Food Trips | Maginhawa Eat Street: Hits and Misses I

Maginhawa Street in Teacher's Village, Quezon City has become a popular food trip destination here in the Metro, with many small restaurants and eateries to choose from. It has become our (my friend and I) go-to place whenever we can't decide where or what to eat. It's a hit-and-miss type of food adventure for us but we still love to go there. Most restaurants/eateries there offer dishes at affordable prices. Here are some of the restaurants/eateries we've tried, so far. By the way, I'll update this post or come up with a new one when I get to try several other restaurants again in the future. :)

Tornado Peri-Peri Chicken

Tornado Peri-Peri Chicken

Of all the restaurants we've tried in Maginhawa, it is Tornado Peri-Peri Chicken that we love the most. It is an open air/carinderia-type restaurant where you can see how your orders are prepared. Tornado offers several dishes in its menu - steaks, burgers, ribs and of course, peri-peri chicken. We've tried the ribs and it's good but it's the chicken we love coming back for.  Their chicken is tender, it's flavorful, it's juicy and the sauce that comes with it is just perfect. No wonder on the several occasions that we've been there, the restaurant is full with lots more queuing up. Food tastes absolutely good, price very affordable; Tornado Peri-Peri Chicken is definitely a hit for us. :)

Peri-Peri Chicken, with rice and a side dish, mexican barbecue for the sauce @ 125 Php

baby back ribs, quarter slab with rice and a side dish @ 225 Php

2 pieces peri-peri chicken, with rice and 2 side dishes, dragon's breath for the sauce @ 240 Php

Tornado Peri-Peri Chicken

104 Maginhawa Street

Teacher's Village, Quezon City

Gerry's Jeepney

Gerry's Jeepney

Gerry's Jeepney is a Filipino restaurant featuring Filipino's popular mode of transportation - jeepney, in its setting. The owners use jeepney as a prop where customers can dine in it, boodle-fight style. We weren't able to try their jeepney because of the long queue so we opted on their air-conditioned dining room. The restaurant offers typical Filipino dishes, binagoongan, kare-kare, inihaw na isda (bangus, hito, or tilapia), ensalada, etc. These dishes can be ordered ala carte or you can have them in a boodle-set package, all named after the various jeepney routes here in the Metro.

Gerry's Jeepney, sakay na! :p

wash area, used wheels as a sink

For our dinner there, we tried their bestseller - binagoongang lechon kawali. We also had sinigang sa miso (salmon), jeepney rice (fried rice with fried egg bits and crispy dilis on top) and ensaladang talong. My friend found their serving small for its price except for the sinigang but it's just fine with me. The dishes we've tried were all good especially the binagoongan. I love it 'coz it has no "porky" aftertaste and the blending of sweet and saltiness is just right. Gerry's Jeepney is a hit for me. :)

binagoongang lechon kawali @ 210 Php, serving is small but the taste is great, I love it! ;)

Jeepney rice @ 120 Php, love the crispy dilis on top ^_^

salmon sa miso @ 250 Php

Gerry's Jeepney

Maginhawa Street,

Teacher's Village, Quezon City

Gayuma ni Maria

Gayuma ni Maria

Gayuma ni Maria is a love-themed restaurant along Maginhawa-V. Luna Extension in Sikatuna Village. The restaurant is in an old house; its interior setting homey, it feels like dining in your own home. However, this food adventure is a big miss for us.

no boyfriend since birth

It was just past 8PM when we get there but only few tables were occupied. When one of the staffs came to us to bring the menu, she at once told us that only rock me baby (barbecued pork ribs @ 265 Php), please be careful with my heart (half roasted chicken @ 215 Php) and no boyfriend since birth (pesto pasta with shellfish @ 225 Php) are the only available dishes. Having no choice, we ordered the said dishes. However, a few minutes later the staff came back telling us that rock me baby is not available but instead, nilasing ni eba si adan (roasted pork belly @ 275 Php) is what's available. Again, having no choice we go for it only to be told again a few minutes later that it's also not available. I got annoyed this third time I told the staff that she do something about it. I'm not ordering anything else but the ones she mentioned before. She apologized profusely and left for the kitchen.

When she served our orders, there really is no nilasing ni eba si adan but instead she served us come fly with me (buffalo chicken wings @195 Php) and then told us it's (come fly with me) free. I just shut my mouth and didn't complain anymore. Both the chicken dishes tasted good though they don't look appetizing (see photos below). The serving is just right but they're a bit expensive. So yeah, even if they offered come fly with me for free, we're still disappointed and we're not coming back. This food adventure is a big miss for us both. Walang bisa ang gayuma. :P

come fly with me (buffalo chicken wings)

please be careful with my heart (roasted chicken)

Gayuma ni Maria

123 V. Luna Extension

Sikatuna Village, Quezon City

Ulo-Ulo sa Vet

Ulo-Ulo sa Vet

Ulo-Ulo sa Vet is an open-air carinderia-type of restaurant in Maginhawa Street. It offers ready-to-eat Filipino dishes but their bestseller of course is sinigang na ulo ng salmon (salmon head in sour broth). I forgot the exact price of the sinigang since it's been a while when we tried it but what I remember is that it's not worth the price. The serving is supposed to be good for two but it's so small it's not even enough for me. It tasted good though (sinigang always tasted good anyway), especially when dipped in our all-time favorite dip, calamansi with chili and soy sauce. Anyway, because of its serving size, I would say this resto is a miss.

fish egg adobo - my friend loves this, I dont! hehe

sinigang na ulo ng salmon, looks big but it's not actually

Ulo-Ulo sa Vet

172 Maginhawa Street

Sikatuna Village, Quezon City

The Daily Jusa

photo credit: The Daily Jusa's FB page

The Daily Jusa is a take-out kiosk that sells fruits and vegetables juices and salads. It also offers detox programs and packages for those health/diet-conscious people. They say their juices are all 100% natural, with no water and sugar added. I got curious and tried one of their bottled juice - the vitality boost which consists of watermelon, spinach, mustard leaves and grape juice extracts. It has this veggie aftertaste but the sweet taste from the grapes makes it bearable. I learned to like its taste eventually; love it actually I bought one again on our next visit. It's a hit for me though the price is not. It's quite expensive, 150 Php per 250ml bottle; discounted if availed in volume.

The Daily Jusa

111-A Maginhawa Street

Teacher's Village, Quezon City

~ oo00oo ~

Update: Part II of our Maginhawa Food Trip is already up. Do check it out here: Maginhawa Eat Street: Hits and Misses II