Interesting name Mark, hope they are good and not terrible. Agree with the JB chicken burger/sandwich are delicious but like you the waiting time can be annoying, always the same unless you order the cheaper meals that are ready to go.

Cheers, Steve.

 

I will add Mark the cheaper meals from fast food outlets are usually half warm or cold.

We stumbled across a Japanese teppanyaki restaurant while my Sis and Bil were here in the very hotel that we have stayed in over the last 13 years from time to time and we never knew it was there until my sis found it, the food was 5 star as was the service, been kicking myself for not finding it before, ate there when they arrived and a couple of weeks later when they departed. Perfect. Like South Bank in Melbourne Australia.

Funny Ben said to me there is a new Japanese restaurant opened a few months ago (I don't go out much) I asked him will it be better that the last one you took me too? Lets try it while your sis is here. Was fantastic and I give it 4.5 to 5 stars as it's local (20 minutes away) and half the price of Manila, we will be going back to savor more delights.

We also partake in the street food from time to time at our local night market for a change and never a complaint and it's super cheap with so many choices and never a crook belly. We only go to the vendors that are busy.

Cheers, Steve.

 

I really like these hopia baboy(pork) (sabyuas/onion) biscuits along with my coffee and this brand in particular is perfect.

I've tried other brands sold in the market but they have very little onion flavor and nobody eats them so I stick with the box in the photo below.

I did like the Marby brand found in the Purgold grocery stores, the value is the larger packages, it has some onion flavor.

I also found a bakery that makes smaller biscuits but it's in the next city.

 

We have a new Chained restaurant in our area, and I've never eaten at Angeles Pizza, but I happen to check their menu, and they sell a Beef wrap burrito 140 pesos, sort of like the burritos I used to get in California with the rice.

 

We have a new Chained restaurant in our area, and I've never eaten at Angeles Pizza, but I happen to check their menu, and they sell a Beef wrap burrito 140 pesos, sort of like the burritos I used to get in California with the rice.

The gf and I tried Angeles Pizza in downtown Iloilo. Really nice restaurant, nice vibe, lively fun staff. The pizzas also looked great but unfortunately they were not tasty. We tried saving it by chucking on a little more salt and chili sauce which helped a bit but yeah nothing to write home about. I find that the S&R pizzas are the best followed by Greenwich.

On another note I lived in CA for about 5 years back in the mid-90s and the fast food there is on another level. Its so tasty that I gobbled it up like the world was gonna end. I miss the huge American breakfast burritos, the Carls Jr. burgers, Chipotle and of course Taco Bell!

 

Looks like our nearest Army and Navy restaurant in Calamba Laguna is now open, I ed by the other day, next week I'll drop by and order some burritos.

After 4 long years of nobody selling the Knorr Chicken and noodle instant soup it's back, I purchased at least 20 packages today and they look bigger so new packaging. Up until today, I'd been buying the Australian brand Coles chicken and noodles when I can find it in stock.

I found a pretty good fish fillet nugget made by Pure Foods, the kids like it also, these fish fillets are really fish fillets not filled meats. Both the Knorr chicken and noodle and the fish fillets were purchased at our PureGold grocery.

 

Maccas are opening up here in Bacnotan, looks like the building is finished and Ben tells me probably opening in December, a few doors up from J/Bee. Maccas dropped the ball 30+ years ago in my opinion as has J/Bee, attend the later and order a decent size burger and you have to sit out front for 20 minutes while they cook it, their quality and service has also dropped over the years. We were at Tokyo Tokyo the other week and Ben ordered the Wagu beef, what he was presented with was processed dog food, I have never seen him so irate including calling the manager out and telling him that this was false advertising and we want our money back,,,, never happened but he did tell the manager that we won't be back and will give scathing reviews,,,,, I don't think he cared that what was on his plate looked nothing like their advertising pic on the board, matters little just another one we won't go back to.

We are off shortly to Natalia resort just 500 metres away to look at their menu, I am skeptical and think we will end up in the bakery a little further away as they serve great meals and a fantastic atmosphere, my behind neighbours creation, one of many, Maccas will be desperation but we will have a look when it opens.

Cheers, Steve.

 

The thing maccas has over Jolliebee is it's usually a bit quieter, JB the queue is usually to the door.

 

Well Natalia resort was fantastic. Sitting indoors but overlooking the beach (same as here) and swimming pool, perfect service and the menu was amazing and delicious, a good selection of deserts but we never tried, good cocktail and drinks menu and we will certainly go back soon, 3 times the price of fast food chains but there is no comparison with the service and quality in a decent restaurant with great atmosphere and attention to detail.
I am sure when Maccas opens here if we order the more expensive burgers we will be waiting the same as we have to with J/B.
I actually prefer the night market food over the chained stores but saying this we mostly cook and eat at home.
It is nice though to see the development in our small town as well as the growth and quality fine foods in many establishments here.

Cheers, Steve.

 

I had a Burger King in UP town centre on the last visit and was amazed how cheap it was. It was jolly tasty to be honest far better than what the ones in the UK seem to be.

There was also a local Chinese restaurant called modern Shanghai and wow it was tasty. Far better than my local Chinese here in the UK. I was quite surprised to be honest

Tried a few different pizza places, somewhere better than others.

 

Our family has a new favorite called Japanese stir fry Udon noodle mix, for several years we've been preparing it incorrectly because there's no English and you really have focus on the pictures for preparation but the soup was lacking and come to find out it's a stir fry mix.

Found in the Asian section of SM grocery it has large white noodles, careful some packaging is just these noodles.

My son used his smartphone to take a photo of the directions and it asks to translate and sure enough or translated.

But anyway I first fried cabbage onions and red bell pepper (we didn't have a meat to add) and then after frying added the noodles and then mixed in a bowl the Udon sauce...real tasty. To add shrimp or scallops would be heavenly, we'll do that next time.

 

Ben went to grab a couple of burgers from our newly opened Maccas, a quarter pounder with cheese and a big mac as well as 6 nuggets, drive through and no waiting unlike J/B where you sit out front for 15/20 minutes waiting while they cook your burger.
Aside it was just Maccas and not very appetizing compared to 20/30 years ago. Another option so I won't complain.

Cheers, Steve.

 

If it's close enough to you, you can order and pay with ATM card or COD.

😂 I had no idea, it took me a while that you were talking about McDonald's 😂. I've never heard that before.

 

Mark Johnny Cash is king, aside I don't think there is a delivery service, It's rare we eat fast food but Ben wanted to try them, he was surprised with the quick in and out, really we prefer to pay more in a decent restaurant a couple of times a month, enjoy the food and atmosphere, a decent selection of food choices and service,,,,,, 4 fine eating houses on our books so far,,,,,, 2 dozen once was enough.

Sorry about the slang Mark but in Oz we call them Maccas.

Cheers, Steve.

 

We have a new chained restaurant that opened up inside our Municipality, new mini strip mall, it's called American Rib & Wings, I haven't had the chance to try it yet.

We have another fried chicken spot called FIVE STAR, and it's pretty good, the chicken is crispy and tender on the inside, this place surprised me, their fried chicken is kept in something similar to JolliBee or KFC, they also have rotisserie chicken and the pork bellies, fries and ice cream. My wife brought some home yesterday and their spicy chicken is good.

We also got a new mini grocery store called O!Save grocery, they are similar to Dali but O!Save takes GCash, Paymaya and the ATM or credit cards. They sell maple syrup for 100 pesos a bottle, this is hard to find in our region, but it's one of their shelf items, they also have small whole frozen chicken, various fish, smoke fish, sausage.

 

Osave is popping up everywhere, a bit limited but cheap. Non of our locals, there's several dotted around don't take cards. I especially like their milk, it's European, cheap and doesn't have that nasty taste of the local brands.

 

Here's a photo of the smoked boneless milk fish I buy in the wet market, they now cost 130 pesos each but have a lot meat as compared to the expensive frozen boneless fish in the supermarkets.