It was a pretty slow sunday, driving around the Scout area. I decided I'd like some noodles that day, so we stopped by the first ramen shop we saw: Kanzhu hand pulled noodles along Timog Avenue.
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| The menu |
We were able to park in front of the place, as I said, it felt like a pretty slow day. The guard, who wore a barong, was very helpful in getting as parked, as well as getting down from the car.
Inside, the place was pretty long despite being narrow, with the main entrance shared with their bar. Beyond that were tables, couches and chairs on the left, and tables and chairs on the right, with the middle serving as walkway to the far end of the restaurant which housed the kitchen behind clear glass windows. You can see one of their kitchen staff making the noodles by hand as advertised.
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| Thirdy getting his chopsticks-fu on |
There were a pair of couples going through their food when we settled in. We were unaware of the price, but I was dreading the fact that most ramen shops sold their ramen upwards of 200 pesos. However, I was pleasantly surprised that theirs were priced cheaper than the others. All of the dry noodles cost less than 200 pesos, while the noodles with soup only had one variant that cost more than 200 (220 to be exact). The beef orders, chicken, pork, and seafood ranged from 180 pesos to 650 pesos. But these were large servings with most of the items costing around 240-280 pesos, which is really inexpensive.
I saw the 5-in-1 platter (240 pesos), and told Chea and my mom that we could share that. And since they had Kanzhu plain noodle soup (only 90 pesos), I thought the platter would fit nicely with the plain noodle soup.
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| 5-in-1 platter. |
Chea ordered Crispy Butter Fried chicken (280 pesos) since Thirdy likes eating chicken. We also got 2 orders of fragrant rice (40 pesos each), a Cherry Blossom Fruit Tea (75 pesos) and a house blend iced tea (150 pesos) which was for sharing.
The platter arrived first. Chea didn't like the platter and wanted the dumpling instead, but she relented since I wanted to match it with my noodles. She didn't want to add dumplings anymore since it'll be too much for the four of us. The plate looked small, but I think the servings are adequate given the price. And honestly, my mom and I wasn't able to finish all of it.
I don't know what the other dishes were, but there was beef cold cuts, some tendons, century egg, some mushrooms I think (which tasted bitter), and I'm not sure about the dish in the center (jelly fish perhaps?). It was spicy though.
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| This can probably serve 5 glasses. So that's around 30 pesos per glass. |
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| Cherry blossom tea which I did not get a taste of. |
The drinks came next with the iced tea in a tall glass pitcher, with sliced lemons and mint leaves. Thirdy actually enjoyed the iced tea. There was enough for my mom and I including glass refills.
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| This is the kind of bowl you fill rice with for a family of five. |
The noodles came next. It was in a big bowl, about 10-12 inches across. We were given small cups and that was good since I don't think I could finish all of that. We gave some to Thirdy and he liked it. The noodle was thick and firm, and the soup had flavor but it wasn't salty.
The rice came after, and then the crispy buttered chicken. It looked a bit brown, so it might be a little bit overcooked. I think it had about 7 pieces so it was decently priced, but could be cheaper.
I started eating my noodle soup along with the items from the platter. I liked eating the noodle soup with the center dish because it was spicy. It gave the noodle soup a little flavor and spice. The beef slice was good, so it gave my noodle soup a little meat to munch on.
I think if you just want some honest to goodness noodles, the plain version for 90 pesos is a steal. Just add some soy sauce and pepper and it's worth the 90pesos price tag because of the large serving.
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| Yes, it tastes exactly as it looks: disappointing. Lol. |
The crispy buttered chicken was a bit disappointing. The staff told us afterwards that it was a new menu and asked us to write down our comments. Chea and I both disliked the fact that it wasn't deboned. Some of the bones were soft, that you didn't notice it when you cut parts of the chicken. But you'd bite on them once you put it on your mouth and start chewing. It didn't help that the chicken came in odd shapes, that you won't notice if it was a drumstick or a chunk of filleted meat.
The batter also didn't taste like butter. It was crispy though. Also, the piece that I picked had more bones than meat. I'd probably stay away from this dish the next time we go here.
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| Cheap plastic drinking cup. I didn't think this was a fast food joint. |
So our first experience with Kanzhu is pretty much positive. The staff are courteous from the guard to to the waiters. The place was clean and cozy. And the price is pretty cheap compared to other noodle houses. I'd likely come back here whenever I get that noodle craving again.
Afterwards, we headed off to Antipolo but we stopped by Samarikine first. It's an RTW store along Marcos Highway (their main branch is in marikina). They sell export overruns, and they have branded clothes starting at 150 pesos. I haven't bought anything yet for Gerry so I thought that we could find one here.
I was able to get an H&M shorts and a GAP shirt for him, while my mom got a Cotton On shirt for my sister. I also bought a couple of t-shirts for myself as well. They're not known brands but I thought they looked nice, and should increase my wardrobe that I won't need to wear the same shirt twice a month. Lol.
After that, we dropped off Thirdy at my in-laws, went to Puregold to buy some groceries, and headed home to call it a day.