Manila: P.F. Chang's in Alabang Town Center

Ivan Man Dy and Ivan Henares with Chef Philip Chiang

This is a long overdue post on our sumptuous lunch and dinner experience at P.F. Chang's in Alabang Town Center last January. Being the Tsinoy and expert on Chinese food, Ivan Man Dy did the review.

Here is the new kid in the Chinese restaurant block!

We went to the launch and opening of the latest franchise to land in the Metro: P.F. Chang's China Bistro at the Alabang Town Center.

Shrimp with Candied Walnuts

Northern Style Spare Ribs

Truth be told, to consider P.F. Chang's as another Chinese restaurant is inaccurate. This place is as Chinese as the San Francisco fortune cookie as it serves mainly Chinese food for the American palate. The decor is decidedly Hollywood with its super-high ceiling, mood lighting and cocktail bar atmosphere. Think Friday's with a Chinese-themed presentation and menu. Definitely not your traditional Chinese round-table atmosphere.

And the like the American chop suey, the food is a hodgepodge of Chinese-inspired regional types such as Pekingese (Northern Chinese), Mongolian, Shanghainese, Cantonese, Sichuan and Hunan. For appetizer, we had the Chicken Lettuce Wrap which was an interesting twist from the ground pork original that we are accustomed too. We noted how ergonomically shaped the round cuts of the lettuce that turned into mini 'leaf saucers' for easy wrapping of the chicken.

Dynamite Shrimp

Chang's Spare Ribs

Another popular favorite is the Dynamite Shrimp that's served in cocktail glass and packs a spicy punch. The Barbecue Spareribs is not quite Chinese but is tasty and of good quality nonetheless with the meat falling off the bones immediately as you sink your teeth in it.

Oolong Marinated Chilean Sea Bass

Then there's the Oolong Marinated Sea Bass over a bed of kay lan leaves. I've always loved gindara (sea bass) and the fish itself is a winner for me. The kay lan provided for a nice crunchy and leafy touch to the dish. We also sampled the other house specialties that included Wonton Soup, Kung Pao Chicken, Shrimp Honey Dew and Chicken Noodle Soup.

Chang's Chicken Noodle Soup

Kung Pao Shrimp

Our dinner at P.F. Chang's was definitely something new especially from the perspective of our home-grown Tsinoy taste bud. If you're hankering for a new interpretation of your usual Chinese fare, then P.F. Chang's is a place worth trying.

With Chef Philip Chiang and Michael Welborn

The men behind P.F. Chang's in Alabang Town Center: Genaro Perez Diaz (Director of International Marketing), Michael Welborn (President of Global Brand Development), Chef Philip Chiang and Archie Rodriguez (President & CEO, Global Restaurant Concepts)

For more photos of the P.F. Chang's opening last January 17, 2012 and the sumptuous dishes we got to try for lunch and dinner, please visit the Ivan About Town FB page.

P.F. Chang’s
Alabang Town Center
Tel. No. +63 (927) 5333445
http://pfchangs.com.ph/

Metro Manila: Mexican and TexMex favorites at Burritos & Tacos (B&T) Mexican Kitchen, Ortigas

Those posts about Mexico got me craving for Mexican food. Unfortunately, most Mexican restaurants in the Philippines are not actually Mexican. They serve TexMex (which comes from Texan and Mexican) cuisine which basically evolved from the use of ingredients available in the United States to create dishes with a strong Mexican influence.

TexMex is characterized by melted cheese (most Mexican tacos do not have cheese) and beans. Texas-style chili con carne, fajitas, chimichangas (deep-fried burritos), hard-shell tacos with ground beef, or serving tortilla chips with salsa as an appetizer are actually TexMex creations. A burrito in the US would have pinto (black beans), Mexican style rice, guacamole, salsas, cheese, and sour cream. But in Mexico, the burrito or tacos de harina would usually just have meat and one or two other ingredients.

Anyway, I remembered Burritos & Tacos (B&T) along Ortigas in North Greenhills (a high school classmate brought me here right after I arrived from Mexico). And since I was in the area this afternoon, I dropped by for some Mexican tacos. They serve a mix of Mexican and TexMex dishes.


Basically, you get to choose your dish: Burrito, Frito Burrito, Burrito Bowl, Mexican Salad, Mexican Taco, Taco, Quesadilla, Guaca de Frito, Chimichanga, Tostada, Taquitos or Flautas. The price of your meal will depend on the meat you choose: Beef (Php350) Carne Asada, Barbacoa or Chili con Carne; Pork (Php340) Chorizo, Alpastor or Carnitas; Chicken (Php330) Jalapeno or Chipotle; Ox (Php360) Lengua Salsa Verde, Tripas or Cabeza; Fish (Php330); Shrimp (Php350); or Vegetarian (Php310).

The Mexican Tacos don't come with cheese while the TexMex Tacos do. You have a choice of corn or flour tortillas, corn usually for Mexican while flour for the TexMex Tacos.

B&T Mexican Kitchen
Sekai Building, Ortigas Avenue cor. Madison Street
(0917) 8126218 / (02) 9751850