Balaisdaan Resort, Batangas

Guest blogger and our Mom, Myra

Taste ★★★★★
Service ★★★★★
Ambiance ★★★★★
Value for Money ★★★★★

And you thought patronizing  all those expensive Laiya's beaches was as good as it gets?  Balaisdaan's new site at Barangay Abung is a few kilomteres from San Juan town proper, so a few minutes after the municipio brings you to a quieter resort away from the madding crowd of the Laiya kind!

Huge fishponds accessible by bamboo bridges and dotted by quaint airconditioned cottages, mangroves teeming with crabs and other sealife, nonstop tranquillity...

Very charming, and this time even more picturesque, Balaisdaan boasts of two adjacent swimming pools right by the dining hall, and a stone's throw from the widest, cleanest beach ever had in San Juan! At last, you have it all- friendly service, affordable rates, great food, privacy from vendors and other solicitors, and the only beach around with nothing but sand dunes and lovely lovely views! Will return soon, again and again!

Breakfast Series: Charlie's Grind and Grill

Review by Mr. Mike

Taste ★★★★☆

Service ★★★★☆

Ambiance ★★★☆☆

Value for Money ★★★★☆

It’s often been said that breakfast is the most important meal of the day, and I personally love breakfast food, which is why I’ll be doing a series of breakfast reviews, starting with Charlie’s Grind and Grill at Ronac Art Center on Ortigas Ave. Charlie’s is known for their hamburgers, hotdogs, buffalo wings, etc. and recently they started offering breakfast. They only have the “Breakfast Platter” on their breakfast menu. For 295 bucks you get unlimited buttermilk pancakes; 2 eggs cooked to your preference; hashbrowns or skillet potatoes; ham, bacon, sage sausage or sausage patties; coffee and iced tea too! I went for the ham with skillet potatoes and sunny-side up eggs, with some brewed coffee.

The serving size is pretty substantial. My “platter” had two large pancakes, which were pretty good, although I wish they’d whip the butter or do whatever it is that pancake house or flap-jack’s does with their butter because it makes all the difference. The skillet potatoes are basically diced potatoes sautéed with some
onions, it could’ve been really good if not for how salty it was. It’s the same story with the ham, I got 2 thick slices of what tasted like Christmas ham, which was salty, not to mention, over-cooked, which made it tough and crusty. The coffee is nice and strong, just a cup was enough to get me in the groove and then some.

Perhaps today was an off-day, or the cook isn’t quite used to their new early hours, it’s a shame because it could’ve been a “breakfast of champions”, it just wasn’t executed nicely today. Instead I’ll be thinking of healthy or low-sodium food I can have for the rest of the day because ive taken more than my day’s allowance of salt this morning.

Kenji Tei

Review by Kamesh

Taste ★★★★☆

Service ★★★☆☆

Ambiance ★★★★☆

Value for Money ★★★★☆

"Basta Japanese." That was the instruction of our birthday celebrant, Joyce. There are two options in Greenbelt - Ma Maison or the-restaurant-that-replaced-La-Maison. John and Yoko is out because we didn't want to ruin the night with bad service. I mean, really. I'm not much of a walker so we decided to go to the nearest one (the latter), which we learn is called Kenji Tei.

View from the inner room of the restaurant

First impression - tasteful interiors. Modern, clean, comfortable. Waiters seemed a bit in a rush tho, not the inviting type which put me off when we were trying to decide to go in our not based on their menu (and prices). They gave us a good table, with a view of the Greenbelt gardens. Brother in law complained that the lights were too hot - he was seated directly under one.

The sushi was well made, ingredients were fresh, and they put just the right amount of rice. The miso soup was unremarkable. But then the main dish came - Gyudon! I was surprised they didn't serve it in rice topping style but as dish with a bowl of rice. The beef was perfectly seasoned, and the serving is good for two (girls). What threw me off was they seem to have added cornstarch because it was kinda gooey. Weird. The beef was very fatty so I was happy about that.

I heard praises from all around the table on each of their choice dishes. Prices ranged from 200-300 per dish. For the quality of the food and the taste, I would quote General McArthur on this one.

Wai Ying Fastfood

Review by Ivan


Taste ★★★★☆

Service ★★★★☆

Ambiance ★★☆☆☆

Value for Money ★★★★★

this place is pretty tough to find if you don't know your way around binondo. from ongpin take a left to salazar st. then make a right on benavidez.

this resto serves and specializes on chinese food, mostly rice meals.

if you've ever been to hong kong. this place would probably remind you of it. i cant say the same for the cleanliness of the place though. if you come at 12nn during the lunch rush hour you will always have problems getting a table since the locals always eat in this joint.

moving on to the food. as always.

Hakaw P70

it basically tastes the same as every other hakaw i've ever tasted. cant say if it was home made or outsourced but it definitely wasnt the worst.

Chicken Feet P60

i loved how they prepared their chicken feet here. usually when i order chicken feet it is braised in a bit of soy, so i'm not so into it. but here it was diffrent from the usual. kinda of sweet and sour. yummy.

Soy Chicken/ Asado Rice P140

this dish is a must try for me because of the soy chicken. in most chinese restos they'd have a side of grated ginger for this. here they had ginger leaves instead of the usual. id say it was the best ive tasted so far. i usually have this paired with ther duck but sadly it was out of stock. so i had pork asado with it instead, it was okay. Pieces were a bit too fatty for me though.

Pata Tim Rice P120

ohh, this is one of my favorite dishes here. it's usually out of stock when i come. but luckily today they had it on request. the only problem i see with this dish is that there are tiny bones that are hidden between the meat. if it wasnt for the taste i'd say i was bothered by it. but luckily its so good that you dont mind spitting a few bones from time to time.

Fish Fillet Rice P130

i didnt really know what to expect from this dish since it was the first time i ordered it here. all i can say is that im kind of amazed at how hearty this dish was. first time ive had fish fillet in a chinese resto served with white sauce. sauce wasn't that great. but breading and taste of the fish was nice. it was something new and i recommend this if you wanna try fish in this place.

Lemon Rice Chicken P120

lemon chicken rice was prepared differently in this resto. usually you'd have some fried chicken coated with a lemon sauce. here they used the thigh part and deboned it then put breading on it fried it to a crisp then served the lemon sauce on the side. which i found very neat since i find lemon chicken very overpowering. id say this was great for a change.

HK milk tea P50

the milk tea was forgettable with me. the only reason i order it is to help me neutralize the chili i consume during the meal. haha im sorry to say ive had better. but im not complaining cause its so cheap.

all in all i would say wai ying is a pretty good and budget friendly chinese resto. if your feeling adventurous and willing to get lost in binondo i suggest you eat here. only problem you'll have here is parking and well, the crowd.

Tatsu no Ko

Review by Ivan

Taste ★★★★☆

Service ★★★★☆

Ambiance ★★★☆☆

Value for Money ★★★★★

Tatsu No Ko, is a small Japanese resto located in Lopez Ave. bf homes Paranaque. From the outside it looks a bit rundown so you wouldn't expect anything good in the inside. In the inside it's quite small but very cozy. Nothing fancy, but it gives of a certain "izakaya" vibe. One very good indication of a Japenese resto is the crowd they cater to. You know it has some authenticity to it when their customers are mostly Japanese. And let me just say - this place is always packed with Japanese.

First off, the service is quite fast. and the ladies were very friendly and accommodating. They start you off by giving you a cold towel which is very refreshing since it was hot outside, Something i would usually expect in a higher-end type of Japanese resto. It was nice that they have it here as well.

Salmon Sashimi

It was served chilled and very fresh. Something i require when eating my sashimi. though I wasn't sliced to perfection but the experience in eating says it all.

Tekka Maki

What can i say i'm a big fan of this. I always order this in all the japanese restos I eat at. It was poorly rolled but again tasted amazing.


Gyoza

The gyoza was made well, the crusted part was cooked to perfection crunchy on one side and still delicately soft on the other. It had a sense of comfort in it.

Ebi Tempura

Who doesn't order tempura? I love tempura. It wasn't the best I've ever had but it was definitely the crunchiest tempura I've ever had. I can't complain when food is fresh and well made.

Tori Kaarage

Its the japanese version of "chicken-lolipop" it wasnt very japanese but hey it was cooked perfectly, very crunchy and tasty as well, goes well with the tonkatsu sauce!

Sukiyaki

To my surprise a big iron pot of sukiyaki fell upon me. It looked very appetizing and was served very hot. They even crack the egg in front of you, which is part of the "show" i guess. Although I question the egg cracker's technique LOL. To my surprise this, too, was very delicious. It's exactly how I like my sukiyaki, beefy and not sweet. I hate how most Japanese restos would just stew everything together and it'll all just taste sweet. Here you can actually taste the individuality of each ingredient which I enjoyed very much.

Gohan ( rice)

This was my only complain, since i'm very particular about my rice. To my disappointment they didn't use japanese rice. But hey at least they cooked it well.

You might be wondering why i chose to comment on the price in the last part. The purpose is to surprise you as I was when I got my bill. Japanese restos usually cost pretty much for the amount of food that I ordered and the quality of food I got. I am surprised that my bill didn't even reach 1000 pesos. I'll give you a breakdown of my bill just so you have an idea.

Tori Kaarage 110
Sukiyaki 190
Tempura 170
Tekka maki 65
Gohan 45
Salmon Sashimi 160
Gyoza 110
= P850

and YES I was so shocked to see my bill didn't go up to 2000. I'm a regular in this resto. And every time I eat here I still get shocked at how low the prices are.

All in all i would say when eating in this place i didn't feel like i was eating in a resto, more like eating at a japanese home. Everything was so comforting, I couldn't complain about how the food was plated/ styled. Because everything was cooked and prepared well, delicious I would say. If I could come back tomorrow I would.

Hermanos Taco Shop

Review by Mr. Mike


Taste ★★★★☆

Service ★★★★☆

Ambiance ★★☆☆☆

Value for Money ★★☆☆☆

Hermanos Taco shop, located at Petron Gas Station on Granada st., is a hole-in-the-wall restaurant serving Mexican favorites such as burritos, nachos, tacos, quesadillas and they even have a few desserts. I ordered the carne asada burrito (P320) which they highly recommend. Service was quite competent and quick.
Their interiors are simple, neat and most importantly, clean-looking.

The burrito was served within 10 minutes and what I first noticed is how huge it is! It’s nearly impossible for its width to fit in your mouth unless you’re Mick Jagger or Steven Tyler. I had to take about three bites around one end to get a proportioned mouthful of all its ingredients. It was delicious! Definitely in the
top tier among the burritos I’ve ever tasted. I wish I had tried other dishes on their menu but I couldn’t even finish my burrito due to its sheer size, now at least I have a reason to come back. My only dissatisfaction with Hermanos is that they charge extra should you want extra condiments. I like my Mexican food with a
little heat so I asked for some jalapenos and sour cream, I was surprised that they charged me P60 for that. It isn’t much, but it still is annoying because these are condiments!

Hermanos Taco Shop Is delicious, Authentic Mexican Restaurant if you don’t mind paying a little extra.







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Phat Wong Asian Cuisine

They're right when they say that "you can't go wrong if you have good ingredients."

Taste ★★★☆☆

Service ★★★★★

Ambiance ★★★★☆

Value for Money ★★★★☆

Phat's waiters know what they're doing. They know the menu and can talk well. That's my first comment in my notes. It's a pity they don't have name tags on their uniforms so I can thank them properly.

My disclaimer to this post is that they seemed very conscious of the fact that I was taking pictures of the restaurant and the dishes - not sure if this influenced their performance.

Balance of tastes and textures. Guaranteed smile-inducer at P270

The best item we ordered was the Pomelo Shirmp Salad. Creatively served in a bowl made out of young coconut, biting into it reminded me of lazy, windy afternoons in the farm eating buko just harvested by our caretaker from a nearby tree. The salad greens are undeniably fresh - with a nice crunch to them. A must order for anyone going to Phat Wong.

Not-so successful iced-tea infusion - Oriental iced tea has coconut milk and kaffir. I ordered this but after one sip, gave it to my mom. The taste was too strong, and I felt it was too heavy to compliment my food.

Pad Thai Omelet P240

Pad Thai is okay. Good texture of the fluffy scrambled egg and the crunchy nuts. The taste is good but otherwise unremarkable.

Comes with haianese rice P450

Honestly, I've never been a fan of Haianese Chicken. There's nothing wrong with it, but I just don't like the yellow skin of the chicken. Anyway, now that I have a blog, I had to eat some. The chicken is fresh, the meat is springy and juicy. I can't imagine how the rice pairs with this, I've had better haianese rice in Singapore.

Filipino bistek with pickled radish P450 - it's angus beef

First impression: that's a small serving for P450. But of course, we're paying for the angus. The beef is perfectly cooked, and is really good. The problem is the sauce. This is my least favorite dish. I wondered if the dish would have been better without the salty sauce. Just let the nice piece of meat stand on its own.

Baked Meringue with fruits P130

I really didn't want dessert because I was so full already. But mom still ordered for us. So I might as well try it, right? :) The meringue is very light so there's no problem fitting it in my already full stomach. The mango was a still a bit start, maybe because it's still early in the season. Overall, the dish was a good end to the savory dishes we tried.

Phat Wong Asian Cuisine in LRI Plaza. Map: http://g.co/maps/n3xbr

The Room Upstairs

The best restaurant I've reviewed so far. Check out all those stars!

Taste ★★★★☆

Service ★★★★☆

Ambiance ★★★★☆

Value for Money ★★★★★

This restaurant is so well-hidden, it doesn't even have a sign on the exterior of the building.

The Room Upstairs is a hidden restaurant in the second floor of LRI Design Plaza, a commercial complex in N. Garcia. The building is occupied by modern furniture stores – in fact, The Room Upstairs is also a furniture store. You sit on their couch or on their wooden chairs and order food. The ambiance is so chic. And if I wanted to make this review short, I would simply say – Go and eat there!

Their menu consists of salads, sandwiches and pasta. We all ordered pasta, each a different type:

Mushroom Aioli P180

Shrimps in Tomato Cream Sauce P220

Mine: Tuyo Pesto P170

I ordered Tuyo Pesto. Now the problem with pesto pastas is that it gets bland after a few bites. The tuyo in their dish solves this problem. It’s creamy because of the egg they sautéed the pasta with. Excellent. The serving is more than enough.

I also tried their cream of pumpkin soup. It had a curry taste, which was weird. I felt like ordering some roti. It wasn’t the cream of pumpkin I know form other restaurants. It also had bits of hard noodle – not sure what that was. It reminded me of the strings you remove from your celery stick.

They have different iced teas to choose from. I ordered calamansi mint. It’s sweet, and the distinct flavors of calamansi and mint are so well blended that it’s a whole different taste. I loved it.

I think they’re proudest of their coffee. They actually have a coffee selection that rivals starbucks. I’m not talking about those iced coffees. I’m talking about real brewed coffee with different hints of nuttiness and fruit. You will be given a list showing each coffee’s intensity level. I chose intensity 7 and got a cranberry cookie. The cookie was okay – I used to make cookies for a living so it would take something spectacular to please me. The coffee was enjoyable. If I weren’t in The Room Upstairs for a meeting, I would have loved to curl up on their couch and read Night Circus with my Intensity 7 cup until they closed for the day.

Dek A Authentic Thai Food

Review by Ivan

Taste ★★★☆☆

Service ★★★☆☆

Ambiance ★★☆☆☆

Value for Money ★★★☆☆

"Dek A Authentic Thai Food" is a hole-in-a-wall type of place located in Pablo Ocampo Ext. I seldom pass this road to avoid traffic and finally decided to give it a try.

First thing i try when i eat at a Thai place is always ther tom yum. Having a little bit of thai background in my resume, I'm a bit picky when it comes to my tom yum. So I'm always biased when I am about to taste a new tom yum in a new place.

tom yum = P250

TASTE ★★★★★!!!

To my surprise its even better than the one i always base it upon - which is benjarong's tom yum. I can't say its the best in the world, but its definitely the best I've tried so far here in manila.

Next thing I tried is their milk teas. I'm quite addicted to this on going fad about milk teas. So I tried two of their teas which is the thai iced tea and their green tea. Their thai iced tea is typical of any thai resto. The highlight of the two was the green tea. First time I've tasted something quite like this. You'll definitely taste the jasmine in there. And you will even experience the aroma of the jasmine in the finish. Wow. I'm impressed.

cha yen (thai iced tea) = P50
cha kiaw (green tea) = P50

Tried their Pad thai, honestly it was okay - but it was kind of bland for me. But I'd have to admit it was prepared well. Textures were a good contrast though.

pad thai = P180

Thai spring rolls. i always have this in thai restos. It was neither great nor bad. But again, well made. You gotta give it to places that prepare the food well, at least.

poh pia tod (spring roll) = P120

Green curry. I was kind of excited for this dish cause it was in the "must try" categories. I'm somewhat of a fan of coconut milk in my food. It was kind of a let down 'cause I would think that since everything was
up to par this, too would be - or even better. But this time around I would say the green curry was forgettable. The veggies were nowhere and all I got was fat in my curry. Sauce was good though, but the components were missing.

gang kiaw wan (green curry) = P200

Satay was weird for me. I usually have them more tender and a bit toasted. Here they served it like it was marinated and just heated. I don't know if thats the "authentic way" of doing it. But i can't say it was bad as well. I would've preferred it more charred at least.

moo satay = P130

Lastly was the rice. Well, it was like any other fried rice. Gotta give it to them for using jasmine rice for it though.

kao pad (fried rice)= P200

You might be wondering what the price range [for the whole menu] would be. I can't really say because thats not how I eat. I usually just order the "must try's" in the menu and just build from there. I'm also in the food business so I usually critique in a different way but I try to be fair. All in all I would say the tom yum was best I ever had. The green tea was superb. The rest were okay. Green curry was poorly made
and the rice was forgettable. My bill was around 1.5k and i had 2 companions with me so do the math. haha!

I would recommend this place if your a tom yum kind of guy like I am. And well if you wanna experience the milk teas as well. But for the rest of the dishes there could be better out there. Price I would say not bad.