Dining Snippets: UCC Park Café x Charlie Wanton Special x Sangkap Filipino Restaurant
UCC PARK CAFÉ
I rarely crave for UCC Park Café. Although I do love its coffee selection, its hybrid of breakfast staples and Japanese food fails to be top-of-mind. Whenever I do find myself in UCC though, I usually opt for trusty favorites which I’ve been ordering for the past decade: the Japanese Hamburg Rice Casserole, the Garlic Seafood Pasta or the Hamburg Cheese Curry (yes, obviously I’m really into their Hamburg dishes).
UNAGI RICE CASSEROLE (P400)
One day though, I found myself in Robinsons Magnolia with an immense craving for unagi. It turns out that UCC Park Café was the only Japanese restaurant who had it on its menu. First thing which shocked me was its price point as it's probably one of the cheapest priced unagi dishes in the Metro. Apart from its massive serving size, it was priced the same as its other rice casserole toppings such as the Chicken Teriyaki and my beloved Japanese Hamburg. To be fair, the unagi's quality can’t be compared to other restaurants' since roughly a third of the eel was gummy and chewy. For the parts that weren’t though, they were definitely enough to satisfy an intense unagi craving. Making the dish heartier, curry flavored rice layered and baked with cheese serve as the main receptacle of the unagi.
UCC Park Café
UGF Robinsons Magnolia, Doña M. Hemady St., Valencia, QC
Date of Visit: July 21, 2018 with Jem Chua
CHARLIE WANTON SPECIAL
Thanks to the mouthwatering posts of the Maki Mi of Charlie Wanton Special on the Let’s Eat Pare FB page, I started racking my brains to find an excuse to drop by this out-of-the-way hole-in-the wall restaurant.
BEEF WANTON MAMI (P180)
One night, my mom and I planned to bring my balikbayan uncle Freddy to The Good Seed in Kapitolyo. Our table was already booked on Booky which was why we were shocked to find out that the restaurant was closed for pest control. As we were looking for a replacement venue, my uncle suddenly mentioned that he was curious to try Charlie Wanton Special as he wanted to see if it was the same concept which he used to frequent in Cubao years ago. Thrilled with this coincidence, I quickly said yes and started searching for its location on Waze.
MAKI MI (P165)
The restaurant already had a short queue when we arrived. Fortunately, there was a spare corner table which was enough to seat the three of us. Ordering the Maki Mi was a no-brainer for me; while my mom decided to order the Beef Wanton Mami. Despite being priced as a solo order, the bowls came in massive sizes perfect for sharing so we knew we were in for a night of gluttony. Unfortunately, my excitement quickly turned into disappointment after one sip of the maki mi. It was beyond bland. The house special Beef Wanton Mami failed to have anything to boast as well. Its famous wantons were humongous, but were predominantly made with fillers. Both were mediocre tasting bowls whose sole aim seemed to provide quantity over quality. The hoopla behind it is genuine as it’s clear to see why hordes of hungry diners would bring the whole barangay to share a meal in the restaurant. Its fare is really affordable. However, if you’re looking for eating something of quality, best to steer clear away from this joint. I guess the only good takeaway we had that night was that my uncle was able to satisfy his curiosity as indeed, it was the same Charlie Wanton he used to frequent in his younger days.
Charlie Wanton Special
265 Haig St., Mandaluyong City
Date of Visit: July 28, 2018 with Lily Chua and Freddy Ong
SANGKAP BY CHEF RAYMAR REYES
My family didn’t really intend on dining in Sangkap but the long lines in its neighboring restaurants in Vertis North were getting unbearably long. Stepping in its relatively empty restaurant amidst a busy lunch crowd was a blaring red flag that our hungry tummies decided to overlook.
TAGAYTAY BULALO (P580)
To be fair, its Tagaytay Bulalo looked promising; as the bowl was overflowing with large chunks of beef shank, corn, and beans; however, one taste of its soup is telling enough that it’s not flavorful at all. Sure, a touch of patis will help give it the flavor boost it needs; but bulalos are meant to be enjoyed in its pristine beef broth form; so it was definitely a no for me.
GINATAANG HIPON NA MAY SITAW AT KALABASA (P390)
The most flavorful dish we had in that meal would be the Ginataang Hipon; as it was able to temper the creamy coconut broth with a little bit of spice and sweetness. Its Stuffed Inihaw na Pusit (P525) was also prepared well; as the squid meat was tender and came with a decent spiced soy sauce to pair with.
CRISPY PATA (P750)
Despite its hefty price tag, its Crispy Pata was forgettable. Its meat could have been more tender, its skin could have been crispier, and its sauce could have been tastier. Ultimately, we were treated to a relatively bland meal; quite odd since we’re used to bold and loud Filipino flavors.
Sangkap by Chef Raymar Reyes
2F Ayala Malls Vertis North, Triangle Exchange, North Avenue, QC
Date of Visit: August 12, 2018 with Wilson Chua, Lily Chua, Jared Chua and Jem Chua
