I like to come here for a simple bowl of hot steaming pho. Although inconsistent, Pho Hoa on Wilson…read moreis probably your best bet for a good bowl of their world famous Vietnamese noodle soup. The broth is flavourful, the meat is of high quality, and the noodles have bite (never soggy). I like to order cha gio (Fried spring rolls) with my pho to balance the soupy-ness with a crunch. However their bahn mi (Vietnamese sub sandwiches) are not good at all. I hope they remove them from the menu, if not improve them. Conveniently, they also serve Thai food from sister company My Thai so you can get a nice tall glass of Thai ice tea to go with your meal.

To me, Pho Hoa is the baseline of Manila's Vietnamese food scene. By that I mean it doesn't try to…read moredo anything too fancy or try to introduce too exotic a taste. It serves the most basic Vietnamese dishes, such as Pho Bo (Beef soup with rice noodles) and fresh spring rolls. It does these dishes solidly and the flavors are very consistent. That's why it's oh so reliable, yet just oh so bland - it meets the most minimum of requirements so that it could be labeled "ok". This was great probably ten to twenty years ago, when good Vietnamese food was few and far between in Manila. But there are just so many new and hipper Vietnamese restaurants, such as Makati's lovely Ba Noi's, that coming to Pho Hoa for dinner today seems redundant and uncreative. Yet, in a pinch it will do, kasi hindi naman siya panget.

Kanzhu doesn't claim to be comfort food, but it sure functions like it. It is a little, unassuming…read morehole-in-the-wall along Tomas Morato. I've missed it a couple of times, looking for it. But it promises to be as authentic as Chinese hand-pulled noodles can be. I've never been to Northern China, but I'm pretty satisfied with what I've had so far. Especially on a rainy day! To start, try their dumplings. I'd try them all: Lamb, and Pork and Chives, in both steamed and pan-fried versions. It is heaven with its accompanying black vinegar sauce. If you're lucky, they'll give you some complementary salty fish skin to pick at. And my favorite! - their Braised Beef noodles, either dry, or with soup. Properly filling, it will warm your body and your heart on a cold, wet afternoon. In my experience, they are more generous with the beef with the dry version (they set the soup aside, but serve it nonetheless). Service isn't bad. At least, I don't recall any negative experiences. Our food was always served hot, fresh, and on time, and our water glasses were always filled. So, as far away as Northern China is, if Kanzhu is as authentic as it says it is, I'm good. I take comfort in knowing that I can visit it on any given rainy day.

I come from a 100% Chinese heritage which means my stomach knows some really good Chinese food…read more Comfort food for me is a piping hot bowl of noodle soup. From ramen to laksa, Beef Noodle Soup is the kind that I like best. We just came from a day trip from a Bataan-based resort which left us tired from the heat and hungry from the traffic. I've already had my fair share of beach food like liempo and clubhouse sandwiches so I was looking for something comforting and not too heavy. My brother frequents Kanzhu for some reason so I was always curious about this place. It was time I tried it. I am not a fan of spicy food but surprisingly, the level of heat in their broth offers just the right amount of kick to complement the soup. Truth is, it it wasn't that spicy, it wouldn't be as good. Meat was soft and tender while noodles were firm to the bite. Nothing more to ask but maybe some extra soup please??

Ba Noi's Ca Phe is the more casual (and cheaper) younger brother of the Ba Noi's with which you're…read moreprobably familiar. I'm not sure when the rebrand of this branch happened - some time within the last 6 months - but it certainly is a better fit for the stretch of casual-fare restaurants along East Kapitolyo. The menu is a bit smaller with servings and prices to match. They keep the essentials when one is craving Vietnamese food: Pho, Fried and Fresh Springs Rolls, Vermicelli Noodle toppers. What is notably missing are some of the seafood options that standard Ba Noi's offers. The worthy replacement is their list of Bahn Mi's - vietnamese sandwiches served on a French-influenced brioche with your choice of filling. Head to Ba Noi's for a casual dinner before drinks at Capitol Commons. But, you'll probably want to go for an early dinner, as the parking on Kapitolyo tends to fill up quickly - check to see if there are spots available right in front, across the street the guard at the empty house lets you park if you're nice and let him know you're just going to be eating across the street.

My appointment with a client was cancelled, and so I took the opportunity to have a date with my…read morewife instead. We picked a restaurant wherein there is a high chance that both our families will not eat...and that's Vietnamese food. Ba Nois is a casual dining restaurant with black and white tables and chairs. Its walls hang pictures of Vietnamese lifestyle and culture. To try as much as we can, we ordered the spring roll and pork strips on dry noodles, large size (Php320) and the crepe with bean sprouts and side salad (Php250). Just for the sake of reminiscing our honeymoon in Vietnam, she ordered an iced truong coffee (Php110) while I tried the blended ice mocha (Php150). The crepe came out first and we were happy to see that it looked like the one we had in Vietnam. The crispy crust, eaten together with the bean sprouts, basil leaves, lettuce, and the special sauce has a nice, clean, and balanced taste. It is crunchy, sweet, and healthy, too. The noodles came out next. The combination of each ingredient makes it a wonderful dish: the bland rice noodles is complemented by the salty spring roll, sweet tocino-like pork strips, sourness of the vinegar-chili sauce, and the freshness of the vegetables. My disappointment would fall into the drinks. My wife's coffee was too light for a Vietnamese coffee, but we were glad that it was served authentically into a Vietnamese brewer. My mocha, on the other hand, was too sweet and too creamy. It was like a milkshake, and destroyed the otherwise good taste of the food. I was also disappointed to find that they do not serve banh mi. Service is ok. Ambiance is also warm, except for a certain fly that won't get off our table.

Pepper Lunch, of course, is famous for their rice meal. If you like your food served on a hot plate…read morethen this place is for you. More brownie points for them if you love bibimbap. No, they're not really a Korean restaurant but this place is known for rice meal very similar to that. You can choose different toppings for your pepper rice. They have the Japanese classics (Beef BBQ is a must-try! It's yakiniku with egg and it only costs Php 245. And they give a huge mound of corn kernels to go with it. Yum!), Pepper Rice (the non-Japanese classics, I guess?) and Steak & Combo (yeah, combos like salmon and chicken, etc). They also have some salad but I never got the chance to try those. The highlight of my meal, though, was not the pepper rice itself. I ordered their matcha sundae and absolutely loved it? The soft serve was a little too soft (lol) but the match a syrup is great.

My cousin was the first person who introduced me to Pepper Lunch. When we went to Shangri-La to go…read moreshopping, she decided to treat me to lunch. She brought me to this bright, yellow-colored restaurant and assured me that I would totally love this place. She was totally right. I completely fell in love with Pepper Lunch. Pepper Lunch has a fast food chain set-up. You have to go to the counter first and order something before you could take a seat. I initially thought that in Pepper Lunch you just have to sit down and wait for the personnel to approach you and ask you for your order. I ordered their Beef Pepper Rice, which is served in some kind of sizzling plate (I don't know what it's called ugh). The beef is still raw when served so you have to mix all of the ingredients first and wait for it to be cooked. The best thing about this place is you don't have to worry about your food getting cold. I wouldn't mind going back to this place again to try out other stuff from their menu.

Bagnet is one of the most sinfully good Filipino dishes ever! Imagine your favorite Filipino viand…read more(ulam) with bagnet...imagine no more as Yohel's Bagnet Station offers "bagnetified" Filipino cuisine! They have a wide range of offerings, including the following: - Kare-Kare - Sinigang - Adobong puti - Caldereta - Curry - Binagoongan - Sisig - Laing - Sweet & Sour - Dinuguan ....and more, all with bagnet! I especially like the kare-kare and dinuguan because their sauce alone could already be eaten with rice! So rich and really flavorful! They use freshly ground nuts for their kare-kare, which pays off big time as the nutty flavor is very apparent in the taste and aroma. As for the dinuguan, sometimes it isn't available because it depends on the quality of blood they get. Props to them for ensuring the freshness and quality of their dishes! For many, it would be a sin to eat any kind of bagnet dish without rice, and Yohel's doesn't just have plain rice, they also have garlic and bagoong. I like pairing sinigang na bagnet and adobo with the garlic rice, while their kare-kare is best paired with the bagoong rice. However, if you want to savor the flavor of each individual dish, then go for the plain rice. Speaking of bagoong, I know that it is salty, but Yohel's homemade bagoong alamang seems extra saltier, so I don't really like their binagoongang bagnet even if it is laid on a smoked eggplant (but I like the bagoong rice haha). If you're still curious to try it, make sure you also order their house-blend iced tea; its sweet-sour balance will help in battling the saltiness of the binagoongan. You can have an exclusive party (max is around 40 people) at Yohel's for P4500, consumable for 3 hours, and if you need to extend, it's just a thousand bucks per extra hour, also consumable. You can use their videoke all throughout your party as well! On regular days, I believe you need to pay P20 for 3 songs. Lastly, high blood pressure won't be a problem as they're located in front of a hospital! Hahaha! Just eat with caution, okay? :) p.s. they also have non-bagnet dishes like fish and chicken.

Right in the middle of all the Korean restaurants in the Malate area of Manila is MyungGa. Though…read morethey do have BBQ, they tend to specialize more in soups & other traditional Korean dishes. We ordered the bulgogi soup, spicy pork, & kimchi stew. Though the kimchi stew was just alright, the bulgogi soup & spicy pork were really good. The service is friendly and we were surprised with how quickly the food came out. This is a good place for those who are looking for non-bbq Korean food.

UNLIMITED SAGO! If you love sago like I do, it's definitely worth paying the extra pesos. Their…read moresago is sweet & refreshing. Also tried their kare-kare & I liked it! Definitely a must go to when visiting the Philippines

Max's Restaurant is the best place to go when 1.) you can't decide on where to eat, you're very…read morehungry and perhaps you're craving for Filipino food and 2.) you have a large group of friends or family with you! Whenever my whole extended family dines in Max, we are never disappointed. They have lots of group meals and mix and matching some large-serving dishes can ultimately save some coins but still get the quality food we all deserve. Order the chicken, of course, because it's their specialty. For the sauce, mix ketchup with Worcestershire's soy sauce and you'll be off to a great time. I also recommend their Tofu Sisig with cheese, if you want a side dish that is unique and delicious. Order a sinigang set for soup, and the meal is almost complete. What makes it complete, then? The classic Caramel Bars, of course! Order a whole box and eat away the guilty pleasure.

3.5 for the hot stone beef bibimbap only because the ratio of rice was too much compared to the…read moretoppings; 1 star for the steamed egg that looked like scrambled egg. 2.5 for the hard tofu soup. Another Philippine establishment that needs good management that welcomes customers increasing profit. Workers were inefficient with clearing tables and sitting new customers.

Jupiter branch is now closed, so I guess this is the next best branch that's convenient to us…read more (Glorietta food court branch is not as good). Kitchen was struggling during our visit. It feels like they were overwhelmed with the number of customers. We had to return 2 dishes as they were not in good shape, the table beside us also returned 2-3 orders (they were Koreans), but the food was replaced with better prepared ones. Also note that it took them more than 20 mins to serve our orders. Still love this place, I hope they can perform better on our next visit. Still one of our favorite Korean restaurants.