California Pizza Kitchen's National Pizza Day

08.15.2013 - California Pizza Kitchen declared it as National Pizza Day which means that if you buy any regular pizza, you get another one for free! Your choices for the free pizza are Untraditional Cheese, Garlic Chicken, Hawaiian, Wild Mushroom and Caprese.

We went to CPK Eastwood since it is the nearest branch for us. When we got there of course it was jam packed. We were told that we can sit outside but as soon as a table is free we can go inside. We were willing to wait in the name of free pizza so we sat and waited outside. After a few minutes of deciding what to eat, we ordered The Original BBQ Chicken and Garlic Chicken for our freebie. Their serving time was 40 minutes to 1 hour so we just sat down and waited patiently. Meanwhile, Geraldine took some pictures to kill time. 

Here is the menu

CPK put up a tent outside for those who are ordering pizza for take out.

After about 30 minutes we were able to get seated inside the restaurant. The place was really small compared to their other branches. No wonder a lot of people were waiting outside.

Now here comes the disappointing part. As mentioned earlier we were told that our food will be ready in 40 to 1 hour. After an hour Geraldine was already being a little bit impatient. However I decided to cut them some slack because I figured it must be really a very very busy day with all these customers. Besides, their servers were really nice. They were all still smiling even though it was a very difficult day. It was also that branch's first National Pizza Day. A waiter even gave an order to the wrong table and only realized it after a few minutes. Lucky him, the girls at the table did not touch the food yet. A Chinese mom beside us was also getting pissed already and ranting to her son "how long does it take to make my pizza?" She has been there before us so I get why she is getting all worked up.

However, after an hour and a half has passed I started to be a little bit irritated. Different waiters/waitresses would approach us and ask what our order was to follow up. Don't they have a record of all those orders somewhere??? Five different people followed up on our orders but still no pizza. Geraldine ordered fries because she was starving already. The fries, which by the way are not good, was served in less than five minutes. Finally I snapped so I called a waiter and asked him how many more hours until they serve the pizzas because we have been there for almost two hours. And of course, he asked us again what we ordered. My voice was a little loud already because I was really pissed. I think I even scared the really nice girl who took our orders. After about two more minutes they served the much awaited dinner for the day. 

Homemade Fries - Php95

They served the Garlic Chicken first. When I had my first bite I was even more disappointed that the pizza was not hot. How come Pizza Hut delivers HOT pizzas while CPK serves cold ones for dine in?? I did not even bother to ask them anymore. It was sad because this was actually a good tasting pizza. If you would ask me, this is actually a HIT if it was served with the right temperature considering we waited for almost two hours.

Garlic Chicken

Next up is The Original BBQ Chicken Pizza. Same thing. It wasn't hot. I really don't get why. This was really disappointing considering that this is CPK's best because of that BBQ flavor, giving the pizza a smoky and sweet taste. Nevertheless this is still a HIT. CPK undoubtedly serves great tasting pizza.

The Original BBQ Chicken (Regular) - Php375

While we were eating another family was also complaining already about how much longer would they have to wait. The dad even asked the waitress, "Miss ilang oras pa? Sabihin mo lang" in a sarcastic manner. A waiter also approached us and apologized for serving our food late. 

I really do hope that CPK Eastwood improves their system most specially during National Pizza Day. They should have anticipated the number of people coming in that day and devised a plan to handle everything. Maybe they can offer on-the-house appetizers for their guests.

Despite all the problems we encountered that day I would like to commend their staff for being very customer friendly. From the beginning of our stay until we left the restaurant they were still smiling and very attentive.

California Pizza Kitchen is a must try! Pizza lover or not you will love everything they have to offer. What about you? What was your experience during National Pizza Day? Share it with us :)

California Pizza Kitchen

G/F Eastwood Mall Veranda

Libis, Quezon City

http://www.cpk.com.ph/

https://www.facebook.com/CPKPhilippines

East Meets West at Mr. Kurosawa: Euro-Japanese

Last December 2012 we went to Eastwood during our lunch break. We were walking around the mall, checking every restaurant's menu and finally we decided to try Mr. Kurosawa. During that time of the day it felt like we were the only people in the restaurant who weren't professionals. We sort of felt underdressed. Everyone dining there were older than we were and they were dressed up. When we got hold of the menu, which was really heavy, we realized that most of their dishes are relatively expensive for students like us. I do not know why we did not notice that earlier but since we were already there we had no choice.

Anyway, we ordered the most familiar dishes we could find. First was the Chicken Teriyaki Roll. We liked it! The teriyaki sauce and the mangoes had the right kind of sweetness that blended well with the chicken. This is a HIT.

Chicken Teriyaki Roll - Php208

We also ordered Chicken Tempura & Fries. The tempura was not really crispy like the usual ebi tempuras in restaurants. This one was soft which was actually good and I loved the Japanese mayo. The fries were topped with some nori though there was nothing special about them. I liked that they had a generous serving but I was looking for something more. Overall, this dish was not really special. They justified the price through the serving but not the taste. Since this is a Euro-Jap restaurant my expectations were a little bit higher.

Chicken Tempura & Fries - Php298

Finally, the Fish Tonkatsu which was topped with egg and nori. Squeezing the lemon to it would make it (of course) a little bit sour. It adds some kick to the fish-egg-nori combo. I do not find it awful. But i do not find it that good either to be this pricey.

Fish Tonkatsu - Php268

We were both happy with everything we ate. We found them good but we think that they were a little bit pricey for the not-so-special taste they offer. Maybe it was because of the fact that we ordered some very basic dishes. Still, we were expecting a little bit of twist. BUT we still encourage you to visit Mr. Kurosawa. Try their better (and more expensive) dishes. Then please do comment and share your experiences with us!

Mr. Kurosawa

G/F Eastwood Mall Veranda

Libis, Quezon City

901-0825

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Mr-Kurosawa-Euro-Japanese/177631448941095

Conti's @ Katipunan Ext.

Conti's is one of our favorite restaurants. They have great tasting dishes and a wide variety of drool-worthy desserts. This post contains a compilation of some of the dishes we have tried in Conti's.

This is what Geraldine had when we first ate at Conti's together. She chose Saffron Mushroom Risotto instead of Garlic Rice because she hates garlic. The Chicken Roulade was good. It had spinach and cheese and was served with this sauce on top. I think this made a really good dish but not one of their bests. Still, we recommend you try this one. CRAVE HIT!

Chicken Roulade

While Geraldine tried the Chicken Roulade, I tried their Chicken Pastel. I don't know why both of us ate chicken but we were not disappointed. However what I noticed when I removed the flaky crust on top, the serving of the chicken was so little. They put in a lot of mushroom sauce then there was a little bit of chicken then carrots and potatoes. I just hoped that there more meat than carrots and potatoes. Nevertheless it is still a CRAVE HIT. But I have better dishes to recommend than this one.

Chicken Pastel

This is a personal favorite. I always recommend this dish to my friends who are trying Conti's for the first time. Their prawns are baked with a special topping and is served with Crab Salad and Japanese Fried Rice. Everything in this plate is really delicious. This is a CRAVE HIT not only for the Baked Prawns but also because of the salad and rice that went with it. They all blended perfectly together. Although for me the prawns are a little bit bitin

Baked Prawns

Herb Crusted Fish Fillet is another personal favorite. What I love about this is that the fish is so soft that it melts in your mouth and it is also bursting with flavors from the herbs that went along with it. Some fish fillets have this certain taste that we Filipinos call malansa but this one does not have that taste. It is just soooooo delicious. I love it. It also comes with Apple Potato Salad which I also dearly love and buttered corn rice. Definitely a CRAVE HIT.

FOR THE DESSERTS....

Your Conti's experience will not be complete without trying this famous cake that made their popularity soar. Presenting... the MANGO BRAVO. The name says it all, it is a mango induced dish and once you taste it.. Bravo! The mangoes they use are sweet and fresh and the cream that coats the whole cake is, well, bravo. This is not my favorite though because it has nuts and I hate nuts may they be in chocolates, in cakes or in ice cream. But so far, I am the only person I know who would choose another cake over Mango Bravo. Please be reminded that this is a CRAVE HIT and that you should never ever leave Conti's without having this for dessert.

Mango Bravo

Mango Bravo

There are two cakes that I will choose over Mango Bravo: Oreo Cheesecake and Mango Cheesecake. We were not able to take a picture of the Oreo Cheesecake either because they ran out of it or we were too excited about the cake that we already ate it all up before taking a picture of it. But trust me when I say that it is really good. What I love most about it is aside from the oreo crust, the cheesecake is filled with oreo inside. Yumyumyum!!

Here is a picture of their Mango Cheesecake. Sweet and fresh mangoes on top of a cheesecake with graham crust. Satisfyingly delicious. CRAVE HIT!

Mango Cheesecake

Not a fan of Blueberry Cheesecakes but Geraldine loves it so we got one. I think she loved it because she was smiling while eating. But then again, I don't think Conti's will ever disappoint you with any of their dishes.

We highly recommend Conti's to every food lover out there. You will never regret dining in this place. Aside from that they have very attentive waiters (as well as waitresses) and have a very comfy interior. Try out their amazing pastries as well. I love their Lemon Squares and Cream Puffs. You have so many to choose from and everything is just good!

Conti's Pastry Shop & Restaurant

Katipunan Ave.

Quezon City

646-3306 (Katipunan Branch)

http://www.contis.ph/index.asp

https://www.facebook.com/contispastryshopandrestaurant

Flavors of China @ Sta. Lucia East Grand Mall

Last August 5 we had dinner in Sta. Lucia. We were torn between Chicken Rice Shop and Flavors of China but once the waiter said they had Yang Chow all you can we immediately went inside. Their dishes are relatively affordable and is good for 2 persons. The Yang Chow is worth 45pesos and you can have as much as you want.

They served free crackers!!! Yum yum :) They are just like Chowking's kropek.

Here is the yang chow fried rice. It was really delicious. No wonder it is a CRAVE HIT not only for us but to all of their customers.

This is Sizzling Beef in Flavours Steak Sauce. This is also a HIT. It was indeed full of flavors and had a certain kind of sweetness. It was really good. They can however improve on the tenderness of the beef. It was a little bit difficult to cut it.

We also ordered this Boneless Chicken with Lemon Sauce. Another HIT for us. The chicken was very soft and the lemon sauce was not too sour. It had a right blend of sweet and sour.

Our experience in Flavors of China was excellent. The waiter serving us was very attentive and friendly. The dishes we ordered are worth every penny we paid for. We definitely recommend this place for Chinese food lovers who do not want to spend too much money on Hap Chan or Yang Chow.

Some of their other branches are in Farmers Plaza, Cubao and Tomas Morato.

Flavours of China

Ground Level

Sta. Lucia East Grand Mall

Imelda Ave.

Cainta, Rizal

https://www.facebook.com/flavoursofchinaph