in search of cheap good food (part 2): Php40 for 8 pcs.
September 14, 2007I'm a dimsum snob. Since I grew up to eating the real thing, it was hard for me to appreciate those joints that offered "dimsum" that tasted nothing like it. Some of those places that served dimsum I abhorred was Chowking, Hen Lin and Dimsum n' Dumplings. Well…I used to anyway, at least for the last one.
My boyfriend, on the other hand, loves dimsum. Wherever it came from. But then he loves food, no questions asked. 
As picky as I was with my Chinese food, he's the total opposite.
Given time, my snobbish palate for the geniune dimsum ebbed away little by little. I'm still picky but I've learned to appreciate that although the dimsum they serve weren't that authentic, it actually won't kill me to eat it hahaha. One of the things I've learned to appreciate is the Dimsum n' Dumplings that he loves so much. The D n' D stall at Philam Life's food park has this promo from 2PM-6PM everyday…buy 1 take 1 order for Php40. That's 8 pieces of dimsum heaven for him. At first I went with him everytime the craving hit simply to keep him company. Then I got hooked.
It's actually value for money (though my sister says she can get fried siomai - 3pcs for Php11, how's that for cheap???); but for some reason, it doesn't take away the hunger. Maybe I need 3 more orders? Hehehe.
NJ-NY memories 2: my favorite foods
Arthur's Tavern - tasty steak that just makes me drool and their famous potatoes. Would've been nice if they give customers the option to choose for mashed or baked potatoes.
Applebee's - their riblets and chicken finger basket hits just the right spot.
Greencow - their grilled chicken and tomatoes oven-brick pizza is delicious. My teammate held a pizza party at her place.
Uno Chicago Grill - since I wasn't paying, I order the Top Sirloin Steak which came with a side salad. Sarap! (especially libre kasi)
Sarku - Serves the best Teriyaki chicken. Absolutely value for money since their teriyaki chicken meal for almost $4 can be shared (trust me…this is coming from someone who can finish a to-share meal all by herself).
Harborside Foodcourt - THE BEST! This is where I used to buy my lunch there when I don't have baon from Casa Manila. Real value for money. My suki was "Taste of Asia".
Nathan's - love their 20-pc chicken wings with their yumyum blue cheese dip for only $12. Their all-beef hotdogs is great too. A stall in glorietta 2 sells Nathan's hotdogs…it's the one next to the NY Fries & Dips stall.
Had dinner once at the McDonald's near Broadway on our way to watch Les Miserables. Their regular fries is the equivalent to our large fries. Their quarter pounder actually has some bite to their patties unlike the skinny ones we have here.
Fatburger - serves the fattest burger patties, onion rings and fries I've ever seen. Juicy and yummy. Wah. I want one fat burger.
White Castle - the most value for money in all the fastfood joints I've been to. Their sack of 10 consists of 10 small burgers (or burglets as I call them), 2 large fries and 2 large cups for your unlimited soda/juice. They also have frozen burglets sold at some convenience stores. Duty Free even sells their frozen burglets but I'm kinda wary since these look like they're way beyond their expiration dates.
Ruddy & Dean - A pub in Staten Island that serves huge portions. I had their Angus steak sub which was huge enough that I had leftovers for dinner. It's a good thing the ferry to Staten Island is free because that was one of the reasons I wanted to go there.
Charly's - a sub sandwich place along Trinity Place near the Ground Zero site. Best Philly Cheesesteak sub I've ever tasted but their fries isn't anything to rave about.
NY's streetfood - beef/pork/chicken kebabs especially that along Time Square. Below is a picture of a food fair along Time Square during the first day of Spring.
Gray's Papaya - a little hotdog joint in SoHo that serves 2 tasty hotdogs and good papaya juice for $3.50. The crew there are all Filipinos too.
Casa Manila - our favorite go-to place for Filipino food and for our baon to the office. For $2 you can get a small container that's good for two eatings.
Chinese food….this was my boyfriend's emergency food. He'd order the usual wonton soup, beef and broccoli and fried chicken. I'm quite partial to the beef and broccoli. When my bestfriend and her husband went to New York to visit me, we went to Chinatown for some lunch.
Some of my "emergency" food:
Coffee…
Aperitif aboard American Airlines before lunch was served.
Our dinner aboard JAL on our way home.
How's this for dessert?
