The Ranch

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While browsing around the internet, my sister found this restaurant one time when she was looking for a place to eat with her co-workers. She managed to find this restaurant and then we decided to treat our uncle here for dinner.

Situated directly in front of banilad elementary school, this restaurant appears as a cozy home converted into a wild west inspired restaurant complete with cowboy memorabilia and staff dressed to look the part. There weren't any customers beside us, so it does feel like we have the place to ourselves. The dining area is spacious, so is the recreation area where their patrons can play cards against each other and hit the dart board in a friendly duel.

We were given individual menus as soon as we settle in. There wasn't much to choose from, since most of the items there are currently out of stock. For starters, we had quesadilla with a small serve of pureed tomatoes and herbs. For entrees,  I had a large plate of pork chop with mashed potatoes and salad on the side, our uncle had to pick the chicken fried beef steak, my mom ordered a large pot of pot roast for her and my sister. Finally, for dessert, we had two slices of pecan pie topped with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.





The Ranch
Banilad



Verdict:
A: 2.75/5
Most of the food we got were served bland and needed seasoning. The pot roast was dry and bland. My pork chop was okay and the mashed potato side was above par. I think the only entree that had flavor is uncle's chicken fried beef steak.

I'm not sure if pecan pie was that sweet, but it was sweet without even adding the ice cream. But in fairness, it did taste good.

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Yakimix

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Supposedly one of the best self grill restaurants in manila, Yakimix has caused quite a stir in Escario street where it is strategically located. This restaurant is basically just like any grill your own food on your table with rows and rows of cooked and raw food for their patrons to enjoy. We were asked to come early, and boy did we (after the disgruntling notice i received on my inbox when i check my phone right before sleeping). The line waiting to be seated was several feet long with ribbons of people sitting down on the offered chairs outside the establishment. To think that we arrived three minutes shy of 11 am, 
It took 30 minutes for the staff to open the doors of the restaurant to us. We were greeted with the usual Japanese greeting (irasshaimase!) by the door when my name was called and ushered us right to our seat. The restaurant was huge, ample enough for at least 30 or 40 tables. Within minutes the restaurant was bustling with activity and people were walking here and there to inspect whatever's on the buffet table.

There is a great number of cuisines served here in Yakimix, ranging from Korean, Chinese, Japanese, American, and Mexican. They also have marinated meat ready for grilling. I admit i was a bit impressed by the arrangement of their dishes; a table each of exclusively area specific fare as well as a separation of solid and liquid food.


Yakimix
Escario, Cebu


Verdict:
A: 3/5
The ambiance was pleasant enough to begin with. Although their service is inadequate here and there. We had to call several times to request for service and get the bill. I have also noticed that there are waitresses busily chatting on the sidelines, which may have contributed to poor service.

What boggles me is that they could have done better to accommodate the people before opening hours aside from the text prompt you'd get if you reserved a table for yourself. There is also the issue of flies inside the establishment, flying dangerously close to the food near the sushi area. The washroom is probably given very little thought which shouldn't be the case given the floor area of the place (very little space, cramped and suffocating). 

I am also quite concerned of some food located near places where they shouldn't be; sukiyaki in front of the aircon, condensed milk in the dimsum area.













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30 Kitchen+Bar

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This restaurant is located just beside one of our favorite weekly specials joint in The Gallery and has been there since i could remember. Our unannounced arrival right before opening time was attended properly, and were promptly handed individual menus for our inspection.

There were several items that were not available in the menu at the time of our arrival, a few of which were the ribs and their homemade potato chips. Contrary to this at the back of their menu, was a long list of alcoholic beverages that dwarfs the list of food items sold in the diner.

My mom ordered pork steak for herself, my sister, their 30 angus steak, and belly crunch for myself. For appetizers, we had a 6 piece Wing Thing immersed in what they call asian sauce (which is gochujang, i believe) and a serve of Angus tenderloin tips.

The ambiance of the place didn't look appealing with all the cracks on the walls and were bare. On the plus side, the food was cheap. I'm guessing their target market is people looking to hang out on the weekends.



30 Kitchen+Bar
The Gallery, Mabolo


Verdict:
A: 2.75/5
The mashed potato tasted great, but most of their food are hit and miss. The tenderloin tips tasted much of canned mushroom and Worcestershire. The pork steak was bland and the angus steak was way overcooked. Their belly crunch is true to their taste though, but i wish they wouldn't recycle the sauce they used for one dish.




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A&W Steak House

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Located within a few steps away from BPI Escario, this restaurant is a fairly new contender in the food business. It sits between several offices and offers a small number of dishes to their patrons. Their selling point is their food's affordability and their colorful sweet bubble teas.


I'm not sure if you have to option to have additional "sinkers", but I'm not so hot about sweet drinks. We ordered a plateful of ribs, beef salpicao and grilled porkchop. The ambiance of the place feels quaint and homey, with the radio playing in the background. There were enough tables for a few people with the small space available. The service was fast and the staff in charge was pleasant too. 



The tender ribs order we had came with a scoopful of ice cream, which was nice, as i found the lava cake that mom ordered quite lacking. The salpicao that sister got screamed of commercial flavoring that it doesn't taste appetizing at all. Sister's plate of porkchop tasted okay, it could have been better spiced though.

Overall, this place offers quick chow at affordable prices though their limited menu may seem underwhelming.


A&W Steak House
Escario St.



Verdict:
A: 2.75/5
There's plenty of room for improvement, and there's so much that can be done to elevate the taste to another level. The serving portion is commendable.

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Borussia

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Borussia


We visited this place after our trip from Bantayan island, with the help of my sister's officemate who brought us there with her van. It was like a continuation of our island vacation; bright skies, pleasant weather, lots of trees. It was like a paradise in the middle of nowhere with its own exclusive pathway, owned by a German-Filipina couple who managed to convert it into a restaurant/vacation place. The overall ambiance is very pleasant and easy on the eyes, because it makes you feel like you're living in a remote "hacienda" with the wide open space and garden all around.

What i like about this restaurant is that they make their own bread from scratch as well as other dishes. Most of their meat, such as the pork and duck, are raised locally and are guaranteed drug free. Their food are top notch and quite exquisite to taste. I had the priviledge to taste their beef roll (rouladen) and their pork loin, both of which are simmered just right in their creamy sauce. Their duck was also extravagant; tender and juicy with just the right amount of fat and meat.
Their desserts are nothing to laugh at, mind you! They bake their own pastries and churn their own ice cream. And they don't even sacrifice the taste. It was most delectable when we finally opened our loaf of lemon cake. At first i thought lightly of it, not even looking a bit appetizing. But when i placed a bite in my mouth, i was sure, that this they make GREAT desserts. 
The good thing is that they also deliver to people who want to sample their food. Specialty bread, meat, jams, you name it. Believe me, you won't regret eating here and going over your diet.

I sure didn't. 




Borussia



Sogod, Cebu



Verdict:
A: 5/5

Finally, one of the new places to eat where i won't hesitate to give a full star rating. The price, the ambiance, and the service is very much worth it.

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Ipar's

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After the countless times we passed by this rustic Spanish restaurant standing in the midst of Ramos street, we finally decided one day to visit Ipar's. This restaurant stands beside several other business establishments but none of them can compare to this traditional Spanish restaurant.
The ambiance of the place is truly enchanting; I saw several paintings and flags hanging from the walls and ceiling while slow paced melodies of romantic articulations in Spain's native tongue wafted in the background. The designs were more of a mixture of traditional and contemporary: there was a tinge of familiarity and strangeness inside, as if one were stuck in between two different eras.

Upon claiming our reservation for lunch under my name, we were made to sit in of their massive furnishings made from sturdy tree trunks. Several of these were made to fit the dining area for their eager patrons. By the back of the entrance to the dining room, there was a rack of bottled goods, most of which were homemade sardines in corn oil and tomato. Both of which are sold at an affordable price of 100 pesos per bottle. They also sell a thick glass of pure honey for 350php. 

I was quite impressed by their wide selection of food here, ranging from staples such as bacalao (cod) to callos (ox tripe simmered in thick sauce). I was only disappointed by the fact that there are some dishes that are not available because the ingredients are out of stock.


We had an assortment of tapas for appetizer, all of which were delicious in their own right. The gambas was by far my sister's favorite whereas the chorizo was mine because it reminded me of the longganisa you can get from lucban. The Croquettas de pollo reminded me of a cheesy cordon bleú, but cheesier and piping hot.

The main dishes were their signature paella dela casa, an assortment of shrimp, squid, chicken, chorizo and pork. Their pollo asado al horno was baked just right with their juices still intact. We also ordered a serving bacalao, which basically salted cod fish stewed with tomatoes. We also had lengua estofada (ox tongue) and callos madrileños. 


To end the meal, all four of us shared a small round flan. Definitely the best flan i've tasted in my whole life. Better than max's!



Ipar's 
F. Ramos Street


Verdict:
A: 4.25/5
Unique and authentic taste with several of their ingredients imported directly from Spain. There were dishes that are a bit salty, but you can never go wrong with his restaurant.












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Rodeo Grill

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Fairly new in SM City Cebu, Rodeo Grill is located on the second floor just beside the Bingo hall. This restaurant takes its inspiration from the wild west, particularly in areas predominated by cowboys and cattle. Aside from the eye catching display of uniforms worn by the staff, the ambiance of the place is tailored to fit the intended theme.

We were ushered into the spacious dining hall that featured brightly lit tables, where the hanging lights were fixed with metal buckets to give the whole restaurant a country look. I noticed that there were large posters of picture quotes decorate the walls. Meanwhile, their personalised radio station streams tunes in the background. After we pried the menu for our orders, we finally decided to have the following: a large rack of arkansas tender ribs,  a plate of Geronimos sizzling buffalo steak, half a kilo of rodeo grill lechon, a heaping serving of black stallion crispy pata
, a serving of lone ranger talong, a medium plate of delicious crispy hay noodles, a bowl of flavorful cactus kangkong, and a hot serving of their deputy short sizzlers.

The food itself was okay, many of them are comparable to main stayers in the food industry. My sister mentioned that Rodeo Grill is a possible counterpart of TexRex, minus the smoky goodness of the grilled meat there. The ribs were tender and delicious, while their own version of lechon was surely delectable with hints of lemon grass and spring onions. Their crispy pata was also exceptional, having been tasted a great number of crispy patas out there, I could certainly say that this is one of the best.

To end the meal, we ordered 38 caliber brownie almond, which was technically just like La Marea's warm brownie cup, only smaller.



Rodeo Grill
SM City Cebu



Verdict:
A: 3.5/5

While most of the most served here are repeats from other restaurants, i believe that that strongpoint of this place is their price. Where else can you find a 300peso worth lamb chop?

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Carnivore

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We came to Carnivore after our curiosity got the better of us one windy afternoon. The setup reminded me vaguely of a somewhat similarly arranged vietnamese restaurant located at crossroads, where we shared and enjoyed meals together with friends and family alike. Anyhow, the place was amply lit, and the cool air from the air-conditioning unit is one to be thankful for on one of the hotter afternoons in the city.

What drew my attention is that they have a constantly changing menu that varies every week, aside from the chef special that they offer to their customers. My sister decided to sample that (lamb shank) while i got for myself a slab of beef from bukidnon. We had the option to choose which of the three sides (rice, fries, salad) we'd like for our dishes.

The waitress and chefs were courteous enough to answer our queries when it came to their food. For appetizers, we had a platter of "maskara" poutine, fries topped with chunks/melted mozarella cheese and bits of seasoned pork mask. Our main course arrived soon after we finished our poutine, with our chosen salad and rice sides on the respective plates.

What i liked about this restaurant is that there is a set amount of time before their menu is revised completely. I find it arguably so because the variety is what makes it refreshing to their patrons. So if you have a particular dish that you like on the week you visited, it might not be there anymore when you return for the next.



Carnivore



Mabolo


Verdict:
A: 3.75/5
The lamb shank was a better order of the two, because it was in several layers more flavorful than the beef shank. Plus the strong aftertaste of lamb has completely vanished, making it clearly a superior choice compared to the tasteless beef that solely depends on the toppings.

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