Good Service at the LBC Branch Across Lucky Chinatown Mall

I was at the Reina Regente LBC branch (the one facing Lucky Chinatown Mall) last Friday, around 5pm. Compared to the other 12 or so branches I've been to, this one is a lot smaller. There was only one guy manning the place during my visit.

Highly Disappointing Ramen at Tokyo Ramen King

We were at Lucky Chinatown Mall last night, checking out the weekend street food market. Bf the ramen lover was tempted to try the piping hot ramen being sold by Tokyo Ramen King. After placing his order, we had to wait a long while. I urged bf to go back to the stall just to check if Tokyo Ramen King forgot about our order. They didn't. I'm not really sure why it took so long, because the staff did not look busy preparing other orders. The waiting time was even longer than in restaurants, but we were eating food from other stalls so we did not feel impatient.

When the ramen finally arrived, bf stood up to buy from another vendor. I sipped the ramen's broth while he was gone. I thought the soup tasted horrible but I did not want to influence bf's satisfaction so I did not say anything. When he was halfway through the ramen, I asked him what he thought of it. He told me that he did not like it -- he was just eating it because it was hot and because he paid P150 for it.

Weekend Asian Street Food Market at Lucky Chinatown Mall

We were at Lucky Chinatown Mall last Saturday as well as three weeks before that. The mall had a Weekend Asian Street Food Market in the Lucky Chinatown Walk during the weekends of August and this fun little event has been extended until the end of September.

Last Saturday, we noticed that the layout of the food stalls was changed. In our first visit, the middle part was clear and the stalls were in the perimeter of the area and they had their individual tents. In our second visit, the stalls were situated in the center of Lucky Chinatown Walk and the whole area was covered by huge tents. The first setup had a more open air feel but the second one was more convenient and made the food stalls more prominent. The big tents also provided security in case of sudden rain.

Layout in August 10:

Dunkin' Donuts Lucky Chinatown Mall

There are now many donut shops here in the Philippines, but as a child of the 80s, when donuts are concerned, Dunkin' Donuts has a special place in my heart. When I imagine donuts (and yes, I daydream about food -- a lot), it's the distinct flavor and aroma of classic Dunkin' Donuts flavors that come to mind.

Nowadays, I notice that many DD branches and outlets look outdated compared to their newer competitors. A shame, really, so I was glad to know that the branch in Lucky Chinatown Mall looks modern and hip. The place is well lit and has a relaxing, positive vibe typical in modern coffee shops.

We ordered the Blueberry Cheese donut (P35), Choco Mint muffin (P45), yummy loaf (P40), and hot chocolate (P40). We actually wanted coffee but DD ran out of coffee that afternoon. That was a surprise since according to some things I had read online, DD is increasing their efforts lately to make their coffee drinks more popular.

Anyway, the yummy loaf was good but I can't really say more about it because it was not mine and I only got a teeny tiny bite of it. The blueberry cheese donut is a premium donut but it did not appeal to me much because I found it too sweet. It might have been better paired with brewed coffee; with hot choco, the sweetness was a little overwhelming for me. I prefer the classic donuts.

I don't eat a lot of muffins since some of them are dry and too crumbly and I end up with crumbs all over, but the choco mint muffin was seductively calling my name while I was browsing the neighboring donuts. I was happy that I got the muffin. It was moist and its sweetness was just right. There was also a good balance of the chocolatey taste and the mintiness.

Dunkin' Donuts

Unit FS 504 Lucky Chinatown Mall
Reina Regente St. cor. Dela Reina St.
Binondo, Manila
Metro Manila, Philippines
Web site
Facebook page

Kusina ng Gerry's: Faster, More Affordable Version of Gerry's Grill (Lucky Chinatown Mall)

We like Gerry's Grill. Whenever I crave sisig, we usually troop to Gerry's. However, since Gerry's items are good for sharing and bf and I usually go out just by ourselves but want different dishes, we tend to order too much food for two people, which leads to overeating and overspending.

So it was a delight when we tried out Kusina ng Gerry's at Lucky Chinatown Mall.

Kusina ng Gerry's is a smaller, more casual version of Gerry's Grill, a bit like a fast food restaurant. Customers place their orders at the counter then the food is served at the tables.

50% off Ramen at Rai Rai Ken - Lucky Chinatown Mall

We were at Lucky Chinatown Mall two weeks ago when my ramen-loving bf saw an advertisement about half-priced ramen at the mall's Rai Rai Ken. It was just 5pm -- too early for dinner -- but bf was determined to grab a bowl.

The restaurant was pretty inviting with its bright and colorful interior. Everything looked clean and orderly.

Cherry Mobile Q9TV TV phone

When it comes to anything except food gadgets, I'm a cheapskate. I'm not easily tempted by popular new models that people go ga-ga about. I tend to upgrade stuff only after years of heavy use, usually as the gadget takes its last breath.

My much-loved four year old Nokia E63 phone suddenly conked out last month. It had served me well but seemed beyond repair. I decided to finally upgrade to a smartphone. I got curious about Cherry Mobile's new smartphone Omega HD since it was cheap but it was hard to find so I decided to get a temporary phone while we continued looking for the Omega HD and researching other budget-friendly but possibly more expensive brands and models.

Once you go QWERTY, you never go back. That was my motto, so of course I chose a qwerty phone, even though I would only be using it for a week or so. I got the Cherry Mobile Q9TV phone because it had a qwerty keyboard and a TV functionality -- for just P999.

Phone Specifications:

• dual-SIM
• 2.2" TFT LCD
• Mobile TV
• VGA camera
• multimedia player
• FM radio
• flashlight
• Facebook mobile
• Bluetooth 3.0
• microSD memory up to 8GB (memory card sold separately)
• USB port
• Proprietary Single Core CPU

Wanchai at Lucky Chinatown Mall

We dropped by Wanchai for a light late-afternoon snack. Wanchai is a small Chinese restaurant in the Food Junction (small food court) of Lucky Chinatown Mall. I haven't been to their other branches but as far as I know, their other branches are full-sized restaurants while the one in Lucky Chinatown is more of a food stall with a limited menu.

This "express edition" foodie place serves dimsum (P60-85), congee (P110-P120), noodles (P120-P135), rice meals (P120), and rice bowls (P55).

We ordered their Asado Congee, Hakaw, and Shrimp Siomai.