Disclaimer: All views expressed on this blog are my own based on my own experiences and do not represent of any entity with which I have been, are now or will be affiliated

February 13, 2022
Batangas, Philippines

I felt so much better now that I was back in the city. All of my go-to places, including supermarkets, cafes, and malls, are conveniently located nearby. Fast food restaurants and Starbucks are everywhere. haha.

I tried out various local eateries, ranging from Vietnamese to Chinese. I must confess that I did not enjoy the vast majority of them and instead prefered a select few.

I tried cafes in Westgate and Alabang Town Center.

There is a wide variety of places to eat and drink outside at Westgate Alabang. It’s like a more tranquil, smaller version of Singapore’s bustling Clarke Quay, with fewer tourists and less noise.

UCC Cafe
Westgate Alabang
Price Php250-2,000
Accepts cash, debit and credit cards

My home Internet has been acting up, so I figured I’d work from a coffee shop like Starbucks, but their bandwidth is so low that I can’t even use my phone to make calls. But UCC came to the rescue! It was 5G, but I couldn’t charge my laptop there. So, I ordered an iced caramel latte and found the coffee at UCC to be merely decent. When you’ve had the best coffee in Batangas, all the other cafes you’ve been to taste like water by comparison. However, I would still go to UCC to sample their Japanese cuisine.

Conti’s Bakeshop & Restaurant
Westgate Alabang
Price: Php250-2,000
Accepts cash, debit and credit cards

I’ve tried a few different restaurants in Westgate, but this one was by far the best. Also, I appreciate that I can pick from a variety of nutritious options, like the spinach lasagna I ended up getting. Spinach is used as a meat substitute, and several kinds of cheese are baked into layers. It tasted very rich and savoury. Various sweets are also available. To this day, mango bravo remains my all-time favourite. Cashew meringue wafers, chocolate mousse, cream, and cubed mango are layered in this frozen cake that is finished off with a chocolate syrup drizzle. So tasty!

Cafe Breton
Westgate Alabang
Price Php250-2,000
Accepts cash, debit and credit cards

Crepes and various coffees are available at this cafe. The atmosphere is relaxing, and the staff is helpful. I originally came here seven years ago, and it has held up well in that period. They still provide those delicious, comforting crepes, but this time I had coffee instead. The Excalibur is a breakfast dish I ordered, and it came with ham, cheese, asparagus, sautéed mushrooms, onions, and fresh cream. Why does hot sauce make a crepe taste so nice first thing in the morning?

Alabang Town Center Food Eats

Ayala is the owner of this mall. The design of the shopping centre evokes the architecture of Mediterranean towns (I haven’t been there but it looks like it from magazines haha). Take a look at what I discovered at Alabang Town Centre, or ATC for short.

Dohtonbori Philippines
Price: Php250-1,500
Accepts cash, debit and credit cards

People said that this is a Japanese restaurant that offered real okonomiyaki. We went here with my sister-in-law. I liked that they had zashiki-style sitting, where you take off your shoes and eat at a low table with a cushioned seat. This gives you a chance to learn about Japanese culture. We got chicken karage bento, green apple chu-hi, and ramen. Their beer apple chu-hi was too sweet and didn’t taste like booze at all. I thought the tonkatsu ramen was fine. It wasn’t very tasty, and the meat didn’t melt in my mouth. To be honest, I’ve had better ramen in Batangas. This isn’t my go-to place in ATC, but I might try some other foods here.

Northpark
Price: Php250-2,000
Accepts cash, debit and credit cards

This is a Chinese restaurant that serves mostly soup and noodles. I got beef wantons, but the beef was tough and the only thing I liked was the wantons. I tried to persuade my sister-in-law by ordering their siomai and rice dishes, but we were both unhappy. The taste was really bland, but that could be because I have high standards for Chinese food.

Pho Hoa
Price: Php250-1,000
Accepts cash, debit and credit cards

In a mall, this is a Vietnamese restaurant. I got their steak and meatball soup and, of course, Vietnamese coffee. I liked the pho. It wasn’t the best, but it wasn’t bad either. I liked how the mint went with their soup. But the coffee was not what I had hoped for. It’s so boring and doesn’t taste like coffee at all. I’d probably try more of the restaurant’s pho, but I’d never go back for the coffee.

Samgyupsalamat
Price: Php355-500
Only accepts cash

This is an unlimited charcoal Korean bbq restaurant that offers Korean beef and pork with side dishes like kimchi and lettuce. This is by far one of the ATC places I’d go back to because the prices are reasonable, the kimchi is delicious, and there are different kinds of beef and pork to choose from. I really liked my meal here.

Popeye’s
Price: Php250-500
Only accepts cash

Popeye’s is a fast food restaurant with a Louisiana style that is also known for its trans-fat-free biscuits. The first time I went to Popeye’s was in Singapore. They serve big chicken breasts, wings, and other chicken parts, as well as crunchy, delicious biscuits. When I first ordered in the Philippines, I had the same expectations, but it was such a letdown that they gave me a small chicken and none of their famous biscuits. I really don’t like this.

Shake Shack
Price: 250-1000
Accepts cash, debit and credit cards

It is a fast food restaurant that started in New York. When they opened their store in Singapore while I was still there, there was a lot of excitement. When I first tried one of their angus burgers at Changi Airport, I really liked it. But when I ordered this in the Philippines, I thought it would be the same, but it wasn’t. The Angus meat was a little bit tough, and the bun wasn’t very tasty or soft. I’d rather eat at Hungry Hippo, a local burger place in Lipa, than spend a lot of money on a burger that isn’t good enough to eat again.

I still haven’t had the chance to visit all of Alabang’s cafes. The variety is staggering, and I can’t wait to see the urban side of the Philippines.


Love,
Maria, sometimes Niskie