Mom and I love LOVE love their Dagupan location the food there is SOOO good, so after a few hours'…read moredrive coming from Nueva Vizcaya, we were delighted to find there's a location here. And with the lunch hour as well as hanger pangs perfectly timing a tag team, it was a must stop.
The snag? There was a wait. Whoa, we were number 9 on the list and a a couple of names had parties of 10 or more.
However, one of the hosts told us it shouldn't be that long of a wait: we were guaranteed to be seated within 15 minutes.
In the meanwhile, we were seated at one of the outdoor tables and given menus. They asked us to look it over while we wait and put in our order, so by the time we get seated inside, our food would also be good and ready to be served.
That's pretty clever, eh?!
And as promised, we were seated inside about 10 minutes after we got on the waiting list.
We didn't wait that long either before our goodies started coming through.
HIPON CRISPY: Also known as "nilasing na hipon" (drunken shrimp) was AMAZING. Made to order hot and still sizzling by the time it got to our table, it's worse than potato chips: you can't have just one. I almost put in another order, but! we had other grub to get through! But this is a definite must have/must try.
SINIGANG NA MALAGA: Mom said she hasn't had this for a long time, so it was a must have. One order is only good for 2 people, and being a party of 4, we put in two orders. To be honest, I didn't think it was worth the price. It's supposedly one of their more popular items (which probably explains the cost, plus the fish itself must be pricey) but it was mediocre at best - at least for me. Don't get me wrong: it wasn't horrible, but it was nothing to call home about.
BONELESS BANGUS NA INIHAW: Came through with a really good char and seasoned well. There was no hint of dryness and it was a pretty good size. Delish!
POKI POKI: Their version of eggplant salad. This was a recent discovery for me from another eatery, so a bar has been set. Not as great as the first one I tried, but this was pretty close. The eggplant, tomato and onions were fresh and the shrimp paste didn't come off too strong. Great palate cleanser.
GRILLED PORK BELLY: The marinade was perfect. Somehow they managed to keep the skin crispy as they grilled it. Came with a dip which, honestly, didn't think it needed. It was delish on its own.
I also got sago and gulaman to wash it all down.
FOOD: 4.
SERVICE: 5. Our server, Marlon, was a pro at tending to our every need. He was friendly and provided service with a smile. I would say he's the reason for the above par rating.
VALUE: 3.
PARKING: They have their own parking spots, but if they're full, a parking attendant will let you double park and have you move your car as needed.
OVERALL: 4.
As good of a run this was, I think I much prefer the location in Dagupan. I felt they were a little more generous with their offerings, and although I can't really put my finger on it, the food there is slightly better.
But I wouldn't mind coming back here again. If only for the drunken shrimp!
Good first run! If my travels take me around this 'hood again, I'd most likely make another stop.
