Delivery Snippets: The Roti Shop x Lugang Café x Butamaru Ramen x Izakaya

THE ROTI SHOP

The Roti Shop has always been a personal favorite. Until now, its Roti Prata with Curry remains unchallenged when it comes to the best roti I’ve had in Manila. Apart from its signature roti, its take on the Char Kway Teow is also noteworthy.

CHAR KWAY TEOW (P280)

Its sweetly charred flat noodles are beautifully coated in dark soy sauce and served with shrimp, chives and beansprouts which bring about a textural party in your mouth. One bite of it and it immediately transports me to sunny Makansutra Gluttons Bay overlooking Esplanade, Singapore. That's how good this hawker food staple is! If dining alone, watch out for its solo sets which come bundled with a can of softdrinks!

Date of Delivery: Feb 4, 2021 via Grabfood (also available on Foodpanda)

LUGANG CAFE

For Chinese New Year, my family opted to go a bit mainstream and order from Lugang Café. We were beyond satisfied that despite the busy holiday rush, each and every item we ordered was still executed perfectly.

Of course, its Xiao Long Bao (P268/order) is a non-negotiable part of any Lugang meal. Admittedly, over time, its Xiao Long Bao has gone down in my top XLB rankings as foreign franchises such as Paradise Dynasty and Din Tai Fung entered the scene, but each bao is still guaranteed to be a tasty mouthful.

The Roasted Duck (1/4 – P629) featured slices of duck which boast of a perfect skin: fat: meat ratio; while our family staple, Chicken with Scallion (P498), had juicy pieces soaked in a scallion glaze that does wonders on a plain cup of rice. The Sautéed Beans with Minced Pork and the Mapo Tofu (P288) were no-fuss classic adaptations to beloved Chinese dishes; while the seemingly simple Roasted Pork Belly (P428) effortlessly stole the spotlight by its flavorfully spiced slices. The Pineapple with Shrimp Crullers (P398) served as a delightful appetizer, palate cleanser and dessert starter in one.

Lugang Cafe

Date of Delivery: Feb 7, 2021 via https://lugangcafe.htcg.com.ph/

BUTAMARU RAMEN + IZAKAYA

My friends and I were completely blown away when we first had a taste of Butamaru’s ramen. I recall being so happy with its Tantanmen during that dinner that I immediately dragged my mom to have lunch there again the very next day.

SPICY MISO BUTTER RAMEN (P380)

Although Butamaru is available on Grabfood and Foodpanda, I was still hesitant to book an order as ramen bowls typically tend to deteriorate after some time. Thus, I intentionally scheduled my APE in the Hi-Precision branch located near its Technopoint branch so I can have Butamaru as my post-APE celebratory lunch.

I ordered the Spicy Miso Butter Ramen to-go and I was pleasantly surprised at how well-packed the bowls are. The noodles and toppings were served separately so you don’t have to worry about them getting soggy. I loved their Tantanmen but the Spicy Miso Butter Ramen felt like a warm hug in every bite. It came with a to-die-for smoky chashu that tasted heavenly when clothed in its amazingly tasty broth. I enjoyed it so much that I shamelessly downed every flavorful drop of it!

Butamaru Ramen+Izakaya

Date of Pick up: Feb 13, 2021 (Also available on Grabfood and Foodpanda)