It's funny how timely opportunity seems to just knock on my door.  Just a few weeks ago, my friend Hana, her better half Kyle and I were planning to go for a Maginhawa food trip.  A week later, we all received an invited along with our blogger friends to go join their Food Panda Maginghawa Food Crawl.  I'm so glad Food Panda organized such a gastronomic adventure because we would never have made an itinerary as awesome as they did!  Our first stop was Katz Diner. 
  
Katz Diner is located in Malingap Sikatuna Village (within the Maginhawa area).  It has two parking slots and an al fresco area which you can visibly from the outside.

Inside, you'll see that it's no ordinary hall in the wall.  It's very bright, warn, colorful and cozy with nice frames hanged on its walls and quirky displays.

Simple but very pleasing to the eyes right?


Food

Entrees

Grilled Pork Steak (260 php)

The Grilled Pork Steak is a plateful of sweet marinated pork cuts which is great when dipped in the vinegar-based sauce.  It is also served with a cup of rice, fried egg, pickled radish and carrots and fresh slices of tomatoes and cucumber. 

♥ Roast Pork Belly (290 php)

Isn't the Roast Pork Belly just stunningly beautiful?  We all had a few seconds just looking at this to appreciate it before digging in.  Some of the skin delivered a crackling sensation.  The roast pork belly was so soft and so flavorful as it was swimming in gorgeous, gratifying although quite guilt-bearing oil.  The oiliness was properly subdued by the delicious sweet potato puree, gravy and chimchuri sauce.  It also comes with a cup of rice, fried egg and pickled cucumber.


All Day Breakfast

♥ Longganisa (185 php)

My favorite among our orders would be the Longganisa.  Although my mom is from Ilocos Sur and we regularly cooked longanisa at home, I super rarely eat them because I'm not much of a fan.  I'm so glad that Katz' Longganisa is unlike any other.  It is deconstructed into bits and mixed with a delicious salsa.  It actually felt like eating a Filipino-style taco but with scrambled egg and rice instead of cispy taco shell or soft tortilla.


Dessert

♥ Lava Cake (100 php)

Save room for dessert because there's the Lava Cake!

♥ Lava Cake (100 php)

The Lava Cake has a rich, sweet, gooey chocolate fudge that oozes out in every forkful.  Yum!

Drinks

♥ Brewed Tea (80 php)

For drinks, the hot Brewed Tea is highly recommended!  You can choose between black tea or oolong tea and they serve it with a mix of creamy sweet milk.

Tea-Based

Citrus Tea Pitcher (140 php)

I found the Citrus Tea a bit too sweet but I liked that the citrus flavor was bold enough to be distinguished.

Yakult-Based

♥ Green Tea Yakult (90 php) *Sample size only

The Green Tea Yakult we tried was at a sugar level of 25%.  It was just right for me.  I liked their blend.  I could sense the floral flavor of the green tea and at the same time, recognize the sweet and tangy flavor of the Yakult.


Order from Katz Diner Through Food Panda
Food Panda is an online delivery service available in over 35 countries.  If don't want to hassle yourself to go Maginhawa (I personally find it difficult to commute in that area), you can easily order from Katz Diner through Food Panda. 

Tsinoy Foodies Verdict
If you're looking for a diner that serves hefty breakfast with a nice atmosphere to brighten your day, then consider Katz Diner.  It's also an ideal place to just chill (they have a very good air conditioning) and relax.  Their drink selections are very affordable and really good.  But, I can't say the same for most of their food items.

Angeles Fried Chicken or AFC has been serving it's famous chicken and other dishes recipe since the 1960's.  


It's old house facade with red and white motif is hard to miss when you're in the Balibago Angeles area.


It has a very spacious dining area.  It's interior reminds me of a classy Italian restaurant with red checkered linen covered tables.  But it was more casual since it was dim but without candle lights.

Food

Complimentary Prawn Cracker

 Appetizers

♥ Sizzling Sisig (175 php)

AFC's Sizzling Sisig is one of the best sisig I have ever tried!  It had a lot of scrumptious ingredients.  It was not fatty at all.  Everyone couldn't help but indulge in spoonfuls of it until the sizzling plate was emptied.

Chicharon Bulaklak (175 php)

The Chicharon Bulaklak is admittedly a sinful dish but one that's irresistible too.  This is a chewy kind of chicharon and not so crispy.  Gosh I'm guilty of eating so many of this fried fatty pig's mesentary.


Salads

♥ Crispy Chicken Salad (135 php)

 I loved the Crispy Chicken Salad!  It has crispy chicken tenders, fresh lettuce, carrot strips, mandarin orange slices, water chestnuts and green bell peppers.  It is served with vinaigrette.

All Time Favorites

Shanghai Lumpia (145 php)

The Shanghai Lumpia is a classic Filipino dish.  This rendition is remarkably tasty with a perfect crunchy wrapper too.

♥ Shrimp with Cashew Nuts (225 php)

The Shrimp with Cashew Nuts is one of the dishes I enjoyed the most.  It is an egg white based dish with tender small shrimps, celery, onions, carrots, cashew nuts and green peas.

Camaron Rebosado (225 php)

The Camaron Rebosado is my least favorite.  Everything on the platter was oily and soggy rather than crispy as I expected it to be.

Pancit Canton (145 php)

Growing up in a culture that eats noodles often, I have a high standard for this dish.  Yet, I was impressed with this version of Pancit Canton.  The key is the variety and quality of the ingredients.

Rice

Chicken Fried Rice (120 php)

The Chicken Fried Rice is a soy-based rice dish with scrambled egg, soft chicken bits and green peas.


Angeles Fried Chicken

♥ Regular Angeles Fried Chicken Family 9 pcs. (425 php)

The Regular Angeles Fried Chicken is almost the same as KFC's.  What I like about this is that the chicken is fresh.  You can tell by the juiciness and flavor of the chicken meat.  But, I found it a bit oily and salty.  The soft rolls and fresh coleslaw were great!

Other Chicken Specials

♥ Japanese Fried Chicken (195 php)

The Japanese Fried Chicken is my favorite!  It had an addictive soy-based flavor and chewy skin that captivated me. 

Grilled Chicken (165 php)

The Grilled Chicken was tender and tasty.  But compared to the other chicken dishes, this has the least impact.


Drinks

♥ Iced Tea (Pitcher) (99 php)

The Iced Tea is house blend.  It was so good that I'm glad we had a pitcher-full of it.





Other Metro Angeles Food Tour (#MAFT2014) Posts
Abe's Farm
Binulo Restaurant
Cottage Kitchen Cafe
Historic Camalig Restaurant
La Rose Noire (factory visit) 
Mother's Cake House
Prism Lounge
Sab Bistro
Salt Restaurant (Breakfast Buffet)
Tsinoy Foodies Verdict
For affordable dishes that's good for sharing in Angeles Pampanga, definitely drop by Angeles Fried Chicken (AFC).  They offer more than just heavenly chicken.  I'm sure you'll find a dish that will fit your appetite at any time of the day.

Market Cafe offers a grand, elegant and spacious buffet.  The buffet is organized and subdivided into sections.  Numerous chefs and their helpers are ready to assist you in their live stations.

The dining area is a luxurious and cozy.  It's perfect for casual or formal dining.  You could seat for hours and enjoy your food.  

Food

Salad Bar

Cold Cuts, Bread, Cheese, Grill, Shabu-Shabu (Hotpot), Chinese Dimsum, Pizza, Pasta and Indian Spread Stations

• Shrimp
• Pork
• Beef
• Fish Cake

• Spaghetti
• Fettuccine
• Penne 
• Rigatoni

Tea Egg

It's the first time I've seen a Tea Egg in a buffet before.  I must say its a great idea.

Filipino Desserts, Gelato, Fresh Fruits, Bread Pudding, Halo-Halo, Pastries, Candies and Baklava

Sushi Bar, Fresh Seafood, Chinese and Teppanyaki

I wasn't at my best eating mood during my visit so I wasn't to feast with my hearts content.  However, if I could visit again, I would definitely take the opportunity to have some more of their Fresh Norwegian Salmon.  To ensure the best quality they ship their seafood regularly.  I loved the Fresh Oysters from Aklan.  Eating it raw is the best way to appreciate its sweet and succulent flavors.  But if you want you're seafood cooked, just specify how you want it and they will even deliver them to your table.  They also have a Teppanyaki Section where you can choose the ingredients you want and the chef will prepare them for you.

Market Cafe has a bountiful selection when it comes to dessert.  Don't forget to try their famous Bread Pudding.  The Baklava is usually an expensive dessert and is rarely offered in the Metro.  I'm surprise they have those too.  

What I Had

Assorted Cheese, Flat Bread, Pasta, Pizza, Tempura Shrimp, Fresh Mussels and Top Blade Steak

I loved everything I had.  The Pizza had three kinds of cheese on it.  It was a blend of interesting flavors.  The Fresh Mussels  were delightful.  The Top Blade Steak were tender and succulent cooked in Medium well.

Singaporean-Style Lobsters

Dalandan Iced Tea and Guyabano Iced Tea

Since I've tried the Guava Iced tea at Lili's (see previous entry), I decided to try the  Guyabano Iced Tea.  It gives an interesting twist because guyabano has a strong dominant flavor.  While the Dalandan Iced Tea possesses more of a sweet and citrus taste.   Note that the charge extra for these.  But if you prefer soft drinks and beer, they are included in their buffet rate.  

Lower Dining and Upper Dining Area

Our first stop is the majestic Lower Dining and Upper Dining Area with beautiful mirrors, drapes, flower centerpiece, painting and lightings.  Li Li's ancestors paintings can be found on the Upper Dining Area as a sign of respect.