Antipolo has, particularly lately, been trying to make a name as a must-check place for foodies. If most places in Metro Manila close at night, Antipolo has 24-hour venues that boast not just not-bad food, but views of cities of Metro Manila as they succumb to darkness.

So one morning, after a night shift, we decided to grab something at any of their breakfast nooks… which was how we ended up at Yellow Bird Café X Kitchen.

@outragemag #Breakfast-hunting in #Antipolo led us to #YellowBird #restaurant that offers #Filipinofood, Italian dishes, #cafe ♬ original sound – Outrage Magazine

Una, the place isn’t hard to find for those with private vehicles; Google Maps or Waze will lead you there easily. But noticeably, we didn’t notice public transportation during our visit.

Ikalawa, the actual place was… airy, thanks to the glass walls/windows. But while this may also be a steakhouse/Filipino restaurant/Italian-ish restaurant/and so on, look-wise, it’s more a café that happens to serve some food. Rustic also came to mind, thanks to those dried flowers everywhere…

Ikatlo, the staff’s deadma; no one was friendly enough to stick to mind. They just tell you where to sit, take your order, deliver your food or drinks, then… kebs na. No small chitchats on what’s good or not, or whatever.

Ika-apat, how was the food?

• The ₱140 Americano was… forgettable. Mag-tubig ka na lang while waiting for your food.
• The Sinigang na Baka (₱525) was actually a surprise – that is, this isn’t your typical sinigang, Using kamatis (tomato) instead of bayabas (guava) or sampalok (tamarind) or miso, the broth was tasty without being overpowering. Yes, the meat could have been softer/more tender, but at least it wasn’t chewy. And the serving could have been bigger, considering the asking price. But yes, this one’s worth checking out.
• The Munggo & Chicharon (₱295) wasn’t bad at all… but there’s nothing special about this as it’s no different from the munggo (beans) that you’d get from some carinderia.

That sinigang may have been a pleasant surprise (and this is even if the meat needed more time to boil), but I doubt that’s enough to lure us to head back anytime soon. This isn’t a bad place at all, but when in Antipolo, a place that has more food venues to discover, we – or you – may as well check others…

So off we go, as we search for more lafangan venues.

Yellow Bird Café X Kitchen is located at Blk 2, Mission Hills Blvd, Antipolo, 1870 Rizal Province.

So… if a resto claims to sell as many as 400 fried chickens a day, you’re bound to think that what they have may be really good. So we checked Lolo Claro’s Restaurant in Cavite City, one of those restos that can claim that it was built by, yep, friend chicken.

How was Lolo Claro’s Restaurant for us?

@outragemag It claims to sell over 400 pcs of #friedchicken per day, so #LoloClaros in #Cavite must be good, no? We #LGBT checked this former #mami house turned #restaurant ♬ original sound – Outrage Magazine

Una, as background, this place is somewhat historical. Started over 25 years ago by Bernie Ilagan in honor of his late kutsero (horse carriage driver) grandfather, it used to just be a food stall that sold mami, among others, but eventually grew to have multiple branches.

Ikalawa, the branch we visited was easy to find, as it’s along a major road in Cavite City. Yeah, public transport passed the area. And there’s ample open-air parking for those with private vehicles.

Ikatlo, the resto is luma (antiquated). This should also serve as a warning since there, tabletops are peeling, corners are soiled, walls have who-knows-what prints, and so on. The squeamish may say it borders on… dirty, and they won’t be completely wrong.

Ika-apat, the staff was perfunctory – e.g. you have to pester them to clean a table for you, or follow-up an order, et cetera.

Ikalima, how were the offerings?

1. Claro’s Fried Chicken (₱275 for half, ₱475 for whole) was similar to Max’s chicken – e.g. not that big and not over-fried, but not that tasty and quite dry.
2. The chopsuey (₱290) was… peculiar. Think deconstructed, and you’d have an idea of their version – i.e. the veggies were steamed or boiled, and the sauce was just poured on top before serving. Good for those who just like steamed veggies; but for those who want chopsuey the traditional way, this isn’t gonna please you.
3. The kare-kare (₱360) needed more oomph; kulang sa lasa. But at least you get enough laman, from the meat slices to the veggies. And yeah, the bagoong (shrimp paste) was good… even if they didn’t serve a lot.

Lolo Claro’s Restaurant was packed when we visited; we actually had to wait for a table to be vacated before we could eat. So this is a popular resto, indeed. I can’t, and won’t, justify this; to each his own. But we have reservations… with the venue, the staff, the food… And so off we go in search of more lafangan venues…

Lolo Claro’s Restaurant is located at Governor’s Drive corner Naic Indang Road, Cavite City.

Baguio City has always been a must-visit place for foodies, thanks to the many culinary offerings from the Cordillera region (think pinikpikan, etag and binaod, among others). But – whether you agree with us or not, particularly since you may know some venues we don’t – one of the biggest challenges we encountered was looking for good kape.

The search for a good cup of coffee is what led us to Foam Coffee, which – it must be pointed out – is more of a resto than a café.

So, how was our visit to Foam Coffee?

@outragemag Looking for #kape in #FoamCoffee in #Baguio, only to end up eating not-cheap #ricemeals ♬ original sound – Outrage Magazine

Una, this is easy to locate, as it’s right across the city hall of Baguio.

Ikalawa, the place itself is sterile-looking. Yep, maaliwalas siya (it’s airy), newly-furnished, is clean, and so on. But when we were there, it also felt quite impersonal, and didn’t feel like a community café or something.

Ikatlo, this is a self-service and CLAYGO (clean as you go) venue. Meaning, you won’t really engage with the staff as they’re there just to take and then give you your order, and then clean up after you if you failed to follow the CLAYGO policy. This adds to the making of this place as impersonal.

And ika-apat, how were the offerings?

So… the original intent was to grab coffee since this was repeatedly highly ranked by reviewers. Alas, the ₱120 Americano was, to start, not even that warm anymore when served. And taste-wise, it was almost like it was watered down.

The rice meals that we ended up also trying were actually not bad. The ₱230 Orange Chicken (orange-glazed chicken with rice) tasted… orangey, sweetish and yet citrusy. The ₱270 Bulgogi Tapa (thinly sliced Korean beef that’s marinated in sweet and salty soy in garlic butter, with rice and eggs), meanwhile, was sweet and savory. The rice in both dishes was good, too; flavorful so that even sans the toppings, already a meal.

For us, if there’s one issue with the rice meals, it’s the size of the servings. Particularly the ulam (viand). You will not get a lot. Which, for us, makes this place a somewhat pricey silog-like venue.

Foam Coffee has a market – e.g. check those who study while there. This is understandable even with the place’s limits. But we’re off elsewhere… perhaps in search of good coffee, as businesses should have if they use the word in their business name.

So off we go in search of more lafangan venues…

Foam Coffee is located at Upper G/F Travelite Hotel, Shuntug St., Baguio City. For more information, contact 0977 602 3750.