OMG, Chicken Charlie!

I first tried Chicken Charlie via a take out order of drumsticks and wings in soy garlic sauce which i shared with my office mates. We all enjoyed it and even deemed it better than Bon Chon's. I went back a second time this time for a dine-in experience. I always believe that new establishments should be given at least a second try before judging its quality. And it is almost always best to try the food at once while it's still piping hot and freshly served.

Chicken Charlie is the third new chicken place here in Katipunan that opened fairly recently next to BonChon and Manang's Chicken. I've long heard about this being the better but more expensive one and i was actually expecting for a more posh store interiors. But being in its soft opening just yet I am quite okay with their  simple yet tasteful design fit mostly for kids.

They say it's best to pair the chicken with their Bundaberg so i tried it. Uhm, nothing special really except for its novelty. Though it reminds me of the gourmet soda, Boylan which i loved much in New York. But at 90 pesos i find it pretty expensive. It tastes more like your regular root beer. I'll definitely have local sodas next time. 

The yam fries are good, sweet and crispy. And are they supposed to be healthier than the potato fries? I don't know and I didn't care anymore as i went on munching while i waited for my chicken. 

My only problem with Chicken Charlie is that they don't serve two-piece drumsticks. The minimum order is 4 pieces drumstick which is too much for me. They do serve 4-piece chicken wings for 99 pesos but I'm not much of a fan of chicken wings. Well, i ordered it anyway. 

Dum-du-bi-dum while waiting for my 4 piece chicken wings in sweet and spicy sauce...

I waited and thought that it's okay, Bon Chon is more accessible anyway and their 2-piece drumstick costs merely 145 pesos and I would already be happy with that.

And then came my order....

Oh wow! it was hot and steaming, and crispy,  and tasty...it was spicy alright but not too spicy that it could drown all the other flavors. It was really good, i forgot all i thoughts about BonChon and them not serving 2-piece drumsticks. OMG, this is Chicken Charlie, the best fried chicken indeed! 

i heard about people separating the crispy skin from the flesh, meticulously picking them off the bones and setting them aside, carefully biting onto the chicken part chewing them well and picking unto the pile of chicken skin set aside and slowly biting and relishing the crunch, the crisp, the flavors, wow!

before i knew it everything was gone and i was slowly licking my fingers off with leftover sauces and savoring each taste. the battle is over, lol.

Addicting indeed! :p

Chicken Charlie in Katipunan is located at the second floor of the Oracle Building along Katipunan Ave. They also have branches in Banawe, San Juan, Malate and in Paranaque. I'm just really happy they added Katipunan in their list. ;)

The 4-peat Bonfire!

I was going to wear my Ateneo shirt for the day but I had to go to La Salle Greenhills for work/interviews so I decided against it. It kinda felt different being in La Salle grounds but well, that's another story hehe...

I rushed off towards the Ateneo just before 5pm hoping to be there for the Thanksgiving Mass at the Gesu but traffic was really bad from Greenhills to Katipunan starting at the C5 flyover. I alighted at the Gate 2 overpass and walked/ran towards the Gesu. And thankfully, I managed to get there at least before the Eucharist celebration, yay!

There's something so serene, almost magical with Jesuit songs and prayers it's almost making me heady. I dunno, maybe it's the feeling of peacefulness, of familiarity, of home.

After the mass we all walked towards the grade school parking lot for the bonfire celebration. There was the usual throng of people mostly in blue. There were families and moms and dads and even lolos and lolas and kids running around. It was a truly festive celebration. There were people who brought food and some even had catered meals aside from the various food stalls offering different sorts of foodies and even t-shirts and souvenir items.

And it was such a delight being greeted by the hosts a warm "welcome to the annual bonfire celebration!" LOL!

And yes, even if it drizzled a bit we didn't have to trod on muddy soil anymore just like what we experienced during the very first bonfire celebration in the putikan back in 2008.

I wasn't able to queue up this time for autographs since they scheduled the autograph signing earlier that day but hey, look who's got the longest queue of them all!

Happy Lemon milk tea was a sure hit to the Atenistas, I am pretty hoping that Chris Tiu will put up a stall somewhere here as well, yey!

I didn't wait for the actual lighting of the bonfire anymore since I was already tired and I still have an early trip the following day. And the rain started falling heavily I don't how things went anymore. Although i heard the concert went on till almost midnight and there was even a  fireworks display that I could hear from my place. Well anyway, there is always next year, 5-PEAT naman?!!!!

Katipunan is Milk Tea Heaven!

Yes, yes ooh yes!

So after that first time when i had my first taste of milk tea i started looking around my own neighborhood for my cravings, and boy was i never disappointed! Apparently Katipunan is home to several milk tea shops, there's just too many of them that I lost count already. Here's what I've tried so far...

tea.logy

tea.logy, i heard started out in Mercato and has another branch at Il Terrazo in Tomas Morato. I barely noticed this tiny shop when i pass by katipunan since it is located way inside Xanland just beside the Sun Shop. It was then filled with students hanging out and enjoying their pica-pica which they also serve other than the usual varieties of milk tea. I somehow managed to plop myself in some cozy sofa in a corner while deciding what typ of tea to drink this time. This is my usual problem with varieties, choosing what might be the best tasting ones could be hard to do. I somehow played it safe and chose their Honey Cinnamon Milk Tea with grass jelly and 50% sugar. As I've said it tasted safe and sweet and creamy enough. And i love their really cozy interiors i could stay there a long time and read a book or magazines. 

Cha dao

The first tea i ordered at Cha Dao was their Kopiko variant since i found it totally intriguing. "Kopiko" is really just red tea, brown sugar and milk. I am a fan of the Kopiko coffee and brown sugar for drinks so this is a hit for me. I like it too that I could also customize its level of sweetness and as to whether i'd want it on the rocks or shaken with ice. I have also tried their wintermelon and their assam. I could always go back there and try out their other varieties especially with that popping bobba sinker, interesting eh!

Cha Dao is located at the MQI Building along Rosa Alvero St. just beside Fruit Magic. 

The Tea Shop

The Tea Shop is located at the second floor of that building beside Bo's Coffee. The place is actually a cozy hang out place for students as it shares the floor with I Heart Froyo and Wich Craft, a place which i thought sells different kinds of sandwiches only to find out that they only have schubligs and frankfurters, but that's another story altogether.

I tried their Muscovado milk and yes, it's good. They have other interesting variants as Chocnut Milk Tea and even their own version of Happy Lemon's rock salt and cheese.

Aside from milk teas and their schubligs you may also want to try out their potato chips and fries to go with your drink.

Moonleaf

I heard that Moonleaf's first store is at Maginhawa and I'm just glad that they were kind enough to open shop here in my area. It's just a small stall right in front of Crave Burger which is also but a short walk from Cha dao. Before I learned to appreciate milk tea I have already noticed the long queues they would always have making me think that their drink must really be good. My first order was their wintermelon and i liked it since it is light and fruity. and for just 70 bucks you can already get a tall cup with your choice of sinkers.  

And just recently they opened their second branch already. It's located just beside the Bat Cave along Dela Rosa St. (behind KFC).

My other favorites in the store is their Caramel milk tea and the Hakka milk tea. I heard their pearls are really good with its chewy, tasty flavor. Curiously though I am not a fan of pearls so my choice of sinkers is just the pudding and the nata or the grass jelly.

Tea Ninja

Tea Ninja is another new kid on the block, I think. This one's located along Xavierville Avenue inside the Quickbites convenience store. Their bestsellers they say are the Yasashii, Cocoa and the Pandas, whatever they are. I only tried their taro milk which is my usual order when I'm craving for something really creamy. They gave me a loyalty card so I am seeing myself going back every now and then and try out their other varieties.

Saint's Alp

Saint's Alp has to be the most upscale of them all. This store is actually a franchise from New York and Hongkong. They also serve meals and snacks aside from their teas. As usual, i ordered their regular sized taro milk this time with black pearls. I love that it is taro rich and creamy yet you could actually taste the brewed tea leaves, very good indeed. But it has to be since a small sized drink cost me more than a hundred bucks already eek!

Saint's Alp is located at the second floor of the new Regis Center just across gate 3.5. And oh, they also serve good kaya toasts. ;)

Aah, I'm really just waiting for this new guy to open. I haven't really tried their drinks but the hype is just killing me I can't wait to try it for myself. Serenitea is set to open soon at the Oracle Building just beside the newly opened Chicken Charlie. 

Meanwhile, there's a lot of tea places to choose from anyway so I sure know I won't ever go milk tea thirsty in my side of the metro, teehee!

another manang is in the neighborhood

Manang, no, not the Manang we have in the Ateneo campus who serves great pork chop, is also now here in Katipunan just as eager to feed us this time with her own chicken recipe. I have heard about this from fellow food hunters and the reviews have been nothing but awesome. Imagine my excitement when i saw a signage weeks ago. 

Their tiny place opened today, Monday and even the rains brought about by Typhoon Pedring did not deter the flock that wanted a taste of Manang's Chicken. And oh, everyone of us got a free sundae cone as their opening day promo!

I ordered their two-piece choice cuts for take out and it costs P154.00 which already includes a regular drink. They will let you choose what type of sauce you want for your chicken that is, regular, mild, spicy, extra spicy. i wanted to play it safe so i chose the mild sauce. I shared my meal with my office mates and they all like the chicken. i like it's crunchy skin and the size of its cuts are satisfying enough. but the meat seems to be tasteless, uh-oh. 

An extra order of their regular potato chips costs P30.00. I am quite used to having fries but this one's addicting, it is crunchy and crisp and it seemed liked they were baked since it is not too oily. 

I'm not too sold on this just yet but I'd definitely like to give them a chance.

And contrary to popular complains, this branch uses real plates for their dine-in customers (I got this photo on the counter while waiting for my order hehe)

Manang's Chicken Katipunan is located at the ground floor of the Burgundy Plaza just beside 7-11. They also deliver around the area with their number 9215907.

Bonchoned!

Bonchon Chicken in Katipunan has been opened for about a couple of weeks now. I only had the chance to try it tonight since queues have been unbearable the past days. i passed by there tonight, took a peek and when i found a couple of empty tables immediately went inside to fall in line behind the counters.

My first Bonchon experience was in Ayala Triangle and their branch is a bit small compared to this branch. I can see that customers are of mixed backgrounds and ages, it was a school night and though majority of them are students, there are still a handful of families with kids.

My order of 2-pc drumstick with rice and a regular softdrink costs P145.00. i remember loving the crispy yet thin glazed skin i could almost compare it with some crunchy turon. i love the spicy variety, i find the regular ones a bit boring. the two drumsticks aren't too feeling though. or sadyang gutom o matakaw lang ako hehe. but i'm kinda wishing that just like the other more popular chicken houses, they would also offer bigger chicken parts like breast, thighs, keels. uhm, wishful thinking.

So the best chicken in America is made in Korea??? Nah, i still love Popeye's to bits! :p

i heard that Manang's Chicken, another chicken factory that is making waves lately is set to open here in a couple of weeks. I'd definitely try that and compare it with this Bonchon. ;)

peanut butter overload!

" i love peanut butter but i don't want it in my roast beef!!"

i have just enthusiastically finished my classic spaghetti and was about to take a big bite off my PBB Burger when i heard an elderly woman exclaimed this. i wanted so much to poke her to tell her to go ahead and give it a try. i mean, we do add peanuts in our kare-kare, right? i guess we only have this notion as kids of having peanut butter for our desserts and snacks. it still is quite a strange idea adding it to our viands and meat dishes.

this Katipunan branch recently opened and like that elderly lady, i was hesitant at first in trying this out when i heard about their branch in SM MOA. after reading several reviews about the food however i could not wait to give it a try.

unlike their other branches, this branch is definitely bigger and encourages more dine-in costumers. it was a rainy afternoon when i went there and there weren't other guests yet at that time.

this stall displays several interesting peanut butter flavors, there's curry, chili, cardamon, green tea apart from the usual butter, white chocolate, creamy, etc. the smallest tub costs P55.00

i ordered their classic spaghetti thinking the additional peanut butter in it is adventurous enough already. the pasta was cooked al dente, the sauce extra creamy but not too sweet it was actually very good. i meant to eat half of it and take the rest home but nah, i finished all of it!

this half order costs P75.00.

i read somewhere that they are mostly for take out orders thus the use of disposable utensils, i really hope they could provide real plates and utensils next time for dine-in costumers.

i also ordered their PBB Burger which costs P180.00. i was pretty hoping that like their other sandwiches they have this in half orders too but they don't. i still had it halved thinking i could no longer finish all of it.

i love how juicy the patty is, and i imagine tasting real beefy goodness in every bite. i am not a fan of sesame but the sesame flavored peanut buttered is what's giving it it's more unique, exotic appeal.

i would definitely go back and try out their other fares. there's the fish diablo pasta, chicken curry spaghetti, butter fish steak sandwich, black forest sandwich, ahhh my list is endless! hehe...:p