Manang's Chicken, Ortigas

The nice thing about hitching rides with friends is that, where they drop you off, there is a possibility for the discovery of new places to eat. Today, it was in Ortigas. --a short walk away from Robinson's Galleria. The new place to eat: Manang's Chicken.

The size of the establishment is quite small. The entrance is narrow and located beside a 7/11. It's a modest dining place that has okay air conditioning and popping colors painted on the wall. Right beside the entrance is the single counter, which has the potential to block up the entrance when there are a lot of customers ordering.

Technically, this isn't all that new for me. I've tried Manang's at Mercato Centrale twice already. Heck, the last time I was there was only Sunday. But it's always the order of wings that I get (6 pcs for P144. That's 3 WHOLE wing pieces, in actuality). It was time to try something else, of course.

Their Cheezy Spaghetti (P49) caught my eye (naturally!), while M ordered the 2-piece original sauce chicken with rice (P124) plus an additional serving of original sauce (P10). Considering that not so many people were eating there right then, the wait time was a bit long. Around 10 minutes. And when I tasted the spaghetti, I didn't find it particularly memorable. It wasn't quite the sweet Filipino-style spaghetti that has become traditional, so I'm not entirely sure where to place it. Let's just say that I'd stick to the chicken with mild sauce. --Which I did, by the way, order after finishing my spaghetti because I wasn't so satisfied with it.

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="480" caption="Manang's Cheezy Spaghetti gets a noncommittal "Meh"."][/caption]

The mild sauce is such a winner, because that's where the play of sweet and spicy comes in. The chicken itself (I got breast part) is just ok. For such a fleshy part, it's not very juicy, but the breading is crispy. Basically, the sauce does 75% of the work. I suggest to get the wings instead, because the ratio of sauce-to-crispy is just right. You get the maximum flavor and texture there.

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="480" caption="2-piece Chicken w/ Original Sauce (M's)"][/caption]

I noticed that, even if you choose to dine-in, they still serve the food in styrofoam containers. Plastic utensils and all. I'm quite against the excessive use of styro, so I'm not exactly a fan of their practice. But I understand that the size of their kitchen is small and does not seem to have a big washing facility.

Eating there, I felt as though the establishment seemed to lose a bit of its shine. I don't know if it's because they're becoming mass produced or maybe Mercato's aura contributes something exotic to it. Sometimes, a business becomes successful because the products are so rare (which makes it refreshing). I'm hoping that the quality of their food won't change, though I've seen it happen so many times.

Globe Complicates Things

Here’s an update on my quest for a new phone:

I hate Globe right now. I stopped by their SM Megamall branch and saw on one of the fancy touchscreen TVs that the Galaxy Mini was being offered. -- Hey! I didn’t even notice that, since the Libis branch was almost closing when I inquired.

There I was, diligently waiting in line to have my questions answered. My turn came, and I asked the representative if I could use up my Globe Loyalty Points (I have 3 or 4 years on me). She checked my account and informed me that it wouldn't be possible, even if I used the points to get a discount and pay the remainder in cash. According to her, the only way for me to get it is if I upgrade my plan from the P499/month to a P999/month.

Now why in the hell would I have to do that? I was already willing to pay the rest in cash! That's already an instant asset for them. The Samsung shop offers it cheaper, so if Globe won't even give me the benefits then might as well buy the phone where it has a lower price.

What bullshit.

Furthermore, I'm not loving the phones on display there. It's all Blackberry and iPhone and Samsung Galaxy. But whatever happened to the more inexpensive models?... I honestly don't get it. Have you completely abandoned your other customers? It seems just a little bit elitist is what I'm saying. And obviously, loyalty apparently stands for very little with this company.

Upgrading

I am dreaming of buying a new phone. --“Dreaming” being the objective word, since I don’t have the means at present. So I am merely window shopping, looking for phones with the specs and price that suit my interests.

Inevitably, the time comes that a person will want to have an upgrade of gadgets. This could either be a good or bad thing. I’ve seen some people change expensive phones yearly, and yet I’ve also seen people who’ve had their phones for over 6 years. After announcing that I was thinking of getting a new phone, I was immediately asked by Dad to explain why I wanted one again after only 2 years of using my current phone. My reason was depreciation. Mind you, I’m not saying that my phone is already fully depreciated after only 2 years. But I have certainly made that phone a lifeline of sorts. That’s why I started to think about the way gadgets depreciate.

I figure that there are 2 types of depreciation to a piece of technology: first, you have the physical depreciation; and second, you have the outdating of your gadget.

Physical depreciation would pertain to the daily wear and tear that your piece of equipment will experience. We’re talking about all the nasty things that you could accidentally do to your phone like dropping it on the floor, wearing out the keypad from usage, cracking the screen (this really happened to me when I put a heavy book in my bag and forgot that I had a phone right underneath), getting it wet, etc. There is always the option to bring the phone in for repair. But sometimes, the repair is just as good as buying a new phone. When I tried to get my Nokia’s case replaced because of cracks and peeling paint, the Nokia person told me that it would cost around P9,000. Never mind…

Outdating is the one that usually precedes physical depreciation as the reason for changing equipment. While you’re in the market trying to buy a reasonably priced gizmo, you already know that the upgrade is available but only to a more expensive product. There’s the matter of which camera resolution is better, what the better platform with the most apps downloadable, does it have wifi, etc.

Personally, my reasons are both physical depreciation and outdating. I have 2 phones at present: one for my Globe sim and the other for my Sun sim. (I do have a dual sim phone, but I believe I was scammed by the official repair center. It was a nightmare. The phone is not usable, despite it being brand new.) The Globe phone is a really old 6610. The firmware is from Nov 2004. I don’t even remember how long I’ve had this, but I know that I was using it when I was still in high school. Yeah, that’s over 4 years already. It’s basically being held together by tape and one of the keys on the keypad is missing. But I have to say that it works well enough for call and text function, though the memory is a bitch.

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="250" caption="My Nokia 6610. I won't even try to post the picture of the one I actually have."][/caption]

My Sun phone is still new. It’s an E90, which was a gift from my dear cousin. Unfortunately, this is the phone that’s attached to my hip, so you can expect all the mayhem to happen to this one. I’ve had to pay P500 to get all my data erased because of a stupid virus, but I cannot pay P9,000 to get it to look new again. That defies logic, heartbreaking as it is.

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Nokia E90. If you ask me, it's man's best friend next to their pet dog."][/caption]

This phone has been used on various trips while I’m on roaming. It’s what takes fabulous profile pictures for FB and decent food pictures for http://marielleong.wordpress.com. I use it to cram the hell out of tests (lecture powerpoint presentations) via its Quickoffice app. I even use it to write future blog entries. Basically, what I’m saying is that this phone’s been to hell and back. I wouldn’t know what to do without it because it’s been the best rebound phone. Ever.

Yes, there is such a thing as a rebound phone. I once had a beautiful Motorola Q8 (my first qwerty), a high school graduation gift from my parents. It didn’t have wifi, but I used it like how I use the E90 now and it ran on Windows Mobile (a-ma-zing). Basically, my world revolved around it. And there was an untoward incident in school (at the same time where other students’ stuff started going missing as well) where I, stupidly, left it on a desk with my 6610 when I went to the bathroom. When I remembered to retrieve it, the thief left only the 6610 behind. I don’t know if that asshole had a sense of humor or pitied me enough that he/she/it left me with 1 phone to use. But you have no idea how many times I have wished harm on that person and his loved ones whenever I remember. I can’t say I’m entirely over it, because I’d probably punch that person in the face if I only know who was behind it.

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="219" caption="Moto Q8. I went through the 5 stages of grief on this one."][/caption]

Sorry. I know it seems so wicked of me. But you have to know that I am a person who tries to keep away from any sort of confrontation. However, it doesn’t sit well with me if a person sneaks around and tries to mess with me or my stuff. Those are unforgivable offences.

Both phones have certainly been used to their full capacity, but I have to admit that they are still working okay. The logic, though, is that by the time I get the funds together for a new phone, I can set the 6610 down for semi-retirement.

I don’t believe that you should wait for one phone to die before you get a new one. You should have room to back-up the data on each phone before they refuse to even power on.

I wanted to study all possible resources, so I went to Globe to ask if my rewards points would get me anywhere. Let me just ask: Whatever happened to nice “loyalty gifts” from globe??? Back then, if you were a member for 3 or 4 years, you’d get a top-of-the-line phone. Now, 3-4 years is nothing but a rebate. The phone they offered for free seemed like an entry level qwerty. (At any rate, it did not adhere to my specifications.) And, get this, it wasn’t even in stock! You could get an iPhone, but you’d have to pay an additional P20,000+.

With that said, I have considered saving up for an iPhone because, to me, it’s the most awesome phone I can think of. But seeing as the price tag is hefty beyond words and I am a humble commuter, I would never be able to travel and not feel too frightened all the time. It’s been 3 years since my Moto Q got stolen, and I’m still not completely over it. What more for a P30,000 phone?

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="358" caption="iPhone 4. The Ultimate. A Distant Dream."][/caption]

So far, what I plan to buy is a Samsung Galaxi Mini. It's perhaps my idea of the cheaper alternative to an iPhone, costing only a fraction of a price (P6,990). I had a look at the apps available on the Android platform and saw that I could get whatsapp (wifi chat, functions like yahoo messenger) and Quickoffice. I'm not much of a gamer, but I am an extreme texter; so the Swipe feature (slide-texting without needing to lift your finger) looks good.

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="330" caption="Samsung Galaxy Mini. Yes, this could definitely be it."][/caption]

I'm still up to the challenge of testing other phones and seeing if they can surpass my value-for-money perception of the Galaxy Mini. Can't wait to have something to review...

By the way, I did literally dream of buying phone last night. That’s what spurred me to write this entry today.

The Eternal OCD

I am not without my own share of neuroses. People notice this about me. It takes me 2 hours or more to complete a blog entry that can be read in 15 minutes or less, because I want it to come out in such a way that most represents my voice/style. Is that so much to ask if you are a writer?

Beyond that, my OCD manifests itself in my germophobic -ness. I feel so uncomfortable when I travel without a small bottle of hand sanitizer. And, of course, I am scared shitless by public restrooms. They need to, at least, have hand soap. It's highly unsanitary (SUBSTANDARD!), if they don't.

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="222" caption="I have a favorite Bench Hand Sanitizer. It comes in a spray bottle with a lavender scent. The official website doesn't even have a photo of it. Arg. :l"][/caption]

I have had a frightening experience in China, where I was in a public market's building with a completely full bladder. As many of you well know, a lot of the public toilets in China are still squat-type (in KFC, malls, you name it...). The ones with actual toilet bowls are usually reserved for the old or disabled. Through the years, I've grown to accept that you have to make due with what you're presented, lest you get a Urinary Tract Infection or kidney stones from holding it in so long. --And frankly, it's no different from a public toilet here in the sense that, if the custodial staff doesn't clean it so often or if someone forgets to flush or if someone just has stinky pee, it'll look and smell bad all the same.

So anyway, I had to rush into that bathroom and found mounted squat toilets connected together by one long common "canal" that passes through all the stalls. In the first stall I came across, the door stood ajar. I was about to go in when I saw a woman squatting. She didn't bother to close the door. I quickly walked away to the next stall.

As I was trying to get settled, the custodian decided to show up and do a little cleaning. She "flushed" the toilets from one end of the room (the last stall) by dousing the canal with a lot of water. I was ready to pee when I saw someone's feces float by at a rapid, splashy pace a few inches from my ass. I completely freaked out and decided to hold it in (agonizing as it was) until we got out of that building.

For the record, you get used to the toilets there. It's a small price to pay if you want to enjoy the sights and eat the good food. My advice to people who plan to visit is to pee right before you leave the hotel. Get that out of the way, at least. Then bring a great deal of toilet paper and a small bottle of liquid hand soap, just in case. But surprisingly, a lot of places there have soap and toilet paper. Maybe more than places here in the Philippines, where you have to buy the essentials from a vendo machine.

Also, (and though I am well-aware that these states are mostly autonomous) Macau has really beautiful toilets in their hotel-casinos. Ditto for Hong Kong's malls. Everything is as hi-tech as they can get. Automatic flush, automatic faucet, automatic soap dispenser, and the place smells good too.

My point is that I am OCD, but not without good reason. And providing that I am equipped with my small set of essentials (soap, sanitizer, tissues), I can adapt anywhere fairly well. Also, to a certain extent, it is beneficial in my (intended!) line of work. I don't beat myself up too badly over being a little neurotic in this case...

 

*Photo from Bench website.

I am the "Praning" Consumer

I'm getting paranoid with all the products out on the market these days. It doesn't help that I have a cousin who always discovers the next scary common ingredient that may eventually prove to be carcinogenic.

It started with mineral oils (as mentioned on my food blog entry). She said that it clogs up the pores and my Dad added that it's a derivative from petrol. How healthy could that be?

Then, it moved on to hydrogenated oils. Again, my cousin said something about it getting stuck in the body forever. I totally freaked out and banished all things containing hydrogenated oils from my diet. I can't even buy anything from the grocery without reading the labels carefully first.

The boyfriend isn't spared either. I drag him to the grocery just to show him what's bad for him. The poor thing.

So while I was trying to figure out if there was proof to what I was told about mineral oils, I found this site called The Beauty Brains. They answer all your beauty questions in a scientific manner:  a must for a scaredy cat like me.

I'm still not 100% convinced that there are no huge side effects on these chemicals. I'm well-aware that the FDA (or BFAD, in our case) has approved these ingredients and their doses beforehand. However, it seems to me that, just because something is approved because the doses it comes in are non-toxic, doesn't necessarily mean that it's actually safe (completely non-toxic) either.

I can't help but feel that the local health agencies try to push the limit on the "allow-ability" of certain products in the market, just because they are so damn useful and the demand is so great. Meanwhile, we, as the benefiting consumers, try to convince ourselves that everything'll be okay because the standards have been set.

Take a cellular phone, for instance. We are definitely informed that it emits a level of radiation (though FDA approved), yet we still allow ourselves to abuse it. In fact, I personally admit to abusing my cell phone by having it on hand at every waking hour. I even sleep with it beside my head, so that I can surely wake up to the alarm.

Knowing that it is so easy for things to get out of hand when it comes to using products, I have taken it upon myself to try and be disciplined when it comes to what I buy and how I use them. But obviously, a lot of the more safe and healthy options are also the more expensive ones. It becomes a difficult choice to make.

Good luck to all of us then...

A BGC Morning

Had something of a busy weekend. The whole afternoon of Saturday was spent in a "home-style cooking" class, and I had to wake up at 7 am Sunday to head over to S&R for their super sale. At 8 am, it was so packed with people that I was too exhausted to take a picture of anything.

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="720"] S&R Supersale was madness[/caption]

We almost didn't get a parking slot and were about to leave, when we saw some people already finished shopping. Lucky us. Inside, the lines to the counters were already quite long. Most of the shoppers brought their yayas to line up for them.

My mom was stuck on one isle shopping for Buy-1-Take-1 Pasabache glass pitchers. She was excited by the deal, so she called her mom and sisters up and bought some stuff for them too. Right beside her, I was drawn to the circleware in front of me. Wine glasses that went on sale sold for an average of P50 per glass. Not a bad deal, so I got 2 sets (4 glasses per box) of Baltimore glasses that would be great for entertaining guests.

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="343"] Meltique Beef was at P300 off.[/caption]

All sorts of soap was on sale (Safeguard, Irish Spring, Zip Cleanser, etc.). There were cheaper chicken, cheese, milk, and pasta. But the catch was still the immensely long line. I stood there for an hour watching the salesgirl doing the scanning at a relaxed pace. I was starving by the time it was done.

After loading the groceries in the car, we moved to nearby Mercato Centrale for some lunch. By then it was already 1 pm and I was more than ready to eat something good.

For the record, I'm not much of a "healthy living" type of person. But I'm not abusive of my body either. So I don't care much for organic markets, and I prefer going to Mercato on a Saturday night when most of the products are ready-to-eat foods. (But let me tell you that, if I had the luxury of switching all my food to organic grown options, I certainly would.)

Dad had some Angus Beef Tapa, which I have tried before. We both agreed that it was really good, but had a lot of fatty parts. Almost like beef yakiniku. Mommy had some roast beef with fresh tomato sauce pasta. I got some Manang's Chicken (my low-price favorite) in mildly spicy sauce for P144, and another P15 for rice.

I went over to a booth that sold juices and shakes to get something to drink. As I was ordering, the people in the booth (3 of them) went crazy over someone who was standing beside me. They all whipped out their camera phones and said, "Aaah... Papicture naman oh! Pwede po?" It was Angelika Dela Cruz, who was also trying to order a fruit shake. She had to ask them nicely to process her order first and then take pictures later.

They were giving her extra special treatment. One guy even suggested, "Uy, ihatid niyo yan kung saan sila nakaupo! Kelangan may maghatid niyan." ("You have to deliver that to their table! Someone has to deliver that.") And then they basically forgot what I ordered. Starstruck much? LoL

Dad bought some Strawberry Basil ice cream from the Merry Moo booth. When I got there, they ran out of Earl Grey and Salted Caramel. What a bummer! Those were the two flavors I was so interested in trying out.

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="390"] Gourmet Ice Cream. Exotic flavors.[/caption]

The Kuya there offered other flavors. I got to taste their Candied Bacon ice cream (overall, it reminds me of chorizo). I found the Honeycomb too sweet, though fragrant. And the Basil Strawberry was sold out because it was already closing time.

In the end, I bought some Black Sesame frozen yogurt from YOH-GEE for p70. I got to try a lot of different flavors because the owner's mom was really nice. My verdict is that it's a little on the tart side. You have to be a fan of original yogurt to appreciate it. Very far from the almost ice cream-like offerings of Red Mango or Yo Swirls. They don't try to make the tart flavor milder with vanilla.

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="399"] YOH-GEE Premium Frozen Yogurt (Photo from their Deal Grocer page)[/caption]

Other than lunch, Mom got to buy some Batotay and dried fish from one of the stalls. The booth owner, who was lunching on the same kind of fish we bought even demonstrated for us how to eat without worrying about tinik (fish bones).

~~~

A bit off topic...

The organic market side saw me buying lip balm from Human Nature for only P60. Ever since my cousin said something about mineral oils, I have become extra picky with the beauty products I use. I try to avoid anything with mineral oil/paraffinum liquidum/microcrystalline wax. This lip balm is all natural and it smells great.

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="493"] Human Nature Lip Balm in Tutti Fruitti[/caption]

On that note, I have to say that I am a fan of the Human Nature brand. It's inexpensive and I like their stand on helping the local agricultural industry. At home, we use their sunflower oil deodorant. We also bought a bottle of their Citronella bug spray yesterday.

~~~

Like I said, the weekend was exhausting but fun. I would love to go back to Mercato Centrale on a Saturday night for a proper budget pig-out.

The Three Bears (sans Goldilocks) and Outback Steakhouse

I don't recall having ever eaten at Outback Steakhouse before, even though it has been around for more than a decade. My Dad who has pretty conventional taste usually shrugs off my suggestions to try it out, but he eventually relented in the form of availing an internet coupon for some Toowoomba Topped Fillet.

We went to the Libis branch on the recent long weekend's Tuesday night, where there were about 3 or 4 other tables occupied. It was a quiet dinner, and we noticed that some of the other customers were also having  the Toowoomba.

The bread came in a chopping board with some whipped butter. It looked like rye bread and was a little sweet. The same goes for the butter, which tastes like buttercream frosting. I prefer my bread and butter salty, so I usually administer a pinch or two from the salt shaker if the server gives me sweet or unsalted butter.

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="480" caption="Bread and Whipped Butter"][/caption]

For starters, we went with the Combination Appetizer plate (P599). It's a sampler of Kookaburra Wings, Aussie Cheese Fries, and their Crispy Calamari with their respective sauces (bleu cheese, marinara, and I think it was some sort of ranch dip?). The bleu cheese was pleasantly creamy, but not too intense and there was a single chunk of cheese at the bottom. I once had a bleu cheese dip from a different restaurant that had so many thick globs of the cheese that it overpowered anything you could pair it with.

The calamari, though sliced thinly, was a bit on the rubbery side. It's not strictly squid rings. You get some tentacles too. The fries and wings were okay.

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="560" caption="Appetizer Sampler with Dad's finger poking at a celery stick."][/caption]

We called for some Soup of the Day (P129 for a Cup for 1; and P179 for a Bowl you can share), which happened to be Potato Soup at the time. It was tasty enough, but thick as hell. There were chunks of potato scattered around, and I ate my share of the soup with a fork. I'm not joking.

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="480" caption="Soup of the Day"][/caption]

Then, the much-awaited Toowoomba Topped Fillet arrived. The steak was tender, and the sauce I liked. It's tomato cream with shrimp, so it'll work well with pasta noodles too. (Yes, I like to mix my red and white sauces. The cream really cuts the acids of the tomatoes.) There was a scoop of rustic mashed potato (potato bits and all), which I would have preferred with some gravy or sauce. I even got the remaining bleu cheese dip from the appetizer plate to eat with my potatoes. --That's me, Saucy McSauce.

Veggies were also on the plate, thought they were raw and sliced thickly that I had a tough time chewing. Ang kunat!

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="560" caption="Towoomba Topped Fillet"][/caption]

The serving sizes are satisfyingly big, but perhaps some tweaking is needed to make certain components of each dish better (calamari, raw veg, and the thickness of the soup). Negative points for each dish means that we didn't get a single perfect plate of food that night, which reminds me of Goldilocks trying to find the right bowl of porridge. I'm just saying...

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="640" caption="Our Table"][/caption]

For This Branch:

Outback Steakhouse

E. Rodriguez Jr. Avenue
Acropolis, Libis, Quezon City
Philippines

UST Food Trip

Compared to the school I go to, the University of Santo Tomas has a gigantic lot that I could easily get lost in. I consider the campus grounds as a small community within itself with its own hospital, park (Lover's Lane), and dining establishments (the famed parking lot).

Going right outside the school is like having an adventure as well. Each gate leads to different streets and side streets with multitudes of small stores, restaurants, and street vendors. I drag M over there if I want to look for something cheap and simple for lunch.

A few weeks ago, we decided to hang around the area again and seeing as we were on a tight budget, the ideal cost per meal would have to be less than P100. And while that same P100 can only get you KFC, McDonald's, or Jollibee over at my school, the options seemed endless when it came to the UST area. So we set about looking for a nice, filling meal that wouldn't spell the end of our cash.

M recalled Lopez Canteen, a small karinderya type of place that he used to frequent after basketball practice. He liked that they had nice, inexpensive food even from before. The problem is that, the last time he was there, 1 of their 2 branches had closed down and so he didn't know if they were still operating. Luckily, we ran into a friend of his and she told us that the canteen's 2nd branch is still there.

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="360" caption="A UST Tradition?"][/caption]

The owner recognized M right away and they exchanged a couple of pleasantries while I had a look around. True to its description, the establishment is a simple old canteen with long tables and stools. If the place is full, you can share one of the tables with other diners. I was glad to see that the place was equipped with the necessary permits (BIR and Sanitary), because a lot of small operations can try to cheat their way out of it.

We sat near the back, in front of the counter. I noticed that they also sell palabok by the bilao (basket). I was told by M that he once celebrated his birthday by buying a bilao for his teammates.

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="560" caption="Counter and Kitchen"][/caption]

By then, the whole trip to UST had starved me and I was ready to order. I got a plate of spaghetti in a combo meal which cost around P65. (The combo at +P15 includes buttered toast and a bottle of Magnolia fruit drink, while the regular spaghetti without bread or drink is around P50.) They served me a full plate of spicy-sweet spaghetti, complete with meaty sahog. I walked out of there stuffed.

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="528" caption="Spaghetti Combo"][/caption]

M, who is the eternal rice-eater, called for some porkchop and fried lumpia meal, which came with drink and a bowl of soup. They gave 2 small bowls of sauces and were careful to indicate which one was for the porkchop and which one was for the lumpia. If I remember correctly, that whole meal cost him about P70. And he was also nice and full when we got out of there.

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="560" caption="Porkchop, Lumpia, Rice, Soup, and Drink"][/caption]

I asked to take a picture of friendly Mr. Lopez, and he gamely posed.

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="560" caption="Mr. Lopez himself. A fan of Dingdong and Marian?"][/caption]

I plan to go back next time to try their highly recommended palabok. :)

~~~

After that big meal, I asked to visit Simple Line to get some budget-friendly milk tea. We went to the Dapitan branch where it was 80% kitchen and 20% actual space to stand in. The impatient cashier dude kept asking for my order every minute or so, and fickle me would just study the menu and tell him to hold on a minute.

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="560" caption="Simple Line @ Dapitan: Kuya, wait lang. Pwede?"][/caption]

I decided on the Large Oolong Milk Tea (P60) after that particularly heavy meal. Silly me forgot to tell them to lessen the sugar, so never mind. But then I found out that the orders don't come with pearls by default. You have to add P5.00, so I asked them if I could just get an additional order of pearls. The guy at the counter said that my cup had already been sealed. They didn't really offer to just reseal my cup, so I left feeling a little irritated.

Then I got the idea to visit their 2nd branch in nearby V. Concecpcion St. and ask if they could spare me the extra pearls.

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="560" caption="Simple Line @ V. Concepcion: Siksikan 'to, 'teh!"][/caption]

Just as we arrived, a gaggle of students were already lined up in front of the counter. I had to wait for them to finish before I could even get near the cashier. At first, the lady said that they could only give extra pearls if it was already part of a previous order. I thanked her and was about to leave when she called me back and said that she would just add it to the check of another order they were processing and charge me the P5, so that their order pad would still reflect the additional pearls.

I was so pleased that I thanked her repeatedly. The pearls just complete the experience, and this branch totally made up for the impatient cashier from the other branch.

This might be the start of a favorite restaurant and milk tea place at UST...