A carinderia often populated by students of nearby schools and residents of close subdivisions,…read moreJuncel offers a wide selection of Pinoy viands, affordable student meals and friendly service. My favorite would simply be their tortang talong. The eggplant is grilled, peeled then fried with egg. The smoked flavored torta goes well with plain rice, beef caldereta and a slab of their juicy grilled liempo (yum!). They are also famous for their adobo, menudo and giniling which cost only Php40.00 per dish. Dine at Juncel anytime of the day as they are open 24/ 7, great for quick late night stopovers, takeout, or early morning after-party hangout. Juncel has been patronized by locals since the 1990's and due toof it's success as a carinderia, they were able to expand their business and now offer Silogs, different sizes of pancit bilao and accept catering services for weddings, baptisms and birthdays too!

My friends from school love going here because its so friggin' sulit. You can have a full meal for…read more less than Php50. A full meal meaning: 1 ulam, 1 rice, unli sabaw. And if yer super kuripot like my friends, order half an ulam and 2 cups of rice lol. The Bicol Express is extra saucy so expect 1 cup of rice to be a bit bitin. Their food is mostly meat so vegetarians may feel a bit disappointed. What's nice is with the place is the amiable cook/ waiter/ owner. They're very accommodating to the point of allowing outside drinks in the premises. That day, I was feeling particularly alcoholic and thirsty so I decided to skip lunch altogether and grab 2 cold pilsens at Knot 4 Gains across the street. I was ready to down them outside Gayuma's entrance but to my pleasant surprise, they let me take the bottles in and nurse both for about an hour. Tapos yung pulutan ko unli sabaw. Panalo! One less star because they don't offer vegetarian options.

First time to dine at Doy's last night and I instantly approved one of their Amigo meals (comes…read morewith Iced Tea): pakpka, kangkong, kanin. At 145 pesos, you can get 2 pieces of inasal wings, 1 order of adobong kangkong, one cup of rice (which you can upgrade to garlic rice at 10 pesos only) and a big glass of iced tea. When it comes to serving size, the portions are right on the money that you can even share the kangkong with your friend. Taste? Just right: nothing fancy. I think there's room for improvement when it comes to flavour. My partner ordered the grilled Blue Marlin which was 198 per slice of fish. The slice was big enough to fill at 198 pesos, which is a good catch. For that, he paid 25 for the additional garlic rice. The size of the dining area is practically enough, with just the right room to walk around. Lighting was fine that evening, with dim lights for added effect. Generally, I have no beef against the establishment. In fact, I laud them because they serve decent inasal food which was right on the budget. I was practically satisfied.

Kaiku wasn't our original destination. I've never even heard of a Spanish place called Kaiku. But…read moreit was getting late and we wanted something to fill our bellies stat. When we saw on their signage that they had paella, we were parked in no time and heading up the building's second floor. Inside Kaiku is a very homey vibe. It's airconditioned but there are wooden tables and very mommy ornaments hanging on the yellow walls. Save for the tacky streamer challenging you to Karl's Spicy Wings Eating Challenge, the place was actually pretty quaint. I was beginning to worry because there was no other customer in sight. Apparently, Kaiku is more known for their catering services. The server recommended their paella, but warned us that it would take 25 minutes. Despite our need for immediate gratification, the prospect of a warm paella was irresistible, and so we ordered it, along with calamares for appetizer and the sizzling beef and mushroom. The calamares arrived first. As disappointing as the portion sizes was, it was pretty good and not the typical beer house calamares. This one had flavorful crispy breading that didn't try to conceal a fake, rubbery squid. Kaiku's had real squid that was tender yummy even without being dipped in vinegar. Then came the beef and mushroom, which was the bomb. Sizzling in a skillet, so creamy and flavorful and well complemented by the green bell pepper. Finally, the Paella Valenciana. Served piping hot, which is how a paella must be served, was incredibly delicious and generous with toppings. Fresh shrimp that wasn't overcooked, sweet opened clams, and fresh tomatoes. I probably would've finished the skillet by myself. Overall, I'm glad we ended up eating at Kaiku. Lovely food and great service for a reasonable price are always welcome.

I have been here twice for take out services. And so far service has been on point, they are very…read moreaccommodating. Place is clean There are few customers who dine in from 8pm onwards making the place a good spot to hang. Definitely this place is recommendable. For the food definitely I am a Whopper lover so no need to rate it because that would be a perfect 5 star

When I first visited Vagabonds, I thought it's a really posh place and that they serve fancy or…read moresophisticated food like wine and cheese. However, true to their full name, they actually offer gourmet comfort dishes. A few of them are okay, some need improvement, while there are others that I am unsure of. What I like: - steaks: good flavors, but I wish they could have better quality rice or use mashed potatoes instead - Mediterranean pasta: has a good balance of pasta and seafood, but a bit oily - quattro formaggi & garlic dip: I love cheese!! However, on my second visit, the bread pieces were a bit too toasted (i.e. sunog) - Southerner's soup: cheesy and has lots of bacon. BACON! Enough said. - Ibiza chicken: their best dish, IMO. - Toronto cheesecake: has lots of bacon, but the star of this is the actual cheesecake. The bacon could still be added, but on the side. Needs improvement: - burgers: lack flavor and any distinct quality - fries: colorful because of the paprika, but lacks salt. A lot of it. Also, they don't taste fresh. - bagoong wings: SERIOUSLY? Hang on, I think these need to be scrapped off their menu. Bagoong and chicken do not work well together. - chocolate wings: the problem here is the consistency of the marinade. On my first visit, this was my favorite among the 4 wing flavors we tried. However, on my second visit, they simply tasted bitter.

A friend gave me some Vagabonds gift certificates so I thought of visiting this new restaurant…read morealong Limbaga St. I invited my wife's family to share the blessings I have received since they are all food connoisseurs, I believe it will help me in my review and we get to try more dishes. Hehe. Vagabond means wanderer or traveler, which is what I like to do. So I felt I can connect with this restaurant. The ambiance is very colorful with painting displays and various mardi gras hats where you can take a picture with. Service is exemplary, the best I have seen in any restaurants. Servers were very attentive and will approach you at a snap of a finger. They also quickly bus out dishes to avoid clutter on your table. Refilling of water is quick so you won't go thirsty. The food, well, is another topic. They are cheaper and more reasonably priced than its competitors. But the taste has much to improve: - Saigon Salad - I got lost here. If you say Saigon, I would think that it is Vietnamese-inspired. The salad is actually a deconstructed Vietnamese spring roll, only it has a deep ginger flavor which is not found in Vietnamese cuisine. Lemongrass would have been a preferred taste. - Boracay Chori Burger - I got lost here as well. Don't get wrong, the burger was good, although it needs more binding ingredients since it was flaky and tearing apart as you bite into it. However, when you say chori (from chorizo), I would expect it to be garlicky or sweet, but none of these flavors were tasted, only spice. So maybe name it Boracay Chili Burger as not to set a wrong expectation? - Quattro Formaggio Dip - I arrived late and therefore didn't try the bread it was served with, but I did try the dip. It was gooey, cheesy, and garlicky. I would assume it went well with the bread sticks. This is a must-order! - East Coast Dip - a good dip as well like the quattro formaggio. Very clean in taste and creates an appetite. - Chicken Ibiza with Chorizo Pilaf - the best I have tried at Vagabonds. The chicken was crispy yet tender and flavorful. The mushrooms on the side complemented the chicken and the chorizo pilaf. Rice was also good but buttery. - Mediterranean Pasta - basically, seafood aglio olio. Made with seafood, garlic, and olive oil. I loved it on first bite, unfortunately, it ended there. I love its very seafood-y flavor, you can taste the richness of the sea, however, you can also taste the sea...salt. It gets saltier as you consume it. The pasta was not al dente, it was mushy. It's like the fettucine melted into starch then mixed with oil. Ewww. And although it was less oily than my friends who had it previously, it was still oily. - Tokyo Beef Steak, Southern Style Beef Steak, and Steak and Rice - I think steak is the expertise of Vagabonds as they were generally well. It has a beefy taste and it was tender. The only problem we had with the steaks was that it took a pretty long time to get to our table. It was actually the last to arrive among everything that we ordered. I mean I have already finished consuming the burger and pasta and the steak hasn't arrived. And when it did, it was no longer hot. I know you need to "sit" the steak, but it was near cold already when served. The sauces were also good as they accompanied the steak perfectly. The Tokyo rice was strange though. My aunt described it as "pastry dough". The rice was near-crispy (tutong) with a lemon-y taste. It was too buttery, and smelled like a fresh bread out of the oven. - Wonka's Delight - dark chocolate pudding topped with white chocolate and graham crackers. It was good. I like that they use real chocolates in making the dessert. The sad part about this is that their dishes uses a lot of butter and oil. While I was driving home, the taste of stale butter was still in my mouth despite having dessert and tons of water.

Unassuming OTB and KTV kiosk at the corner of N. Domingo Street, this little Tapsilogan is a bit…read morepricey for about Php50 to Php60 per meal. They sell silog meals as well as bulalo and other types of soup and have them in big orders as well. But what really stands out in this not-so-fancy kainan is their really addicting pancit, good for 2 (or 1 hungry girl or 3 skinny chicks) for just Php80. The pancit has firm noodles drenched in toyo and seasoning with loads of crunchy veggies like carrots, cabbages and the like. What I like is that they use minimal pork as sahog. There was a time, I had the pancit all to my self with a few cold beers in the watering hole next door, everyday for 2 weeks. Dala ka na lang ng tinapay para pwede kang gumawa ng pancit c=sandwich because... creativity.

I hang out in Maginhawa StrEAT a lot, and when I'm there , I usually get my dinner at Saucy Food…read moreMNL because their approach to filling and satisfying food is simple: a mound of rice, a side of vegetables, crispy-fried fish, pork or chicken tenders slathered with a choice of sauce from their selections. I personally love the beer-battered fish with the kewpie and aioli sauce. I love the interesting contrast of the dish. The creamy battered fish is paired with a bright and summery sauce that makes the entire bowl a delicious and filling treat. It may not be fine dining, but it's not too bad for P100. After all, with the bulk of the stalls in StREAT selling light snacks or non-rice options such as burritos, burgers and the like, one cannot go wrong with a rice meal. Most people who think that a meal is incomplete without a mound of rice will surely find Saucy Food MNL an affordable choice. Aside from the good food, what keeps me coming back is the fast service. Everywhere else in StrEAT, one would have to wait about 15-20 minutes before the food is delivered to your table. With Saucy Food, the bowls will be delivered to you piping hot within 10 minutes or so. The staff is always friendly and they take the time to get to know their customers. The owners, Mark and Cheeno are hands-on in the operations, and they engage with their customers well.

I personally like rice bowls. They're quick, cheap and most of the time, delicious. You can even…read moreenjoy it while on the go. So when I chanced upon this place in the compound, and considering how famished I was, I was immediately drawn to its very inviting window. The girl on on the window smiled at me as she asked for my order. Since their sauces were named creatively, I had to ask her to describe the ones that caught my attention. I ordered pork strips with cackalacky (sweet and sour) sauce. It was served in a ceramic bowl with rice and stir fried vegetables.I was impressed with the speed of the service and how the staff were really nice and warm. However, meat was a bit dry and lackluster for me.The sauce was just so-so and made me wish I could've gotten something spicy. Even so, everything was friendly on the pocket. Students and yuppies waiting for the next payday can enjoy these cheap but special rice toppings and of course, the staff's smiling faces .