Much like everyone else, I was in my home for the majority of this still ongoing lockdown. And much like everyone else, after the panic of food shortages and stocking up on non-perishables that I would never eat on a normal day, I turned to ordering take out and having it delivered as well as browsing GrabFood for the latest offerings. Before the year ends, I just wanted to share some of my tastiest take out discoveries whilst stuck self-isolating. Also I want to preface this with 1.) I live in BF Resort in Las Piñas, so a lot of the places on the list are obviously from around my area that I can walk to or can be delivered to where I live, and 2.) A lot of these orders are for at least two people – Jericho and I. He lives right next door to me and we just swap food, honestly.
I’d order from M’s Charcoal Shawarma & Grill at least once a week. My usual order is their Chicken Tikka Plate (₱220) with extra grilled veg and sometimes a side of freshly cut French Fries (₱150). I ask them to char mine just a little bit more because I love the crispy bits.
For shawarmas, my go to is AthefHasan Shawarma House where their Chicken Shawarma with Cheese is just ₱76 and are pretty hefty for what you get. When available, I’d order a tub of Hummus (₱125), which they make fresh, and Kuboos (₱55 for 5 pieces). Their hummus is vanilla, but I prefer buying it plain and adding what I like to the mix – usually paprika, cayenne pepper, and lemon.
The sushi bake craze happened over the pandemic, and a friend recommended Kani Allie. I love how generous they are when it comes to toppings and the rice to ‘sushi’ ratio is pretty even. My go to order with them is the OG Ninja (₱600) which is made with a thick layer of shredded Kani sticks, chinks of salmon and bright orange tobiko. We could polish off half of this for lunch and the other half for dinner.
If you’re looking for leveled up chicken barbecue, Satay Sarap will not disappoint! Full disclosure, my brother owns this, but I stand by what I said. The recipe is a mix of Malaysian and Arabic flavors, a little nod to our dad and his special marinade for when he’d throw barbecued chicken on the grill.
The Chicken Satay is ₱35/stick with a minimum of 20 sticks per order. 20 sticks (₱700) comes w/ a free 10oz peanut sauce, regular or spicy, while 40 sticks (₱1,400)comes with a free 16oz peanut sauce, regular or spicy. You can order the sticks marinated and packed for you to throw on the grill or pan fry, or he can grill them for you before sending it out. Well-marinated chicken aside, I can’t stop eating the sauce. I slather it on rice and have it with everything.
Kat’s Café has always been a favorite of mine, even before the pandemic, since it’s literally two blocks away from me – and they deliver! While they’re best known for coffee that could give big coffee chains a run for their money as well as their baked goods, they have hot dishes that are pretty good, too. Kat’s Aglio Olio (₱225) comes to mind – capellini pasta tossed in olive oil with spicy sardines, crumbled kesong puti, and fresh tomatoes. There are also times when I just want to enjoy a steak without turning my studio into a smoke box, and I’d order their Steak Tenderloin with Haricots Verts (₱650) and that’s my streak craving sorted.
When I’m craving for makimono, I look to JapFudo, specifically the Spicy Salmon Maki (₱250) which is covered in tempura flakes and a savory Toriniku Maki (₱230) that uses their karaage rolled with cream cheese and topped with bonito flakes.
Umi Sushi is another makimono cloud kitchen I like to order from that’s located near SM Southmall, and you can’t go wrong with their Dynamite Rolls (₱330), Spicy Tempura Gunkan (₱300), and Spicy Tuna Maki (₱320).
When I’m in a Zoom meeting that’s going long and I know I won’t be done ’til 9 or 10, Carnival Food Club has always come to my rescue. Actually, this place has become my default fast food place I like to order from. For the cost of a value meal, you can get a heftier burger and fries combo with free delivery with a minimum order of ₱300. I have friends who live in Pasig and Taguig who come all the way here to order from them. They change up their menu every so often, but my favorites have always been their Buffalo Chicken Burger (₱200) with Seasoned Fries (₱70). They also offer Chimichangas (₱150) by another fantastic neighborhood chef, Ronelli of WhoaNellie Bagels & Beignets which is another fave. She also makes an amazing Boston Banana Creme Pie – best to message her if you want a piece of that.
As far as comfort food is concerned, James & Daughters is at the top of my list. They’re all the way in Estancia Mall in Pasig, but Chef Jonas’ food just hits different. It tastes like what home should taste like – if you had a parent that was an amazing cook. I usually eat the Twice Fried French Beans (₱305) by itself – it really doesn’t need anything else. If I want something heavier there’s the Crispy Roast Pork Belly (₱595) that has a mouth-watering Bicol express sauce that’s just *chef’s kiss*. And when I miss Bangkok I order the BBQ Lemongrass Chicken (₱575) that reminds me of the street stall chicken you used to be able to order.
Beso Beso had pivoted fine dining and tasting menus to to offer casual dining fare over the lockdown – and it was all really good! They had Guacamole that used Haas avocados that I still dream of every now and then, and the biggest Chicken Schnitzel with a side of fries and garlic aioli dip that gave me so much life!
One of the places I missed buying merienda from when everything was shut down was Casa Daza, which had a branch at the Alabang Town Center. So when places started opening up again, this was the first place I made a beeline for. All I ever get it their Chicken empanada, while Jericho opts for the Original, filled with beef and pork. It’s ₱470 for a box of 6 or ₱940 for a box of 12. I would usually buy them by the dozen, and that would be merienda for most of the week. Sometimes dinner, even.
Lola Nena’s is Jericho’s favorite merienda place. He looked like a child on Christmas when he found out that they had opened in BF Parañaque. I have mixed feelings towards the Triple Cheese Donuts (₱216 for 8 pieces). There’s way too much of the chunky cheddar that it just becomes a little too overwhelming for me. But then, the disclaimer is in the title – triple cheese nga e. I prefer their Special Pichi Pichi (₱170 for 20 pieces) more.
The now defunct (I think) Hello Neighbour Food was a micro business that catered to customers within the neighborhood during ECQ and MECQ with gems like their Spinachi Creme Lasagna Roll Ups (₱150/ roll up) to their Lemon Almond Bundt Cake (₱750) that had all the right notes of sweet and tangy, perfect with a cup of tea. I miss this and hope it comes back.
I’m such a sucker for a crusty sourdough loaf and was moping about it to a friend, ‘coz I couldn’t find any in my area at that time, and she recommended her friend’s business, Conspire Foods. They’re a bakery, noodle, and food production contractor in Pasay, but they also sell to individual customers. I would order my Sourdough Loaves (₱250/loaf) at least once a week. They do them beautifully, along with some other hard-to-find breads, like this Iranian Barbari (₱350) flatbread that’s bigger than my head!
When I found out that Paris Delice was open during MECQ and that it was so easy to place orders on their website, I kept ordering from them every week. I went a little croissant crazy, and I blame it on the pandemic. I would get orders of Grilled European Croissant Sandwich (₱165) and Salmon Confit (₱165) and Tomato Soup (₱100) for lunch, a few pieces of their Strawberries and Cream Croissant (₱165) and Nutella Mousse (₱165) for tea time, and at least three packs of their Frozen Butter Croissants (₱325/5 pieces) to last me a few breakfasts ’til my next bulk order.
The House of Bao is all the way in Quezon City, and paying the delivery fee just hurts my heart, but I’m telling you, it’s worth it! Lalo na’t walang ganito sa south! The Original Pork Jian Bao (₱270/6 pieces, ₱540/12 pieces), made with ground pork, spices, leeks, and jicama, is all I ever order. It’s best enjoyed with Daddy Mikks Chili Crunch (₱230/130g bottle) which they also sell.
A good Chinese restaurant in the south is hard to come by, so North Park is a staple as far as Chinese food is concerned. All I ever really get is their Fried Beancurd Skin with Shiitake Mushrooms in Oyster Sauce (₱173), Lechon Macau over Fried Rice (₱458) and Pinsec Frito (₱163/8 pieces). Lately, I’ve found myself ordering the Shark’s Fin Siomai (₱113/4 pieces), Siomai (₱138/4 pieces), and Kikiam (₱218/2 pieces) a lot as well. You really can’t go wrong with their selection of dim sum.
When I want noodles, NOYCHI Dimsum Express never disappoints. Their hand-pulled Beef Noodle Soup (₱190) hits the spot when the weather gets chilly. When I’m craving for something spicy, their Dry Noodles with Steamed Sliced Beef (₱160) hits the spot, and when I’m feeling naughty, the Dry Noodles with Lechon Kawali (₱170) is what I go for.
This wouldn’t be a respectable lockdown list without pizza, and Crosta Pizza is the one to beat. I’m all about the crispy cheese bits on pizzas, and their square Detroit pizzas are hard to beat. I’ve tried a few of the vegan options, but keep finding myself re-ordering their Roni Sicilian that’s topped with a generous amount of cupping pepperonis.
While most people were hoarding alcohol when the lockdown started, I was hoarding Marks & Spencer biscuits. Legit na takot akong maubusan. I would buy Scottish All Butter Shortbread Fingers (₱175), Dark Chocolate and Ginger Thins (₱250), Tea Cake Mini Bites (₱430), Red Currant Puffs (₱180), Milk Chocolate Digestives (₱150), and my favorite Ginger Snaps (₱120) in boxes. BOXES.
I discovered Heavenly Desserts by Chef Jeng Sy Flores over GrabFood. Her Angel’s Delight (P770) box consists of 5oz assorted mini cakes of Almond Sansriavl, Mango Shortcake, Moist Chocolate, Burnt Basque Cheesecake, Carrot Pecan, and Brazo de Mercedes.
I found Casa Luisa after reading chef Angelo Comsti’s wax poetic about their flaky pastry. The Mango Sampaguita and Cheese got me ordering a box, made with housemate mango jam simmered in a sampaguita syrup, half a cheek of fresh mango, and whipped sweetened cream cheese encased in their flaky butter pastry.
French Onion Soup Empanda made with 12-hour roasted bone marrow bone broth reduced with red wine into a rich glaze with caramelized onions, thyme and Gruyere cheese, Beef Rendang made with beef brisket that’s been slow-cooked in house-made paste with shallots, turmeric, galangal, ginger and spices with house-made samba, and their Spinach, Feta & Bacon with mornay, feta cheese, and crispy applewood bacon lardons.
You can buy all variants of empanadas in boxes of 3s for ₱650 either already baked or frozen.
And lastly, I’m glad that Falafel Yo finally opened at the Alabang Town Center and is open for deliveries! I’ve tried the entire menu, and my favorites are the classic Falafel YO! (₱199), their Sour Cream Pita Fries (₱89), Zaatar Pita Fries (₱89), and Raw Falafel Mix (₱349) for when I want to make a batch of falafel on my own terms.
Conclusion
Before you think that I order take out everyday, I don’t. This is a culmination of two years worth of ordering out because I just wasn’t in the mood to cook, I was craving for something, or I wanted to support a small business. In between orders is a lot of salads, tuna sandwiches, and hot meals, but every now and then it’s nice to not have to wash up after.
As we’re slowly eeking out oft his pandemic and businesses are opening up a bit more, we can now go out and enjoy a little more variety. I’m ever so grateful for these restaurants, cafés, cloud kitchens, and home businesses for staying open no matter the odds and feeding me, my family, and friends. Which places kept you fed and happy during the course of the lockdown?
