Having a heavy craving for meat that needs to be satisfied, I somehow ended up at Fat Daddy's Smokehouse in UP Town Center Katipunan.

It's been a long time since I've gone back to UP Town Center and it was so much different from my last visit.


I initially intended to explore more of it.  But, the menu at Fat Daddy's is so extensive that my dining experience was already more than satisfying.


Fat Daddy's occupied a huge portion of area space at UP Town Center.  It has a nice western vibe.


The displays are cute.  They also sell merchandise in case you're interested.

Food

Starters

♥ Hot Pork Poppers (175 php)

Before you proceed to the heavy course, Fat Daddy's recommends you to have some starters first.

♥ Crispy Fried Pickles (185 php)

I also recommend that you don't skip this part because their starters are really good and fun to munch with your companions while waiting.

♥ Fried Chitlins (185 php)

 I can't keep my hands of these Fried Chitlins!  It's so addictive you'll forget about guilt. =p

Set Meals

♥ Smoked Pork Ribs, ♥ Smoked Beef Brisket, Smoked Pulled Pork, Smoked Hotlinks and Smoked Chicken BBQ with coleslaw, pickles on the side an our choice of side: Mashed Potatoes

I think we got to  try every meat dish and sides on the menu.  My top picks are: Smoked Pork Ribs, Smoked Beef Brisket, Smoked Chicken BBQ and Mashed Potatoes.

Sides

♥ Hot Mess (170 php)

I really love the Hot Mess.  The texture of the mashed potato is comfortingly smooth and the savory flavor complements it well.
 

♥ Mac and Cheese (170 php)

The Mac and Cheese is also one of the best I've had!  

Desserts

♥ Pecan Pie (250 php)

I know it is a difficult thing to do but definitely save room for desserts!  This Pecan Pie is the best pecan pie ever!!!

Peach Cobbler (250 php)

The Peach Cobbler is a bit sweeter than the Pecan Pie.  

♥ Bacon Smore's Dip (250 php)

If you're with a group, a must order is the Bacon Smore's Dip.  It comes with a chocolate lava inside.

Drinks

♥ Lemonade (150 php)

To refresh and cleanse your palate, the Lemonade is a great choice.  Although if you're saving, I think you should just skip this because the price is not reasonable.

Tsinoy Foodies Verdict
Overall, Fat Daddy's is the place to go to when you're craving for smokey and savory meat!  Better bring your food squad because its best to share so you can try all their variants and see which fits your liking like we did.  I think the only thing that will hinder students from frequently revisiting this place is the pricing.  It is a bit beyond a student's staple allowance.

I'm glad the Metro Angeles Food Tour 2014 (#MAFT2014) took the road less traveled by choosing Cottage Kitchen Cafe to try their authentic Cajun and Creole cuisine.


Even in Manila, establishments offering these southern American cuisine are quite few.  I've only tried Gumbo and Cajun Red Rock (I only tried their burger and that was ages ago).  So I'm quite ecstatic to venture more on these cuisines.

I even had to research what the difference between Cajun and Creole cuisine is.  I learned that Cajun cuisine is rich in spices (onion, celery, bell pepper, garlic, paprika, thyme, file, parsley and green onions) and makes use of every part of a slaughtered animal.  Being rich in spices however, does not imply that all are spicy. On the hand, Creole cuisine is more extravagant.  It makes use of tomatoes, cream, butter, seafood and exotic herbs.  While Cajun is classified as country-style cooking, Creole is categorized as city-style cooking.
The place was dimly lit with candles on each table.  There's a bar area, a casual dining area with a good view of the stage and a more private area with curtains on the side.  The ceiling had a glass portion where you can see the clouds or dark skies with stars at night.  Diners are a mix of foreigners and locals.

Food

Appetizers & Starters

♥ Zing Wings (235 php)

If you love spicy dishes, I highly recommend the Zing Wings.  It got a pleasant spicy kick with a hint of rich herbs and spices.  The chicken skin is fun-tastically crispy and the meat was tender and juicy.

Deep Fried Potato Wedges (180 php)

For some finger food, there's the Deep Fried Potato Wedges served with thousand island dressing.

CKC's Corn Bread (100 php)

The CKC's Corn Bread is delicious!  This block is quite dense and heavy.  It is served with herbed butter.


Soups & Salad

Creole Onion Soup (180 php)

The Creole Onion Soup is a creamy heavvily spiced onion soup with cheese and crouton.  As you can see, it is very peppery.  From this point, I've acknowledged that creole and cajun cuisine seems like an acquired taste as some of my companions was overwhelmed and wary of the spiced flavors. 

Chef's Salad (250 php)

The Chef's Salad has greens, egg, ham, tomatoes and carrots with thousand island dressing.  

♥ Cajun Shrimp Salad (270 php)

We all loved the Cajun Shrimp Salad with wasabi dressing.  Every element was harmonically aligned to please the palate.

Southern Specialty Cajun and Creole Dishes

♥ Shrimp Jambalaya (450 php)

The Shrimp Jambalaya made it irresistible for me to lessen my carb intake.  Aside from delivering a really wholesome herbed and spiced flavor, it was topped with shrimps, mildly spiced sausage chunks and chopped green bell peppers.  It is served with dinner bread.

Cajun Fried Chicken and Dirty Rice 2 pcs. (300 php)

The Cajun Fried Chicken was pretty good.  It was more on the peppery side.  But, I prefer the Zing Wings over this.  I loved the Dirty Rice.  I hope they offer that separately.


Blackened Cajun Dishes

Blackened Chicken (385 php)

The Blackened Chicken is a spice and herb crusted chicken breast fillet.  As you can see it was succulent.

♥ Blackened Catfish (400 php)

Between the Blackened Catfish and the Blackened Chicken, I prefer the former.

CKC's House Special BBQ (All barbecue entries comes with coleslaw, baked beans, bread and choice of either: mashed potatoes, potato salad, fried, corn on a cob or steamed rice.)

♥ Original Baby Back Pork (575 php)

The Original Baby Back Pork is really good!  It had a sweet and savory BBQ sauce and smokey lean, tender and meaty pork meat.  This is a must try!

♥ Barbecue Beef Slab Full (800 php)

The Barbecue Beef is just a bigger and chunkier option.  Basically, it has the same barbecue sauce.


Desserts

♥ Peach Cobbler (180 php)

The Peach Cobbler was finished in a flash!  It is a pie filled with sweetened peach with hints of cinnamon.

♥ Apple Pie (180 php)

I liked the Apple Pie more than the Peach Cobbler.  But, they are equally good.  It's just a matter of preference.

Pecan Pie (180 php)

The Pecan Pie is very sweet with its rich and gooey consistency.  It had a generous amount of pecan.

♥ Specialty Cake of the Week: Peach Cheesecake (180 php)

The Peach Cheesecake served chilled was so heavenly!  This is my favorite among all the desserts we tried.


Drinks

Iced Tea

Other Metro Angeles Food Tour (#MAFT2014) Posts
Abe's Farm
Angeles Fried Chicken 
Binulo Restaurant
Historic Camalig Restaurant
La Rose Noire (factory visit) 
Mother's Cake House
Prism Lounge
Sab Bistro
Salt Restaurant (Breakfast Buffet)
Tsinoy Foodies Verdict
Cottage Kitchen Cafe delivers authentic Cajun and Creole cuisine like no other.  In addition to its great dishes, the ambiance is superb and the staffs are nice.  Bring some company as dishes are in sharing portions.

For many years now, Banapple Pies and Cheesecakes has consistently drawn massive influx of diners at their Ayala Triangle Gardens branch.  Many friends as well as my little sister has recommended it as a must try.  And so finally on one fine evening, we did.



The interiors are cute with a doll house type of motif.  The colors used are light and bright.


There is a cake display by the counter. 


Pastries are also sold.



There's a candle light on each heavy cement round table. 

Food

♥ Super Caesar Salad (140 php)

The Super Caesar Salad was very good.  It has everything you are looking for in a good caesar salad.  For the price, it's quite a steal.

Grandma's Corn Chowder (80 php)

The Grandma's Corn Chowder was not very warm when served.  It has bacon bits, potatoes and corn.  It was quite disappointing because it was thick but not as smooth and creamy as I'd hope.  It was also tad to salty for my taste. 

Entrees (served with seasoned garlic rice)

Banapple Beef & Sausage Stew (195 php)

The Banapple Beef & Sausage Stew appeared and tasted like it was pre-heated.  Again, it was not very warm and the thick stew was too salty and peppery for my liking.  On the bright side, the meat cubes and sausage slices were tender.

Pasta

♥ Lasagna Roll-Ups (180 php)

The Lasagna Roll-Ups was delicious!  Aside from being cooked al dente, its zesty, herby and cheesy flavors are festive for the taste buds.

 

Herbed-Chicken Rolls in Basil Cream Sauce (185 php)

The Herbed-Chicken Rolls in Basil Cream Sauce reminded me of the classic Cordon Bleu.  The basil cream sauce was nice.  It complemented the chicken fillet meat, cheese and ham.  But, it failed to deliver a crunchy thick breading.
 

♥ Hickory Smoked Barbecued Country Ribs (185 php)

The Hickory Smoked Barbecued Country Ribs is the best one among our orders.  Not only did it have the right blend, it was also very tender.


Cakes

Classic Pecan Pie (105 php)

The Classic Pecan Pie was too sweet for us.  In fact, we didn't finish it.  It has a heavy gooey syrup-y texture. 

Tsinoy Foodies Verdict
Honestly, I'm not that impressed with Banapple Pies and Cheesecakes to wait in line for it.   I just don't find any of it rave or crave worthy.  I wonder if I ordered the wrong dishes or it's because I'm not fond of heavy and thick sauces that are over-seasoned.  I'll probably only have their meals for price consideration.  The serving portion is huge for the affordable price they are offered.