coleslaw – Jellybeans in the City

Holiday Epic Feast for the fam at Peri-Peri Charcoal Chicken & Sauce Bar, Eastwood Mall

Hooray for the holidays!

We’re now at the final stretch of the year and it’s time to slow down and spend time with the people we love.

If we’ve been too busy hustlin’ and bustlin’ over the course of this year to catch up with our folks over a good meal, this period gives us the perfect opportunity to do so.

That’s exactly what I did with my extended fam at the Peri Peri Charcoal Chicken & Sauce Bar branch at Eastwood Mall in Libis, Quezon City.

Here, my folks and I enjoyed a laid-back and comfy setting in which we can let loose and go on a fabulous flavor adventure together.

And with its Holiday Epic Feast Chicken & Riblet Grupo, a delicious curation of the restaurant’s best-selling specialties, there’s something for every family member to discover and love.

Of course, the star of this feast is the restaurant’s very own speciality: the Peri-Peri Chicken. This dish originates all the way from Africa, where peri-peri, the pepper which lends the dish its name is cultivated. Together with other spices and herbs, this pepper flavors the special mixture where a whole chicken is marinated overnight, then charcoal-grilled to a gloriously golden hue prior to serving, accompanied slices of lime.

The restaurant is also known as a sauce bar, and rightly so, given that it carries eight signature sauces, all made with natural ingredients, to add new dimensions of flavor to its signature chicken dish. Representing various international flavor profiles, the sauces range from mildly sweet, to medium spiciness and hot. Diners can choose any of these sauces (or mix and match them!) to tailor-fit their meal to their palate.

Well, the flavor adventure doesn’t stop there. The feast also features hefty hunks of BBQ Bourbon Riblets, tender and meaty barbecued ribs glazed in smokey bourbon infused sauce.

Being a lightly-spiced rice dish, Java Rice is the perfect companion to grilled and barbecued dishes. This feast brings eight cups of them, guaranteeing a filling meal for the whole fam!

Here’s a confession: half the pleasure of eating grilled meat is wolfing it down between bites of one’s favorite side dish. For the eight regular side dishes included in the Holiday Epic Feast, I opted to include the fam’s all-time go-to side dishes: Bacon Mac ‘n Cheese, Coleslaw, Fries and Mashed Potatoes.

Completing the meal are a liter each of the restaurant’s refreshing house-blend drinks: Iced Tea and Lemonade.

Would you believe that you too could treat the fam to such a deliciously filling Holiday Epic Feast for just Php1,999, saving you Php620? This meal is good for eight to ten persons, giving you the perfect opportunity to gather your nears-and-dears and enjoy a lovely meal.

Planning a more intimate get-together with the barkada? You can opt for the Holiday Epic Feast Chicken & Pasta Grupo, good for four to five persons for Php1,399 (which saves you Php255). This meal includes one whole chicken, one pasta to share, four cups of Java Rice, four regular side dishes and one liter of houseblend drink.

This Peri-Peri Charcoal Chicken & Sauce Bar is located at the Second Floor, Eastwood Mall, 116 Eastwood Avenue, Eastwood City, Bagumbayan, Quezon City, open Mondays to Thursdays from 11am to 11pm, Fridays to Saturdays from 11am to 12am and Sundays from 10am to 11pm.

Other Peri-Peri Charcoal Chicken & Sauce Bar outlets are located at:

Las Pinas: Evia Lifestyle Center
Makati: Ayala North Exchange, Greenbelt 3
Mandaluyong: SM Megamall
Manila: Robinsons Place Manila
Marikina: SM City Marikina, Gil Fernando Avenue
Muntinlupa: Alabang Town Center
Paranaque: Ayala Malls Manila Bay
Pasay: Resorts World Manila
Pasig: SM City East Ortigas, Ayala Malls Feliz, Capitol Commons, Robinsons Galleria
Quezon City: Gateway Mall, Robinsons Magnolia, UP Town Center, Trinoma Mall, Banawe, Brittany Square
San Juan: Promenade Greenhills
Taguig: Uptown Parade BGC, Market! Market BGC, Venice Grand Mall

To enjoy this feast at home, order from Peri-Peri Charcoal Chicken’s delivery website or call +63 2 73747374 for Metro Manila orders and +63 917 7747374 for provincial orders.

To know more about Peri-Peri Charcoal Chicken, browse through its website , or follow it on Facebook and Instagram.

Check out my previous posts on Peri-Peri Charcoal Chicken:

Peri Peri Chicken, SM East — Peri-Peri Charcoal Chicken, SM City East Ortigas

Peri-Peri Charcoal Chicken, Tomas Morato

Peri-Peri Charcoal Chicken, Capitol Commons

Peri-Peri Charcoal Chicken & Sauce Bar, Gil Fernando Marikina

Delish family dine-in with Peri-Peri Charcoal Chicken’s Hearty Flavor Feast

Fam faves at RACKS, Entertainment City

Now, why would my Pasig City-based family be in this restaurant on the other end of the metro on a weekend?

The answer’s pretty simple: we just finished a round of shopping at the IKEA nearby and we didn’t want to wait in line for its in-store restaurant.

Having espied this RACKS branch upon leaving the furniture store, I just knew that this is where the fam can sate our hunger quite happily. After all, eating at RACKS is always something the entire family agrees on.

Here are three reasons why:

1. It’s a place for casual and comfortable dining.

Surprisingly, RACKS is a homegrown brand but the look and feel of the restaurant is of the American Southwest from the wide and open layout, brick architectural features and farm-style decor, among others.

Smoking meat, essentially barbecue, after all, is an American tradition.

However, RACKS was actually launched by auto magnate Wellington Soong, exclusive distributor of Jaguar, Land Rover and Maserati in the 90s. It was then acquired by the Prieto family (the same group behind Shakeys, Tia Maria and Via Mare, among others) in the mid-2000s.

The new owners instigated some changes, such as transitioning the look of the restaurants from the all-white, country-style theme, to a more homey farmhouse style which is still in place in all of its outlets in the country, this branch included.

2. Its signature barbecue sauces just makes everything better.

Among the things RACKS is known for is its own-brand barbecue sauces. Available in two variants – Original and Extra Hot – these sauces are the perfect condiments to bring out the flavors or RACKS smoked ribs.

These sauces accompanies all orders in the restaurant but can also be bought by the bottle for Php340.

(Cooking hack: my mom also uses it as a marinade for her Crispy Tadyang recipe.)

3. Our family already has its go-to orders here.

Having patronized RACKS since its launch in the 90s (Hubby and I even had a few of our dinner dates in some branches), it’s no wonder that we have established our fast faves from its menu.

Our meal, of course, is centered around RACKS’ Classic Pork Ribs (Php495 quarter | Php775 half | Php1,565). Hickory-smoked in a blend of herbs and spices to achieve that rich and smokey flavor. Given the appetites of my family members, only a full rack can satisfy us.

Our order of Classic Pork Ribs is served with a two side dishes and we opted for our faves, tangy Coleslaw for Hubby and myself and snackable Mac ‘n Cheese for the kiddos.

In other restaurants, we could have had an appetizer of a plate of onion rings but not in RACKS. Oh, mo! Here, we start our meal with a sizable Onion Brick (Php345).

Our meal also includes our preferred grains: Java Rice (Php85 single | Php425 platter) for Hubby and the kids, and Garlic Rice (Php85 single | Php425 platter) for me.

Completing our meal is a Pitcher of House-blend Iced Tea (Php295).

Is it any wonder the fam tends to gravitate towards RACKS for a fuss-free yet delicious family meal?

This branch is located at Aseana Square, Entertainment City, Diosdado Macapagal Blvd, Tambo, Parañaque.

Other Metro Manila branches are located at:

Las Pinas: SM Southmall, Evia Lifestyle Center
Makati: Paseo de Magallanes
Mandaluyong: SM Megamall
Manila: Robinsons Place Ermita
Muntinlupa: Festival Mall
Paranaque:
Pasay: SM Mall of Asia
Pasig: Tiendesitas
Quezon City: UP Town Center, Timog Avenue, Trinoma Mall, SM North EDSA
San Juan: Greenhills Shopping Center
Taguig: The Fort Strip

To know more about RACKS or to order online, visit its website. To stay updated on its promos and offers, follow it on Facebook and Instagram.

Raintree’s #ValentineFoodCrawl: Chicken in Love Set at Pak! Pak! Chicken, BGC

Love is in the air, and it’s even more prevalent in Bonifacio High Street where Raintree restaurants have unveiled their Valentine’s Day promo and deals.

Raintree Hospitality Group brings fresh and exciting hospitality concepts, including hotels, food courts and restaurants. The newest among the innovative restaurant concepts it developed is Pak! Pak! Chicken.

At Pak! Pak! Chicken, you can expect crispy fried chicken pieces in strong delicious tastes, you’d feel like you’re being slapped with flavor… Pak! Pak!

Check out some of its fried chicken variants:

Crispy Original + Gravy (Php260/6pcs | Php450/12pcs),

Sweet Soy Garlic (Php260/6pcs | Php450/12pcs),

Garlic Herb Parmesan (Php295/6pcs | Php540/12pcs),

Old Skool Buffalo (Php335/6pcs | Php595/12pcs).

Other variants include: Takoyaki, Smokey Hickory BBQ, Singaporean Style Black Pepper, Po’s Orange Chicken and Korean Fire Pepper.

You can also enjoy these flavors in chicken wings.

Want to make a complete meal? Pair your Pak! Pak! Chicken with sides:

Japanese Chahan Fried Rice (Php140 solo | Php350 family).

Garlic Herb Yakisoba (Php135 solo | Php275 family).

Creamy Kimchi Coleslaw (Php175).

Pak! Pak! Chicken also has a special treat for its customers this month of hearts: it’s Chicken in Love Set! A special set of your choice of two chicken flavors plus Kimchi Coleslaw, Garlic Noodles or Chahan Fried Rice for just Php775, it’s great for sharing for two people.

So go ahead and plan your Valentine date at Pak! Pak! Chicken! This offer is available within February only.

Pak! Pak! Chicken is located inside Motto Motto, Ground Floor, Serendra, Bonifacio Global City, Taguig City, open for takeout on weekdays and for dine-in on weekends. For inquiries and reservations, call +63 917 8440219 or send a message via Facebook or Instagram. Payments via cash, GCash, credit and debit cards are accepted.

Pak! Pak! Chicken also delivers via FoodPanda.

Check out my blog posts on other Raintree restaurants:

#TheBistroGroup Trinoma Food Crawl: TGI Friday’s

Don’t you sometimes have those days when you’ve got a monster-sized appetite and only big slabs of meat or platters of pasta will do?

On such days, you should head straight to TGI Friday’s!

TGI Friday’s started as a bar at the corner of 63rd and First in New York City in the 1960s where everyday felt like Friday. Today, it still serves up delicious American dishes right off the grill and beer fresh from the tap for groups of friends to enjoy in 931 restaurants in over sixty countries.

In the Philippines, it is managed by The Bistro Group, a collection of imported and home-grown hospitality brands.

In response to the need of the times, The Bistro Group has instituted safety protocols for safe dining-in at its restaurants. These include: regular health checks for all its personnel, compliance of all outdoor and indoor seating to physical distancing guidelines, hand sanitizers available at the entrance and on every table, as well as contactless menu ordering and payment.

These protocols require diners to submit to temperature checks, provide contact tracing details and using the hand sanitizers and sanitation mats prior to entering the restaurant premises, as well as wearing their personal protective equipment (PPEs) while inside. Would-be diners who exhibit COVID-19 symptoms or have been exposed to people who do, have underlying health conditions or have concerns about contracting the disease when dining out are advised to stay home and avail of the restaurant’s contactless delivery options.

While observing these safety measures during our epic #TrinomaFoodCrawl, my foodie friends and I were able to enjoy an hearty all-American feast which consisted of:

Southern Platter (Php2,195). A filling combination of Baby Back Ribs, Cajun Chicken, Grilled Andouille and Grilled Baguette with sides of Coleslaw, Mac & Cheese and rice.

Truffle Bacon & Mushroom (Php495). Pasta tossed with shiitake mushrooms, mozarella, smoked gouda, bacon bits and truffle aoili.

Guess who left the table full and happy: me, that’s who!

Get your fill of TGI Friday’s hearty dishes with its exciting offers:

BFF Bundle: Fish & Chips + Tomato Arugula Pasta + 2 pcs Pacific Grilled Porkchop (Php1,295).
Buy One Get One Everyday: 2 pcs Signature JD Porkchop + Truffle Bacon & Mushroom Pizza (Php950), Three-Meat Platter + Scallops and Scampi (Php1,895), Signature JD Salmon + Tomato Arugula Pasta

You can also get great savings with the BFF Card, The Bistro Group’s loyalty program that gives members exclusive perks across 15 restaurant brands such as:

30% off on Mondays
20% off on Tuesdays
Complimentary coffee or hot tea single-serve with entree purchase
Online seats reservation
Six Php250 e-vouchers with minimum purchase of Php1,000 per voucher

This TGI Friday’s branch is located at Fourth Floor, Trinoma Mall, Bagong Pag-Asa, Quezon City, open daily from 11am to 8pm.

Other branches are located at:

Eastwood Citywalk 1, Libis, Quezon City
Level 2, Robinsons Galleria, Ortigas, Quezon City
B4, Bonifacio High Street, 9th Avenue, Bonifacio Global City, Taguig City
Ground Floor, Venice Grand Canal Mall, McKinley Hill, Taguig City
Ground Floor, Hotel Rembrandt, Tomas Morato Avenue Corner Scout Bayoran Street, South Triangle, Quezon City
Second Floor, Glorietta 3, Ayala Center, Glorietta Complex, Makati City
Level 3, Greenbelt 3, Ayala Center, Greenbelt, Makati City
Ground Floor, Midtown Wing, Robinsons Place Manila, Ermita, Manila
Ground Floor, Entertainment Mall, SM Mall of Asia, Mall of Asia Complex (MOA), Pasay City
Central Garden, Ayala Fairview Terraces, Maligaya Road Corner Quirino Highway, Novaliches, Quezon City
Second Floor, Alabang Town Center, Alabang, Muntinlupa City
Evia Lifestyle Center, Daang Hari Road, Almanza, Las Piñas City
Upper Ground Floor, Main Mall, Ayala Malls Circuit, Carmona, Makati City

TGI Friday’s delivers via GrabFood and FoodPanda.

Check out my posts about other restos of The Bistro Group:

Classic Pork BBQ Ribs at RACKS,Tiendesitas

Certified carnivores like Hubby, my daughter #ExhibitA and myself have a special affinity for RACKS.

This resto chain’s name stands for Real American Country Kitchen Style, so you can expect Southern-style hearty servings and rich flavors from down-home recipes, and what they claim to be “The Best Ribs in town.”

It is no wonder, then, that the fam would want to spend lunchtime at the newly opened branch of RACKS at Tiendesitas, which is nearest to our home.

There, we shared a meal comprised of:

The Onion Brick (Php295). Thinly sliced, marinated and lightly-breaded onion rings deep-fried to a crisp into a brick shape then served with a spicy remoulade and barbecue sauce. This particular iteration of the dish was a bit too oily, though, compared to the other times we had this dish.

Classic Pork Ribs (Php455 quarter rack | Php685 half rack |Php1,315 full rack). Slow-cooked to tender and smokey perfection, these meaty cuts of pork ribs never fail to appeal to us. We originally planned on getting just one half rack but we felt a bit bitin so we ended up ordering another half rack. I guess we were quite ravenous that day!

I prefer to eat my RACKS Classic Pork Ribs with Garlic Rice and Coleslaw while Hubby and Exhibit A prefer their ribs with Java Rice and Mac & Cheese.

Of course, these ribs are best enjoyed with RACKS’ Original Barbecue Sauce!

Another filling and hearty family meal done!

This Racks branch is located at Ground Floor, Building B, Frontera Verde, Ugong, Pasig City.

Craving for RACKS’ Classic Pork Ribs but stuck at home due to the enhanced community quarantine? You’d be happy to know that you can enjoy it at home by having RACKS’ frozen meats delivered from either its Tiendesitas branch or Paseo de Magallanes branch. Available meats include: Baby Ribs (Php1,733 for two full slabs), Classic Pork Ribs (Php1,381 for full rack), Premium Boneless Pork Ribs (Php1,403 for full rack) and Beef Ribs (Php1,485 for full rack). RACKS’ Original BBQ Sauce and Extra Hot BBQ Sauce are also available Php325 per bottle.

These are available for pick-up via walk-in (just call ahead of time to avoid long queues: +63 2 82341604 for Tiendesitas or +63 2 88215797 for Paseo de Magallanes) or for delivery via GrabFood or Food Panda.

Download the Grab App on the App Store or Google Play. Get a discount on your first food order when you use my code: GRABJELLYBEANS.

Use this link to download the FoodPanda app and get Php100 off your first order.

Other Racks branches in the metro are located at

SM Megamall, Ortigas, Mandaluyong
Connecticut Carpark Arcade, Greenhills Shopping Center, San Juan
The Fort Strip, Bonifacio Global City, Taguig
UP Town Center, Diliman, Quezon City
Timog Avenue, Laging Handa, Quezon City
Trinoma Mall, Bagong Pag-Asa, Quezon City
SM North EDSA, Bago Bantay, Quezon City
South Park Plaza, Magallanes, Makati City
Robinsons Place Manila, Ermita, Manila
ASEANA Square, Entertainment City, Paranaque
Entertainment Mall, SM Mall of Asia, Pasay City
SM Southmall, Almanza, Las Pinas
Evia Lifestyle Center, Almanza, Las Pinas
Festival Mall, Filinvest City, Muntinlupa

Check out my reviews about other restaurants serving American food:

Filling family lunch at Peri-Peri, Eastwood

Peri-peri (also spelled as piri-piri or pili-pili), is a type of chili that is grown in Southeastern Africa, taking its name from the Swahili term for “pepper.” Also known as the African bird’s eye chili, its cultivation and culinary use was spread by the Portuguese to their Indian territories.

When combined with salt, garlic, lemon, oil and vinegar into a sauce, called the peri-peri sauce, it provides a distinctive flavor to the chicken dish that also bears its name.

At Peri-Peri Charcoal Chicken, the chickens are trimmed of excess fat and marinated for 24 hours to achieve a tender and juicy meat before grilling, giving diners an explosion of spice and smokiness with every bite. Despite its exotic food offerings, Peri-Peri is actually a home-grown brand, part of the I-Foods, Inc. group, and has been in operation for over decade.

During a weekend shopping trip at the Eastwood City Mall, the family stopped over at this restaurant for lunch. We ordered:

Mozarella Sticks (Php150), served with marinara sauce and Ceasar dip. These crunchy sticks whetted our appetite for more.
Quarter chicken with Java Rice (Php195) for the little boy who is not so into side dishes.
Quarter chicken with Java Rice and Coleslaw (Php230) and a side of Hummus (Php65) for his dad.
Quarter chicken with Tortilla and Coleslaw (Php230) for me.
Quarter chicken with Java Rice and Bacon Mac & Cheese (Php240) for my soon-to-be college girl.
A carafe of cucumber lemonade (Php160), a really refreshing thirst-quencher during that hot day.

The array of side dishes we ordered and the sauces we chose from speak to the versatility of the peri-peri chicken in terms of taste. It can go well with rice or tortilla, accentuated by hummus or coleslaw.

View this post on Instagram

Had a #happylunch with the fam at @pericharcoalph. Highlights were the juicy and tender chicken and the refreshing cucumber lemonade. Review coming soon at beingjellybeans.wordpress.com. #periperichicken #foodie #foodgasm #zomatoph #zomatophfoodie #zomato #beingjellybeans

A post shared by Jellybeans in the City (@beingjellybeans) on Apr 29, 2018 at 9:23pm PDT

All in all, the variety in taste and texture made for a filling family lunch.

This Peri-Peri Charcoal Chicken is located at 2nd Floor, Eastwood City Mall, Libis, Quezon City. For reservations, call +63 2 4706884.

Other branches in Metro Manila are located in:

Alabang: Evia Lifestyle Center along Daang Hari Road (Tel: +63 2 8381016) and Lower Ground Floor, Alabang Town Center (Tel: +63 905 1113747)
Taguig: Ground Floor, Uptown Parade, Bonifacio Global City (Tel: +63 2 7174408) and Ground Floor, Venice Piazza, McKinley Hill (Tel: +63 917 4222097)
Pasig: Capitol Commons, Shaw Boulevard cor Meralco Avenue (Tel: +63 2 6560518) and in Ayala Malls Feliz, Dela Paz
Marikina: Ground Floor, SM City Marikina along Marcos Highway
Mandaluyong: Fourth Floor Building A and Third Floor Bridgeway, SM Megamall in Ortigas (Tel: +63 2 9412511)
San Juan: Second Floor, Promenade, Greenhills Shopping Center, Greenhills (Tel: +63 2 6558355)
Makati: Level 3, Greenbelt 3, Ayala Center (Tel: +63 915 4055614)
Quezon City: Third Floor, Gateway Mall, Araneta Center, Cubao (Tel: +63 2 2934947), Ground Floor, UP Town Center, Katipunan Avenue, Diliman (Tel: +63 2 2838917), Ground Floor, Trinoma Mall, Baging Pag-asa (Tel: +63 2 7184391) and Ground Floor, Brittany Square, Belfast Road corner Mindanao Avenue, Novaliches
Manila: Ground Floor, Robinsons Place Manila, Ermita

Learn more about South African cuisine by checking out these books on Amazon.com!

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