SOMETHING BIG IS COOKING UP IN MANILA: APPLEBEE'S! - RINA

        My first memory of Applebee's was in New Jersey when we met up with my Aunt Eva and Uncle Tony. It was late at night and it was still open, and there were a lot of customers still hanging out and having a great time watching a football game.(See my post here) This was way back in 2013. And now, fast forward to 2 years after, Applebee's is finally opening here in the Philippines! In the heart of Bonifacio Global City, Taguig!

A PARADE OF HOTDOGS AROUND THE WORLD FROM MUNCHTOWN!

        Nowadays, movie theaters look so much nicer than the icky movie houses I remember when I was younger. I vividly remember usually feeling my shoes step on something sticky in the dark on the floor, and hoping it's nothing more than a spilled drink! And along with the theater changes, theater snacks has also evolved in some movie houses. It's not only just popcorn that you can buy to bring with you inside the movie house because you will often see a lot of snack bars lined up outside selling so much more! A very good example would be MunchTown in Greenhills just outside of the new Atmos surround sound theater!

        Munchtown serves a wide variety of tempting snacks that you can nibble on while watching your favorite new flick! From burgers, to sliders, to pizzas, burritos, and fries! And the first time I tried Munchtown was when I went with some blogger friends to check out their newest line of hotdogs! It was hard to decline because if you know me well, you would know that I'm a big fan of hotdogs and sausages! (Always was even as a kid!) 

        So without further adieu, let us present to you this beautiful parade of hotdogs from none other than Chef Robby Goco at Munchtown!

FINDING COMFORT IN KETTLE, SHANGRI-LA MALL

            I have never denied my preference to American food compared to any other cuisine.. save for Chinese. Maybe because it's because I'm a simple meat and potatoes guy, and a lot of american dishes are straight up, no frills comfort food cooking. 

         Which I think is pretty much what Kettle has nailed. And since that's my favorite type of food, it will come to no surprise to you that, despite my own hectic schedule, I've made it a point to visit there at least once a month for the past three months. 

         Yes, Kettle is THAT good. 

An All-American Feast at Corniche! -RinaZ.

          
            Diamond Hotel’s Corniche is at it again with another themed buffet! This time going for an All-American Feast! For only Php 1,780 nett per head, you can enjoy good ol’ American dishes in this 5 star hotel along Roxas Blvd in Manila for lunch or dinner! This feast started last August 22 and will end on the 29^th ! 

     BREAKING NEWS: Due to insistent public demand, Diamond Hotel has extended the buffet until September 1, 2013!!!

MEET BIG DADDY JAY'S, ALL AMERICAN BBQ!

           I really enjoy hearing about food success stories. Restaurants, such as Manang's Chicken, that began as humble food stalls in Mercato Centrale, and quickly evolved into a Filipino fast food Chicken powerhouse. 

        I would honestly love to see the same level of success happen to Big Daddy Jay's All American BBQ. I first discovered Big Daddy Jay's last year at Soderno, where I was immediately blown away by how incredibly tender their ribs were, and how every bite was packed with an intense smokey flavor. It's almost as if this is what all ribs want to be like when they grow up. 

       A few weeks ago, I found out that they had opened a little restaurant at the Cubao area. When I got an opportunity to visit them, I tagged my other blogger friends along with me, because I felt it was imperative that they get a taste of Big Daddy Jay calls, "The Best 'Cue in town". 

     And you know what? They really make a VERY strong case. 

A VISIT TO GRANDMOMMA'S KITCHEN - RINAZ

        Remember those days when you come home from school and you rush to your grandma’s bright dainty kitchen and smell freshly baked cookies waiting especially for you? Well, we didn’t really have a dainty kitchen that smelled like baked goodies so I really didn’t get to experience that hehe. But in the hour or so that I was in GrandMomma’s kitchen, that’s exactly how it felt like when I went there for dinner with some blogger friends. 

I'VE FOUND MY WINGMAN

Seconds before the wings flew into my mouth..

       
     Forget Maverick, Iceman, or anything Barney Stinson may have told you the "Bro Code" says.. I've found my Wingman at the Collective in Makati! A number of people have told me to check out this place, but I've never gotten around to going. I don't exactly go crazy for Chicken Wings, so there was no real urgency for me to go. One day, whilst I was surfing on the net, I read about a place here in Manila that served "Deep Fried Snickers" as their trademark dessert. I couldn't help but be impressed as I read further on about this mythical place that stared down the face of the Department of Health to serve such a sinful dish, and lo and behold, It was the legendary place that they called Wingman.

            I told Rina about the dessert, and she was ecstatic to try it. Just thinking about it, she said out loud. "Wow, I don't think anyone could ever finish one order of that". I looked her straight in the eye, and in the immortal words of one of the greatest Wingmen of all time, I said to her..

           "Challenge Accepted."

YEEHAAWW!!! WE'RE AT TEXAS ROADHOUSE GRILL!

My Therapist says I should stop hiding my feelings and learn how to express myself more.

                 

         I've had my eye on Texas Roadhouse Grill for quite some time now, but i've never actually had the time to check it out. When they opened a branch in El Pueblo three years ago, I was living in Mega Plaza in Ortigas, which is just a few blocks down, but I still wasn't able to go try it out. Mainly because I saw the flyer and the prices seemed to be a little steep, although I had to admit, the menu was pretty much up my alley. I had totally forgotten about the place until a couple of months back, a friend from work said that their Philly Cheese Steak was one of the best he had ever tried.

                  I did a little research for some dishes that I thought I'd like, and had resolved to go check the place out soon. The name alone, Texas Roadhouse Grill" has got "RichieZ" all over it so i felt I couldn't be carry the Pickiest Eater name without trying this place. When Rina asked if we could take our Shih Tzu puppy Schatzi to  High Street, I figured that would be the best chance for us to try it.

MCDONALD'S BREAKFAST QUIRKS

A simple breakfast that'll get you through the morning :D

                  In case I haven't mentioned it before, I eat at McDonald's A LOT. I could eat it for breakfast, lunch and dinner. There was a time that I think I may have had a double cheese burger meal (w/ BBQ sauce) and 6 piece Nuggets for dinner for 2 straight weeks. I didn't feel any heart problems or anything like that, but I did gain quite a few pounds hehe. What do I usually eat for breakfast when I'm there? Not the Big Breakfast with the sausage patty, eggs and muffins. Not the longganiza meal either. Or their Pancakes. Like i said, I'm a simple eater, so I like their plain Sausage McMuffin (no egg) and Hasbrowns. But of course, being the weirdo that I am, i add a little twist.

FLIPPING FOR FLAPJACKS

Who dares text me while i'm ordering!?.

                Ahh breakfast food...The very bane of my diet.. Have I ever mentioned that bacon is one of my all time favorite foods..? (Probably every chance I get)I really love restaurants that serve all day breakfasts. Sausages, ham, tapa, tocino, and longganiza at any time of the day? Genius. No need to whip up some fancy baked/roasted dish for me when there's something quick and easy you can just unwrap and sizzle up. It's not the healthiest thing in the world, I know, but like I said, i'm a simple eater. Maybe that's why Diners such as Denny's appeal to me so much. Food with no complications. Slap the meat on the hot plate and fry away. Just the way god meant life to be.


            And that is precisely why I was eager to try, "Flapjacks".

THE RICHIEZ QUARTER POUNDER Aka "KIDS, DO NOT TRY THIS AT HOME"

Isn't she loveeelyy.. Isn't she wonndeerrrful....

                 My love of McDonald's is stuff of legend. It's also probably what made me fat. Yes, I've watched "Super Size Me". The only thing it did was make me hungry. If I was Superman, a McDonald's Burger would be my Kryptonite. Any of them. Except the Burger McDo. It's my weakness. I just can't resist it. A standard order for me would be a Cheeseburger Deluxe, 6 pcs Chicken Nuggets, Large Fries, and an Apple Pie. The Burger can vary, depending on my mood, but it often revolves around  the Quarter Pounder with Cheese, Fillet-O-Fish, or the Mc Chicken. Maybe every now and then I'd try the occasional Big Mac, but that's not very often. 

                   No matter what burger I try though, There is one constant. As in, I cannot eat a McDonald's burger without it. And that's the BBQ sauce from the Chicken Nuggets. Whether its a Double Cheese Burger, a McChicken, or a Fillet o Fish, it's gonna get drowned in BBQ Sauce. Rina would laugh at me because one time when we had some McDonald's delivered, I forgot to order the sauce, and I had a frown on my face throughout the whole meal. The next time we ordered delivery, I ordered 5 extra BBQ sauces, and kept it in the ref, so I never have to eat a McDonald's burger without BBQ Sauce ever again. I actually just saw an extra BBQ sauce packet in my office drawer, and I don't have the slightest clue how long it's been there. 

                  Trust me when I say this: McDonald's Burgers are good, but they're even better with BBQ Sauce.

                Another thing I  do that's a bit out of the ordinary, but not really all that odd, is grab a handful of fries and chuck in into the burger. To me it gives it a nice crunch with every bite. I mean, since I stuff the fries into my mouth after every bite of the burger anyway, why not make a short cut, right? 

                 Given the fact that there aren't that many burgers to choose from, I often look for ways to jazz things up a bit. So, One day after ordering a Quarter Pounder with the usual suspects, I decided to try this.

LET'S SEE SOME HOOTERS!!

 My very own Hooters girl.. I need to get her one of them shirts.. 

                      I went to Hooters in Baltimore during my 1998 summer vacation with my cousins Raffy and Paolo. Being the kind of guy that.. umm.. how do you say it.. is constantly being accused of being fascinated by certain "assets" of a woman, my trip to Hooters was pretty much tantamount to a trip to Disneyland. Think about it.. Burgers and Boobs? What's not to love?

                 
                You see, that's the whole selling point of Hooters. You can get grilled burgers anywhere. But how often do you get a really hot girl in skimpy orange shorts and a tight tank top that emphasizes her huge rack to serve it to you? I'm not sure if it's because of the time that has gone by that has blurred my memory, but i don't remember what I ordered and if I enjoyed my food during our trip there in '98. All i remember was that our waitress sat down with us to chat while we ate - and gawd dang she was hot.

                   With that build up alone, you can understand why I was very disappointed with my experience here in Hooters Manila.