That it’s hard to find good – and let’s qualify this, affordable – Japanese restaurants in Metro Manila is a given. Too often we get sanitized venues that may claim to offer “authentic Japanese cuisine”, but really just serve watery ramens or about-to-expire sushis or badly-prepared sashimis.

One weekend, a chance visit to Tanay in the province of Rizal led us to this supposedly highly-recommended Japanese restaurant called Tanto, and so we checked.

@outragemag Heard there's an okay #Japanese restaurant in #tanayrizal, so we #LGBT checked #Tanto ♬ original sound – Outrage Magazine

Una, the place is hard to access. No public transport was seen here; people dining in the venue had motorcycles or cars. Buti na lang there’s enough parking; that is, the entire highway is the parking space.

Ikalawa, the actual place is… so-so. The place is clean, at least, but there’s nothing special here – i.e. you just have wooden tables and wooden chairs a la karinderya.

Also, most restaurants in Tanay are open-air, allowing diners to view the mountain ranges. The view from Tanto, however, isn’t that pretty.

You may also encounter issues with some facilities – e.g. no water in the toilets, and no bidet in the male toilet.

Ikatlo, the personnel naman were okay. Some issues: the recommendations weren’t good (e.g. the food ordered), service was slow (e.g. chili powder had to be requested repeatedly), and so on.

Ika-apat, with the food, this place was a hit and miss. The tantanmen ramen (₱359) I ordered, for instance, was a big disappointment. It didn’t taste like tantanmen at all; just a tasteless noodle soup masquerading as tantanmen. The chili powder didn’t help since it wasn’t even spicy.

But at least the miso ramen (₱329) was okay, said Arthur. It DID taste like miso, even if we agreed that there wasn’t a lot of sabaw, soup, served.

Also, at least we agreed on the gyoza; those were better-than-okay. The wrapper didn’t disintegrate, and the well-seasoned meat was malasa, tasty, and not overcooked nor undercooked.

BTW: there’s no service water here; instead, we were told that what they have isn’t safe to drink so we may as well order bottled water (₱50). That’s profiteering for sure.

Gist: The prices here are higher than those in Little Tokyo in Makati City, so you’d actually expect more. But with so-so offering and so-so service, suggesting for people to intentionally go to it is hard. I’d say: check when you’re in the area… though when there, you may also just want to check the other restaurants there.

So off we go for more lafangan reviews…

Tanto Tastes of Asia is located along Marcos Highway, Sitio Malapapaya, Brgy. Sampaloc, Tanay, Rizal. For more information, contact 09611434875.

A lot of partygoers in Legazpi City (in the Province of Albay, over 471 kilometers south of Metro Manila) are said to drive over two hours to go to Naga City. Because it may already be a first class component city and the capital of the province, but Legazpi remains… provincial in so many ways.

But this is how we were led to this party venue called Quento, which is – supposedly – frequented by those who choose to stay and party in Legazpi City.

Here are some observations regarding Quento.

Una, this place is NOT an LGBTQIA+ venue; instead, it is but a business that recognizes the power of the pink peso, and is therefore open to LGBTQIA+ party people.

Ikalawa, if you want to cruise while here, you’re more likely to find hetero-identifying men who have sex with men instead of other gay and bisexual men. This is actually true in most party venues in Legazpi City… at least so I was told.

Ikatlo, this place is open every day from 5 PM until the last customer leaves… so we were told, though in truth, they start making you feel unwelcome at around midnight.

Ika-apat, this fits approximately 100 pax, so it’s actually spacious. Looking at Quento from outside, you’d think its but a small place. But inside, you’d see a properly laid-out venue that has two seating areas, with the main area housing the stage where performances happen.

Ika-lima, the staff’s nice naman, even staying past their supposed closing time to accommodate us tourists.

Ika-anim, most nights, there’s a band performing… and, if you dare, you can sing with them. This is why it’s popular among groups with members who want to belt out a song or two.

Ika-pito, the food sufficed. For instance, we ordered Chili Cheese Nachos (₱276), and – while it was not even memorable – it was okay enough as pulutan.

And ika-walo, the alak, the alcoholic offerings were priced almost the same as in Metro Manila. A liter of Fundador Light, for instance, costs ₱850.

Apparently, heavy partygoers head to Naga City to party. That’s including LGBTQIA+ people who, I was told, consider the party scene in Legazpi City as backward, too provincial. But if Naga City isn’t an option, or if you want to see how those who choose to stay in Legazpi City actually party, then Quento may provide some glimpses. Yes, it won’t be for everyone… but you’d really only know after you checked.

But off we go for more rampa…

Quento is located at 5P3V+W8C, 219 Lakandula Dr., Legazpi City, 4500 Albay.

If you’ve grabbed food from the street vendors of, say, Ho Chi Minh in Vietnam, then you know how tasteful – albeit simple – Vietnamese cuisine is. So, yeah, it is always good to keep your eyes peeled so you won’t miss what may be good Vietnamese restaurants outside of Vietnam.

@outragemag Curious about #Vietnam food? #LGBT checking #vietnamesecuisine via #HiddenVietnam in #Cavite ♬ original sound – Outrage Magazine

But that’s also why we decided to check Hidden Vietnam, a restaurant chain that may have originated from Tanza, Cavite but now has a handful of branches captivating pho-hunting diners.

So… how was Hidden Vietnam for us?

Una, the original store – the branch we tried – is, yes, truly hidden. It’s inside some village, so accessing it isn’t easy for those without private vehicles. There’s also no big signage in front of the residential-looking venue, so you could even miss it if you don’t look hard enough.

Ikalawa, the actual venue is… homey. There are two “sections”, so to speak, in the restaurant: one is where you order, and the other is where the bigger tables with more seating are. Yep, malinis naman siya… even if there were flies here and there during our visit.

Ikatlo, this is not just a Vietnamese restaurant as they now also offer Thai food (via Keri Thai).

Ika-apat, the people working there were friendly while elaborating about the business and its offerings (e.g. how many branches, where these are, the differences in seemingly similar offerings, and so on).

Ikalima, how was the food?

• The Fresh Rolls (₱180) weren’t dry, so were fresh and malasa (tasty). You don’t get a lot of dip, though, so… stretch whatever is given to you.
• The Banh Mi BBQ (₱185) was tolerable… if not for that mayo/ketchup combo auto-slapped on what you get even if: it’s not to your liking, and whatever was used isn’t of okay quality for you.
• The Beef Pho (₱205) was… refreshing, the soup base actually flavorful to properly complement the more-than-enough beef slices, veggies and noodles. Alas, not enough pho condiments here, so if you want to PROPERLY season your pho, well then, sorry to you.
• The Shrimp Pad Thai (₱175), sadly, didn’t taste like Pad Thai at all. It’s supposedly because they use a “special sauce”. Though for us, if Pad Thai no longer tastes like Pad Thai it shouldn’t be sold as such… sorry.

In a gist, if you’re in the area (or at least nearby), yes… drop by this place. The offerings are not bad at all, particularly considering their prices. But is it worth to dayo, to seek out? Not when there are already branches in cities, malls, and so on. Plus the availability of numerous Vietnamese restaurants now.

But that’s why we continue heading out in search of more lafang venues…

Hidden Vietnam is located at Sta. Cecilia 1 No. 91, Irish St., Mulawin, Tanza, Cavite. For more information, contact +967 2 679 690, or email hiddenvietnamph@gmail.com.