Secret Recipe for a Disappointing Dining Experience

I only have a vague memory of Secret Recipe when I dined at the newly opened Fort Bonifacio branch with friends several years back. The food was unremarkable, disappointing in fact, given the hype of its entry in  the Philippine market. 

Fast forward to present time. Ensogo, one of the leading group buying sites in the country, had a deal featuring Secret Recipe - Only P280 for Western and Asian Cuisine at Secret Recipe, Metro Manila Branches (valued at P600). See the closed deal here.

I had not given Secret Recipe another thought over the years, even when branches opened at malls I frequent. But discounts have a way of making one take a second look, especially when it's at the 50% range. After looking at Secret Recipe's menu, I decided to give it another try.

Checking out the deal's discussions page, I saw some confusing and contradicting responses to posted inquiries. One recurring question was the number of vouchers that can be shared by a group. The issue of ambiguous details in online deals deserves a separate post, which I blogged about here. To be on the safe side, I purchased 3 vouchers since there would be 3 of us dining.

My sisters were pretty excited about the Secret Recipe dinner. We should know better than to trust photos but they looked really enticing. We had above average expectations despite my past experience. 

Having watched a movie first, it was already 9pm when we arrived at Secret Recipe Megamall branch. We ordered soups first while deciding on the main dish to order. The waiter requested for our vouchers, which we found odd since we had not finished ordering yet. We explained this to him but also informed him that we would be using at least 2 vouchers. Although he did not offer any explanation, I guess it was for the free mocktail.

Shortly after, we ordered Penang Fried Kuey Teow to be shared, Pan-grilled Dory in Lobster Sauce for me, Grilled Black Pepper Chicken for my sister S, and Irish Lamb Shank for my sister J. It was a toss-up between the kuey teow or pad thai, but we went with the former as it came highly recommended by the waiter. Sister J's first option was NZ Stewed Lamb but it was unavailable so she chose the waiter's recommendation of Irish Lamb Shank.

Our food total amounted to P1,355 by this time. We told the waiter we would be using only 2 vouchers and pay the excess P155 in cash. But apparently that wasn't how it worked. According to him, only P100 in excess of the voucher value was allowed. If the excess was more than 100, we need to pay the whole amount of the least-priced item in the bill. Hearing this did not surprise me because I remembered reading someone report a similar situation in Ensogo's discussions page. It was really absurd. I recalled another reply from the Ensogo Team clarifying this and I quote, "If ever you exceed the P600 that will be the time that you will pay an additonal." The waiter insisted that it was the head office's directive. We argued that what he's claiming isn't consistent with what Ensogo said. He finally relented and said they would allow it and just note that the customer insisted. It was just the beginning of our annoyances.

Our food arrived, the kuey teow first, followed by the other dishes soon after. Our soups were absent. And to think that we ordered the soups first. We did not realize when we were shown the running total that they were not included. Here was the exchange between the waiter and us.

Us: Hindi ba sabi pa namin unahin nalang order-in yung soup?
Waiter: Hindi po pala na-punch.

No apology was given. And when we said never mind the soup, he even seemed relieved. When this sort of thing happens at a place like Secret Recipe, one would think that the proper response would be to apologize first, ask the customers if they still want to push through with the order and maybe say that it would be served asap, unless of course, it was impossible, which should not have been the case since soups don't normally take too long.

The kuey teow, to the waiter's credit (because he recommended it), was actually good - flavorful and not oily. Unfortunately, I can not say the same for my pan-grilled dory, nor can sister J about her lamb. The lobster sauce was bland and doesn't seem to add anything to the dory, except make it nakakaumay. Sister J regretted ordering the lamb shank and did not even finish it. To quote her words, "Nabusog sa walang katuturan." Sister S, on the other hand, seemed satisfied with her order. I had a taste of the chicken, it was just okay in my opinion.

As we were finishing our food, I declared that I didn't want to come back to use my last voucher so we might as well use up the remaining P445 ( 3 vouchers worth P1,800 less our running bill P1,355). We settled on cakes for dessert.

Sister J had the carrot slice, sister S had the caramel cream cheese, I chose chocolate fudge and cappuccino cheese. We requested that the slices be put in takeout containers, in case we couldn't finish everything. True enough, only sister S polished off her cake. The chocolate fudge was a bit dry, but it seemed less so the following day, after taking it out of the fridge and letting it sit. The cappuccino cheese was the best of the 4. Then again, I never did like carrot cake. Not a fan of caramel either. My preference for plain chocolate, no nuts, no frills, translates to the kind of cakes I like.

Upon paying the P50 excess in our bill, we waited for the receipt to be returned. Minutes went by, none came. We followed it up with a waitress. She returned to get the signature of the voucher owner, with the receipt stapled to the vouchers. But we still didn't get a copy. Some more time passed, we repeated our request for the receipt. The same waitress who just asked for the signature turned to the waitress manning the cash register to check if we had settled our bill, which we already did. I told her we were just waiting for our receipt. The answer we got was just incredulous. We were told that we wouldn't be given a receipt because it has to be turned over to the head office, that if we wanted a copy, we would have to request directly from Ensogo. It was clear that arguing would get us nowhere. No manager was in sight from the moment we entered the restaurant. We left the restaurant in utter disbelief of what we just experienced at Secret Recipe, wishing we had eaten somewhere else.  

Shi Lin Podium

A restaurant named Shi Lin serving Fried Chicken Chop would definitely land on my restaurants-to-try list. I blogged about my chicken chop quest after having tasted the fried chicken chop being sold at Taiwan's Shilin or night market. I've tried different chicken chops from Ersao, Savory, Serenitea, Big Daddy, but none came close to what I had in Taiwan.

My sister was handed a flyer last month as she was on her way to Borough at Podium. She spotted fried chicken chop in the pricelist. Having been as gaga as I was over the chicken chop at Taiwan, she immediately told me about the place. We just had to try it naturally.

We arrived at Shi Lin before 8pm. The place wasn't full but several tables inside were already reserved. So we settled for one outside. We were both famished, having had nothing save for Happy Lemon milk tea 3 hours ago. We ordered conservatively despite our hunger. From the uncomplicated menu we chose Xiao Long Bao (P128), Fried Pork Chop with egg and rice (P185), and Fried Chicken Chop (P168). My sister resumed her picture-taking of the open kitchen. Before she even finished, the pork chop rice already arrived. Our xiao long pao soon followed, then the chicken chop not long after. We were pleasantly surprised with the speedy service.

The pork chop, we were a bit disappointed to find, was a bit bland. The crust was tasty though. The rice was good. Actually, I'd have to say that the rice was better than the pork chop.

The xiao long bao were nestled on top of a cloth. I'm used to seeing them placed on top of thin slices of carrots. I lift a piece up with my chopsticks and see the broth weighing the bottom. I put a drop or two of black vinegar. It is only with xiao long bao that I use the stuff, the smell and taste are otherwise abhorrent to me. I pop the xiao long bao into my mouth. The wrapper was thicker than I preferred, the meat a tad chewy (my sister felt it was slightly overcooked), but the broth was full of flavor. Hands down, my favorite would be Din Tai Fung's xiao long bao but one has to travel all the way to Hong Kong for that. Locally, Suzhou, Crystal Jade, and HK Choi are pretty even. For me at least.

On to the fried chicken chop, the reason why we were even there. The golden brown crust was sprinkled with slightly reddish powder, but it's not chili powder, as one would initially think. Unlike the pork chop, the chicken chop was not the least bit bland. It was quite good, in fact, the best among those I've tasted locally, but also the most expensive. However, while it is the best, it's just the best so far. It's still not as good as the original.

Halfway through our meal, we decided we had room for one more dimsum. So we ordered Shrimp and Pork Shaomai (P145). By this time, there were more people in the restaurant. And our additional order took a while to arrive, and a bit of following up too. This one, like the xiao long bao, had a broth, which seemed odd for siomai. It's as if we ordered xiao long bao again, but with shrimp on top and a more artistic appearance.

We were curious about the noodles as well but we were already full. We'll save it for our next visit. While Shi Lin did not quite meet our expectations, we would probably be back, if we get a hankering for chicken chop.

Happy Lemon – my new happy place

I’m an addict. A pearl milk tea addict, that is. It started way back in the late 90s, when Easy Way first arrived on our shores from Taiwan. I had all Easy Way branches memorized and my favorite was the one along Granada, San Juan. But much like the Zagu clones, Easy Way branches closed one by one until none was left. I desperately searched for a replacement. Quickly wasn’t an option. I never did like their milk tea. Didn't like the Taro Taro either that was, and still is, so popular.

Ersao was the other option. The first time I tasted their milk tea, I found it an unsuitable replacement. But years later, probably from not being able to taste Easy Way for so long, I started to like it. I would have it two times a week, sometimes even three. It served as my pick-me-up drink. The fact that it was so near was an advantage, or was it a disadvantage? I suddenly grew tired of it and found it too “milky” for my taste. In hindsight, their milk tea seemed diluted compared to others. I couldn't have enough of it for several years and then just like that, I didn't want it anymore.

Then Happy Lemon opened. My sister heard of Happy Lemon through friends who were patrons when they were in Shanghai. I remember how we used to drop by the Promenade last October to check if the place had opened. When it finally did, we wasted no time going there.

I can still recall that day. My sister went ahead while I bought some stuff from Unimart. She immediately sent me a text message, saying something like “this is it! parang Easy Way”. I hastened there. I saw the lighted sign of Happy Lemon, literally a lemon drawn with a face, and I felt myself smiling already. I looked at the numerous drinks on the menu while waiting for my turn but I already knew what I wanted. I placed my order – a large Milk Tea with Black Pearl Sago (P85). I was handed a lemon-shaped acrylic piece, with Happy Lemon’s face on one side, a number on the other. (During succeeding visits, I noticed that they no longer hand out numbers. Perhaps some customers just "forgot" to surrender them.) After what seemed like ages, but actually just a short wait, I exchanged the number for my drink. I took one sip. I almost let out an audible “Aaahhh…” The search is over.

I thought of doing a roundup of the milk teas I've tried locally. The places offering milk tea are sprouting like mushrooms all over the metro. In the Banawe area alone, there's Ersao, Serenitea, Tea Cup and Fun Tea. I've already mentioned Quickly, which is probably the oldest. One place also worth mentioning is Bubble Tea, which is different from Bubble Tea Boy inside the Promenade food court, being sold by Coco Asian Bistro. I think Bubble Tea has quite a following. I used to like this as well, though not as much as Ersao. However, I was turned off by the outrageous price increase last year, when their large Royal Milk Tea went from P85 to P125! For milk tea, P125 seems a bit much.

For all these places, consistency is oftentimes an issue, esp. with the sago or pearl and sweetness of the milk tea. I've had quite a number of experiences with getting undercooked sago in the past. At Happy Lemon, I haven't had undercooked sago so far, but there were instances when the sago had an aftertaste. And two occasions when they seemed to have forgotten the sugar, despite the 100% sugar instruction. But since it's still on soft opening, maybe consistency will improve.

I will happily monitor consistency, by performing regular taste tests, provided the sun is still out. My sister and I observed that drinking Happy Lemon's milk tea during late hours led to trouble sleeping at night. The tea seemed to be pretty strong stuff or was it just a coincidence? But it happened without fail over several more tries. Definitely not a coincidence. We warned friends who were first-timers at Happy Lemon after we had dinner recently. They went ahead and had milk tea, while I chose Lemon Yakult, a refreshing drink that reminded me of lemon slush, but with a hint of Yakult. Two out of the four milk tea drinkers (my sister included) had a sleepless night. As for the other two, the first never had trouble sleeping even when she drinks coffee. The other was so exhausted that day she couldn't stay up even if she tried.

I therefore conclude that I should limit my milk tea consumption to daytime. Haha. Perhaps Happy Lemon can come up with a decaf version. Then it can be my happy place even at night.

Hong Kong Food Trip

Many people would be shocked to hear me say that the food I had during my previous trips to Hong Kong were not very memorable. It’s not only because they know how much I love to eat, but because Hong Kong is a place known for the good eats. So for this year’s trip, my sister and I were determined to experience Hong Kong gastronomically. And I am happy to say that we did just that.

Upon arrival in Hong Kong, we checked in at the hotel and made a beeline for the nearby Cafe de Coral. Our stomachs grumbling, we needed food and fast. Cafe de Coral is always a safe choice. With its many selections, and a different menu for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, you won’t run out of choices. The branches of Cafe de Coral I’ve seen are always filled during lunch and dinnertime. But turnover is fast and as is customary in HK, people share tables so finding seats isn’t hard. We were spread out across different tables, which wasn’t conducive to taking pictures of everybody’s food. That, and the fact that we were so hungry we scarfed down our food within minutes, equal no pictures.

Dinner that night was at Pho24 in New Town Plaza, where Snoopy's World is located. The waiting list at Crystal Jade was too long and so we ended up eating at Pho24. (Imagine my surprise when a few months later Crystal Jade would open a branch here in Manila.)

We ordered Beef Brisket and Tendon Pho, Lemongrass Pork Chop, and Vietnamese Pork Chop.

The noodles were served al dente, unlike Pho Hoa's, the Vietnamese restaurant we frequent in Manila. I don’t know if the quality at the Pho24 branch here is the same since I haven’t tried it yet.

The pork chops were good, but I found them nakakaumay.

For lunch the next day, we tried a small noodle place near our hotel. Previous experience with similar places elsewhere in HK has led me to believe that you can't go wrong with them. We had Beef Noodles, Pork Chops, Fishball and Shrimp Dumpling Congee, and Shrimp Dumpling Noodles. The pork chops were good. (Pork chop is a noticably recurring theme in this post.) We even had thirds (not seconds, because the initial order was already two). They were definitely more enjoyable than the ones at Pho24. The congee, however, was bland. When ordering congee in Manila, we always order a fresh egg along with it, and mix it in. Due to a misunderstanding, we were given fried egg instead, cooked sunny-side up style. Since nobody wanted to eat the fried egg, we just mixed it in with the congee anyway, but it did not really add much flavor. The noodles were much better. And I wished I ordered noodles instead of congee.

(Photos of the food at this noodle place courtesy of my sister)

A short distance from our hotel in Nathan Road was Macau Restaurant, which we were amused to find, had 2 other branches located on the same street. Our dinner consisted of Fried Squid, Fried Noodles, Fried Chicken, Honey Glazed Ribs. We didn't realize that almost every dish we chose was fried until after we had ordered. We polished everything quickly, owing to our hunger due to the late hour. The food was ok, though not particularly memorable. I liked the fried noodles best, combining flat and thin noodles, and seafood bits. It was flavorful, and did not have the oily feel like other fried noodles.

Also within the vicinity of Nathan Road was the newer branch of Delicious Kitchen, where we had lunch on our 4th day. Delicious Kitchen, according to my sister's friends, was supposedly the inspiration behind Eat Well! Delicious Kitchen here in Manila. My sister has been raving about Eat Well's pork chop when she first tried it a year ago. After trying it myself, I must say though that I was not wowed. Delicious Kitchen's however, was in a different league altogether. I have to agree with my friend who said that there really is no comparison.

We were intrigued by the Double-boiled Chicken Soup with wanton and unanimously agreed to order it. When the pot arrived and the cover removed, the aroma was so delicious we knew the taste would be even more so. It did not disappoint. The soup had a cloudy hue, lending to the color of the chicken. The taste was pure chicken. It's quite unlike anything I've had before.

The recommended vegetable dish turned out to be an excellent choice. The colors were vibrant, the zucchini had the crunch of really fresh and adequately cooked vegetables, and the beef, tender. It made me see zucchini in a new light.

The Sweet and Sour Fish Fillet was also a winner. The fish was fresh and tender. The veggies in the dish were fresh and crunchy as well. The sweet and sour flavors were well-balanced. Even my sister who doesn't particularly like sweet and sour dishes enjoyed this one. I will surely come back to this restaurant on my next HK trip.

For dinner that night, we tried another restaurant in the Nathan Road area. The place didn't have an English name, or none that I saw in any sign. We had Lemon Chicken, Celery, Suckling Pig, and Roast Goose. I'm not really a fan of Lemon Chicken, but I had a taste just the same. My opinion of the dish didn't change, not that I expected it to. The rest of the dishes were quite enjoyable. In fact, my mom enjoyed the roast goose so much she declared that she would bring a whole roast goose back to the Philippines. On our last day, she went back to the restaurant to get her roast goose, which the entire family promptly feasted on upon our return.

There was one other restaurant I wanted to try before we flew back, and that was Tsui Wah, which seems to be a common recommendation across several local blogs. Luckily, there's a branch within walking distance from our hotel, and we were able to have our last lunch there.

The menu was a mix of Western and Chinese dishes. Lamb chops came with a choice of soup (tomato or creamed something) and drink (coffee or tea), and crispy bun. So did the Grilled Chicken and Scallops. Both entrees were served with rice and veggies. The rice was the Asian touch in an otherwise Western dish. I didn't try the lamb as I don't like lamb meat. But the rest of the group seemed to enjoy it. The grilled chicken and scallops was good too.

The Hainanese Chicken Rice was okay. My sister felt that Sweet Dynasty's was better. I can't say that I can appreciate a good Hainanese Chicken but I agree with her on that. I'm not as fond of it as some people are. Give me so-so hainanese chicken and good ginger sauce and I'll eat it. Some would probably argue that it's because I haven't tasted a truly great hainanese chicken. In my friend's opinion, one place offering such was Wee Nam Kee in Singapore. (Frankly, I was disappointed with the branch that opened here in Manila. But since I wasn't able to taste the one in Singapore, I can't really compare.)

Out of all the dishes we ordered, the Crispy Noodles with Prawns in Szechuan Sauce was my favorite. I have always liked crispy noodles but it's always paired with some salty sauce, never with sweet and spicy flavors. Bringing together crispy noodles and szechuan sauce was something new for me. And I totally loved it, esp. with prawns added to the mix. The peppers, which at first glance looked like prunes, I can do without. This is one dish I would definitely go back to Tsui Wah for.

After this experience, I'm confident we'll be better armed for succeeding HK trips. And I'm sure we'll enjoy the food even more.

When it pays to have a credit card

It’s been said that “Cash is King”. But sometimes settling for the queen isn't so bad. The queen that I speak of is credit cards. Promos are being offered by credit card companies left and right. Today’s consumer is always after the best deal. Here are just some of the best deals I’ve recently enjoyed:

1. Free movie tickets – I’ve watched 9 movies (in cinemas of course) in the past 4 months alone, more movies than I’ve seen in years, thanks to the Free Movie Ticket promo of Citibank. A charge slip worth P1,500 is equivalent to a P100 credit. Combine two (2) P1,500 charge slips and your ticket is literally free.

Promo period: Year-round. For complete promo details, visit the official Citibank site.

2. Free Tall Starbucks drink plus add-on – Present an HSBC charge slip worth P2,000 and get ANY Tall Starbucks drink plus your choice of add-on.

Promo period April 1-June 30, 2010. Complete mechanics here.

Prior to the free Starbucks drink, we also got a FREE Tori Teppanyaki at Tempura when I charged our lunch using my HSBC credit card. That’s 2 freebies for a single swipe. Sweet!

Another reason to make me happy about having an HSBC card was during a purchase at Fully Booked. I presented my default credit card (not HSBC) and was told by the Fully Booked staff that HSBC cardholders get a 5% discount. Pleasant surprise since I hadn't received the promo flyer from HSBC, which arrived a few days later. Special mention to the cashier who informed me about the discount. For other HSBC promos, click here.

3. Free Greenwich food items c/o Metrobank - I know it's a little late because the promotion started in Feb. But the good news is that it's extended until the end of May. So what are these treats Metrobank is giving away?

- FREE Greenwich Beefy Baked Macaroni or Meaty Spaghetti for a Metrobank charge slip worth P2,000

- FREE Greenwich Solo Pizza or Lasagna Supreme for a charge slip worth P3,000

- FREE Greenwich Family Thin Crust Pizza for ACCUMULATED CHARGE SLIPS of at least P10,000

Click this link for more info.

Now wouldn't you agree that having credit cards can be rewarding?

Mooon Cafe SM North Edsa Annex

At my mom's suggestion, we went to SM North Edsa after mass to have dinner at Mooon Cafe. It would be our second time to try the restaurant, which has been open for about 3 months. During the food tasting attended by my parents and sister last December, Mooon Cafe was introduced as a popular restaurant originating from Cebu. Even the furniture and fixtures were shipped from Cebu.

I was able to try the place last January but my blog entry did not materialize. The food was actually not bad, particularly the Gambas ala Luna (left photo) and the Sun Cooler, and the prices were quite affordable, but service was terribly slow.

2 weeks ago, I actually did not feel like going back so soon but the parents thought we should give it another try. They said service must have improved by then. And so we got to the resto at around 730pm. Only 2 other tables were occupied, nothing the number of servers couldn't handle. Or so we thought.

For starters, 3 items were unavailable - pumpkin soup, sun cooler, and apple juice. I ordered sopa con papas (right photo), and told the server "walang chili ah", to which she replied "wala po". The menu indicated the chopped chili ingredient but I thought maybe she meant to confirm my request and let it pass. I ordered the same soup during my first time there and requested that the chili be excluded. When the soup arrived, there was definitely chili, but no corn kernels as it should have. I did not complain since I might not have made my request about the chili clear. I could stand a little bit of heat but I couldn't give any to my nephew.

The server then came with a tray of glasses and a pitcher of iced tea. And to our amazement, started pouring iced tea in the glasses while still in the tray she was balancing with her left hand. We were amazed, not with the difficulty of what she was doing, but with the stupidity of it. Somebody from our group suggested that she put down the tray first, but she just smiled and continued on. Luckily enough, no mishaps occurred.

The Mooon Steak of my sister was so-so, but for only P169, one can't really expect much. My parents liked the taste of the Mexican Baby Back Ribs (P199) but it's a bit on the tough side.

When almost everyone in the table had eaten half their food, 2 orders still had not arrived. We called the attention of a server. My mom pointed out that the group near us, which came in much later than we did, was already eating pizza but ours had not been served. I also followed up my order of beef stroganoff. I was still calm at the time because I placed my order last, being undecided when the others ordered their entrees. The pizza arrived after a considerable waiting period, but my order of beef stroganoff still did not. It had already been 45mins. since I placed the order.

Very much irritated, I asked the server where my order was. She and another server checked the order slip, then checked their ordering system. We could hear them arguing all the way from our table. It became obvious that the order was written down but not punched into the system, hence no order was placed in the kitchen. Losing my patience, I called out "Hindi na-order yung beef stroganoff 'no? Cancel niyo na!"

The supervisor of sorts approached our table to apologize and explain what happened, something we already gathered from the conversation of the servers. But no amount of apology could bring my appetite back and nothing can drag me back to that place again. Thank goodness for the Dairy Queen downstairs, I was able to drown my anger in double cocoa shake.

Mooon Cafe
2nd level Annex
SM North Edsa

Menu:

Italianni's Greenhills

I have been looking forward to another visit to Italianni's since I redeemed a GC using my credit card points. So I invited my friend to have dinner at Italianni's Megamall last weekend. Imagine our shock when we found out that the Megamall branch was no longer there, and in its place stood BDO. We both frequent the mall but we just never noticed it.

Last night, after watching Green Zone with my mom and sister, I suggested eating at Italianni's Greenhills. I was excited to have my favorite salad again. Ever since I had my first taste of Italianni's Sicilian Chicken salad, I always make it a point to order it.

We were pleasantly surprised by the speed at which our order arrived. Our order of Peppered Fish Fillet arrived soon after. Service was off to a good start. Sadly, the whole dining experience was not up to par.

First, there was not enough dressing on the salad. While it's true that it could easily be remedied by extra dressing, it seemed un-Italianni's-like. Make no mistake though, we still enjoyed the salad. But maybe it was a sign of what was to come.

The peppered fish fillet, another favorite of mine, was blander than usual. My sister even felt that it was cooked using "old" oil. For me, it was just okay, but not nearly as good as I expected.

We ordered the Tortellini for our last dish, which we took home almost untouched. There are other tried and tested items in the menu we could have ordered but we went for the "New" item, and ended up disappointed.

Maybe it just was an off night for Italianni's or maybe it's the branch, I don't know. Next time, I'm not taking any chances and sticking with either the Tomas Morato or the Trinoma branch.