Dining Snippets: Farmery x Hakata Ton-Ichi x Arroz Ecija
FARMERY
This food court concept may be relatively new, but there was so much buzz about its value-for-money steak plates late last year that I just had to try it. I’m not really fond of eating in food courts; mainly because it exposes the risk of my accident-proneness to a wide public; especially when it comes to balancing my food trays to my table. However, the hype behind it made forget my food court anxiety as I immediately arranged a visit to SM Megamall Fashion Hall’s food court. Offering a whole lot of meat, paired with cheeky names and affordable price tags, it’s a no-brainer how it captured the hearts of a lot of hungry diners.
RIBEYE LOVE YOU (P290) and TAPA D’ MOUNTAIN (P180)
Its main offering is the Ribeye Love You, which comes with varying sizes. A regular size comes with choice of side (choices range from a cup of rice, fries, wedges, salad, pasta, eggs or smashed potato). I decided to pair mine with some wedges; while my mom opted for the Tapa D’ Mountain.
Its massive serving portions are overwhelming; especially if you keep the price tag in mind. When I was served my order, it actually appeared as if the ribeye slices served as a mere side dish to the massive wedges that it came with. Taste-wise, the wedges were overly battered; and poorly seasoned. These badly needed to be paired with either its garlic dip or the gravy served with the steak.
Naturally, you have to manage expectations for the quality of the steak you'd be served with; so given the price point, the gummy meat I was served with was acceptable. Fortunately, Mom’s beef tapa dish was something I enjoyed immensely better as its beef strips were well-marinated in a tangy savory sauce and was paired with a heaping portion of fragrant garlic rice and a beautiful runny egg. It’s something I’m pretty sure I’d never crave for again; but Farmery is highly recommended for those craving for some meat on a budget.
Farmery
Food Hall, 5th Floor, SM Megamall Fashion Hall, Ortigas, Mandaluyong City
Date of Visit: November 21, 2019 with Lily Chua
HAKATA TON-ICHI
Mendokoro Ramenba would always be my top choice for ramen, but Ramen Nagi’s Red King is undeniably my ultimate comfort food. Ramen Nagi’s accessibility is unparalleled as it has established its presence in most of the major shopping malls and commercial areas in the Metro; however, it takes a step further by offering a lower-tier concept that attempts to go head-to-head with affordable ramen restaurants such as Ramen Kuroda.
ESSENTIAL RAMEN SET (RED RAMEN AND BLACK FRIED RICE) – P320
Admittedly, I have yet to try Ramen Kuroda so I can’t really contrast it with Hakata Ton-Ichi. Armed with the knowledge that it’s a cheaper Ramen Nagi; I already tempered my expectations that I’d be served with an inferior bowl compared to what I’m accustomed to. Despite this though, I was still blown away at how affordable the price points were. An Essential Ramen Set, for example, comes with your choice of ramen, a small cup of your choice of fried rice, fruits and iced tea; and it still comes out cheaper than an order of the Butao King. As I’m a Red King baby, naturally, I opted for the Red Ramen; and paired it with the Black Fried Rice. I expected that the broth would be lighter in taste; but what I didn’t expect was that both the ramen and the fried rice would be too greasy to bear.
Value-for-money is guaranteed as the serving size is filling; and taste-wise, it’s a good enough knock-off of Nagi's. A bowl comes with a complimentary half tamago (yes, the same ones served in Nagi), so that’s a major plus! The fried rice didn’t really add any excitement or satisfaction so it might be best to just stick to their ramen bowls (if they can do something about its excessive greasiness). Hakata Ton-Ichi is a godsend for those who find Ramen Nagi’s bowls too steep and out of budget; but if you can handle shelling out those extra hundreds, it’s best to just stick with the Nagi.
Hakata Ton-Ichi
2F Ayala North Exchange, Ayala Ave cor Amorsolo St., Legaspi Village, Makati City
Date of Visit: October 17, 2019 with Marjorie Villacorte
ARROZ ECIJA
Arroz Ecija, a spin-off concept of XO Heritage Bistro, so don't be shocked if servers converse in pure Tagalog. While waiting for a table in the forever-full Magnolia branch of Mann Hann, I was surprised to see that Arroz Ecija actually served up hot rice dishes, as I thought it was merely a kakanin/merienda outpost, so my family and I figured to hold our next Sunday family lunch at Magnolia there.
LUMPIANG GULAY (P79) AND TOKWA’T BABOY (P115)
It was a bit difficult to employ a family-style manner of ordering in Arroz Ecija as majority of its menu comes packaged with rice already. The Lumpiang Gulay and the Tokwa’t Baboy are a few of those which come a la carte. The Lumpiang Gulay was promising; as its healthy stuffing was not in want of flavor. Unfortunately, it’s crisp lumpia wrapper was too greasy for my liking (and most likely eliminated all the health benefits brought about by the greens). The Tokwa’t Baboy was a better choice; where the ratio of the deep-fried crisp tokwa was nearly 1:1 with that of the meaty pork slices. Topped with a generous serving of scallions and green onions and served in a nice blend of sweet and tangy toyomansi; the Tokwa’t Baboy serves as both a good starter and a pair to a cup of rice.
BAGNET MONGGO (P265)
I can never say no to a cup of hearty monggo. I’m relatively easy to satisfy when it comes to this comfort food favorite, but Arroz Ecija manages to up the game by serving it with a generous serving of deep-fried bagnet! Served with a cup of Milagrosa rice, this has the makings of a happy meal.
BINAGOONGANG BAGNET (P298)
Served with local Basmati Rice, the Binagoongang Bagnet was promising. Nicely-browned juicy chunks of pork which were lovingly bathed with just the right amount of bagoong and armed with a nice touch of heat, the Binagoongang Bagnet made for a deliciously tasty viand. Unfortunately, it was hard to fully appreciate it as it came with too many fatty pieces.
SPICY BEEF CALDERETA (P310)
The Spicy Beef Caldereta easily looked as the most appetizing dish from what we ordered; thanks to the vibrant hues of its spiced tomato sauce and medley of vegetables. Unfortunately, it was my least liked dish as the beef chunks were simply too tough to bite through.
If you don’t mind a carbs-on-carbs combination, its Chicken Tinola at Miswa with Milagrosa Rice dish promises a hearty warm dish that’s perfect for rainy day nights. I’m not a fan of pairing noodles with rice; but its immensely flavorful soup does leave you wanting to chase each spoonful of soup with a bite of rice.
Arroz Ecija
3F Robinsons Magnolia, New Manila, Quezon City
Date of Visit: November 3, 2019 with Wilson Chua, Lily Chua, Jared Chua and Jem Chua
