The Metro's Upside Down Marvel

When you want good food, you always look at certain criteria or factors that would indicate that the food place you are going to visit offers good food. We would sometimes consider popularity or those that people recommend to us. We also consider the price, especially those of us who have budget constraints when it comes to food. There are also some who consider the taste of the food, or the size of the servings. Simply put, when we decided where to eat, it always has to be the food that matters. But, when did it ever occur that you ate at the place because of the place itself? A place in Quezon City not only offers delicious and affordable food, it also offers one of the weirdest yet most relaxing ambiance you might encounter.

You will find the place in Quezon City, near White Plains. You can't miss the place because of the upside down 4x4 Land Rover Defender 90. Not only is the vehicle upside down, the whole place is. Yep, you got that right. The place really is upside down. In fact, it's the first and only upside down restaurant in the whole of Southeast Asia. How 'bout that? This is most probably one of the reasons why you should dine at Pan De Amerikana.

Pan De Amerikana first opened its doors at Marikina. If you think the Quezon City branch is creative, the main branch also has its own stuffs to brag about. It has a windmill outside the restaurant, and when you go inside there's this giant chess set that is very much playable. Back at the Quezon City branch, the interior is very beautiful as well. They have plants all over the place. The have a small bridge that you have to pass upon entering the place. There's a piano and some tables and chairs that are also upside down. Pan De Amerikana can surely brag about the ambiance of their food places. 

Pan De Amerikana offers delicious breads that you will surely enjoy. Not only that, they also have Pinoy dishes that are delicious and very very affordable. For less than a hundred pesos, you already have a complete and satisfying meal. The servings are not that much, though. That probably explains the low price of the dishes. But, it's not a regret trying them out because the dishes here are very delicious. They really are worth trying, if you ask us.

The service took a while, probably because of the lack of waiters. We probably waited around 30-40 minutes for our order to be complete. The bad thing was they were serving our orders one by one. The drinks were served first, which was very common. Then, one dish was served 15 minutes after, followed by another dish 10 minutes after, and so on. It really tested a bit of our patience, considering the fact that we were in a bit of a hurry during our visit here. Nevertheless, the food was really delicious and we were really satisfied with what we ate. The food is worth the wait, but we think that it might not be tolerable anymore if we waited that long next time. 

Here are some of Pan De Amerikana's delicious dishes:

Iced Tea, 15 php


Glutton Guy: I got Pan De Amerikana's iced tea. According to the woman who took our orders,  it's Pan De Amerikana's version because it's a house blend iced tea. It's a bit too sweet for me, but it's delicious. The flavor is very different from the usual iced tea. There's a fruity flavor that you can taste when you drink it. The serving for me was a bit small because it's only placed in a small glass. As I have said in the previous blogs, I drink a lot when I eat, so sometimes one glass is not enough for me. Nevertheless, for 15 pesos, I guess it's not that bad.  : )

Ensaymada, 10 php


Glutton Guy: We decided to buy ensaymada because we were very intrigued by it. When we saw that it only cost 10 pesos, we were really surprised. The ensaymada was really good. It was really big for a 10 peso bread. It wasn't overwhelmingly sweet, unlike other esnaymadas. The amount of butter and sugar was just right. It didn't have any cheese, though. It was just butter and sugar on top. I think it would be better with a little bit of cheese on top. But, it's still delicious as it is. It's absolutely one of the must-try breads at Pan De Amerikana. : )


Glutton Girl: The ensaymada we bought was very tasty. The bread was soft. It wasn't hot, but from the bread you would know that it was freshly baked. The sweetness from the sugar and the butter on top was just right. The ensaymada also looked cute. It has that swirling shape which looked really nice. You would know that it was pugon baked because of the difference in the taste of the bread. I could actually finish one whole ensaymada on my own. It's a good starter and also a great finale for your meal at Pan De Amerikana. It's also nice to bring some home.

Ilokano Sarabasab, 40 php


Glutton Girl: I ordered Ilokano Sarabasab because I was curious on what it was. The lady who took our order explained it to me a bit, but I still couldn't picture it in my mind. I wanted to see how it actually looked and tasted. So, I ordered it. It wasn't that bad after all. The dish was composed of pork bits in vinegar with some ginger, some onions, and some chilies. It was like Pan De Amerikana's version of Kinilaw. The pork was really good. I was looking for some kind of crunch from it, though. The vinegar really hyped up the flavor of the dish. I really didn't like it when I accidentally ate the ginger. Other than that, all the ingredients worked well. The onions gave that added crunch. I think it would be better with more chilies to make it spicier. It was a delicious dish, nonetheless. The serving size wasn't that big, but it was really worth a try.

Lumpiang Shanghai, 25 php


Glutton Guy: I ordered Pan De Amerikana's Lumpiang Shanghai. The shanghai was really really good. In fact, it actually is one of the best tasting lumpiang shanghais that I have tasted. The wrapper didn't give any crunch. You would usally look for the crunchiness of the shanghai when you eat it. Pan De Amerikana's didn't give that. But, the filling on the inside was really delicious. It had a different flavor which I really liked. I didn't know what they placed in there. But, it was very delicious. I didn't like the sauce, though. It was like ketchup with a bit of water. For me, the shanghai was great on its own. The serving size was also not that much. The dish was only composed of three pieces of lumpiang shanghai. For 25 pesos, though, it really was not that surprising. But, it's still a must-try. : )

Sisig Rice, 125 php


Glutton Guy: As compared to their other dishes, the sisig rice of Pan De Amerikana really is a lot. It's actually good for 2-3 persons. You could actually eat it on its own. It already has sisig mixed with the rice with some scrambled egg on top. The sisig rice was alright. Eating it with some of Pan De Amerikana's dishes would really make your stomach full. The flavors were just right. I liked the combination of the sisig and the egg. It really worked for me. The sisig wasn't overpowering the other dishes we ate. The taste was enough for my taste buds. : )


Glutton Girl: It was like sinangag with a twist. Imagine sisig and rice mixed together with some egg. It was really good and really fulfilling. The sisig really gave the rice that delicious flavor. Rice would usually taste bland. But, with the sisig it really had a different taste. It was like ulam and rice all in one dish. The egg also added to the delicious flavor of the sisig. We actually had a hard time finishing it because it was really a lot. You should try the sisig rice at Pan De Amerikana.

Sometimes, all you need for a perfect meal is a relaxing and a very comfortable environment. Pan De Amerikana has just that. They have the most creative and most relaxing ambiance that you could ever wish for in a food place. It's great to eat here, especially with all the noise present in the Metro. Pair it up with delicious and appetizing dishes and you're sure to have a satisfying meal. Buy a bread or two, and you have a complete Pan De Amerikana experience. Surely, Pan De Amerikana food will make your world upside down.

Here's how we rated Pan De Amerikana:


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(Pan De Amerikana has 4 branches: 1. 131 Katipunan Avenue, St. Ignatius, Quezon City - You'll pass it if you're coming from or going to White Plains. Look for the inverted Land Rover; 2. 92 Ordoñez Street, Concepcion Dos, Marikina City - Near World of Butterflies. Look for the Windmill; 3. Constellation Drive corner Makati Avenue, Bel Air, Makati City - Near Jupiter Street; and 4. Unit 4, Madison Building, Wilson Street, San Juan - Near Cardinal Santos Hospital. Just a reminder, we believe not all of the branches offer the resto dishes. So far, we think that only the Katipunan branch and the Marikina branch have the restaurant meals. The San Juan branch and the Makati branch have the breads.) 

Time To Get Buffaloed!!!

There are a lot of restaurants or food places in Metro Manila that serve Buffalo chicken wings. But, it is rare that these food places get the authentic and delicious Buffalo, New York taste. Sometimes, these restaurants alter the taste of the chicken wings by adding a bit of Filipino taste. Of course, the original is still the best. So, it's a must that you get to taste authentic Buffalo chicken wings. If you're asking us where you could get a taste of the delicious chicken wings we're talking about, you could find it at a food place in Ortigas.

Ortigas Home Depot is actually a hardware store located at Ortigas. But, the place is much more than it is called. In this place you can also find many restaurants and bars that serve delicious food and great drinks. The place is flocked by people especially during the night because most of the food shops here are 'inuman' places. The place offers a wide array of delicious cuisines, including Mexican, Filipino, Persian, and many others. It is also in this place where you can find the best tasting Buffalo chicken wings in Ortigas, Buffalo's Wings N' Things.

The place is just simple. Not very much effort is put into the ambiance of the place. There are some posts on the wall that will give you the American restaurant feel, such as Buffalo signs and photos of New York's famous landmarks like the Empire State Building and the Statue of Liberty. The place is more of a place where you and your friends can have good times while drinking beer, rather than a place where you can get comfy and have satisfying food. The food here is great, though, despite the lack in the ambiance.

We came there during the afternoon so there weren't a lot of people yet, so it wasn't surprising that there was only one waitress at that time. She wasn't that accommodating, but she was attentive and was just there when we wanted something. The service was a bit fast. We really didn't have to wait that long for our orders to be served. Besides, there's a television inside the food place, so you can watch TV while waiting for your food.

Your Buffalo's Wings N' Things experience wouldn't be complete without ordering their famous Buffalo wings. You can customize the sauce of your Buffalo wings depending on how spicy you want it to be. Signature sauces include The Rookie (least spicy), New York's Finest (average spicy), and Firehouse Classic (really spicy). But, if you want very spicy chicken wings, you may opt for their super spicy sauces, the Nuclear and the Armageddon. If you're not the spicy type of fellow, they have non-spicy sauces for your chicken wings, the Garlic Parmesan and the Honey Barbecue. Aside from the chicken wings, they also have other American meals and snacks like burgers, hot dog sandwiches, and burritos. They also have the Fan Faves, wherein every order is already is a complete meal. Each meal already consists of a glass of iced tea, and fries or rice, depending on the meal. 

This was what we ordered at Buffalo's Wings N' Things:

Fan Fave A - 1/2 Pound Wings (Sauce - New York's Finest), NY Dirty Rice, Glass of Iced Tea, 199 php (Add Fries, 29 php; Add Bleu Cheese or Buffalo Ranch Dip, 29 php)


Glutton Guy: I chose the New York's Finest sauce because I wanted my chicken wings to be spicy, but not too much. The chicken was delicious. It was soft and the size was okay. The sauce was not as spicy as I was expecting, though. If I knew that it wasn't going to be that spicy, I should have taken it up a notch. There was a hint of spiciness from the chicken and a bit of sour taste. It's best with the Buffalo Ranch Dip. The rice was okay. It had a different flavor and a different texture. I liked the balance of the flavors of the rice and the chicken wings. The iced tea was a bit small, though. I drink a lot when I eat, so the glass of iced tea on their Fan Faves wasn't enough for me. Presentation wise, it was just okay. It was served just like in an ordinary food place. The iced tea was placed in a plastic cup, the chicken and rice in a plastic basket like the ones used by Jollibee on their Chickenjoy before. Summing it all up, it was an okay meal for me. In my opinion, it would be better if the chicken wings were really spicy and the glass of iced tea was a bit larger. : )

Glutton Girl: I'm a big fan of Buffalo chicken wings, so I was really excited to taste Buffalo's Wings N' Things' food. I bought the Fan Fave A with a New York's Finest sauce. I really liked the chicken. It's chewy and delicious. It's best eaten with bare hands. I like the mixture of the flavors in the chicken sauce. The level of spiciness was okay with me. It's not that spicy, but it's not that normal. The spiciness gave the chicken a zing when it came to the flavors. The NY Dirty rice was also delicious. I would have preferred a different flavored rice, but it's a lot better as compared to plain rice. The flavor was different but it was delicious in it's own way. I was getting a bit of crunchiness from the rice. The drink was just okay. I didn't like the fact that it was served in a plastic cup, though. For me, it should have been served in a much better type of glass. Nevertheless, it was a very satisfying meal for me at Buffalo's. I finally got what I wanted, a delicious and authentic Buffalo wings.

Just because they're called New York Buffalo wings doesn't mean they can only be found in Buffalo, New York. When you want the authentic and delicious Buffalo wings, then head over to Buffalo's Wings N' Things at the Ortigas Home Depot. Not only do they serve delicious chicken wings, they also serve delicious American meals that you'll surely love and crave for. When you want your chicken to be spicy, crispy, delicious, and satisfying, then Buffalo's Wings N' Things is the place for you. Just one more thing before you go there - Get ready to be Buffaloed!

Here's how we rated Buffalo's Wings N' Things:


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(Buffalo's Wings N' Things has 3 branches: 1. Food Street, Ortigas Home Depot Complex, Julia Vargas Avenue, Ortigas, Pasig City; 2. 231 Aguirre, BF Homes, Parañaque City; and 3. G-Strip Building, Greenhills Shopping Center, Greenhills, San Juan.)