Seriously considering Larsian to try grilled goods in Cebu City, a friend recommended for us to try, instead, Matias BBQ. “It’s cleaner,” she said, adding: “And yummier, of course.”

So we checked… and how was the visit to Matias BBQ for us?

@outragemag #Mandaue City’s #MatiasBBQ is worth checking as your #LGBT alternative to dining in the open in #Cebu ♬ original sound – Outrage Magazine

Una, the place is NOT in Cebu City. It’s in nearby Mandaue City. We didn’t check where the BBQ place is, exactly; we just took a Grab and pinned the address. We just noted that the travel took a while, and yes, the fare wasn’t cheap (LOL).

Ikalawa, this is an open-air venue, similar to Larsian, though the difference is, here, there’s just one vendor (Matias BBQ). Maarte people beware: this isn’t for you.

Ikatlo, the servers were friendly… a pleasant surprise considering the number of people they had to serve. They knew what to recommend, and quickly dealt with some concerns (e.g. replace what was deemed stale rice).

Ika-apat, how was the food naman?

• The chicken – including the ₱85 pecho and ₱95 paa – were well-seasoned and well-cooked, remaining moist and not dry. Lasa-wise, they were smoky and sweetish.
• The ₱16 chorizos were actually good, properly cooked so that we were still able to taste the meat and accompanying sahog of garlic and the likes. This made us realize that when deciding to cook longganisa from Cebu, consider grilling instead of frying in oil. It just tastes better that way.
• The ₱165 balbacua (beef rind and oxtail soup) served to us was already cold, so was already greasy. The collagen-rich cuts were soft, and there were okay-tasting veggies, but the broth was already slimy from being oily.
• The ₱12 pusô was inconsistent; some were already stale (perhaps old stocks), and the others fresh. It’s hard to ascertain which is which since you’d be served with a lot. Order freshly-cooked rice if apprehensive… though this takes away from the overall experience of eating in a place like this.

Here’s the thing: our total bill was cheaper than the fare we paid to Grab to go there.

And so, for us, if this is accessible to you, consider this an alternative to, say, the likes of Larsian. That the food is good has to be emphasized, done in an outdoor setting that’d remind you of eating in the probinsiya.

But off we go again, in search of more LGBTQIA+ lagangan venues…

Open from 11.30AM to 8.00PM, Matias BBQ is located along A.S. Fortuna St., Banilad, Mandaue City.

Now and then we head outside of Metro Manila to check some of the culinary offerings of wherever we end up at. This is why we know that Silang in Cavite has a LOT to offer (even if it may be considered provincial, and even more than, say, Las Piñas that is part of Metro Manila). And this is why we know that Antipolo has 24-hour venues even if Quezon City or the City of Manila “sleeps”.

The intent to discover affordable yet not-bad steaks – in particular – was what led us to The Beef Deli – Malolos, which claims to offer meats “from Australia to your plate” in Bulacan.

@outragemag #LGBT checking #steakhouse The Beef Deli-Malolos in #Bulacan ♬ original sound – Outrage Magazine

Una, the place is easy to find naman… particularly for those with private vehicles. It is at the vicinity of the entrance to NLEX lang din, so you can access it if you’re getting off or about to enter the expressway (as we did).

Ikalawa, the venue was masikip, tight. Largely, this was because of not-ideal lay-out that seemed to prioritize being able to accommodate more customers than customer comfort. While there, expect ingay, too; you’re seated too closely to other customers you can eavesdrop.

Ikatlo (and I took this down in my notes, too), the service was REALLY slow. We had to remind the waiters to: set our table (we were seated for a while already), provide us with cutlery, and give us some water. It didn’t help that the two servers who approached us did not know what’s in their menu.

Ika-apat, the food was… hit and miss, with more misses than hits.

The Sweet & Beefy Spaghetti (₱650) was… more sweet, less beefy. Imagine Jollibee’s spaghetti, now make it even sweeter, and you’d get an idea of what was given to us. Particularly since there’s less beef here, and more sausage slices. The accompanying bread also tasted burnt, not grilled.

The Absolutely Meatzza Pizza (₱550) was not just not as meaty (considering its name), but was also too sweet, with a tinapay-like dough.

For the steak, we got the two-for-the-price-of-one Premium Ribeye (₱1,560), cooked MR. Here’s the thing: the steak was okay naman, as it seemed properly seasoned and properly grilled. But when served to us, it was already cold, like it waited in the kitchen. So natulog na ang mantika when served, and slight kadiri na in the mouth.

We didn’t finish the food, so we had them wrapped.

Now, to add drama: when we arrived home, we found that the steak we asked to wrap wasn’t in the take-home bag. I, personally, was annoyed; we didn’t exactly have a good experience there, and then… they didn’t even pack what we already paid.

I contacted the number of the company that’s listed online, and – this is a great part – I received a proper response. I was told that, after some tracing, the leftover food was found. I was also told that, without charging me, they will have the leftover delivered to us the next day.

Yes, after reheating the leftover steak, they had it delivered to us… without charging us (as if I should be thankful for that, LOL). And NOT that I was expecting anything else, but the meat was all they sent; overcooked (due to reheating) stale steak that we didn’t get to enjoy anymore because of The Beef Deli – Malolos. No apology for the bad experience via some kind of compensation like… a serving of French fries man lang.

The place is okay-appearing naman, TBH. But Bulacan has a lot of venues to check, so we’re giving this a hard pass for revisiting na muna. And so off we go in search of more lafangan venues…

The Beef Deli – Malolos is located at G/F Unit 7-10, Andan Enterprises, Inc, 3598 MacArthur Hwy, Malolos, 3000 Bulacan Province. For more information, contact 0905 283 8461 or email beefdelimalolos@gmail.com.

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.