Chubs Steak at Manok

1/16/2015. After a company tagaytay trip, Chea came home around 4pm. We didn't have anything left inside the fridge, so we decided to go out and get some groceries.

We headed off to Puregold Mindanao Avenue, and spent an hour picking up stuff that we need. It was 7pm by the time we finished, so we decided to have dinner. We scoured nearby Congressional Avenue but couldn't find anything we like. There's this new restaurant there named Marcus, that served burgers and fries, but parking was full.

Good signage. Really caught our attention.

We checked out Wilcon City Center, but parking was also full and there was nothing there that piqued our curiosity, so we continued along Visayas Avenue. Then, there's this big signage on the other side of the road that I haven't seen before: Chubs Steak at Manok

Thirdy getting rowdy since the place is practically empty

Looks interesting enough, so we made a u-turn and parked in front. The place looked new and clean, but also looked small. But it's divided into two areas.

Another separate area as you can see from the glass divider

The main area with the main door and the cashier counter could probably fit around 20 persons. Then there was another walled off area that could probably fit another 20 or so.

The counter

We thought it was a full serviced diner, as the girl manning the cashier came to us and handed us a couple of menus. She also took our orders. But then, we were asked to pay for our orders as soon as we said that we weren't ordering anything else. Also, the utensils and the glasses (and the drinking water) were in an area with a sign saying "self-service". A bit later, a couple who arrived, went to the counter and ordered there.

Pasta dishes. Small serving for 98 pesos.

Chea ordered the Sexy Pork Chop (99 pesos), while I went with the Sexy Sirloin Strips (120 pesos). We also ordered Malunggay Pesto (98 pesos) for Thirdy.

Most of their dishes come in two variants: Sexy and Chubby. I wasn't listening when Chea asked about the difference, but I guess it just means the Chubby version has more servings.

Soup and side dishes

Opting for Royal this time

We were served soup and a side dish of carrots and corns that came with the pork chop and sirloin meals. The soup was a bit odd, as it was too thin to be mushroom soup, so I guess it's just broth. But I couldn't place what broth it was. I didn't bother with the side dish.

The white stuff is actually parmesan cheese.

The pasta came next. On top of the noodles were strips of meat, some white powder and then some brown bits and pieces that I mistook for nuts. I forgot to ask beforehand if the dish had nuts in them as Thirdy is a bit allergic. I then asked for another plate as I wanted to take out the nuts. However, I was told that it was actually fried garlic bits, while the white powder was parmesan cheese. And the nuts were already in the malunggay pesto mix, so it was impossible to take them out.

We just decided to feed Thirdy the chicken strips on top. The chicken was ok. It was soft and came in strips that made me thought it was bacon when I first saw it. As for the pasta, it was a bit disappointing. It kinda felt like the oil mix was placed in a pan, and the noodle was later stir friend in the mixture as everything was a bit dry. Any other day, that's ok with me, since I sometimes make pesto that way.

Sexy sirloin

Then came the pork chop and the sirloin strips. Both came in small rectangular wooden plates, with banana leaves. We were told before that the rice serving was small, but I was amused when I saw it. They really used ice cream scoops for the rice as the attendant mentioned earlier, but even if you mash the two lumps of rice servings together, you'd end up still wanting more later especially if you're hungry. Good thing we weren't that hungry.

As for the meat? Well, the sirloin strip was a bit bland. It tasted like how it would if you fry it on oil. I wish they rubbed a little more salt and pepper to give it a little more taste. But I guess they served it a bit plain as it came with gravy. However, the gravy was a bit too strong. Bitter even. It's not your typical gravy, so it's a hit and a miss depending on your taste buds.

I didn't get to taste the pork chop so I won't comment on that.

Sexy porkchop

There are two other complaints that I have. First is the wooden plates. It's too small, and it's flat. Some of the food gets pushed around while eating and fall off the edges since the plate is flat. I'm a messy eater, so you could just imagine what the table around my plate looks like. Second is the banana leaf used on top of the wooden plate. Since I'm eating beef, I would have to use a knife and I find myself cutting into the leaf and it ruins the leaf, as well as moves the food around as well, as the food is on top of the banana leaf.

I think it would be best to get a separate plate and move your rice there.

All in all, it was kinda ok given the price. It's a nice option instead of your typical fast food chains. But it's hard not to compare it with the nearby Slice n' Dice branch along Visayas Avenue since it mainly serves meat dishes, although Slice n' Dice grills theirs.