Bagoong Club

Tomas Morato is known as a food strip in Quezon City...however, it becomes too crowded especially during lunch or dinner time. There are times when you want to eat good food with nice ambiance at a reasonable price and just somewhere near that area. Along Sct. Lazcano St. stands Bagoong Club. If you're not familiar with the Scout Area, you won't be able to find it easily. But in order to reach this place, if you're coming from E. Rodriguez St, turn right at Starbucks (California Berry should be in front of you, and to your left is Alfredo's). Just go straight and Bagoong Club is on your right (a restaurant that looks like an ancestral house).

Of course, as the name of the restaurant indicates, it is Filipino cuisine. Since the best bagoong, most of the time, came from the Ilocos region, most of the food has a touch of Ilocano cuisine. Their best sellers are Dinakdakang Lechon (pork strips with mayonaise and chili), Bopis na Binusog sa Pusit (pork heart with chopped squid), Poque Poque (an omelette with eggplant, tomato, and bagoong), and of course their Bagoong Rice. To end the meal, you have to try their Queso de Bola Cheesecake and their Pastillas de Leche Cheesecake.

Well, for a Filipino food with a different twist, I highly recommend Bagoong Club on your next Food Trip. And for the price, roughly arounnd P300 per head...but remember, you pay for the cozy and homey ambiance too!

Abe

When it comes to Filipino fine dining, there are only a few of them. One of them is Abe. It is operated by LJC Group of Restaurants that also brings you Cafe Adriatico. They have an authentic Filipino Cuisine that would certainly appeal to any Filipino palate. We brought our Japanese friend to have a taste of our very own cuisine and he was impressed! I would recommend their Binukadkad na Pla-pla (deep fried fish), Crispy Pork Adobo, Pinakbet (mixed vegetables with shrimp paste or bagoong), Baby Shrimp in Olive Oil, Sugpo sa Gata (Tiger Prawn in coconut milk sauce) and of course, their Bamboo Rice (one of their best sellers).

Although the price is kinda high but it's worth eating there once in a blue moon. They have branches in SM Mall of Asia, Trinoma, and Serendra. Sometimes, it's ok to splurge on your next Food Trip, so if you're taking your date, Abe could be your next choice!

Octoboy

This lunch, my colleague and I ate at Octoboy. So far, for me, this is where the best Takoyaki can be found. At a price of P90, an order would already fill your stomach because it bigger than the average Takoyaki you found in malls. They have a variety of Pork, Squid and Shrimp to choose from.

We also ate their Shrimp Yakiudon. An order (P210) is good for 2-3 persons and it's very tasty. I like their Yakiudon because it has less toppings and it's kinda different from the ones I have ate. It's a bit sweet. Perfect for the Filipino palate.

Octoboy is located along Banawe beside Ersao. The service is fast and is very appropriate for a quick Food Trip!

Ersao

During the heat of the summer, I've always wanted something cold to relieve me from the hot weather. And at the same time, have a meal that's cheap and will make me full. At Ersao, you can have everything: delicious food and a freshly blended fruit shake all at P105-P120 only! I would recommend their Spicy Chicken or Spicy Squid rice meal (P105), as well as the Chicken Steak and Pork Steak meal (P120). These meals already come with a 16oz Fruit Shake or Milk Tea. My personal favorite is their Avocado Shake especially when Avocado is in season. I also like their Watermelon Shake and Buko Pandan Shake. In their milk tea variants, I like the Taro Milk Tea or the Coffee Milk Tea.

Ersao has branches in Manila (Abad Santos cor. P. Algue Street), Quezon City (West Avenue and Banawe Street), and SM Sta. Mesa. A simple Food Trip that you would always go back to...Ersao!