Patchawaran's - Thai Food Trip in Pampanga

I am taking a break from writing my Bangkok Adventure posts (there are two more coming up!) but I am here to give you another one . . . and it is about Thai food! (Thai pa rin talaga! Haha)

Since we didn't get enough Thai food in Bangkok, we got our fill and ate to our heart's' content back home in  . . . Pampanga! 

My sister heard about this Thai restaurant in Angeles City from her friends and told me about it. According to the waitress who took care of us, the restaurant has been operating for six years now.  It was previously known as Chiangmai Restaurant.  I am just not sure if the change in name meant change in ownership.  One thing is for sure though, they serve good, authentic Thai food because it is owned by a Thai lady who personally cooks all the dishes being served.   

The restaurant (a bungalow house) is located in a residential area.  The place doesn't have a parking area (it is street parking) so this can be a problem especially when it is peak time.  I am glad we went for a late lunch.  You know the place has made quite an impression when you see someone bring a group of Korean tourists there after a game of golf.  

So through this post, I want to bring you too to . . .  Patcharawan's Thai Restaurant!

Facade of the restaurant

This is the dining area when you enter the red gate, it is the al fresco part of the restaurant.

We were seated in the air conditioned area.

The restaurant's menu has more than enough good choices.  You get to choose what meat you want for the Thai dishes.  The menu even has International dishes (Singaporean, Malaysian and Mexican!  I know, I wasn't expecting the Mexican part, haha).

We came with a good appetite and ordered the following:

1) Shrimp and Squid Salad - it was refreshing, loved the dressing and the succulent shrimps!  And big too I must say.  I wish the squid were more tender though.

2) Fried Rice with Chicken - when we go out, we have to order Fried rice for the kids.  I also wanted to order Bagoong Rice but it wasn't available that day.

3) Grilled Chicken Satay - LOVE it!  The chicken was tender and the satay sauce was good!

4) Phad See Lew (pronounced as Pad See You) - I wish we ordered Phad Thai instead, haha!  This is actually me and hubby's favorite Thai Noodle dish so I am already expecting this particular taste which (sadly) we didn't get in this dish.  I found it dry too.

5) Chicken Stir Fry with Basil - another winner!  

And of course, we had to try one of their curries so we ordered. . . 

6) Chiangmai Curry - This curry dish tastes like peanut-ty and has a hint of sweetness, similar to the satay sauce. 

And you know what the BEST part about this meal?!!!  The price!  Our total bill (food plus plain rice and drinks) came out to Php1,300 only (around US$26)!   

For the quality and quantity of food you get and the price you pay, this place is a winner!

If there is one thing I would suggest is for them to have more wait staff ( or probably we came in after lunch time so the others are on break?)  But I have to say that the staff were nice and they were trying their best to manage all the tables.

So if ever you are in Angeles City and are craving for some Thai food, this is a good place to go to!

Happy Food Tripping!

(Oh my gosh, writing this post made me hungry, seriously. I want some Thai food now, haha! )

Patcharawan's Thai Restaurant

26B Malabanias Road

Angeles City

Mobile No. (63) 9205310378

FB Page (not sure if this is their official page)

Pampanga Eats: Zenco Fusion Restaurant in Clark

Weekend is here!  One of the things I love doing on a weekend is go on food trips!  I love going to Angeles City and Clark Freeport Zone (which is probably around 25-30 kms from our city) because of the abundance of restaurants to try.  One of the restaurants my sister mentioned (she has yet to try it though) was ZENCO Fusion Restaurant (which she heard about from our cousin) located inside Clark.

Before trying a new restaurant, I go online and google about the place first!  So I am happy to have read good reviews about Zenco and I also learned that it is a Japanese restaurant owned by a Korean couple.  

A couple of weeks ago, I had the chance to try this restaurant located at the Bertaphil Compound in Clark. Bertaphil is one of the commercial/business areas in Clark where you can find several offices and restaurants.  (You can also find the famous C's Italian Restaurant in this lot as well) 

Photo from www.clarkisit.com

The restaurant is not that big, has a no frills interior, clean and with a good air-conditioning system.  If you live in a place where temp can go up to 39C, this is a big plus!  Haha!   

Photo from www.clarkisit.com

We needed some time to order because we didn't know what to get, haha!  I was looking for the standard Japanese food items such as gyoza, agedashi tofu, kani salad, chicken teriyaki etc. which I didn't see in the menu.  (But then I thought, probably because this was a fusion restaurant)  

While they don't have some of my favorite items, there is more than enough items to choose from (they have tonkatsu so we were fine, hehe)  and have a filling (they have big servings) dining experience.  They also have a good number of noodle soups to choose from which I want to try next time.  

We ordered the following:

California Maki - just because I always order this in a Japanese restaurant, haha!

It was okay, it wasn't bad.  But my friend and I prefer the usual California Maki that we are used to which is "dry".  This has some kine of a sauce over it.

Salmon Sashimi Salad - I know my friend loves Sashimi so I told her to get some.  She chose this salad.  I haven't mastered the art of eating (and appreciating) Sashimi. . . but I know how a fresh fish looks like.  I was impressed with the freshness of the Salmon!  I did try this salad (just the lettuce leaves) and the dressing was good.  The salad was light and refreshing.  

How nice the color of the fish ano?

Tonkatsu Curry - the restaurant's popular item is actually Cheese Tonkatsu.  It is a tonkatsu filled with mozzarella cheese.  But we weren't in the mood to be more adventurous with our tonkatsu, so we just ordered the Tonkatsu Curry. 

Big serving!

And because we were on a food trip and it was a Japanese-Korean resto, we had to get something Korean, haha!  So, we ordered the Soy Garlic Chicken.  I find it quite expensive though (half chicken for Php 400) but we loved it and will come back for this!  ( I haven't tried Bon Chon so I guess I have to try that first to compare these two)  

If you are in Clark and you are looking for a place to eat and you feel like eating Japanese (or Korean), you might want to try Zenco restaurant. =)

Zenco Restaurant

Pavilion 6A, Bertaphil, Clark Center

Jose Abad Santos Ave.

Clark Freeport Zone

Pampanga

Tel. No. (045) 499 0171

*near Gold's Gym and Koko Buri Restaurant (if I remember it right, haha)

For more details, please visit their FB page.

Pampanga Eats: Comfort Food at Tollhouse

Comfort Food to me means food that well. . . give us comfort, haha!  It is something we love to eat because it makes us feel better or they are tied to a certain happy memory.  All these things I've mentioned sum up what we had for lunch today at Tollhouse, one of our local favorite eating places in Pampanga.

Side story. . .

In my lifetime, I only attended one JS prom.  I had one when I was a Junior in High School.  I could have attended a second one, if only I said yes to that nice guy (from another school) who asked me but I was too shy to say yes!  There are two things I remember from that Prom night.  

First, my prom date.  I attended an All-Girls Catholic High School so I really don't know any boys I can ask for the prom!  But thanks to my best friend, it wasn't a problem at all!  What happened was my bestfriend and I swapped (elder) brothers, haha! But I got a better bargain because I sort of had a little crush on her brother.  *sheepish smile here*

Second, the caterer which is Tollhouse.  I know, of all things to remember, right?!  Haha!  I remember loving their Baked Macaroni!  During those times (in the 90s), Tollhouse was actually famous (still is) for this comfort food.  

So my sister and I thought of revisiting Tollhouse (they opened a branch in Marquee mall) today for lunch and ordered their Baked Macaroni of course. . . 

It was okay, I remember it being cheesier though.  This Baked Mac is done the Filipino way so it is sweetish.  I can say that it is still good since it is picky eater/toddler-approved!  The Princess loved the Bechamel sauce. 

I ordered Pancit Canton for the Princess (she loves noodles!) - it was on the salty side but it still tastes good, haha!  But we just took it home so we can "work" on it.

And my sister had a Combination BBQ . . . which tastes good though I wish the meat was more tender.

It came with a small serving of Macaroni which looked ho-hum BUT it is surprisingly good, haha!

I ordered Tropical Chicken too because to me, this is comfort food at its best. . . creamy chicken with mashed potatoes!

The Pork Thai Fried Rice in the menu sounded good and something we don't usually order except in a Thai restaurant, haha!  So we tried it.

And it was GOOOOOD!!!!  Our top pick for lunch today!

How do I describe food in Tollhouse?  It is something you would eat at a friend's house and cooked by Mom . . .and that makes it special. =)  That to me counts as comfort food.  

There were just 3 of us so it goes without saying that we had leftovers for dinner! Haha!

Another thing I love about it is you get your money's worth.  For the price you pay and for the kind of food you get, it is worth it! Our total bill (all these food plus 2 soda)  was Php 605 (US$ 14) only!  

There are other items in the menu that are worth trying which only means. . . we are definitely going back.

For more details about Tollhouse, please visit their FB page

You may visit their branches at:

Main Branch - Sto. Rosario St., Angeles City (Tel. No. 045-323-4162)

Marquee Mall branch - located at Ground Floor, near KFC

Turning Japanese!

I've always wondered what the waiters and waitresses yell when you enter a Japanese restaurant (and I noticed that they yell together too, haha!).  It sounds like "Ashamaysashe"???!  

Just in case you're wondering too, here's the answer! 

The word is "Irasshaimase!"  It means "Welcome to the store" or "Come In" (Source)

My sister and I tried NIJI Japanese Restaurant in Angeles City (near Clark).  You know that it's a good Japanese restaurant when you see Japanese people eating there, haha!  Before we went there, I googled for some restaurant reviews and I must say, I was satisfied with what I've read that I think the place is worth a visit.   

The restaurant has an extensive menu.  It was so wide that it was overwhelming.  I just gave up and asked our waitress for her suggestions, haha!

It's a big and heavy menu (literally!)

I think there were 12 pages!  See the picture?!

We had the following:

Seafood Croquette
It was okay.  The dip that went with this dish was the Tonkatsu sauce.
We prefer dipping it in Japanese Mayo.

Forgot the name of this Maki but it is one of their bestsellers.
It looks good  right?  But I'll order a California Maki next time, haha!
The Japanese Mayo wasn't just tasty and creamy enough for me.
(The Mayo just doesn't taste like Kewpie's to me)

I loved their Tempura!  If you like a crunchy batter, this is for you.I will definitely order this again!

Sorry, I wasn't able to get the name of this dish.
It has pork strips, tofu (I love tofu!) that has a savory and spicy sauce.
My sister and I loved this too!

Btw, they have good fried rice too!  My sister and I don't eat Sushi and Sashimi but I read from some reviews that their Sushi and Sashimi are fresh.

In case you are in Angeles City and feel like eating some good Japanese food, Niji Restaurant is a good place to satisfy your cravings.  It's located at Don Juico Avenue, Friendship, Angeles City.

By the way, they just opened a branch in San Fernando (along McArthur Highway, near St. Scholastica's Academy).   Good news is, it's near our place!  (Woohoo!)  This only means one thing. . . time to try the other dishes in their menu! Haha!

Hope you had a good weekend!

Sayonara and Goodnight =)

Carbo loading

at C' . . .again! (blogged about C' Italian Dining in a previous post)

Enjoyed this pesto dip with a basket of warm bread.  C' bakes their own bread and sells them too.  I can eat this everyday!

Panizza Kristina . . . again!  You won't feel guilty (too guilty, haha!) eating pizza because the crust is too thin and you get to eat your greens!  

And for the Ate, we ordered this beautiful plate of Spaghetti and Meatballs which she loved.  I am not really fond of meatballs but I like the chunky tomato sauce.  Hubby said he had better Meatballs.  

And if there is one pasta I can't get enough of and I highly recommend (especially if you love white-sauce pasta), it's Pasta Roberto!    I think I'm going to order this every time I go to C'!

For dessert, the choices were Lemon Cheesecake, Creme Brulee and Tiramisu.  I never had a Lemon Cheesecake but was afraid to try (I'm not really fond of lemons).  Since I'm a coffee lover, I went for the Tiramisu.

Well, we should have tried the Lemon Cheesecake, haha! It wasn't bad. I was just looking for a richer coffee flavor.

By the way, the restaurant's branch along Don Juico Avenue (along Friendship Road in Clark) burned down. You can still enjoy C's food at the other branch which sits in the lot where Petron Gas Station is (along Jose Abad Santos Avenue in Clarkfield, Pampanga.)  Since this is a smaller branch, it has a limited menu.

I've also read (in www.femalnetwork.com) that they opened a branch in Manila, located at City Golf Plaza, Dona Julia Vargas Ave., Ortigas, Pasig City.  (Contact no. 0917-859-0583).

If you haven't tried C's Panizza (and Pasta Roberto), you should! =)

Mangiamo!   (pronounced as mahn-DJYAH-moh---means "Let's eat" in Italian)

Food Tripping Sunday

I am sure that all of us look forward to weekends!  It is a chance to rest and recharge, a time to go out and eat, or catch up with friends or family. . . and that's what my sister and I and our cousin A did last Sunday.  Ate joined in the fun too! =)

There are several restaurants in Angeles City (which is about 15 kms away from our city) which we've been meaning to try so it took us some time to decide where. (Women!)  So after deliberating (we take our food seriously, haha!), we opted to go to CISAN'S which serves Thai food.

Photo was taken in dark lighting as it was taken when we were about to leave 

I love the restaurant's colors, the simple and modern interiors, and its bright atmosphere! =)

Since we got there late in the afternoon, we just ordered pica-pica.

Left to right (clockwise) - Fresh Spring Rolls (Php 195), Prawn Cakes (Php 295), 

Pad Thai (Php 275) and Chicken Satay (Php 225)

Everything was good.  I enjoyed the Chicken Satay (it was tender, juicy and flavorful) and Pad Thai (okay there are better Pad Thais I've tasted and I know this looks simple BUT I actually enjoyed eating it!  Haha!) the most!  I could have enjoyed the Spring Rolls more if the dip that came with it was the vinegary and sweetish type of dip I usually get in a Vietnamese restaurant (I know, but I was in a Thai restaurant, haha!).  This came with a peanut sauce dip, the same dip used for the Chicken satay.  And my least favorite was the Prawn Cakes.  They weren't bad, they were actually full of shrimp flavor but they were  a tad too toasted.

Overall, I am happy to have found a place near us that can satisfy our Thai food cravings.  We loved the food, the place, service was okay.  We will definitely go back and actually, I already know what to order in our next visit!  Heehee

I have to say though that they have a limited menu (like they don't even have the Thai staples like Pineapple Fried Rice or Chicken Pandan!) and I hope they can add more items in it.   

As for dessert, we saved some room for it!  We always do!  Haha!  For dessert, we already know where to go . . . CIOCCOLO!  We had a good Caramel Macchiato (we like it better than Starbucks!) and our forever favorite Ferrero Cake!  (This cake is Perfection!)

Layers of sinful  goodness - Chocolate cake, Chocolate fudge and Chocolate Mousse

It was indeed a filling Sunday!  One that is filled with good food and fun company. . . a good way to cap our weekend!  Until our next foodie adventure!

CISAN'S

Nepo Quad, Angeles City

FB Page

CIOCCOLO

Royal Garden Estate,

Friendship Circumferential Road

Angeles City

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