The Foodinista

Ihop has been operating in the Philippines for about 3 years now. I remember those days when the hype was so real people were falling in line when they opened their first ever branch at The Fort, BGC Taguig.

I had the privilege to visit their 2nd branch which is in Mall of Asia and I was able to visit their Century City Mall branch as well in Makati so I was able to compare and find out the difference.

Ihop Mall of Asia Branch is open from 7am to 11pm. It is located in the ground floor, entertainment mall, Mall of Asia. They are known for their big servings of great all-day American breakfast especially their pancakes! 

This branch is pretty spacious and they even have outdoor seating and smoking area. What I didn't like about this branch is the poor ventilation. Aside from the slow service, the temperature of the place made us upset. I was disappointed cause I thought they have high standards for their amenities since this is an international brand.

FOOD

I was craving for something light and healthy so I ordered the Grilled Chicken Ceasar Salad. 

Grilled chicken breast served on Romaine Lettuce with parmesan cheese and croutons tossed in ceasar dressing served with garlic bread. I really like this one cause the lettuce were fresh and the meal was filling but they served it way too late so I already lost my appetite when it came. This is a really good to-go meal, it's healthy and it tastes good too! 

When I saw the Bacon Mac & Cheese on the menu I knew that I had to order it so I did. Classic macaroni and cheese made with bacons, onions, and bell peppers mixed with homemade cheese sauce. I have mixed feelings about this dish. I hated it cause the bell peppers were really off and overpowered the whole meal. I wish they just took it out cause it didn't made the dish better. It was all over the place to the point that I wasn't able to enjoy the cheese sauce anymore. The cheese weren't sharp and tasted a little blunt as well so i'm giving this a 3 out of 5 stars. 

Grrr. At this point I was already furious and wished I had eaten somewhere else because the food coming in weren't delicious at all. Good thing Kevin and I ordered the IHOP Cheeseburger, this is probably the only thing that didn't disappoint me that day. Their 100% beef burger is topped with American cheese, lettuce, tomato, red onion on a grilled bun. 

The burger was perfect. It was so tender and tasted legit! Nothing extravagant but something I would order when I am craving for a good burger. The fries on the side is also something to take note of! 

The famous Ihop Tacos. Everyone I know was raving for this so I ordered it for the sake of trying and again to be honest it was just a 3 out of 5 for me. Pancake house' tastes better. This is made with marinated ground beef with diced tomatoes, onions lettuce shreds and grated cheddar cheese in taco shell. The meat was dry, I wish it was a little more sinful! I appreciate that they sprinkled it with loads of cheese but it didn't make it any better.

Verdict

Good thing I didn't use my money to spend for all of this! I was really disappointed with the quality of service they have. Century mall had a better service and ambiance than MOA so if ever I will come back I would probably dine in Century or in BGC branch. In terms of pricing, the serving is a pretty good catch for the amount you are paying for, focusing more on the quantity rather than the quality. I'd still prefer Pancake House over this. :( TBH

I wasn't able to try their pancakes cause I wasn't craving for it that time. Do you think it's worth trying? Let me know if you have recommendations!

I was invited by my boyfriend to try Salad Stop when we dropped by at Greenhills, San Juan. Salad would probably the only type of veggie dish that i'd eat cause the vegetables are fresh and it tastes good. 

Salad Stop has a very cozy ambiance. I like how it's located on the first floor of a building with a gym on the third floor, it must be very convenient to eat a healthy meal after working out!

They have a dessert counter which offers different kinds of healthy desserts and sweets. I love how it is packed and can be brought effortlessly to work!

On the counter bar they have an open section with the view of different fruits and vegetables plus healthy toppings which includes nuts and other interesting healthy options that you can include on your salad. 

Everything just feels so organic. I like the vibrancy of the colors of the fruits and vegetables which makes everything look more appetizing.

I ordered the Cobb Salad which is priced at P290 for the wrap. It consists of romaine, grilled chicken, cheddar, cheese, egg, avocado, cherry tomatoes, red onions, bacon bits, and ranch dressing. I liked this a lot and my boyfriend even like this better the one he ordered which is the Oh Crab Lah! it consists of romaine, crab sticks, egg, vermicelli, cherry tomatoes, red onions, croutons and Singapore Chili Crab Dressing.

The Cobb Salad is something that everyone will definitely like. I keep ordering this for take outs and I really feel full after! The good kind of busog and not the bloated one!

The serving is honestly very big. I always thought that salads are not filling as this one cause whenever I eat salad for appetizer I don't really get full. This one is different, It's so filling as in nakakabusog level but lighter and healthier!

They also sell pudding and healthy kale chips!