Manila - To Stay
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Manila - To Eat
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Jollibee
*Same same but different*
Jolibee is Fried Chicken to the Philippines as KFC is to the U.S.A. Finally having the chance to try it out.
Ordered On:
20July2018
6Piece Fried Chicken, x2 Regular Coke, Yam Pie and Fries.
*In the Philippines, one can order their fried chicken with rice or spaghetti. Their signature here is chicken had with the gravy. The gravy
taste very similarly to KFC's mash potato gravy.
Interestingly when we ordered, the cuts come without breast meat. So depending on your fancy, it may or may not be your thing. The fry seems a little richer and more fragrant, but the batter could have been more evenly coasted around the chicken. Overall an okay only fried chicken. The yam pie was interesting with the filling being a little too sweet and a little too lumpy. The filling is borderline artificial tasting.*
Total 520Peso Fed 2
Jollibee is pretty much everywhere and synonymous with Philippines.
Congo Grille
*Congo Grille is a chain of family restaurants in the Philippines
named for its African jungle-themed interiors. In contrast to the decor,
the cuisine is predominantly Filipino with a smidgen of Western and
Chinese foods*
A pure walk-in looking out for Crispy Pata.
Located on the outside entrance of Robinson's Place Manila
Ordered On:
26Oct2018
Again they have run out of Crispy Pata. The place for a second time coming has run out of Crispy Pata which they said were sold out the night before!
Fried Chicken
*Pretty good standard of fried chicken. Definatly way better than anything had at Jolibee had above. The dish comes served with gravy.*
Bangus
*This was recommneded to me by others. Some rated is a 7/10, while others did not like that fishy taste of it at all. Okay for some but not great. Comes served with a sweet sauce*
Adobo fried Rice
*Really good and a huge portion enough for 4 pax easily.*
Pork Sisig
*A little bit on the salty side and a very light spice but goes very well with the rice.*
Talong (Egg and Brinjal dish)
Total at 400peso per pax. Fed 5.
*Photos from Angela*
Still a damn worth while location for the asking price. Apart from the Bangus (Fish order) the rest were all very well received! The mini fried crab order was complementary for orders over 1000pesos. Place is open 24hrs and once again the Crispy Pata was missing!
Ordered On:
20July2018
Cebu Lechon Belly 295Peso *Their Signature*
*This was amazing! It may look boring but in between the layers is a herb garlic mixture which is extremely flavorful. Subtle and melds perfectly with the crispy pork. Like something similar in Melbourne, one can try GJ Grill in Melbourne. Can and will return to have this and rice. The brown sauce it comes with is sweet and a little salty! A must order.*
Inihaw na Pusit D 445Peso
*This is a little bit pricey but I guess for the serving size and a plump squid its fairly justified. Alright but not that great. A squeeze of lime would have been better.*
Congo Black Fried Rice 225Peso *Their Signature*
*Somewhat a simplified version of squid ink paella. A huge portion which can actually feed 3 or 4 pax comfortably. Pretty alright dish.*
Congo Pork Sisig with Egg 230Peso *Their Signature*
*Interesting mix of textures. The eggs adds to the richness. The squeeze of lime accents the whole dish. The crispy pork is mixed with some yam to give that sweet creaminess to the dish. Interesting good and worth the try.*
Buco Pandan D x2 85Peso
*A nice after dinner treat of what I assume to be a mix of coconut flesh and blended vanilla ice cream with Pandan Agar Agar jelly. Simple, yet refreshing. Its a cold dish, but the mixture is a little on the thick side.*
Total 1485Peso Fed 2.
Value 3.5/5
Ambience 3/5*
Its a little quiet for a Friday evening and the Air-conditioning was on the weak side.*
Food 3.5/5
Service 3/5
Actually we were on the look out to try Crispy Pata which this joint did sell. However, we were informed that it was sold out. Considering it to be a Friday night, Crispy Pata and crispy pork, both being sold out at 1730hrs was very disappointing.
We would have walked out if we'd had known of another location selling Crispy Pata and other Filipino delicacies but were out of options at that time. Given the wet weather outside, it wasn't too appealing either.
But after having had a meal there, their Cebu Lechon Belly was amazing. The rest of the orders were as reviewed. A fair value meal and would probably return in a larger group or until an alternate joint with better air-conditioning (at the time) is found.
Ordered On:
*Both dishes came recommended. The Mandi Rice portion was HUGE! Very fragrant, not oily and surprisingly light. It was great on its own, better with some chili sauce or with the slightly roasted meat patties. As for the mixed grill platter, apart from the disappointing fries, the meats were nicely spiced and flavored. The chicken was a little disappointing but the red onion roasts and salad was fantastic with a mix of everything.* 
