok, I courageously entered the restaurant in retro, sited for a while and waited for the waiter to give me the list of food to order. And yes!!!! I saw a rice meal with drinks at 75pesos! Solved!

    The food we ordered with my younger bro was  Yang Chow Rice . The size was just enough for regular appetite. In layman's term,  Yang Chow Rice  could mean Fried Rice, and yeah, it is fried rice by the way added with some spices and anything that can be added. For this version, there was a butter mixed and it was already about to go dark when we ate here and telling you, it is not breakfast! Just kiddin' boy!

    Ok, just a warning, if you hate butter that much especially eating it for dinner and not breakfast, never try this suggestion of mine -  Yang Chow Rice  + Butter + Night Time = What I did, it might disappoint you.

    But if you love butter to the extent that you eat butter almost everyday of your life, you have found a jackpot!

    Anyway, have I mentioned that this  Yang Chow Rice  has butter yet? Well, when you taste this, the "buttery" smell and taste is evident and I find it soooo delicious! Sadly, my brother hated it leading me say to the waiter, "Kuya pabalot." 

    I ate my bro's  Yang Chow Rice  when we got home. Well that's it. The Palagutom Boy has traveled to Baguio City and at Session Road, this is his discovery. 

    --------------------------------------
    Location:
    Session Road
    Baguio City, Benguet, Philippines

    Mission Status:
    Mission Accomplished     @ 75 pesos
    Review Criteria:
    Presentation: 10
    Taste: 20
    Innovation: 30
    Price to Quality Ratio: 40
    Total: 100 

    PALAGUTOM SCORE: 65/100

    < 50: Needs improvement
    50-60: Average (It is easy to find everywhere/It is Common)
    60-70: Above Average (Just Ok!)
    70-80: Very Satisfactory (It is worth the prize)
    90-95: More than Perfect (It is more than what you paid for)
    95-100: Beyond compare! (Word can't explain the excellence)

    [San Fernando] Halo-Halo in a Coconut Shell in La union

    Posted by: Edmar del Castillo Guquib / comment : 20 , , ,


    "...it was presented in a buko shell because you have to scrape the smooth young coconut meat to mix it with the other ingredients. As of me, I have scraped it totally and that's the twist."

    Halo-halo is a very popular dessert in the Philippines and because it is everywhere, different stores are making their own twists and versions to attract the potential market for the halo-halo food. The competition is tight, so restaurants need to create something that is new and different among others to increase the curiosity of the people.

    Halo-halo from Brother's Grill in San Fernando City, La Union

    The Traveling Gutom landed in the city of San Fernando in La Union and was able to discover an inviting version of halo-halo in a restaurant called Brother's Grill along Gov. Luna St.

    So what is new here? Well, aside from the very usual way of presenting the halo-halo in a tall glass or in a wide bowl, the halo-halo of Brother's Grill La Union is placed in a coconut shell.

    The coconut or locally termed as buko is not that ordinary buko because the coconut where the halo-halo is placed is young which means, the coconut meat is soft, gentle and more to be like a jelly.

    At the table is a hemisphere of the coconut and at the hallow portion at the core is the delicious halo-halo.

    When I was in La Union, I said to myself that I will not leave San Fernando city without any food discovery so I walked all throughout the city center and saw brother's grill.

    When they gave me the menu list, the halo-halo in a buko really intrigued me that I really had to order to see it for my self besides, this is not a mission failed because this food offering is cheaper than 100 pesos.

    Well, I did not regret ordering it because it was more than I have paid for not to mention the free wi-fi and the relaxing ambiance inside the restaurant.

    The food is huge that I wasn't able to consume it all.

    To tell you the truth, this is in fact an emerging threat to any halo-halo store in La Union like the Chowking Halo-halo. Brother's Grill halo-halo is cheaper than Chowking's halo-halo fiesta at 89 pesos (about 2 dollars) and to note, you have to add an additonal of 15 pesos if you want ice cream toppings so it will cost you more than a hundred pesos or more then 2 dollars.

    In Brother's Grill, the whole package is already way cheaper than Chowking's halo-halo fiesta at only 85 pesos (less than 2 dollars).

    One thing more, as you can see at the photos above, the coconut strands are missing. Well, that's the twist because it's your job to find it out. That's the reason why it was presented in a buko shell because you have to scrape the smooth young coconut meat to mix it with the other ingredients. As of me, I have scraped it totally and that's the twist.
    ____________________________________________________________________
    Eating Location:
    Brother's Grill
    San Fernando City, La Union, Philippines

    Mission Status:
    Mission Accomplished at 85 pesos (about 2 dollars)

    FOOD SCORE CRITERIA:
    Presentation: 10
    Taste: 20
    Innovation: 30
    Price to Quality Ratio: 40

    PALAGUTOM SCORE: 75

    < 50: Needs improvement
    50-60: Average (It is easy to find everywhere)
    60-70: Above Average (Not your ordinary food)
    70-80: Very Satisfactory (It is worth the prize)
    90-95: More than Perfect (It is more than what you paid for)
    95-100: Beyond compare! (Word can't explain the excellence)

    [Feature] Square Doughnut: The Doughnut without a Hole

    Posted by: Edmar del Castillo Guquib / comment : 3 , ,


     "...what is interesting here is that the filling of one square doughnut consists of two flavors on which you don't have to buy two different kinds just to fulfill your cravings..."

    After the success of the Bavarian doughnut of the popular doughnut store chain in the Philippines called Mister Donut, they have made a new version and this one has no hole at the middle. It is purely square but not the usual doughnut because a hole is missing.

    Square Doughnut with two flavors, classic and mocha

    Of course, this blog aims every hungry tummy to get satisfied with cheap foods not more expensive than 100 pesos and this one is good in your budget while satisfying your tummy.

    This square doughnut is a variation of the Bavarian doughnut. The Mister Donut store has just made an innovation making new products with a different presentation.

    It still has the flavor of our favorite Bavarian Doughnuts which includes the classic, chocolate, mocha, strawberry, etc. However, what is interesting here is that the filling of one square doughnut has two flavors on which you don't have to buy two different kinds just to fulfill your cravings because this is already two is to one ratio.
    --------------------------------------------------------------
    Price (Note: Price may change by time)

    Square Doughnut (Any variety): 15 pesos (0.4 dollar)

    [Feature] Dragon Fruit: A Surprising Truth!

    Posted by: Edmar del Castillo Guquib / comment : 2 , , ,


    "If you NEVER tasted Dragon Fruit, click Like  and let us know how many we are in the club!"

    Dragon fruit is gaining popularity in the Philippines but although it's exposure has reached the mainstream media like the television being featured in many shows, there are still persons who happen to be ignorant about it - I am one of them. 

    It was a hot day at exactly 12:00 noon and I was looking for something to freshen me up. Thank God my friend Rhea Corrales just came from Canada with all the wealth in her pocket and she treated me with some circle of friends.

    I saw this fruit shake stand and at the display table of that stall, I saw a fruit on which I thought it was a plastic "toy fruit" made in China. I had a little frown in my face because I was disappointed with that food stall displaying an artificial fruit, with that very colorful fruit with very pink color plus the weird appearance. It was very weird-looking and why it is there? Since I was thinking it was made in China, it would contaminate other fresh fruits placed therein with lead and those toxic chemicals used by the Chinese manufacturers.

    I really had to confront the vendor and ask her about it until she asked me what to order. To begin, I wanted to tell her that I don't like what I saw so I purposefully told her that I want that pink artificial fruit made from China. She laughed and looked at me and I was aback when she took that weird-looking fruit and sliced it then put it in a blender!

    Whooooaah! I was really shocked! It was not srtificial, it was really natural but it looked so synthetic. With all the "made in China" mind set I had, I was amazed and has a little degree of embarrassment about that scenario. I just smiled and waited until that fruit on which I learned later that it was dragon fruit is done for serving.

    As I hand that Dragon Fruit Shake, I was still in a severe status of doubt if what I will be drinking is natural because the color seemed like it was mixed with a can of food coloring because of its really bright and highly-saturated pink color. But linger, I saw how they made it and I should not have any questions in mind. Maybe I was just overwhelmed with ignorance that I was ineffably amazed on what dragon fruit might offer.

    It was a perfect day and it was a day of rediscovering new things. I really had fun time with this dragon fruit on which, I made the story complicated and controversial which in fact, there's no issue to talk about. It was just me who was so obsessive and compulsive about that thing.


    "Twas another day again of discovering food and a day of eating! That was a dragon fruit day for us. I had fun and I enjoyed dragon fruit because it was so delicious more than I could just imagine.

    If you NEVER tasted Dragon Fruit, click Like or Recommend and let us know how many we are in the club!

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