Always the best time

Back in the early 2000s, the tagline of Wendy's in the Philippines was: "It's the best time for Wendy's."

While they're not and have not used that tagline in decades, it still remains to be my favourite one.

With that, this is the best time to post about Wendy's in Tokyo.

Hands down, the fries in Wendy's Japan is top tier. That's why it's also one of the "must-visits" when I'm there.

It's the best!

"Isang box. Galing Japan!"

That movie reference never grows old. 

But it's also a very appropriate reference, thanks to this discovery:

It's the group meal box from Tokyo Tokyo!

This is such a good deal. You have tempura, tonkatsu, yakisoba and rice, all in one box!

It's a great way to get your Tokyo fix, without having to go to Tokyo.

Hooked on it!

Since they've discontinued Filet-o-fish in the Philippines, it's one sandwich that I'm constantly on the look-out for whenever my travels take me out of the country.

Luckily, they still have it in Japan!

Bonus, they also have sweet potato pie!

This meal got me. Hook, like and sinker.

Far For Fast Food

This wasn’t planned, but Mark and I ended up eating at Western Fast Food places more than we ate at Japanese restos

We went to McDonald’s for breakfast because we wanted to try the McGriddle breakfast.

We went toWendy’s-First Kitchen because they had a Truffle Chicken burger and a Portobello Mushroom pasta.

Not to mention our Carl’s Jr. dinner.

So yes, we went to Tokyo to eat Western food.

Arby darned!

Yes, this was something i’ve talked about more than 2 years ago. 

When we were kids, one of the regular errands we’d do with Lolo and Lola was getting their medicine at Casman Drug and groceries at Top’s Supermarket.

Both these establishments were along Quezon Avenue and were just a few meters away from each other.

Sometimes, we’d park at Casman then walk to Top’s. Other times, it was the other way around.

But whenever we’d walk, we had a quick stop at this American fast food brand that was located in between those 2 places. That fast food was Arby’s.

Arby’s came to the Philippines in the 80s. The branch nearest to,us was the Quezon Avenue branch which was located at the building across St. Mary’s College. They were the first fast food place to introduce Roast Beef sandwiches, and they were also famous for their horseradish sauce.

Unfortunately, they were way ahead of their time. And after a few years, their branches shuttered one by one, until they were no more. That made me bummed because they were so darned good!

Why did I remember them all of a sudden? It was because of this new “Mexican Moms try...” video.

Fas

Gosh! I have to go to Arby’s the next time I go to the US!

It's getting Hut in here

You know you're old when one of the brands you frequent as a kid is now being called a "nostalgic brand" on the internet.

Such is the case of Tropical Hut.

The past weeks, the internet has been on fire as thousands and thousands of people were posting about Tropical Hut Hamburgers. These posts helped renew interest for the brand, and now, the news is that the branches are happily dealing with a sudden surge of customers. 

Personally, I'm glad that people are rediscovering this under-the-radar fast food brand because it's really, really, REALLY good!

My siblings and I grew up eating Tropical Hut, thanks to Lolo Iking who was a fan of the brand. We'd usually get our groceries in Tropical Hut Quezon Avenue, and once we've loaded our groceries in the car, we'd stop by Tropical Hut for an afternoon snack.

Their burgers are legit! You know that they're made fresh and that they're pure beef. Lolo would always order the burger, while my go-to was the chicken sandwich.

Even after Lolo passed, the family still frequented Tropical Hut. My parents and I would have the occasional Tropical Hut run in Greenhills - another sentimental favourite branch. 

Now that the younger audiences are discovering the brand, I'm sure they'll appreciate how good their food is and that they'll be back more often. Because their tagline really tells the truth about Tropical Hut:

"Sarap na babalik-balikan."

Fast Food Feels

Fruit tea and dim sum.

This is one of my go-to afternoon snacks when we were still reporting to the office.

I'd often skippity-hop to the places where I could get this combo.

Closest place would be Lawson at the ground floor.

Another option would be at Robinsons Galleria or SM Megamall food court.

Or, if I had enough time, it would either be at Shangrila Mall or The 30th.

But these days, since we're working from home, those places seem so far away. That doesn't mean, though, that the experience of eating dim sum and drinking fruit tea has to be far away.

Hooray for our dim sum steamer and Yi Fang fruit tea delivery!

And for a fraction of an hour, it feels like we're in a fast food all over again.

Arby there

One of the more popular topics in the Creative Department is food. And alongside that topic, a popular sub-topic is “restaurants that aren’t in Manila anymore.”

There’s a lot, actually. From local joints like Cindy’s, Chew-Chew Junction, and Big Daddy’s. To international places like Jack-in-the-Box, A&W, and, one of my favorites, Arby’s!

We’re very familiar with Arby’s because they had a branch near the house. It was in Quezon Avenue, near St. Mary’s, and we’d eat there after getting groceries at Tops or medicine at Casman Drug or after having photos developed at Babyland.

Their signature item was their Roast Beef sandwich. RB, thus the name Arby’s. They were also popular for their horseradish sauce. Back then, and even until now, they were the only fast food place that had it.

Every time I go to the US, I promise myself that I’d go and eat at Arby’s. Strangely, though, it never happens.

So now, here I am, missing Arby’s once again. And all I can do is look at their website and imagine their yummy offerings.

I’ll see you the next time i’m in the US, Arby’s! That’s a promise!

Want not, Waste not.

Having been raised by parents and grandparents who are very conscientious and conscious of the food we buy and eat, I don’t like wasting food.

At home, in restaurant, even in buffets and Korean BBQ places, I make it a point to just get enough and make sure that I finish everything. Mark and I try to do this, too, as much as we can when we eat out. And every time there would be some food left, we’d say: “Pope Francis will not be pleased.”

That’s why it irks me when I see people who waste food. Like people who get too much, but don’t bother finishing their food. At all.

At  Wendy’s, there was this table with 2 girls who created this behemoth of a salad from the salad bar.  They piled it up, sat there for about 30 minutes, and yet, they didn’t bother even finishing their salad. In fact, they left with a big pile of salad leftover on their plate.

And this isn’t the first time i’ve seen this happen. It’s actually happened too often and i’ve witnessed it too many times.

Finish your food, people. Wasting food isn’t cool.

Looking for a signature

During last week's short trip to HKG, I found out that McDonald's had a special signature line of sandwiches!

Unlike their usual burgers, these ones were a bit Le Swank. Get this: Angus beef with champignons, a garden grilled chicken sandwich, and a buttermilk chicken sandwich with Jalapeno.

I decided to try it out at the airport, but as luck would have it, they were all out of stock.

Hopefully, they'll still be around when I go back this month.

Meals with Mark: Hey Mickey D!

In any country, McDonald's is a favorite go-to restaurant. It's a fact, even in Japan. And yesterday, as we were looking for Pichon's toy in Akihabara, we decided to have a quick and filling lunch at Mickey Ds!

The new item on their menu? A strawberry pie, in time for the spring season.

I have a feeling we'll be back in McDonald's really soon.

Packaging is everything

When I ordered siopao at Chowking, I was expecting it to be served on a small melamine plate like they usually do. 

Surprisingly, it came in this faux dimsum basket. Faux because it was still made of melamine.

I think it's nice that Chowking thinks of small things like packaging. It adds to the "Chinese" fast food experience.

Ramen Rave: Cheap thrills

With ramen places popping up everywhere, fans of this Japanese staple are spoilt for choice. 

Most of the ramen places that opened in Manila are very high end, though. Not that I'm complaining. After all, you need to pay a premium if you want to taste legit ramen.

But sometimes, you want the Japanese ramen taste without the Japanese ramen price. And recently, I found a place where you can get that exact experience.

Presenting, the ramen at Yoshinoya!

For the price its being sold, I must say that this isn't bad at all. The broth is very flavorful, and the add ons are substantial. My only complaint is that the noodles are a bit chewy, to the point where I was wondering if it was undercooked. Other than that, it's a pretty decent bowl or ramen.

Then again, I can't really complain. After all, it's just P129.00 for a big bowl of ramen and a glass of green iced tea.

Reaching for the Star!

For this SG trip, I knew that I wouldn't be able to visit my haunts since I'll be with my students 24/7. So, I knew I'd forego going to the bangle place in Little India, the shops in Vivo City and Suntec City, the museums, and even visiting Jo at her home.

There's one place, though, that I knew I had to make time for.

Carl's Jr!

Luckily, I found out that one of my students, Izza, is a Carl's Jr. junkie as well. So, on our last night in SG, we made a pact to find Carl's Jr. 

And we did! 

Now, my trip to SG is complete.

Worth a T(ea)ry

Yesterday morning, during our learning session at the office, our Admin person served Chowking for recess. One of the items she ordered was Chowking's Wintermelon Milk Tea. Being the tea lover that I am, I tried it.

I must say, It's. So. Good.

The drink has that rich wintermelon tea taste, made even more special with cream cheese topping. Yup, the same thing you find in Happy Lemon.

This combination makes for a drink that's creamy and light. And not to mention cheap!

It's the first time I tried it, and it definitely won't be the last.

Carl me maybe

Another thing that was on my "to-do-while-in-SG-list" was to drop by Carl's Jr. for their chicken sandwiches! 

When they still had Carl's Jr. in Manila, it was one of my favorite eating places. Whether I was with Kin, Elsie and the CAO gang at the Megamall branch, or Kuya Ers, Xtine and Fiesta at the Pasay Road branch, I would always enjoy my meal there.

They closed down in Manila many years ago, and when I discovered that they still had it in SG, I made it a point to always drop by when I'm in town. Which is what I did for lunch today.

After a few minutes, the mother ship has arrived!

And after around 20 minutes (the Chicken sandwich was huge), the mother ship left the building.

After the meal, I told myself: "Maybe I should have Carl's Jr. again before my flight."

And indeed I did.

How NOT to suggestive sell

Having been part of the fast food industry for a few years, I know a thing or two about "suggestive selling."

In QSR parlance, "suggestive selling" is when you offer the customer some added items over and above what they ordered to "complete their dining experience." That's basically a euphemism for "getting them to spend more."

While I was buying dinner tonight, the waitress tried to do some suggestive selling on me. This is what ensued:

SHE: Sir, so ang order niyo, isang chapchae and isang kimchi.
ME: Yes, that's right.
SHE: Sir, gusto niyong i-upgrade to a meal yung order niyo para may iced tea na.
ME: No, thanks.
SHE: Kasi sir, mag-a-add lang kayo ng P8.00, may large iced tea na kayo.
ME: Actually, hindi kasi ako umiinom ng iced tea. Bawal sa akin ang caffeine.
SHE: (pauses) Okay lang 'yon, sir. Flavoring at sugar lang naman ang iced tea namin. Wala namang tea iyon, so wala ding caffeine...

Needless to say, I still didn't get the iced tea.