Late Night Snacking at 8 Street Bites Restaurant

Right after watching the 6:30pm screening of Maleficent at SM Manila last Friday, my mom, my two sisters and I had a late snack at 8 Street Bites Restaurant, also on the fourth level. It’s fairly new, serves American-Mexican fast food and we had never eaten there until that night.


the restaurant's facade...


and interior

We were supposed to get only snack items from the menu but mom wanted to try the chicken tenders that happened to be a rice meal. And so she did. She shared that with my sister Nyam who got an order of fries to pair with the chicken tenders. They both thought it was good. An order had five chunky pieces. The chicken was deep-fried, crispy on the outside but the meat retained its juices somehow. The sauce that came with it was honey mustard and tasted yummy, too. I knew because I had a bite of the chicken with it. Haha.


Chicken Tender Bites, P148


Nyam's fries, P28

My sister Jodie and I, on the other hand, shared Freeway Nachos (P98) and a Banoffee Pie (P58). The nacho sauce was delicious but tasted like it came straight from the can. (Not that it was a bad thing, just saying.) It had a few kidney beans and meat. There were fresh tomatoes, onions, sour cream and cheese sauce on top, too.



This banofee pie satisfied my sweeth tooth. It was pretty basic but I liked the thick cream a lot.



with my sister Jodie

For the small food servings, I thought the prices were just right. The service was a bit slow during our visit and I guess the staff felt that, too. We ended up getting a complimentary dessert in the form of a pana cotta which had a good balance of creaminess and sweetness.



I’d love to go back to this resto and try the other items soon. :)

8 Street Bites Restaurant
4/F SM City Manila
Natividad Lopez St.
Ermita, Manila
(+632) 585-4211


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Cheap Eats at Rufo’s Famous Tapa, Blue Wave Branch

Last Friday night, I took the hubby to a dining place recommended by an officemate. It’s at Blue Wave, a commercial strip along Macapagal Blvd. in Pasay City. The name of the restaurant is Rufo’s Famous Tapa. My officemate said the food is cheap there. Being on tipid mode, this was where I immediately thought of feeding my husband dinner before going home in Bacoor for the long weekend. We really pass through Macapagal Blvd. on our way home so the location was not a problem.

True to what my officemate had said, the food at Rufo’s is not only cheap, but is also big in taste. It’s one of the very few casual restaurants I know that serves delicious meals at fast food prices. The hubby had an order of their Famous Tapa (P108) while I got their Spaghetti (P59) and Burger (P46 + P12 for the cheese). We also shared an order of their Chili Chicken Wings (P98).

The hubby liked his tapa meal. He said it really lives up to Rufo’s claim “Sauce pa lang, ulam na!” I believed him. I took a bite of the famed Batangas beef tapa and liked how tender and sweet-salty-saucy it was. If I'd have to nitpick it, I'd say the serving is quite small.



I have always loved Pinoy-style spaghetti. Rufo’s version didn’t disappoint. I was actually blown away by their spaghetti that came with three small meatballs. It was very tasty and flavorful and had a generous topping of grated cheese. For P59, I thought it was a steal!



As for the burger, it was generally okay. The beef patty was juicy and tasty, but I could tell the sesame seed bun used was old. It was crumbly and quite hard to the bite. I finished it, anyway, because I was hungry. Haha. The bread aside, I thought the burger was filling and the size was well worth the price.



The chili chicken wings were good, saucy and crunchy with just the right heat. My only complaint is that there were only four small pieces.



All in all, it was one good and affordable dinner. I actually plan to go back soon for the spaghetti. It was one of the best Pinoy-style versions I’ve tasted and could definitely compete with Jollibee’s and Greenwich’s. Oh well, just try it so you could make sense of what I’m saying here. :)


with the hubby


Rufo's Famous Tapa
Blue Wave Strip Mall
Macapagal Ave. cor. EDSA Ext.
Pasay City
(+632) 511-0436 and (+632) 511-0437


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My Not So Good Impression of Ababu Persian Kitchen in Boracay

One of the dinners we had during our recent Boracay trip was at Ababu Persian Kitchen at Station 1. I was craving for Persian food when we chanced upon this restaurant that had pictures of their value meals posted on their two access doors (one fronting the beach and the other fronting the road). The prices of the value meals were very cheap at just P100 so we got excited to try them. But it seemed luck was not on our side because we got disappointed with the food.



Edwin ordered their Shawarma Rice Meal while I got their Beef Kebab Rice Meal.For P100 per meal (very affordable!), these already came with bottom less iced tea. Instead of refilling our glasses, they just served a pitcher of iced tea for us to share. I thought it was smart.



We were in the middle of our conversation when our orders came out. We each got a plate of rice with chopped fresh onions and tomatoes and sweet corn. Mine also had a small piece of beef kebab while Edwin had a tiny serving of shawarma.





I was expecting my beef kebab to be tender but it was rubbery. I was expecting a piece of grilled, whole tomato but what I got were chopped tomatoes. The rice on the poster looked moist and buttery but mine was far from it. But knowing myself, I wouldn't complain on this blog if the taste of the food was okay. Unfortunately, it couldn't be said to my food. The beef kebab I had tasted old and bland. Edwin's shawarma tasted better but there was nothing really special about it.

Even the presentation didn't compensate for our food's lack of good taste. Our orders were served in simple plates and in a messy manner. You be the judge.



I understand that rent and utilities are expensive in Boracay but to compromise the quality of their food won't help Ababu Persian Kitchen regain their investment fast and stay in the food business for long. Rather, it could only drive their customers away which would mean less business for them in the long run.

Before I could lay out more business-related forecasts here, I'll stop already. In fairness to the restaurant, both their garlic-yogurt sauce and hot sauce were good. Also, their staff were very efficient and friendly to us. I also believe that their restaurant can still improve.





Have you dined at Ababu Persian Kitchen in Boracay? Did you enjoy their food?

Ababu Persia Kitchen
Station 1, White Beach
Boracay Island
Malay, Aklan


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