Hap Chan – Great Flavors, Good Eatin’

We were in Market! Market! and we decided to eat at a Chinese restaurant since it was almost Chinese New Year the time we were there.  We chose from the restaurant directory right at the entrance of the mall, near the car park, and we spotted Hap Chan!  I’ve never been disappointed eating at a Chinese Restaurant anywhere so I knew it was going to be a good lunch, and I was right!

About the Restaurant

Hap Chan in Market! Market! is located right outside the mall.  I’m not familiar with Market! Market! mall so I can’t describe accurately where it was but it’s in the ground floor, near one of the exits of the mall with the cool rock water fixture.

Somehow, the outside of the restaurant looked so inviting.  I don’t know if it’s because it looked so festive with all the lanterns and lights, or if it’s because of the 2 huge round tables outside the restaurant that were just waiting for people to occupy them.

And here's how the outside of the restaurant looked. By the way, if you haven't figured it out yet, my favorite color is red. So their color scheme is perfect for me. That's why I love Chinese and Japanese restaurants! :)

We were welcomed at the door (everybody was so polite) and we were seated immediately (that was around 2PM).  We chose to be seated on the couch type seats, instead of the huge round tables which were for big families.  It was just me and Mario that time.  Although the seats were comfortable, there wasn’t a lot of space between the seats and the table.  Mario’s big tummy chest had little wiggle room but we didn’t switch places.  He was too lazy and too hungry to do that.

I don't know if you could tell in the photo that the table was too close to his chest but it really was. The technique is not to take deep breaths. ^_^; Maybe were just too big for the table... Yeah, maybe that's it...

Other than distance to the table issue, everything else was perfect.  I love the solid furniture (tables and chairs).  They’re just like the ones I see on TV at Chinese Restaurants in New York!  The chairs, especially, are the same things I’ve seen a couple of nights before we visited in one of the food shows at TLC.  Because of the bulky-looking furniture, it made the place look small and cramped, but it wasn’t like that at all.  There was enough room to stand, go to other tables, socialize, or share some stories with folks at the other end of the table.  It’s almost old-style looking that gave me a feeling that Jackie Chan was going to jump into one of the tables and do his moves, just like in his movies that involve restaurants.

Cool red and yellow lanterns!

Looks packed and small but it's actually fairly spacious. It felt like I was eating in a really busy restaurant in China (although I really don't know what that's like).

One wall was adorned with figurines, statues of saints and angels. Our first Filipino saint, St. Lorenzo Ruiz, was a Filipino-Chinese, and so is Venerable Ignacia del Espíritu Santo who we are praying to be our first Filipina saint.

This was the chair I was telling you about earlier. Nice! The same one I saw on TV being used in Chinese Restaurant in New York.

What We Ordered

You can also get an idea of their serving size through this photo. Yang Chow Fried Rice was plenty enough for both of us without really stuffing is full. Just enough. Mario ordered an additional plain rice but that's just because we really eat a lot of rice. And the viand, good enough for 2-3 people.

I’m glad that although they had an extensive choice of food on their menu, the way they presented it wasn’t overwhelming.  I wanted to order sea cucumber but I’m sure Mario would be scared to try and it might just be wasted, so we stuck to safer choices – Minced Pork w/ Eggplant (I almost always order this in a Chinese Restaurant if they serve this), Braised Taufu w/ Asado, Yang Chow Fried Rice, and Hong Kong Iced Lemon Tea.

The Braised Beef Taufu w/ Asado and Minced Pork w/ Eggplant came from this page of the menu.

One thing I can comment about the menu, well, the photos don't really give an accurate representation of the actual dishes.

And the menu for drinks. I'd say the prices are average for most dishes, and a little over the average for some, compared with restaurants offering the same level of service and almost the same selection of dishes.

Minced Pork w/ Eggplant (230php)

You can never go wrong with ordering Minced Pork w/ Eggplant!  Hap Chan’s version is skinless eggplant!  The eggplant was perfectly cooked and it’s still a mystery to me how they were able to peel off the skin without subjecting the eggplant meat to a lot of stress and end up mushy, because their eggplant had the perfect texture and firmness.  They probably used a blowtorch and ice cold water to peel of the torched skins…. ^_^  Or maybe not blowtorch…  I wanted it to be little more spicy but the mild heat was good enough for Mario.  It was a tad salty for Mario, but it was perfect for me.  ^_^;  Serving size wasn’t bad either (good for 2-3 people).

It was served with a really hot pot (the dish was hot the whole time we were eating), so they had a pot stand where they can place the pot. I bet the little circle at the bottom was made to hold tea light candles to keep the pot hot if you would want so.

Look! No skins!

Braised Taufu w/ Asado (210php)

Ah, yet another hit!  Although we both agreed we liked the Minced Meat w/ Eggplant more, this dish wasn’t trailing far behind.  I love how the Chinese put so much flavor into everything!  The winning ingredient for me in this dish was the Taufu!  It was still moist and soft at the center, by which you can tell that they used quality tofu, and the outside was firm and properly browned.  Oh I love when a restaurant pays attention to these little details.  I hope they read this so they know that people appreciate the good value they put out on the table, but being in the business for a long time, they probably already know.  As for the rest of the dish, the sauce was mildly sweet (which is ok), the Asado was a little tough (which is a minus), and the mushrooms are juicy (a definite plus)!

Yang Chow Fried Rice (195php)

This one was just ok.  I don’t remember anything special about it, but what I do remember is how it looked so plain compared to the photo on the menu.  In hindsight, it would have probably been better if we had ordered plain rice for P30 each.

I posted the rice menu above and on the right side of the menu is a photo of the Yang Chow Fried Rice which looked colorful and yummy. The actual Yang Chow Fried Rice wasn't exciting at all. Yeah, I would order plain rice next time.

Hong Kong Iced Lemon Tea (70php)

I don’t usually include “normal” drink selections and Iced Tea is quite normal in a restaurant but I really liked this one.  Mario ordered it, but I, of course, get a sip (or 2) before he takes a sip.  ^_^  He lets me take a sip first so that we can discuss the taste…  Ah, yes, we are a match made in heaven.  Anyway, this is more tea than sugar, plus hints of lemon.  I can still taste the bitterness of the tea and it wasn’t drowned out in sugar which I liked very much.  Next time I’ll order that for myself.  I just wished they had bottomless options.

Orange? Nope! Iced Lemon Tea! The color of the tea almost blended into his shirt!

FREE HOT TEA!

It tasted like brown rice tea, mild and smooth. We finished the pot!

Overall

We love the whole experience.  We enjoyed the hustle and bustle ambiance (every once in a while it’s a welcomed environment), we loved the old China town feel with some modern fixture, we love how quick our orders arrived and how polite the crew were, we love a couple of our orders and even the humdrum Yang Chow Fried Rice couldn’t dampen our mood.  The serving size was also good!  We’d love to go back and try the rest of the dishes on the menu!  Especially the sea cucumber dish!

More pictures!

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Malcom’s Burger – ONE DAY ONLY Double the Burger Promo Mechanics

Just as promised!  Details on the great 2012 burger promo (hopefully the start of many more great foodie promos for 2012).

Malcolm’s Burger, a modern day diner where family and friends could enjoy classic favorites of flame-grilled Wagyu burgers,  is celebrating its 1st Year Anniversary on January 13, 2012 (Friday the 13th). As a treat, they’re offering a ONE-DAY ONLY promo on all their burgers. Get double burger goodness for the price of one. Such an irresistible deal for all burger and meat lovers out there!

Mechanics:

-Special offer is available at Malcolm’s Burger PDCP Bldg, Makati branch only.

-Valid for dine-in and take-out orders.

-Free burger must be of equal or lesser value than the item purchased.

-Special offer is subject to change without any prior notice.

-Not valid in conjunction with any other promos or discounts.

*** Note:  Their Makati branch is only open on weekdays.

And they also opened a new branch in Pearl Plaza, Ortigas Center!

Contact Info:

Malcolm’s Burger PDCP

Address:  #311 G/F PDCP Building San Agustin St. cor. V.A. Rufino St., Salcedo Village, Makati City

Tel. No. 8364384

Facebook: facebook.com/MalcolmsOfficial

Twitter: twitter.com/MalcolmsPh

Malcolms PDCP Makati: Monday-Friday 10am-2am

Malcolms Pearl Ortigas: Monday-Saturday 10am-8pm

Zucchini Fries – Healthier Alternative to Potato Fries

Here’s a healthier alternative to the carbohydrates loaded Potato Fries that we love so much paired with our oil dripping burgers.

Ingredients:

Zucchini (incase you’re asking if you can substitute cucumber for zucchini – you can try but the bigger seeds in the cucumber might be a problem)

Flour

Water

Chicken Cubes

STEP 1

Cut the fries into the size you want them to be. I chose to cut them 2 ways, the French Fries style and the Mojo Potatos style. This was my first time doing this so I wanted to experiment.

STEP 2

For my version of Zucchini Fries, I used a temura-like batter because I just wanted a light coat (didn’t want very thick floury and oily fries) with chicken cubes instead of salt so that it would taste close to Shakey’s Mojo Potatos that I love so much.  For the batter, you can mix flour with water (you can make it as thick as you want by adjusting the water you mix – start with a small amount of water).  Dip (or dump all the slices) into the batter, and pick one piece at a time and drop into the fryer.

I like mine really thick so the way I test it is if I pick-up one slice, there's almost little or no batter dripping off of it. The yellow bits are the chicken cube I mixed in.

STEP 3
Deep fry in really hot oil.
TIP: To test how hot the oil is, you can drop a couple of drops of the batter into the oil and see if it sizzles.

Can you see the sizzle? And yes, I love cooking with my chopsticks. Not only is it cleaner because I don't need to touch anything with my finger, less dripping, and there's just better control with the chopsticks (like extensions of your thumb and index finger).

Here's the color I like and what tells me that they're done just right.

FINAL STEP!
TIP: Best if you let them sit on a cooling rack and let the oil drip so they remain crispy or lay them in plate lined with kitchen towel or paper towel so that the oil will be absorbed from the fries. But the paper towel method is least effective in maintaining the crispiness of the fries.

TIP2:  Eat while they’re hot.  Remember that zucchini, like cucumber, are watery, so they can get soggy if left uneaten for some time.

Time to eat!

Malcom’s Burger – 1st Year Anniversary Promo (Sneak Peek)

I just want to share something exciting that will happen on January 13, 2012 at Malcom’s Burger!

What a way to start 2012, right?  Food promos!  Check back for more details on this food promo on the 1st week of January, 2012!

 

 

 

Contact Information:

Malcolm’s Burger PDCP:

#311 G/F PDCP Building San Agustin St. cor V.A. Rufino St.,

Salcedo Village Makati City

Telephone:  8364384

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/MalcolmsOfficial

Tribu Express – A New Chicken is in Town

Mario and I, together with other food bloggers, have been invited to have dinner at Tribu Express (Commonwealth branch).  The restaurant is located conveniently near the supermarket inside Ever Gotesco.  Incase you haven’t been to Ever Gotesco, it’s the structure/mall that looks like a castle from outside.  ^_^  Yes, just like Chocolate Lover in Cubao.  Mario and I don’t always take the trail north of Metro Manila so we don’t always discover new foodie finds that I know I’m missing that’s why when we were invited to this dinner, we both made an effort to attend.

SIDE STORY:  “My rush hour Friday MRT experience (the gruesome and detailed account of that sorry Friday)”

Introduction:  We live in Paranaque, and because of a shortcut we know to Makati, I planned to meet Mario there (after his errand) 3 hours before the  event thinking that was enough time to make it to Commonwealth, QC at 7PM (so that means we were at Makati around 4PM).  After a quick errand in Makati, we got stuck in traffic.  Because we value time and appointments, we decided to ditch the car (park it at Park Square 1) and take the MRT to Q. Ave.  Smart, right?  Well, I don’t know…

At AYALA MRT Station:  We arrived at AYALA MRT station (via the connecting “bridge” or hallway from SM Makati) and we positioned ourselves, along with 20 or so men, at one of the expected places where one of MRT’s door should be when it stops at the station.  The idea was to push the people in front so that they would get inside the train, and that would have at least gotten some people off the cluster and then we, the people at the back, could have gotten nearer the door for the next train.  But every one of the 4-5 trains that stopped at our station was jam packed!  I can’t go to the women’s cart because I didn’t want to leave Mario behind.  And, even in the women’s cart, ladies were pushing and shoving each other just to get in, but there’s always several more who are left behind because the train just couldn’t take even 1 more passenger.  After 30 minutes of that, we decided to go to the opposite side and head to the last station south (Taft Station) and we’ll just hitch a ride to North from there (thinking there are fewer people there being the very first station before a train leaves for the north route.

At TAFT MRT Station:  We were very wrong in thinking we have finally escaped the sardine can situation of Ayala Station.  Apparently, 3/4 of the passengers going to Taft were also just hitching a ride so that they’d be sure to get a seat or at least be in the train when it leaves to take the route to north.  And as luck would have it, we had to transfer trains twice because one of the trains’ doors couldn’t close anymore (tech issue) and on the other train, we were at the women’s cart – I was with Mario (we didn’t know because there weren’t any signs).  The moment we got out of the women’s cart, the rest of the other carts are full.  To make this very long story short, we were an hour and 5 or 10 minutes late for our appointment.  But the owner, Steffi, PerCX’s Bless, and the other bloggers, were sooo kind to wait for us for a quick chat before the mall closed.

About the Restaurant

While our dinner was at Ever Gotesco, Commonwealth, QC, the  first branch of Tribu Express  (Tribu Grill) is actually in California, USA and it was a hit there that they decided to put up branches here in the Philippines.  The concept is community or family dining that’s why the very name of the restaurant is a play on the term “Tribo” (tribe) which is a group of people, or also same as a clan.  The term “tribo” is usually used to define ethnic communities that’s probably why their logo is like a hut where most of the Philippine ethnic groups live.  I actually think it’s a very good name for a restaurant especially if we consider that tribes have very strong family/community bonds and Tribu Express would like to focus on being a type of restaurant where families, friends, and groups can bond over good food.  The place didn’t feel “finish” to me but it was clean and, for some reason, made me felt like I was eating at home, perhaps because it had a very casual vibe to it.

The restaurant entrance (which is really near the mall's supermarket), is very open and inviting. The bright orange sign stands out among the other restaurants in the area.

I really love restaurants with lots of space where you don't have to hear what the other patrons are talking about in the other table, or if Mario's long legs aren't cramped up in the small space under the table. In Tribu Express, we didn't have any problem with that. The tables were properly spaced apart, there's more than enough space for people to move around and get water or condiments from the dedicated condiment table.

They also had a separate room at the back of the restaurant that you can reserve for a group or family lunch/dinner. I'm not sure if that closes completely for a more private room feel, or if that door at the center stays open.

The Menu

Mario, being an iced-tea person, the first thing he noticed was how affordable their bottomless iced tea was!  At P35, it’s a steal!  And yes, if the drinks are affordable, then expect that everything else on the menu is priced good enough so that not one, not two, but a whole “tribu” can enjoy.  (Cheesy moment!  I’ve probably watched way too much Home Shopping Network shows.)

The star of the show, their fried chicken with 10 dips to choose from!

Community size is good for 3 - 4 people. In my world, that means good enough for Me and/or Mario. ^_^

I actually like this ad... ^_^

What We Were Served

We were served 2pcs TFC (Tribu Fried Chicken) and UNLI Rice for P99, Bagoong Rice for P135, and something that didn’t look like anything on the menu, but was probably the XL Liempo BBQ/Orig with UNLI Rice for P99.  We were also served a couple of glasses of iced tea which Mario really liked.

2pcs TFC and UNLI Rice (P99) 

The chicken skin was unbelievably crunchy!  It reminded Mario of chicharon.  The meat was not as salty as the Mini-Stop chicken I love (because I really like salty food), but I guess for other folks, it was flavorful enough.  It was a pleasure sampling this dish.

Huge chicken parts with unlimited rice! Imagine that! We were served 3pcs probably because we were guests. But even with only 2, for 99PHP it would be super worth every peso together with the unlimited rice.

Bagoong Rice (P135) 

I’ve never had bagoong rice served with pork, mangoes and tomatoes (ensalada style but the bagoong is mixed in with the rice), and scrambled egg.  Although anything with preceded or followed by the word “bagoong” to me is delicious, this was exceptional.  It’s like a full meal on its own!  You could just order this and you’re done with your lunch or dinner!  It’s definitely meant to share between 2 or 3 people (depending on how hungry you are).  In my best day, I can probably take on the whole thing, and a TFC on the side.  ^_^

Sorry dear readers... If you notice, the lower left part is out of shape... Well, I actually almost helped myself to this dish, then I remember to take a picture! It was a perfect square with toppings of mango, tomato, pork, and scrambled egg. You know how I love salty stuff so this was like a magnet to me!

XL Liempo BBQ/Orig with UNLI Rice (P99) 

That’s what it tasted exactly, a BBQ Liempo.  The sweet marinate caramelized in the burnt edges are my favorite but really, I couldn’t play favorites in any of its parts because the whole thing tasted great!  The diet deity must be carefully guarding me from these temptation (unli rice with delicious barbecued pork in sweet marinate) because if Tribu Express had a branch near Paranaque, my hopes of losing a few lbs would be done for!

Bottomless Iced Tea (P35) 

I needed to include this in the review just because Mario kept talking about how good it tasted and how affordable it was compared to other similar restaurants.  I don’t have a picture though, but I’m sure you know how iced tea looks like.  ^_^;  But between Mario’s fave iced tea from Wendy’s and Tribu Express’, he still likes Wendy’s more.  Still, for affordability, this earns a high score in his card.

Overall

The effort (going through all that MRT drama) was well worth it.  If I lived in QC and happen to be doing my weekly grocery at Ever Gotesco Commonwealth, I would definitely eat at Tribu Express.  But if you’re the person who only eats half orders of rice in all meal times, then you may not be able to get the most of your peso here or you can order from their FISH & CHIX menu which has solo priced orders.  Next time, I would probably try their inasal as it’s one of the restaurant’s specialties aside from the Tribu Fried Chicken, and the vanilla sundae cone for P10 because I’m a sucker for vanilla ice cream.

Contact Information:

Stef Santana

Tel no. : 990-1302

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Tribu-Grill-Express/126990080677022

The meal was provided by Tribu Express for blogging purposes.

The contents of this review is 100% my honest opinion.