Choobi Choobi: Robinsons’ Place Naga

Choobi Choobi 
Robinsons’ Place Naga

We tremendously enjoyed Choobi Choobi in their branch
in Ayala MallsLegazpi the very first time we dined there,


 ^^Choobi Choobi Ayala Malls Legazpi

So we were excited when they finally opened
a branch closer home at Robinsons Place Naga.

 

Located at the Al Fresco dining section of the mall,

 

..it was full packed,

 

…the queue was kilometric,

 

…but we finally got a seat
after about half an hour.

 

We decided to bring a pack of baby potatoes so it could
be included on the Choobi Bay Crab and Shrimp Boil.

 

When we dined in Legazpi, they kept on pestering us of
their free unlimited rice. We kept on declining as we didn’t
want to mess our plates with the rice, as it does not go well
with the dish. We asked for potatoes, and they have none.
 Lesson learned- so we brought our own potatoes this time.


  ^^Choobi Choobi Ayala Malls Legazpi

Unfortunately, they ran out of corn, Hungarian sausage
and crabs and all they had were mussels and the sordid
sweet chorizo that tasted  like a disgusting meat candy.

 
  ^^Choobi Choobi Ayala Malls Legazpi

With our favorite dish out of the list, we ordered 
Salt and Pepper Shrimp with Garlic Overload.
It was an awesome alternative. It was tasty and
crunchy so, addicting that we ate it non- stop, like
were eating ‘chicharon’. Head, tail, skin- all edible.
It served as filling appetizer instead of being a main dish.

 

The Crispy Baka de Leche appeared overcooked,
looked unappetizing and visually unappealing. But
one should not judge the book by its cover. It the was
a perfectly fried beef, very well done that was crispy
on the outside and very tender and juicy on the inside.

 

We liked the Bulanglang the first time we tried the
dish in Legazpi so we ordered it again this time.
The veggies were fresh and not overcooked and did
not have the unpleasant aftertaste and repulsive smell
of bagoong. There was just the right amount of the
smelly fish sauce that did not overwhelm the dish.

 

The Grilled Pampano was indescribably delicious.
A handsome, huge, juicy, perfectly grilled fish, topped
with tomatoes and red onion rings then bathed with light
soya based sauce. This is probably one of the best grilled
fish dishes that we have tasted. I would recommend it as
something not to be  missed when dining in this restaurant.

 

When they served the Balbacua, it looked like a left over
food filled with slimy innards, bits and pieces fatty pork.
Suspended in a gross- looking fecal colored soup that stains 
the bowl’s edges with a hideous greasy streaks of fat. 
Nobody wanted to touch it and we asked the waitress
how it is eaten and she suggested to eat it with rice.

 

 

Fancy that, we needed to eat rice at Choobi Choobi after all.
Their food was so good that most of them could be eaten the way 
they are as you didn't want to adulterate them with anything else.
This same thing could not be done with Balbacua. To make it 
edible, one should hide the grease with lots of rice to absorb
all the oily food until it appears like an ‘Arroz a la Balbacua’
Suprisingly, it was very delicious and left us craving for more. 

 

Choobi Choobi  both in Robinsons’ Place Naga,
and Ayala Malls Legazpi, are not only the best
seafood restaurants in Bicol but also ttwo of the
best restaurants that offers Pinoy dishes in the region. 

Read the links below for related post:

Choobi Choobi Ayala Malls Legazpi : 
The Best Seafood Restaurant in Bicol

JPY Juan: Japanese- Filipino Fusion Cuisine

JPY Juan 
Japanese- Filipino Fusion Cuisine

We love Japanese food, as well as Filipino 
dishes so we were excited to try JPY Juan, 

 

... located at the al fresco section of Robinsons Mall Naga, 
as it offers something unique; Japinoy fusion cuisine. 

 

JPY Juan had a Japanese inspired interiors
that reflects the country’s culture of minimalism

 

 

…interspersed with local themed artworks.

 

Considered as the king of all Ramen, we ordered
the Miso Ramen. It looked suspiciously like the
local Loglog, a Kinalas variety as itwas topped
with a gel- like brownish gravy, served with whole
boiled egg  and  garnished with fresh spring onions.

 

The soup had a delightful taste of Miso, but the gravy
left a gross greasy feeling on the tongue. Luckily, it
did not have the repulsive ‘rotten, old meat aftertaste’
of  kinalas. This Japanese and Bikolano Fusion Miso
made the awful Kinalas palatable, but downgraded
the quality of the original clean tasting Miso Ramen.

 

 

Tinkering what  serves as the standard and the pinnacle
of all “Japanese” Ramen noodles is a dangerous thing
to do.This is a Loglog or Kinalas variety that I would eat,
 but a Miso Ramen that I would not rave and crave.

 

The Sinigang Ramen was work of a genius.
It is a delicious sinigang that had the exact
degree of sourness and would not make you
wrinkle your face in acerbic revulsion.



It was topped with fresh and crunchy local
vegetables, grilled tomatoes, a thin slab of
pork and spiced with fresh spring onions.
It was so good, and it’s worth coming back to
this restaurant just for this Pinoy Ramen alone.

 

 

 

The Tonkatsu tasted so Pinoy and so good.
It was perfectly fried, crispy on the outside,
tender and juicy on the inside. It was bathed
with what appears like a liver sauce or ‘sarsa’,
but it was more delightfully mild yet tastier,
and finally topped with tangy Japanese mayo.

 

The Cheese Hamburger Steak with Onion Mushroom Gravy 
It was very tasty, very Pinoy without any hint of Japanese fusion.
But who cares, it was a hit for my son and a perfect choice of family
dining in this restaurant with young kids, who may be overwhelmed
by the unconventional fusion of these two unrelated Asian dishes.

 

We concluded our dinner with the gloriously delicious 
Mango Mousse Panna Cotta with Sipced Caramel Sauce. 

 

It was a pleasant dining experience for my family.
I hope that JPY Juan would still include pure Pinoy
and Japanese dishes in their menu for those wanting
unadulterated original versions of all time favorites.

.

Que Pasa and Biggs Barlin:Dining with History

Que Pasa and Biggs Barlin 
Dining with History 

Que Pasa in Barlin is one of my
favorite restaurants in Naga City.



Not only it is beautiful,



…very photogenic and probably the
most instagrammable restaurant in Bicol,





…they also serve awesome BBQ dishes.

 

When Biggs Diner was built as its twin restaurant,
they unearthed  what appears to bean ancient tunnel.
It took time for them to open until they were given
clearance by the National Historical Commission.



People flocked to the twin restaurants when they
re- opened as the brick walled ancient structure
was made into an awesome on- site exhibit.

 

It was apparently an ancient tunnel,
while some says it’s a bomb shelter,

 

It could be also an archaic culvert,

 

…a well or even a grave.

 

Whatever it is, the ancient structure needs further exploration and
the National Historical Commission  has a lot of investigating to do.

 

Meanwhile, Naguenos can enjoy the delicious
dishes of Que Pasa and Biggs in one place,

 

 

 

…while dining side by side with history.

Read the links below for relsated posts:

Que Pasa: Ay Que Bonita y Deliciosa
Que Pasa and Bigg’s Barlin: Que Buscan Buenos Gemelos
Que Pasa Naga City; Bicol’s Must Visit, Must Dine Restaurant.
Bigg’s Tower Burger at Biggs BMC 

Biggs Diner’s Extreme Supreme Burger: Falls Apart on the First Bite  

Bigg's Diner's Dessert Storm  Choco Perfection, Pili Frustration 

 Biggs' Extreme Burgers; Binge Eating Series 3  

 Bigg's Best Sellers @ SM City Naga   

Bigg's Diner, Naga Centro 

Biggs Extreme Burgers; Bigg's Diner, Pili

Oyster Villa: Old Town Chinese Restaurant

Oyster Villa at Regent Hotel
Old Town Chinese Restaurant

We have long wanted to dine at Oyster Villa, but

we never had any luck finding a parking space as it

is located is Naga City’s old congested city center.

 

Source LINK

So during one of our routine dine- out with our employees,

we requested an advanced reservation for a parking space,

and we were happy to be back after a very, very long time.

 

 

We started our dinner with a Shark Fin Soup,

and it tasted pretty good. There was an abundant

gelatinous bits of pieces of what was supposed to

be shark’s fin that made the soup thick and chewy.

Pineapple Chicken is a fruity sweet and sour variant of

Orange Chicken, our all time family favorite dish. It may

not have the delightful tangy zest of the latter, as it tasted

more sour than sweet, but it is still a delicious alternative.

 

The Chop Suey was a bit overcooked but still tasted well.

Still, I prefer  want my veggies crunchy rather than soggy.

 

The same thing is true with the Beef Ampalaya.

It was very delicious, the beef was tender, but the

bitter melon was soggy as it was also overcooked.

 

The Sweet and Sour Lapu Lapu was addicting.

It was fried to crispy perfection and bathed in a

pleasant sweet and sour sauce and topped with

generous various fresh and crunchy vegetables.

 

Pancit Canton is an all time Filipino favorite noodle dish-

Dining in a Chinese restaurant is never complete without it.

This is probably Oyster Villa’s most popular that made this

restaurant famous and kept generations of Naguenos coming

back to savor the classic noodle dish of their childhood.

 

Oyster Villa’s Chao Fan Rice just had enough garnishing

that does not overwhelm the whole dish. The flavor was only

enhanced and still be well with other dishes like a plain rice.

Oyster Villa is one of the oldest Chinese restaurants

in the city and the secret of its longevity is its excellent

reputation of serving delicious authentic Chinese dishes.