Steaks aren’t Pinoy staple food, aminin na natin. And so it’s understandable that many may see thousand-peso priced items as impractical. But the popularity of steaks may also be the reason why there’s now a handful of not-that-expensive steak places that offer steaks for only around ₱400 to ₱500, including the likes of Escobar’s, Blake’s and Sizzling Plate. We can argue about the quality, but… the option to eat steaks cheaply is there na, thanks to these venues.

Steak to One is among the not-shabby affordable steak restos.

@outragemag Looking for affordable #steak? In #paranaque, we #LGBT checked the offerings of #steaktooneph ♬ original sound – Outrage Magazine

Una, the venue we checked is located in BF Homes in Parañaque City, which is this village that’s only conveniently accessible to those with private vehicles. Be prepared to be asked to leave IDs at the guard house.

Ikalawa, the actual place is okay naman; airy, not dilapidated furniture, malinis, and so on.

Ikatlo, the workers were okay rin; they were attentive without being intrusive. And – this is worth highlighting ha – mabilis ang service, so that you get your orders sooner than you expect.

Ika-apat, how was the food?

We grabbed two steaks: one is an item in their Pamatay Series, the ₱699 Local Ribeye that comes with a small serving of pasta (we chose marinara) and bone marrow; and the other is ₱499 Porterhouse that comes with two side dishes (we asked for French fries and two eggs cooked sunny side up).

Taste-wise, the steaks were okay, though more salt and pepper could have bettered them. The issue – if it can be considered that – is the approach to steaks of Steak to One. Particularly: as if to make their steaks look bigger than they are, you will be served with a wide but thinly-sliced piece of meat. Malapad na manipis. The implication is seen in the doneness of the meat – i.e. because the meat is too thin, it cooks too easily. You order medium rare but you’d end up getting well done.

The side dishes were okay naman – e.g. maasim-asim na pasta, crispy fries, and properly cooked eggs.

In a gist: you don’t have to empty your bank account to eat steaks since there are now a handful of venues that offer not-bad slabs of meat at affordable prices. Consider Steak to One among your options… of course after considering its limitations.

Off we go in search of more lafangan venues…

Steak to One – Parañaque is located at BF Homes, 200 Aguirre Ave, Parañaque City, Metro Manila. For more information, contact 0921 989 9203 or email since2016@steaktooneph.com.

If you’ve grabbed food from the street vendors of, say, Ho Chi Minh in Vietnam, then you know how tasteful – albeit simple – Vietnamese cuisine is. So, yeah, it is always good to keep your eyes peeled so you won’t miss what may be good Vietnamese restaurants outside of Vietnam.

@outragemag Curious about #Vietnam food? #LGBT checking #vietnamesecuisine via #HiddenVietnam in #Cavite ♬ original sound – Outrage Magazine

But that’s also why we decided to check Hidden Vietnam, a restaurant chain that may have originated from Tanza, Cavite but now has a handful of branches captivating pho-hunting diners.

So… how was Hidden Vietnam for us?

Una, the original store – the branch we tried – is, yes, truly hidden. It’s inside some village, so accessing it isn’t easy for those without private vehicles. There’s also no big signage in front of the residential-looking venue, so you could even miss it if you don’t look hard enough.

Ikalawa, the actual venue is… homey. There are two “sections”, so to speak, in the restaurant: one is where you order, and the other is where the bigger tables with more seating are. Yep, malinis naman siya… even if there were flies here and there during our visit.

Ikatlo, this is not just a Vietnamese restaurant as they now also offer Thai food (via Keri Thai).

Ika-apat, the people working there were friendly while elaborating about the business and its offerings (e.g. how many branches, where these are, the differences in seemingly similar offerings, and so on).

Ikalima, how was the food?

• The Fresh Rolls (₱180) weren’t dry, so were fresh and malasa (tasty). You don’t get a lot of dip, though, so… stretch whatever is given to you.
• The Banh Mi BBQ (₱185) was tolerable… if not for that mayo/ketchup combo auto-slapped on what you get even if: it’s not to your liking, and whatever was used isn’t of okay quality for you.
• The Beef Pho (₱205) was… refreshing, the soup base actually flavorful to properly complement the more-than-enough beef slices, veggies and noodles. Alas, not enough pho condiments here, so if you want to PROPERLY season your pho, well then, sorry to you.
• The Shrimp Pad Thai (₱175), sadly, didn’t taste like Pad Thai at all. It’s supposedly because they use a “special sauce”. Though for us, if Pad Thai no longer tastes like Pad Thai it shouldn’t be sold as such… sorry.

In a gist, if you’re in the area (or at least nearby), yes… drop by this place. The offerings are not bad at all, particularly considering their prices. But is it worth to dayo, to seek out? Not when there are already branches in cities, malls, and so on. Plus the availability of numerous Vietnamese restaurants now.

But that’s why we continue heading out in search of more lafang venues…

Hidden Vietnam is located at Sta. Cecilia 1 No. 91, Irish St., Mulawin, Tanza, Cavite. For more information, contact +967 2 679 690, or email hiddenvietnamph@gmail.com.

One of the reasons why Thai food is good is its consistency – i.e. you may be in Bangkok, eating off those house-turned-restos to serve lunch-going employees in residential area-based offices; or in an eatery off the main tourist roads of Pattaya; or ordering from ambulant food vendors somewhere in Phuket… but the food tastes similar somehow. Yep, there would be slight differences (perhaps due to availability of goods, contexts of the actual locations, and so on), but a Pad Thai is a Pad Thai is a Pad Thai.

@outragemag #LGBT checking Pad Thai Express’s treatment of #Thai cuisine as #fastfood ♬ original sound – Outrage Magazine

This trait, this consistency, is what’s tricky when Thai recipes are prepared outside of Thailand. Because it makes it extremely easy to detect what claims to be Thai food, but doesn’t taste like Thai food at all.

Anyway… we checked one of the branches of Pad Thai Express, this chain of Thai restos all over Mero Manila. How was it for us?

Una, there are many branches of this business already, so you’re bound to find one that’s accessible to you. The one we visited is located inside Pilar Village in Las Piñas City, which has its own private security, meaning you may be mandated to leave an ID just to visit.

Ikalawa, the actual place isn’t grand… but it more than suffices since: it’s clean naman, has enough seats, and the air-conditioning was working during our visit. May parking pa nga eh.

Ikatlo, attentive ang staff – e.g. an admin officer was there when we visited, and she shared info pa on the owners, their branches, and so on. With small restos, kindness of staff matters as this always leaves a good impression.

Ika-apat, how was the food?

• The ₱220 Thai Green Papaya Salad didn’t taste like som tam at all, as if some key ingredients were left out in the making of the sauce.
• The ₱370 supposedly highly-recommended Shrimp Tom Yum was okay naman… albeit the soup was on the watery side. At least malaman naman siya, with the shrimps not rubbery, so you know care was given in preparing this.
• The ₱225 Satay Chicken was… somewhat overcooked, so it was chewy, so that it tasted like BBQ bought from some street vendor (sorry…).
• The ₱345 Mixed Pad Thai was okay, though not something you’d write home about. Similar to the som tam, it tasted like a key ingredient was left out, so – while it’s supposed to be sweet, sour, salty, and savory with a hint of spice and nuts – this one wasn’t all that.

Yung gist, the name of the business ought to tell you the approach to Thai food here – i.e. “express”. This isn’t necessarily bad. But at least it’s a reminder to lower your expectations when here.

But off we go to search for more lafang venues.

Pad Thai Express – Pilar Village, Las Piñas Branch is located at Unit 4B of PDC Commercial, Pilar Rd., Las Piñas City, 1740 Metro Manila.