The WISIWYG Blog

It had been quite a long time since I last celebrated my birthday in Naga City.  The last time was probably when I was still in college.  Last January 6, though, I had the chance to experience that again, and I found the experience relaxing and satisfying for a couple of reasons. 

First, it was relaxing because I’m not at the office; far from work and even farther from the cries of “LIBRE” from my officemates.  My friends and acquaintances in Naga have also gone back to Manila for their respective works, so I am free from the same wails they might have shouted.  And finally, there was the satisfaction of having my birthday dinner at a Bicolano restaurant, with a choice of provisions that I have grown to miss.

So during my 26th birthday, I and half of my family (my brother and mama) had a dinner at Bigg’s Diner.  I could have celebrated it on any of the other restaurants at the city’s Centro.  I could have enjoyed either way because I missed all of the foods that the city’s restaurants have to offer.  But I think I missed the taste of Bigg’s so much that I opted to dine at the restaurant for my birthday, even if it was already the second time in a week that I would be eating at the place.

A Bicolano Fast-food

Before divulging my eating adventures at Bigg’s during my birthday, let me first give you to a brief history of the Bicolano fast-food chain.

Bigg’s started as a burger stand in 1983, when it was still called Mang Donald’s back then.  It had a funny name, but it probably helped make the stand a hit.  I can still remember their store located near the now defunct Advent Cinema (and current location of one of their outlets).  We even ordered a burger there a couple of times, and I loved the taste even though it doesn’t have much in it compared to the high-priced burgers we have now.  It was just pure burger goodness.

After the burger stand became a hit, they started to target a different set of audiences when they opened Nalds shortly after.  If Mang Donalds catered for the foreign-food-loving locals, Nalds was specially built for the Filipino-at-heart goto lovers.  Actually, Nalds has been in business until a few years back.  And back then, I would really visit the place whenever I can just to sample their delicious goto.  Of course, one can still take a taste of the same flavor in the current line of Bigg’s Diner outlets.

Then, in the 1990’s, Carl’s Diner was born.  The American-themed dining place is actually the direct ancestor of the current Bigg’s Diner.  In fact, the current restaurant is themed basically the same, and the set of main food choices are practically the same although a dozen or more food choices has already been added to the menu.

For years, the establishment has been known to us as Carl’s, until some problems with the foreign brand Carl’s Jr. has probably forced the owners to replace the name with Bigg’s.  But only the name has changed, because the quality of the food remained the same.

Bigg’s Today

Currently, there are three Bigg’s outlets in Naga City.  One is located along Panganiban Drive, in front of St. John Hospital.  Another is located at the ground floor of the old Advent Theater, and their newest branch is located at Jacob St., in front of the Plaza Quince Martires, between McDonalds and Cabby’s Cabana.  Aside from their Naga outlet, they also have restaurants in other parts of Bicol, some still bearing the name of Nalds to emphasize that they still cater goto for their customers.

My Bigg’s Birthday

So I celebrated my birthday at Bigg’s.  Quite significant, because I was born on the same year when the first version of the fast-food chain was established.  We had our dinner at the Advent Theater branch because the new outlet is often filled with their patrons at night.  And the food on our table?  Pork cordon bleu for me, pork kebabs for my younger brother, and the Bigg’s budget meat (fried chicken + barbeque) for my mom.

Now, you may wonder why we had individual meals on the table and not a set meal for three or more persons.  The reason: they simply don’t have meal sets for multiple persons.  The restaurant setting is similar to a fast-food restaurant, except for the comfy dining atmosphere.  You would have to queue up to order your food from the counter, pay there and wait for it to be served at your table.  But while the setting is similar to fast-food restos, the taste of the food is quite comparable to the high-end restaurants here in Metro Manila.

Whenever I eat at Bigg’s, my usual order would be their pork tenderloin tips.  I just love the meat, which, as I have noticed from our last visit, tastes just like a very expensive steak that we tried at some high-end outback restaurant at the SM Mall of Asia.  And that’s minus the very high cost!  But since we had just sampled their tenderloin tips when we had lunch at their other outlet the previous Sunday, I opted for something I haven’t tried yet.

So during my birthday, I sampled their pork cordon bleu.  The taste is quite different from the cordon bleu I was accustomed to, which is quite sweet because of the bread crumbs.  Theirs has none of that sweetness, but the meat tastes really good, as if made to impress meat lovers.

My mom and younger brother opted for the safer option—something which they have already sampled during the many times they dined at Bigg’s.  The pork kebab is basically a barbeque, and I wonder why they have to rename it as such.  But their barbeque has always been a bestseller, so you really can’t complain much about the food palatability as it really tastes good.  The same thing is true with the fried chicken (which comes in generous proportions, may I add) that comes with the budget meal.  When I was in grade school, the budget meal is my usual request whenever my parents would bring us to Bigg’s.

The End

So that’s my Bigg’s birthday story, which turned out to be some sort of promotional job for Bigg’s Diner.  Hehe.  But with a food that great at an affordable price (compared to similar restaurants here in Manila), I wouldn’t mind promoting their business here in my blog site.  After all, theirs is a restaurant every Bicolano can be proud of.

Image credit: Facebook | Bigg's Diner

Back when I was still training in ACTION, our senseis brought us to Yamazaki, a Japanese restaurant--probably their way of congratulating us for having successfully completed the first module of our training course. I think the act has already become a tradition on their part, because from what I've heard, the current batch was also treated to a Japanese restaurant during their first module's end. With 14 trainees, 4 trainers and 2 training assistants, we crowded the tiny restaurant back then. And the amount of food served on our table might well be considered a feast.

More than a year since, I was able to visit Yamazaki again. This time, however, I am not with a crowd. It was only me and Sir Nep, the "chief" ACTION instructor. And unlike our previous visit when the food was a treat, I have to pay for what I'll eat in the Japanese food place.

Upon the prodding of Sir Nep, we had a dinner at Yamazaki last Tuesday, after my training job for ACTION has ended. He said that I must experience eating at an authentic Japanese restaurant again (after a long time, eh). As I am not familiar with the restaurant's menu (with the menu written in Japanese simply increasing my confusion), I was forced to follow what Sir Nep has to order. We had a Hanchan set that night. And while Sir Nep has actually written about this set on his blog already, I don't think he would mind if I write about it again in my own space and give it my own verdict.

So what is a Hanchan set? At Yamazaki, a Hanchan set is a meal composed of 1 big bowl of ramen (don't ask me what kind as I am not familiar with the flavors of ramen), 5 pieces of gyoza, and a half serving of Chahan or Japanese fried rice. This comes with free servings of Mugicha (roasted barley tea), which I believe is served free (and bottomless) with any food ordered from the place. The whole set costs P180. A reasonable price? I believe it was.

When eating at a Japanese restaurant, you'll normally expect that the price you'll have to pay is high. This, however, is not the only thing that justifies the price of the Hanchan set. I'll say there's more than one factor affecting the price, and one of them is the serving size. When I said earlier that it had 1 big bowl of ramen, I meant it that way without any exaggeration. Sir Nep gobbled the whole bowl effortlessly, but I was only able to finish half of it. Then, the half serving of Chahan has more rice in it than a serving in most fast-food joints in the Metro. Feeling full without being able to finish everything, I can't help but cry over the ramen left on my bowl (now that's exaggeration ;p).

As to the set's taste, I'll have to say I found nothing too fancy about it, which is actually good for more reasons than one. The ramen was just what it was supposed to be (my opinion)--a flavorful combination of noodles, broth, some kind of dry seaweeds (don't know what it’s called), two thin slices of pork, and vegetable (I think its pechay). It actually tasted great, though no amount of tastiness can force me to eat up all that is inside the gigantic bowl. The gyoza passed the standards of my discriminating taste buds, but what I loved most in the meal is the Chahan. There was nothing much in it but it was very flavorful. A sucker for fried rice, it made me wish to order more. Then, I remembered my budget. :D

Like the food, there wasn't anything too fancy about the place. The restaurant is small, with simple Japanese accessories. I found the style provincial (if there is really an adjective as such to describe a place) and it reminded me of a bakery-cum-fast-food joint in my home city. If anything, it was a good place for dining, with a Japanese ambiance provided by its style and the people surrounding you while you are eating.

If you want to experience the taste of the Hanchan set or any of the numerous meals offered at the place, visit Yamazaki. The Japanese restaurant (and grocery) can be found at Fernando St., Pio del Pilar, Makati City.