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.

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.