Bacolod Chicken House Express | Too "Hyped" For It

There are Bacolod Chicken restaurants, but they differ in presentation and the ambiance they bring for the walk-in random individual that fills their tables and starts the long line at the payment counters. Also, the location is not what most Masa “masses” would often notice because most want to be led astray to it. But for those who like exploring the “hidden gems” of living an urban life, you might discover things you have never noticed while passing by it. Case in point, having lived in the area for more than two decades it never occurred that this place was something worth having that “chicken experience.”

Shakey's Chino Roces | Needed to be Reminded

There’s a fine line between good food and service to having a great experience overall when you dine in a restaurant. Not half-assed overbaked feeling of “this is good enough” to merit them the admiration that you’ll come back for more because they have given you the overall satisfaction you have been given. In the case of Shakey’s, they aesthetically look “friendly” in all of the adverts that you see on their billboards like you’re about to have a pie in fantasy land. But in reality, the story stays the same. Coming back here to the same place after the soulless experience of being treated like an afterthought does not make them forgiven.

Fiesta Dabaw | Native Comfort Food

You call it “Fast Food” because it is literally and figuratively quick with no dramas. Dining at a local Food Hall inside a Shopping Mall can be crowded, but it all depends on how it is managed properly while you take chances when you order your food as the servers give it to you as efficiently as possible when you get it in real-time. Fiesta Dabaw is a local and original “Native Restaurant” capturing the masses with its take on local food found in Davao and the rest of the Mindanao region that is affordable as well as keeping the essence of what it is meant by having “Fast Food,” which is surely not like the American way of how you get your food with that style.

Popeye's California Gardens | Convoluted Mess

Newly open stores bring out the best in the local community, which is an additional choice for most people where to eat and it something good to be of service at the same time create new jobs despite the challenges that improve competition among the others that has been there long before that business opened. Case in point with the Popeye’s store that recently opened in the vicinity of California Gardens, which is a gated residence its self. But also added establishments outside their compound that caters to all those are not residing there. Of course, when there’s a new store this also means a large demand to keep the consistency in making a good service for a good “word of mouth.”

Wendy's Greenbelt | Slow but Good Service

The dine-in experience is quite different when you’ve been stuck ordering online, and not having the human interaction that has slowly settled in for most people that have gotten used to having their meal in the close confines of their homes. It’s not the same for those who would cherish seeing random individuals entering the restaurant. With Wendy’s in Greenbelt, they’ve been busy especially on a Friday night. There are other food establishments nearby, but nothing like an American burger joint to have the usual dine-in experience before going around the shopping centre. Personally, it’s rare to have dinner out though this is just another rare occasion to appreciate the opportunity that presented since it’s been a while having a good meal.

McDo Circuit Makati | Battered Service

It has been two years since the pandemic that things are slowly getting back to ‘normal,’ which is whatever that meant to you. But since the last quarter of 2021 establishments have been consciously and carefully try to re-establish the dine-in experience that also makes sure safety will always be the top priority. McDonald’s is one of those establishments that have slowly made the dining experience despite keeping strict protocols and making sure everyone had the best experience in dining at the store. But for some it is still a very cautious way to have that experience again, and if you do make the most of it and be always mindful.

McDo Kroma Tower | Unapologetic Service

The New Branch of McDonald’s in Makati located at the Kroma Tower was a strategic location to “troll” fast food rival just a corner away that is located at the soon-to-be renamed and inhabited Convergys building that’s courageous of one of America’s famed restaurants that aren’t the first time they’ve done that. Being “New” carries a lot of things which are mostly excuses and giving them the reason to do blunders in the customer service side of things or what they usually say an isolated case. But you’re trying to claim the market over an anthropomorphic bee that seemed to be unlikely unless you improve things like customer service.

Popeye's SM Manila | Uninformed Sold Outs

It has been almost more than a week now that a fourth Popeye’s store has opened in Metro Manila. The location of course is inside the crowded and mostly congested SM City Manila that has been around since it opened its doors in the early 2000s. Popeye’s has been in the Philippines before until the last store closed sometime in late 2001 due to heavy competition. The new franchise owners of Popeye’s are the owners of “Kuya J’s” a chicken restaurant that has been synonymous with Filipino flavoured chicken and other dishes has brought back the brand slowly to the country. It is not new that it is a favoured chicken joint in North America, but can it satisfy the Filipino craving?

McDo Dian | Extortion for a Large Cup

The day would be just fine dining at McDonald’s Dian with the new Ugly Dolls ‘Art toys’ for the month of May 2019 as their Happy Meal toys. Taking an early lunch to avoid the huge crowd lining up to get the Happy Meals at the same time taking advantage of the use of the self-service machine. It was a convenient way to avoid any more delay time with a staff. There was a new option for the self-service kiosk which was one of the concerns I had when they introduced the service and that is the staff bringing your food to the table instead of waiting for pick-up that is only for take-out orders. I’ve always address this concern whenever taking advantage of the McDoListens.com survey to put this reason why McDo Philippines is using the service wrongly.

McDo Sta. Cruz | Blind Pineapple

There must be a reason somewhere that if your store has so many deficiencies that means there is something with wrong management, and how the staff has been trained to be efficient and show the value of the company that they represent. Unfortunately, in the Philippines that seems to be obviously ignored despite the complaint by the customers that had a terrible experience. With the McDonald’s Sta. Cruz branch there must be an urgent need to find what makes this place such bothersome store. Putting up a survey to ‘help improve’ the company’s images that means they should have taken critical action to help fix those chinks in their armor. This is not the only branch that had so much lack of service it just happens their competitor was closed early for their “company outing.”

Tropical Hut | Why They're Irrelevant

Tropical Hut is one but probably the oldest fast food restaurant in the Philippines founded in 1962. Before there was Jollibee it WAS that burger joint that families and friends troop for a scrumptious meal. Over the past decades, the invasion of American fast food restaurant in the Philippines changed all that with the arrival of Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC) and McDonald’s. But there are local fast food restaurants has stepped up their game to continue its Filipino relevance to this industry namely Jollibee, but what happened to Tropical Hut is like most have with a culture like a Jeepney which eventually tries not to change and this leaves both what they used to be.

McDo Bankmer | Robotic Service

McDonald’s Bankmer is one of the frequent branches that have so many customers due to foot traffic just across the Ayala Triangle Gardens that is also the Makati Stock Exchange. It would consider this branch to be located at the heart of the Central Business District despite smaller than the former store at JAKA 6780 near Valero Street that closed sometime in 2018. With all that this branch should have incorporate the “McDo NXTGEN” store concept, a change on the ordering process of the food and probably added a self-service kiosk. But even though this branch didn’t get any upgrades it gets so many customers that it can compete with the one in Buendia due to the strategic location and with that you’ll notice how things are chippy with this place.

McDo Buendia | Stone Cold Service

11.21.2018 – McDonald’s Buendia in Pasay City near the Gil Puyat LRT Station has a better location to getting customers than the other side with its competitor Jollibee. It’s the busiest branch even in the late mornings as people definitely stand in line event the breakfast to lunch turnover, which is supposed to be slow during these hours. Having the most customers making a stop means this place never runs out of foot traffic since it opened. Usually, this is the first stop for those heading south before making a ride to their respective destination. With all that you should be wondering how the service works out for a branch that doesn’t run out of customers. That’s the experience that should be addressed here…

McDo Sta. Cruz | Illogical Ban of Straws

11.13.2018: If you’re a customer and being served inappropriately would you feel offended? You put up a survey for your company to hear what your customer’s feedback, but don’t to take it to heart what really needs to improve means you’re just not being direct with the people who shared their opinion. I’ve dined in at the McDonald’s Sta. Cruz branch and had answered their McDo Listens several times, which sending them a piece advise to improve this store. For some reasons from all the McDonald’s stores I’ve dined in this has become unbearable to experience to visit. The only reason I go there was have a decent meal during lunch this, but this time I decided to have them Take Away.

Sweet X Manila | A Hole in the Wall Place

10.29.2018 - Sweet X Manila, or known originally as Sweet Ecstasy, is a local burger joint founded in 2012 by three people. From then on, this family-owned burger joint has carved out a place in the local scene with its high-quality menu and good service from the hardworking staff, which is why this place is successful and continues to serve not only its regulars and friends but also those who discover it. I’ve been wanting to visit their closest branch, as their original store is way too far from where I was. But the opportunity to visit was on Sunday night after a long day of traveling to places I rarely visit. But this one was just right up where my route was while heading back from this Sunday’s adventure.