Truth: Pizza isn’t a Pinoy staple food. So even if we know that – when properly done – pizza can be really, really good, it can be challenging to find a local venue that knows how to properly make one. Heck, even the supposedly “award-winning” venues in Makati City aren’t that good, truth be told!

@outragemag Looking for #pizza #lasagna, #babybackribs in #QuezonCity? We #LGBTQ ♬ original sound – outragemag

The search for a good slice (or slices, preferably) of pizza led us to Las Tres Marias Deliciosa Lasaña, which – seemingly belying its name – is making a name not just because of its lasagna, but also because of its pizzas (with some of them looking mouth-watering in socmed reels, yeah).

So… how did we find Las Tres Marias Deliciosa Lasaña?

Una, the place reminded me of small eating venues in non-touristy streets in Paris – e.g. turned picturesque thanks to hundreds of fake flowers that added character to multi-colored decors. So when there, you can’t help but think they have a very specific market in mind – i.e. socmed people.

Ikalawa, the staff were actually nice – e.g. they even provided us (and the guests in another table) with a phone stand for the selfies. And when you make inquiries online, they respond fast, ha.

Now – ikatlo (and lastly) – how was the food?

• The Famous Beef Lasagna (₱289) was hefty… for its price. Di tinipid. It was yummy, said Arthur, though a bit sweet for me. But we both agreed that the accompanying garlic bread was really good.
• Las Tres Marias Deliciosa Lasaña has various 12” types of pizzas to choose from, with the prices ranging from ₱520 to ₱590. To be on the safe side, we just ordered the Primo Pizza (₱590), which paired half of the 4 Cheese Artisan Pizza with half of Pizza de Barcelona (pepperoni and cheese with meat sauce and three kinds of cheese). And that proved to be – this has to be stressed – an intelligent decision. Because while the pizzas looked IG-worthy, and appeared to have lots of sahog, the very first bite wasn’t pizza-like. That’s because the dough used can be likened to pan de sal and not what’s usually used for pizza. It was more similar to the garlic bread served with the lasagna, actually. And for me, that it didn’t even seem well done was also an issue.
• The baby back ribs with shrimp aglio olio pasta (₱490) was… okay. Admittedly, the ribs were somewhat dry even if the flesh was soft enough to seemingly peel off the bones. At least the pasta (cooked al dente) was quite good.

Considering the many offerings of Las Tres Marias Deliciosa Lasaña, you are bound to find something that will please you if you decide to pay it a visit. That’s good for you… and for this business.

Admittedly, we have misgivings… like those pizza slices that left us with not-too-great memories. But that’s all good, as we continue discovering good lafang places.

Reach Las Tres Marias Deliciosa Lasaña HERE.

There are three branches.

Las Tres Marias Deliciosa Lasaña P. Noval Manila Branch is right beside UST, and is open from 10:30am to 10pm; parking is available along P. Noval St.

Las Tres Marias Deliciosa Lasaña Sta. Mesa Branch is in front of Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital, and is open from 9:30am to 10pm; parking is available in front of the restaurant.

Las Tres Marias Deliciosa Lasaña QC Branch is located at 27 Roosevelt Ave. corner Gen. Lim St., right beside Fisher Mall, and is open from 11am to 11pm. Parking is available in front of the resto.

Okay… let’s be honest: Thai cuisine is among the best in the world. Particularly – this has to be stressed – those that were not sanitized to please foreigners’ palates. But this is also why it’s tricky when you look for Thai food outside of Thailand since you’re bound to get something that claims to be Thai, and yet not taste Thai at all.

@outragemag

#thaifood craving in #MetroManila? We checked out #SoiChicken in #Pasay for this #LGBTQ #foodtrip

♬ original sound – outragemag

And so we checked Soi Chicken in Mall of Asia in Pasay City. This is one of a handful of Thai restos in MOA, including Jatujak and Soi.

So… how was it for us?

Una, the place itself was not bad – e.g. it was clean, walang sirang furniture, Thai-inspired decoration, et cetera. Yeah, the music playing wasn’t Thai or even Thai-inspired, but at least the overall vibe was.

Ikalawa, the place was not THAT busy. At least when we went there, past lunch time, it was more empty than full.

Ikatlo, even if there weren’t a lot of customers, service was still slow. Don’t get me wrong: the staff was nice. They were chatty. They provided you what you needed. Et cetera. But… they weren’t always there. As example: I had to stand to ask for the bill.

And lastly, the food was… okay. But – take note – hindi siya memorable.

• We started with Som Tum (papaya salad with salted egg, ₱295), which tasted like it needed more palm sugar and lime. The addition of the salted egg was inspired, though, making this special.  
• The Pad Thai Soi (₱495) was not bad, too. But it was not as flavorful, either. It was almost like the chef wanted to be safe… which sadly deprived us of the flavors we were looking for. But at least the noodles weren’t overcooked, and there was acceptable amount of sahog, considering its price.
• The Tom Yum (₱485) was, perhaps, what disappointed Arthur most. Again, this wasn’t bad; you can tell that they didn’t use powder, but prepped this fresh. But it tasted… kulang/lacking – e.g. of lemongrass, and galangal. BTW: We ordered Jasmine Rice (₱69) but ended up not eating it.
• For dessert, we grabbed the Black Gulaman with Gata (which sounds more Filipno than Thai, we know; ₱225) that tasted like macapuno ice cream with gulaman pieces.

But you could all try for yourself, if you want.

But for us: babalikan anytime soon? Not really.

In the end: Yep, it IS hard to look for good Thai resto in Metro Manila… or even in nearby provinces. But we continue looking anyway. So come join us look for more good lafang places.

Soi Chicken is located at the ground level of North Galleon Bldg., MOA Eats, SM Mall of Asia in Pasay City.

Thanks to the never-ending price increases at the time of Bongbong Marcos, sa panahon ngayon, ano nga ba ang halaga ng ₱1,000 kung ang kilo ng kamatis pa lang ay lampas ₱200 na? And so when we see what we think are good deals, like steaks for around ₱500, lumalaki yung mata natin.

And this is how we discovered Sky Seafoods, known for offering pretty-looking affordable steaks and seafood in Caloocan City.

So… how was our experience of it?

Una: The place is over an hour away from the City of Manila, where we came from. And this is also already using the expressways. Meaning, allocate extra time as well as extra budget for the tolls just to check this place.

Ikalawa: No, they don’t accept credit cards. And at least when we went there, GCash wasn’t working, either. Bring cash when you visit; else be troubled by searching for ATM or whatever.

Ikatlo: Some of the staff couldn’t care less if you’re there or not. As an example, we had a hard time asking for information about the nearest ATM so we could get cash. Once the orders were served, the waiters were, at least, attentive. Truth: We wanted to walk out na, yeah… but since we spent time driving there, we’re stuck into thinking that we may as well just give the place a try na lang.

Ika-apat: Located at the corner of two streets, the place itself was… not bad. High-ceilinged, the place was well-ventilated, properly laid out, and have good AC (a few tables actually requested for from air-conditioners to be turned off because it was getting too cold). Just be warned about the toilet – i.e. it’s clean, yes, but it looked like this was just added as an afterthought (complete with those blue tubo/pipes, et cetera).

Finally: How was the food? We ordered Surf & Turf (ribeye steak with creamy garlic shrimp, ₱788); Steak & Pasta (₱395); regular fries (₱65); and kilawing tuna with rice (₱229). So…

1. At least the fries here were not bad, since they didn’t get soggy as Jollibee’s fries could get.
2. The creamy garlic shrimp was also okay; not overcooked and so not rubbery at all.
3. The tuna was okay for Arthur. But for me – who came from Mindanao, not too far from General Santos City, the tuna capital of the country – it needed more asim/sourness. But the rice that came with it was really good.
4. The steaks were the big disappointment, though. We got thin slabs of meat that were not well-seasoned, and seemed like they were pounded too much. Add to that the buttery fats na natutulog so that – by the end of the meal – they made what we were eating undesirable.

Lots of people came and went to Sky Seafoods while we were there (some even reserved tables). Which should tell you of how popular this place is/has become… perhaps particularly for those in the area. I say: Good for them.

Alas, it’s always to each his/her own.

And nope… this one isn’t in our list of babalikan anytime soon.

With Marcos leading the country, more affordable places like Sky Seafoods will gain more traction, for sure. Let that not define what’s good, though.

Sky Seafoods is located at Magat Salamat corner Lapu-lapu St., Urduja Village, Barangay 172, Caloocan City. Contact 0945 182 3990 for more information.