salt and pepper squid – Jellybeans in the City

Savor Asian flavors at Hawker Lane, SM Megamall

If you’re craving for the bold flavors of Asian cuisine, Hawker Lane at the Eatogether Food Hall in SM Megamall should be right up your alley.

Inspired by the hawker centers in Singapore where tasty Asian dishes and more are sold from stalls inside these large food courts, Hawker Lane brings the the same vibrant colors, textures and flavors to its diners.

Together with fellow foodies last weekend, I headed to Eatogether Food Hall to sample some of its signature dishes which include:

Deep-fried Salt and Pepper Squid (Php290 ala carte | Php220 with rice). A Cantonese dish made with pieces of squid which are deep-fried and tossed in a mixture of garlic, ginger and hot peppers.

Fish Fillet Tofu Claypot (Php220 ala carte | Php180 with rice). Another authentic Chinese dish made with shallow-fried fish fillets braised together with tofu in a flavorful sauce and served in a claypot.

Crispy Fried Garlic Chicken (Php300 ala carte | Php240 with rice). Chinese-style crispy fried chicken infused with the flavor of garlic.

Theses dishes surely sated my cravings for bold tastes and textures!

Want to have your own taste of Asia? Drop by Hawker Lane!

This Hawker Lane branch is located at Eatogether Food Hall, Second Floor, Eatogether Food Hall, SM Megamall Building A, Ortigas Center, Mandaluyong City.

Another branch is located at Eatogether Food Hall, Second Floor, Unimart Supermarket, Oranbo, Pasig City.

Disclosure: I attended a food-tasting here together with fellow foodies. All food items mentioned here were served for us to sample the fare and elicit our honest feedback.

Check out my posts on other stalls at Eatogether Food Hall:

Culinary journey at Pandan Asian Cafe, Tomas Morato

Part of the fun of traveling is the eating the local food. By tasting the signature dishes of the locale – see what flavors the people savor, how they use available ingredients and more – you get to learn much about their culture and history.

Sadly, I haven’t been able to travel to our neighboring countries in Southeast Asia, as other priorities got in the way. However, there is a way to get a taste of Southeast Asian flavors, thanks to Pandan Asian Cafe.

One of the recent ventures by Chef Mike Sarthou (or more widely known as Chef Tatung), Pandan Asian Cafe brings iconic Southeast Asian dishes to Quezon City’s dining public.

The resto is situated where Lazat Fil-Asian Restaurant & Bar used to be. It maximized the place’s open and airy layout, adding vibrant greens from decor and plants, which add to the feeling of freshness.

Before the pandemic made itself known, I had lunch here with my officemates. Our Southeast Asian meal consisted of:

Nasi Goreng (Php285). The Malay version of fried rice with chicken, eggs and vegetables and distinctly flavored with sweet soy sauce called kecap manis.

Orange Chicken (Php450). A variation of General Tso’s chicken wherein battered chicken is served drenched in fruity orange sauce.

Salt and Pepper Squid (Php340). The Chinese version of fried calamari wherein squid pieces are covered in light batter, then deep-fried to become crispy on the outside, tender and chewy on the inside.

Sticky Rice (Php210). Traditional Thai dessert of sticky rice in coconut cream sprinkled with sesame seeds and served with mango slices.

Iced Vietnamese Coffee (Php160). Also known as ca phe da, it is made by allowing hot water to drip through medium to coarse-ground dark-roasted Vietnamese-grown coffee beans into condensed milk then stirring with crushed ice.

I’m glad with the break from the usual lunch fare that Pandan Asian Cafe provided our group. I just found the portions a little small.

During the ECQ, the resto temporarily halted its operations but re-opened last July. It also expanded its offers to include party platters of its best-selling dishes for takeout or delivery.

So if you feel like expanding your culinary horizons, drop by or order a food tray to go.

Pandan Asian Cafe is located at 76 Scout Limbaga Street, Laging Handa, Quezon City, open daily from 11am to 11pm. For inquiries, reservations or delivery requests, call +63 2 83550998, +63 2 83515279 or +63 917 7748999.

Chinoy lunch fest at North Park, Tomas Morato

I may have said this several times before: the workday lunch hour is a sacred time.

It is that one spot in the day wherein people can pause their daily labors, recharge their batteries by resting and refueling, and maybe even spend time with their coworkers.

One busy workday, I went to North Park Noodle House in Tomas Morato with a few of my officemates to spend our lunchtime with good food and good company.

For over twenty-five years, North Park has been the destination of Pinoy foodies who want Chinese food in large servings that they can share and enjoy with family and friends. The dishes that this restaurant chain offers may not be strictly true to their Chinese origins but they features tastes and textures that we have grown to love.

For our lunchtime food fest, my coworkers and I feasted on:

Century Egg and Jellyfish Salad (Php188).

Yang Chow Fried Rice (Php203).

Taiwan Pechay with Black Mushroom and Pacific Clams in Garlic Sauce (Php238).

Salt and Pepper Spare Ribs (Php238).

Salted Garlic Squid (Php258).

Sweet and Sour Fish Fillet (Php278).

Boneless Honey Lemon Chicken (Php238).

There’s nothing like a fine time spent with great people and great food!

This North Park branch is located at Tomas Morato corner Lazcano Street, Barangay Laging Handa, Quezon City.

Want some Chinoy food goodies but can’t go to North Park because of the enhanced community quarantine?

North Park Noodles delivers through its delivery hotline +63 2 87373737, through its website, and through GrabFood.

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.

Other branches in the metro are located at:

Pasig: The Strip Commercial Complex Ortigas
Mandaluyong: Greenfield District
Quezon City: SM Hypermarket Cubao, G. Araneta Avenue, Trinoma Mall, Banawe, Tandang Sora, Ayala Fairview Terraces, Eton Centris
Taguig: Market! Market!, SM Hypermarket FTI
San Juan: P. Guevarra Street (opposite Petron)
Makati: Makati corner Kalayaan Avenue, Glorietta 3, Salcedo Village, Legaspi Village, SM Hypermarket Market
Paranaque: SM City Bicutan, ASEANA Square
Manila: Manila Ocean Park
Pasay: Mall of Asia Arena Parking Building
Valenzuela: South Supermarket
Alabang: Alabang Town Center, South Supermarket
Muntinlupa: SM Center Muntinlupa

Check out my reviews of other Asian restaurants:

A delicious taste of Asia at KopiChan, Cubao

Cubao in Quezon City is a hustlin’ and bustlin’ place with various malls, shopping centers and bus stations in the vicinity.

Well, there’s a piece of good news for the hungry shopper or commuter in this area as a new and exciting restaurant just opened last month.

KopiChan translates to “coffee eatery.” It’s a place to have a sip of coffee while munching on some tasty and affordable Asian dishes.

The restaurant is styled after the old-timey Chinese restaurants in Binondo which are near and dear to us Pinoys, albeit with a few modern and colorful touches.

Together with my fellow foodies, I got a taste of its food offerings crafted by Chef Isaac Bravo and his team, which include:

Kung Pao Chicken (Php218 for solo | Php398 for sharing). Tender fried chicken fillets tossed with peanuts in a sauce made of sweet chili and soy sauce.

Soy Chicken (Php178 for solo | Php335 for sharing). Poached chicken leg in soy sauce with steamed bokchoy.

Tausi Beef Ribs (Php278 for solo | Php518 for sharing). Beef ribs with tofu cubes in tausi sauce.

Shrimp Paste Pork Ribs (Php248 for solo | Php458 for sharing). Pork spare ribs marinated in shrimp paste.

Beef Rendang (Php258 for solo | Php498 for sharing). Mildly spicy Indonesian-style beef stew in which the ribs are coconut milk.

Beef Noodle Soup (Php198 for solo | Php378 for sharing). Tender braised beef pieces in beef broth together egg noodles and bokchoy.

KC Spaghetti (Php138 for solo | Php248 for sharing). Spaghetti noodles topped with Asian spaghetti sauce and curry cheese sauce.

Salt and Pepper Squid (Php268 for solo | Php518 for sharing). Lightly battered pieces of fried squid tossed in salt and pepper.

KC Chopsuey (Php188 for solo | Php368 for sharing). Stir-fried mixed vegetables with shrimp, chicken, Chinese sausage and quail eggs in oyster sauce.

Gravy Eggs (Php48 for solo | Php118 for sharing). Hard-boiled eggs in Asian gravy.

Rendang Eggs (Php48 for solo | Php118 for sharing). Soft-boiled eggs in spicy Rendang sauce.

KC Clubhouse (Php218). KopiChan’s take on the clubhouse sandwich with bacon, egg, ham and special KC spread.

Kaya French Toast (Php198). Milk-soaked loaf bread toast topped with kaya spread, condensed milk and served with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

Banana Pancakes (Php258). Pancakes with caramelized bananas and crunchy peanut butter.

Salted Egg Pao (Php98). Steamed salted egg custard bun.

Fried Kaya Buns (Php88). Fried mantou stuffed with kaya custard and served with vanilla ice cream.

KC Sundae (Php178). Three ice cream flavors – salted caramel, cookied and cream and vanilla – topped with crunchy cornflakes.

KopiChan will also launch new items on the menu soon so be on the lookout out for:

Yang Chow with Egg. A sunny side up egg is added to stir-fried rice with Chinese sausage, ham, egg and vegetable.

Nasi Lemak with Beef Rendang and Boiled Egg. A rice meal featuring the fragrant Malaysian rice dish cooked in coconut milk and pandan leaf, accompanied by beef rendang and boiled egg.

Nasi Lemak with Charsiu Belly and Fried Egg. Another take on the nasi lemak, this time as KopiChan’s approximation of the Pinoy tocilog with charsiu pork belly and a sunny side up egg.

Soy Chicken Congee. The Asian style of rice porridge (similar to the Pinoy lugaw) served with a piece of soy chicken.

Enjoy your meal with tasty drinks that the kitchen can whip up for you:

Coffee with Condensed Milk (Php100). KopiChan’s take on the Vietnamese ca phe sua nong but this time, the condensed milk is poured into hot freshly brewed coffee.

Teh Tarik (Php100). The national drink of Malaysia, it is made from strong black tea blended with condensed milk.

Milo Dinosaur (Php135). Also known as Milo Tabur, it is a popular drink in Malaysia and Singapore wherein undissolved Milo powder is added on top of an already prepared iced Milo drink.

Horlicks (Php195). A cold drink flavored with horlicks powder primarily made of malted wheat and malted barley.

With Kopi Chan’s extensive array of affordable Asian food choices, Cubao just got itself a new foodie destination that opens of new worlds of dining for its locals and visitors!

Many thanks to Chef Isaac and team for the delightful meal and the warm welcome and to Harvard of AlwaysHungryPH for extending the invitation.

KopiChan is located at Shopwise Arcade, General Romulo Street, Araneta Center, Cubao, Quezon City, open 24/7. For inquiries and reservations, call +63 2 82515863 or +63 977 7486064.

Disclosure: Together with other food bloggers, I was invited to attend a food tasting held in this restaurant. Food items mentioned here were served to allow us to sample the fare and were not paid for by the attendees, including myself.

Check out my reviews of other Chinese restaurants: