RECESS FOOD ALLEY

For VALENTIMES SEASON, we were supposed to take out the little lords for our family date that Friday. We have already arranged everything: I have made reservations in our favorite Healthy Shabu Shabu, and tickets were ordered for our movie.

However, we were not meant to go out that night. :(

Saying that traffic was terrible is an understatement -- everything was on a standstill!!!!! Well it was a bit our fault too because we thought luck would be on our side for this gimik night and we'll be able to go to Powerplant Mall smoothly from Quezon City.

Yeah. Yeah. On a payday Friday that was also a day after Valentimes. Ang galing namin no? We were too positive for our own good. Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!!!!

So we broke the bad news to the little lords that Fridate was cancelled and they understood the situation naman. With that, the Yub and I were left to ourselves again (ahuhuuuuyyyy) and since it was still VALENTIMES week, we suddenly had an another date night for the season of hearts.

Where to go???

Syempre, I don't want the Yub to spend a lot. He already took me out yesterday and we're still due to go out this weekend with the family.

With that, I remembered going to this homey food court that is fast becoming one of my new favorites because they're serving my kind of food: CHEAP AND DELICIOUS!!!!

RECESS FOOD ALLEY!!!!!!!!

HALAL GUYS FOR OUR LAST DAY IN 2016!!!!

It was the last day of 2016 and my eldest brother invited THE YAPPY BUNCH out for lunch since he'll not be able to spend New Year's Eve with us. We were supposed to eat at home but he suddenly felt like trying out something new since we WERE saying goodbye to 2016.

And with that, he thought of THE HALAL GUYS!

I know what you're thinking: WHO CARES ABOUT HALAL GUYS?????

Well we do!!!

HALAL GUYS may have received a lot of flak since it opened in SM Megamall but personally, it's still a restaurant that deserves a try AND a return. Many complain that it is far from the US counterpart but really, we shouldn't just expect too much. If it IS different maybe it's because of cost reasons or other things, we don't know. Bottom line is, we have another choice when we're craving for gyro, falafels, or shawarma. 

And if we set all expectations aside and just douse everything with the white sauce, we will probably enjoy it!

YEAAAAAH!!!!

HALAL GUYS (PHILIPPINES)

The Chinese Adonis may be one of the most "deadma" guys that was ever created but I would still declare loud and proud that he could still be very thoughtful.

Hold your horses, hell is not freezing over. Those who know him will agree that he is my emotional opposite and that there is not an ounce of romance in his cutie little blood. But whenever I need him the most, you could count on him to be always there.

Cue in: "God gave me youuu... To shohow me huwats reaallll...."

Yup! Like lining up for our dinner in HALAL GUYS.

Toink.

(Duh. This is a foodie blog. What were you thinking? A knight in shining armor? Puhleeez. If that Knight was delivering a gooey pizza to my doorstep then, that's the only time "Lancelot" will be my savior. Ha ha ha ha ha ha!)

Seriously though, I was very grateful one time during this mad night where everyone seems to be going out shopping, I told the Chinese Adonis that I needed to buy something in SM Megamall. My husband knows how much I hated shopping (unless there's a sale) so when I told him that I'll be there to make a purchase, he knows its important.

Since I'll come from work in Quezon City and he's in Mandaluyong, we decided to just meet halfway in SM Megamall since we wanted the stores to be still open by the time we get there. We do this often and many times, my husband will arrive earlier in the destination. With that, he suddenly remembered how much I wanted to try HALAL GUYS and that we would always go home disappointed because the lines could be just horrendous.

My husband then sweetly offered "Why don't I line up in HALAL GUYS for you since I'm there early and so that you could shop?"

At first I didn't want to let him because I heard that it could be an hour or more wait. Of course, I didn't want to subject him to THAT. But then I really, really, really, really, really, really, wanted to try this new talk of the town even if it has already closed shop on me many times.

So then I agreed. Yohoooo!!! Thanks Yub!

Cue in again with extra emotion: "DALINAY.... willll... be lohoving you... tiiiilll.... we're SEVENTY!!!"

:P

THE HALAL GUYS!

As the Chinese Adonis predicted, there was a very looooong line in HALAL GUYS. 

But at least this time, we were able to make the cut unlike the other nights when we went home defeated.

I saw that there were other seats and a HALAL GUYS cart outside. I wonder when they would open that up?

HALAL GUYS was located in the new food court of SM Fashion Hall (near the skating rink). There were many chairs and enjoy to help you our meal!

HALAL GUYS menu!!!

I apologize that we didn't get more pics of the assembly line and the stall of HALAL GUYS. My husband was all alone (wawa) and service was very fast with the orders.

I asked Yub to get the combo small of HALAL GUYS since I was trying to diet. But he went ahead to get the New York size so that he would share with me.

Just so I could get a taste of their meats, I got the Gyro.... 

... and the grilled chicken. 

Each order comes with two wedges of Pita bread.

Plus tomatoes and lettuce. 

You could order onions for an extra price!

Our HALAL GUYS plate!

Don't forget to get loads of the yoghurt and hot sauce.  Usually I would ask them to pour it over my HALAL GUYS plate but since I'm sharing with the Chinese Adonis, I just requested it to be on the side.

I'm here now. So let's eat!!!!

Wow Yub! What deep dimples you have!

Blech! Ha ha ha ha ha ha!

I love all things creamy so I put A LOT of yoghurt and hot sauce!

Oh me so happy!

Besides savoring every spoonful of my HALAL GUYS dinner, I also used the pita bread to mop up all the extra sauce and veggies!

My husband loved the gyro and the yellow rice.

Yup! It was already so fine with him even without the sauce.

Since we're getting old and not eating as much as we did before, the New York serving of HALAL GUYS was more than enough for us.

Auuughhh... We were so full already but there were STILL leftovers!

Our HALAL GUYS bill!

Our verdict?

The HALAL GUYS rice meals were certainly delicious but I doubt if we would line up again for it for an hour. We would certainly go back to pig out on the gyro doused with a lot of the yoghurt sauce but most probably when the lines have died down. He he he he he he he he he!!!

LET'S EAT!

HALAL GUYS

5the level SM Mega Food Hall, 

SM Megamall

+632 858-7080

HALAL GUYS FACEBOOK PAGE

HALAL GUYS WEBSITE

SHAWARMA BROS (BGC)

Sorry that I have been MIA-ing for so long. I'm sure you guys don't really care but just in case you do, I was setting up my sister's bridal shower. Of course I'll be blogging about it once the dear bridezilla allows me to. Maybe during their honeymoon? Tee hee!

Anywho, one of the latest traditions of THE YAPPY BUNCH is we always celebrate the last day of the little lords' quarterly exams. It was actually Mati who thought of this gimmick for the family since he felt deserving of a reward after all that studying and hard work in preparation for his exams. He he he he! With that, it became an instant thing for us that we never really make any other plans except with the boys. 

And so for this week, our "after exams" venue will be...

SHAWARMA BROS!

Usually in the little lords' school, the last day of the exams would fall on a Saturday. I don't really know why this is so, but at least my husband and I are able to pick them up ourselves.

No matter how many times we do so, the boys always get so excited when they see us waiting for them. 

They get so excited that they don't mind having a picture with us even if their friends are around! He he he he he he!

UNCLE MOE'S SHAWARMA HUB (AGAIN)

When my nephew Chuckie flew in last month for a foodie trip vacation, I never expected him to crave for the foods that he did. He asked for grub that was "the weirder, the better". Yeah right. Coming from the kid who would only eat pizzas in a Las Vegas buffet, he seem to have developed the talent of exaggeration! I never would have believed him but when he started boasting that he had eaten dogs repeatedly in Korea, my mind immediately raced with the scare tactics they had in "Fear Factor".  After getting over the shock and berating him from eating man's best friend, I promised that we would go try places that isn't normally in the "balikbayan to-do-list".

Since the Chinese Adonis and I were working, our schedule was very hectic. With this, going out of town to look for exotic grub was out of the question (dear Chuckie was lazy to travel far anyways). So after picking on my big forehead on where else to take dear Chuckie in the Metro, I thought of UNCLE MOE'S SHAWARMA HUB! Of course, the venue may be ho-hum to some but when I mentioned "OX BRAINS" to my nephew, he let out a wide and happy smile similar to the "Rin Tin Tin" he had before (sorry can't move on).

It was settled then. We will be taking Chuckie to UNCLE MOE'S that night and the little lords will be tagging along. As I predicted, my nephew LOVED the ox brains and raved that it was nothing like he had before. And, besides that tasty find for my nephew, I was happy to discover that even the little lords loved the food at UNCLE MOE'S!! At least I could add another restaurant to THE YAPPY BUNCH list of resto favorites!

See? Everybody happy wohoo!

Well, except HACHIKO.

Sorry. I really can't move on.  

UNCLE MOE'S SHAWARMA HUB!

UNCLE MOES has been serving up delicious and cheap Mediterranean food in the stretch of  Kapitolyo Pasig City for quite some time now. In my opinion, it may have even pioneered the district to be the foodie haven that it is today.

The restaurant is full most of the time! We were lucky that our group was able to get a long table on a Sunday night! 

BALKAN EXPRESS

Even if it could be so convenient to eat at restaurants located in malls, the Chinese Adonis and I sometimes prefer eating at the ones standing by its lonesome for that extra homey and secluded feel. (Oh yes... we need privacy to play footsie.... Kidding ha ha ha ha!) Of course, if the food is extra, extra good, we will forego a night of shopping and/or movie hustling to eat there. 

Exactly the case that happened to us with BALKAN. It has actually been awhile since we ate there last (SEE HERE) and it started a craving for their Cevapcici burger that cannot be satisfied even by the thickest of beef patties.

On one particular Sunday, the kids were with my parents, and we have finished all tasks needed for the work week. So what to do? You would THINK that we would hie ourselves somewhere to do something naughty but NOOOH... For ERICJAZ FOODIES, it's always about food. And even if we do decide to go somewhere quiet, there should be something going on to satisfy our tummies.

And with that, we returned to BALKAN. 

BALKAN EXPRESS!

This time we tried their San Juan branch since we lived nearer. 

CAFE MEDITERRANEAN

For this year's Father's Day, TEAM YAP treated our BOSS to his restaurant of choice. We came from somewhere out there which I forgot already (blame the epidural effect tee hee) that our guy wants to have simple meal nearby. We were really getting ourselves ready for his usual favorites like Buddys (SEE HERE) or Slice N' Dice (Here here!!!) so we were surprised that he requested for CAFE MEDITERRANEAN since he craved for their pizza.

I'm happy that the little lords were agreeable to their Boss' choice of restaurant since we do not usually go to CAFE MEDITERRANEAN whenever we're in Powerplant Mall so I guess it was meant to be. 

And what a great time we had. We got just what we all wished for every FATHER'S DAY... Simple, delicious, affordable, cozy, and a Dad who IS the best of all mankind!

We love you Daddy (aka Yub!). You don't need to do the laundy tonight!

I. AM. KIDDING. Of course! Tee hee!

CAFE MEDITERRANEAN!!!