# In-N-Out burgers and other Los Angeles cravings...



## dezzirae (Jul 28, 2012)

What do you guys crave the most that you can only get Stateside? 

I could really go for an In-N-Out combo #2, animal style, with fries well-done and a bottomless Dr. Pepper right now. 

I'm all about the bounty of fresh fruits, veggies and seafood, but being an Angeleno, and a foodie at that, I'm finding out that there are certain things that my taste buds are absolutely missing from home: 

1) In-N-Out burgers
2) REAL Mexican food - like the ones that you can get at holes-in-the-wall where the menu is all in Spanish and nobody speaks a word of English
3) food trucks - The Flying Pig, Korean Taco Truck, Ragin' Cajun, Nom Nom...
4) brisket and ribs, smoked for a solid 18-24 hours, with a bark that tells a tale of mesquite and spices getting all happy in a gigantic smoker
5) the giant slabs of rib-eye that you can buy at Costco or Smart & Final for ridiculously cheap prices 
6) pizza that isn't the size of a kid's meal serving at Chuckee Cheese 
7) fresh milk - not the kind that shows up in tetra-bricks at the grocery store


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## Asian Spirit (Mar 1, 2010)

dezzirae said:


> What do you guys crave the most that you can only get Stateside?
> 
> I could really go for an In-N-Out combo #2, animal style, with fries well-done and a bottomless Dr. Pepper right now.
> 
> ...


Hi Dezzirae, Sorry-I still owe you a PM. Has been a busy weekend and getting a group of kids ready for a "Primary" trip next weekend and the Young Womens group ready for a three day trip coming up soon.

In-N-Out Burger----now I do remember that! Hey we have a few Burger King places here though. One is at Marquee Mall in Angeles and would assume there must be one down your way some place.












Ya know what I miss is the Tiny Naylor's coffee shop that use to be at Sherman Way and Sepulvida
or the Bagel Nosh on Ventura Blvd in Studio City!
Don't worry, you're only going through goodie withdrawal now. It gets easier in time-Hahahaha!!!


If you happen to run into an Australian food store/meat market there, give it a try. The Aussie's have great beef etc imported here..


Gene


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## raconnor (Oct 30, 2012)

I'm from the south (Arkansas) and after being here for about 15 months this go-around, I think I'm going to make a trip back home just so I can have a nice rack of slow-smoked ribs....


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## Asian Spirit (Mar 1, 2010)

raconnor said:


> I'm from the south (Arkansas) and after being here for about 15 months this go-around, I think I'm going to make a trip back home just so I can have a nice rack of slow-smoked ribs....


Have you tried any of the TGIFridays restaurants here in the islands? Their rack of ribs are not bad at all and about P1,000..


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## BillyV (Mar 25, 2009)

After moving to Cebu City, I started checking out what I can have or get that is truly American. We don't have Burger King or Wendy's like in Metro Manila but I'll stick with McDonalds. However, my son ate the Hamburger McDo happy meal and he hated it. They got it tasting like Jollibee, I'll stick with Big N Taster, Double Cheese or Quarter Pounder. They I tried the stores. After many stores, I walked around S&R Membership. This Friday is payday and I will join. I saw Johnsonville Brats and Italian Sausage from Wisconsin. My friend pointed out Miller Hot Dogs that are made in America. My son was excited to see Kraft's Mac and Cheese, even for the microwave. I saw Many American cereals and goodies. Then for the east coast ex-pats from New York to St. Louis, there were frozen White Castle Hamburgers. I can't wait for Friday. You don't have to join if you want to walk around and see what they have. Many, Many American foods for sale. They say it's like costco but I been to Costco and Sam's; it's exactly like Sam's Club. I hope this will give you the chance to get some American foods. Also many American items are for sale, but know your prices and good luck.


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## dezzirae (Jul 28, 2012)

Gene- 

Add the breakfast burritos and Angelita's Special (peanut-butter-and-banana- stuffed french toast) from Egg Plantation (on Lyons Avenue, by the railway), Chi-Chi's Pizza and George's Santa Maria bbq (up in Castaic) to the list! 

Thanks for the tip on Aussie imports. I found some lamb shanks yesterday. Halleluia!!!


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## Billfish (Apr 13, 2013)

Ironically I find the Philippines smothered in American influenced cuisine and franchises, it's getting quality cuisines from near neighbours that can be surprisingly challenging. Finding a decent pho, gado gado or mapo tofu is hard work, especially given the Filipino aversion to spices.


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## dezzirae (Jul 28, 2012)

For me though, the American franchises here (KFC, Pizza Hut, McDonald's, etc.) fall flat when it comes to delivering good ol' 'Murcan artery-clogging eats because it's been Filipinized. I guess they have to acquiesce to the Filipino palate in order to compete in this marketplace. 

Having slurped my way through most pho places in Los Angeles, I know I won't find pho like the ones I can find in Little Saigon back home. 

The restaurants in Metro Manila's Binondo and Ongpin areas (which are heavily Chinese) should have pretty authentic Chinese food though. Going into those areas feels like being transported to China. You hear Chinese rather than Tagalog, and pretty much all the signs are in Chinese. 




Billfish said:


> Ironically I find the Philippines smothered in American influenced cuisine and franchises, it's getting quality cuisines from near neighbours that can be surprisingly challenging. Finding a decent pho, gado gado or mapo tofu is hard work, especially given the Filipino aversion to spices.


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## Billfish (Apr 13, 2013)

That's good to know re: the Chinese, I'll check it out as I have a hankering for some Sichuan food. I've found a couple of decent Korean places around Ortigas which is a good thing.


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## M.C.A. (Feb 24, 2013)

Burgers are probably the easiest thing for me to cook on the BBQ with a screen and make sure the hamburger is more on the fatty side and don't add salt or seasonings inside the meat.

Mexican food for some reason is not popular at all in the Philippines and I can't understand that. I used to work at a Mom and Pop Mexican restaurant so I know how to make the taco meat, its' really easy and a few key ingredients a cereal used that make it work, absolutely no packaged flavor mixes other than mild chili powder, it also takes time to make it's not a fast job, they do sell local black beans here and to make refried beans too it requires some tricks but is much easier and faster to make, taco sauce is incredibly easy to make, grocery stores do sell taco shells, local tacos made here have added sugar to them it totally ruins the flavor and taste.


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## BillyV (Mar 25, 2009)

I agree that yes, McDonalds and KFC and others have changed to meet the Filipino taste. When I took Filipinos to work for us in the 90s, they were shocked to find out that McDonalds did not serve chicken and rice and spaghetti. I don't know what the sauce is that the McDs put on the burgers here but I rather have my mustard. Now if I could find a loaf of slice bread that IS NOT sweet; even those that they claim are American style, the bread is sweet.


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## dezzirae (Jul 28, 2012)

When I packed for our trip here, I packed a giant jar of taco seasoning mix from Costco and several shakers of the Sazon brand carne asada seasoning from the local Mexican grocery store because I knew from experience that there wouldn't be any decent Mexican places around. 
An organic meat shop I used to go to in L.A. used to sell ground-up sirloin already mixed in with ground-up bacon. I slid a piece of blue cheese into each patty and made those into the best black n' blue burgers ever. I'm buying a meat-grinder so I can replicate it here in the Philippines. 

Interestingly enough, apparently there was some dude from Washington state (came here on vacation, liked it, stayed, married a local) that set up a burger stand here in Bacolod a few years ago, and within a few months, he had the longest lines of any fastfood chain here. His burgers were apparently amazing, and then there was the novelty of a white dude flipping some patties on the grill. 

We're trying to convince my father-in-law in Texas to retire here and open up a BBQ joint and call it The Big Texan. A towering blue-eyed Texan with a gallon-hat, cowboy boots and a silver-buckle belt turning hunks of brisket in a smoker would definitely draw the locals!




mcalleyboy said:


> Burgers are probably the easiest thing for me to cook on the BBQ with a screen and make sure the hamburger is more on the fatty side and don't add salt or seasonings inside the meat.
> 
> Mexican food for some reason is not popular at all in the Philippines and I can't understand that. I used to work at a Mom and Pop Mexican restaurant so I know how to make the taco meat, its' really easy and a few key ingredients a cereal used that make it work, absolutely no packaged flavor mixes other than mild chili powder, it also takes time to make it's not a fast job, they do sell local black beans here and to make refried beans too it requires some tricks but is much easier and faster to make, taco sauce is incredibly easy to make, grocery stores do sell taco shells, local tacos made here have added sugar to them it totally ruins the flavor and taste.


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## Billfish (Apr 13, 2013)

There is a new German place, Brotzeit, that just opened outside the Shangrila Mall in Ortigas. Good German wheat beers, nice brotwurst & weisswurst (no blutwurst or leberwurst sadly). They even have kaiserspaetzle and its kin! Very enjoyable indeed.


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## M.C.A. (Feb 24, 2013)

dezzirae said:


> When I packed for our trip here, I packed a giant jar of taco seasoning mix from Costco and several shakers of the Sazon brand carne asada seasoning from the local Mexican grocery store because I knew from experience that there wouldn't be any decent Mexican places around.
> An organic meat shop I used to go to in L.A. used to sell ground-up sirloin already mixed in with ground-up bacon. I slid a piece of blue cheese into each patty and made those into the best black n' blue burgers ever. I'm buying a meat-grinder so I can replicate it here in the Philippines.
> 
> Interestingly enough, apparently there was some dude from Washington state (came here on vacation, liked it, stayed, married a local) that set up a burger stand here in Bacolod a few years ago, and within a few months, he had the longest lines of any fastfood chain here. His burgers were apparently amazing, and then there was the novelty of a white dude flipping some patties on the grill.
> ...


The hamburger stand run by the American man is it a mini stand or larger business? the mini burgers here in town are all made with pork products and way too much garlic, Uhg! Just curious because I might try that, I know I can make some good taco's and do it in such a way that's it's more local and affordable the people I live next to are very poor and wouldnt' pay more than 10 peso's for a burger or taco of any kind so hard to make a profit but still it can be done.


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## dezzirae (Jul 28, 2012)

He just had a mini-stand at a street corner. He called it Tiyo Syd's (Uncle Syd's in Ilonggo), and it was all-beef burgers. He sold sliders (for Filipino appetites) for P10 and had a monster burger (for expats, I guess) for P200. 

One thing about Bacolod though, is that Bacolenos in general, like to eat out more than most Filipinos, so he made a killing here. 




mcalleyboy said:


> The hamburger stand run by the American man is it a mini stand or larger business? the mini burgers here in town are all made with pork products and way too much garlic, Uhg! Just curious because I might try that, I know I can make some good taco's and do it in such a way that's it's more local and affordable the people I live next to are very poor and wouldnt' pay more than 10 peso's for a burger or taco of any kind so hard to make a profit but still it can be done.


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## dezzirae (Jul 28, 2012)

BTW, speaking of burgers, an Army Navy just opened here in Bacolod. 

The bully boy burger, with three patties, for P255, is the closest to an American burger that we've seen here.


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## M.C.A. (Feb 24, 2013)

dezzirae said:


> He just had a mini-stand at a street corner. He called it Tiyo Syd's (Uncle Syd's in Ilonggo), and it was all-beef burgers. He sold sliders (for Filipino appetites) for P10 and had a monster burger (for expats, I guess) for P200.
> 
> One thing about Bacolod though, is that Bacolenos in general, like to eat out more than most Filipinos, so he made a killing here.


My business problem is that I live in an area where nothing but ducks are raised the workers and the majority of residents are implants including my wifes family from the Bicol region, those that have business don't seem to be from that region though. The town is very stinky and dirty, those with money travel elsewhere to get out of the Municipality or in the market area where it's just a little lively at night. 

I can't even sell air, I bought a large air compressor and now it's a "White Elephant" in the garage, we have a pool table next to the road and sometimes that works as a money maker but right now I don't open it much because of lack of players, so this is the main reason I am going to look into working online.


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## Asian Spirit (Mar 1, 2010)

dezzirae said:


> BTW, speaking of burgers, an Army Navy just opened here in Bacolod.
> 
> The bully boy burger, with three patties, for P255, is the closest to an American burger that we've seen here.


You sure know how to make us all hungry. Terrible thing! Hahaha...


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## dezzirae (Jul 28, 2012)

Yikes! Nothing but ducks and a dirty, stinky town with no social activities. You make me even more thankful I live in Bacolod. I've been all over the Philippines and nothing quite has the mix of metropolitan/urban amenities (art galleries, orchestral concerts, capoeira workouts at the mall, ballet master classes, a culinary arts institute, etc.) coupled with the languid lifestyle that Bacolod does. 

What about a Hawaiian shave ice stand? I would think that that would be cheaper than selling even halo-halo, since instead of all the items that go on top of the ice, you just have to drizzle flavored syrup. 

And Lord knows anything that can help stave off the mind-melting tropical heat is always a welcome treat.



mcalleyboy said:


> My business problem is that I live in an area where nothing but ducks are raised the workers and the majority of residents are implants including my wifes family from the Bicol region, those that have business don't seem to be from that region though. The town is very stinky and dirty, those with money travel elsewhere to get out of the Municipality or in the market area where it's just a little lively at night.
> 
> I can't even sell air, I bought a large air compressor and now it's a "White Elephant" in the garage, we have a pool table next to the road and sometimes that works as a money maker but right now I don't open it much because of lack of players, so this is the main reason I am going to look into working online.


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## M1N 2L3 (Aug 16, 2012)

I dont know about the Bacolod area, but can recommend the following the next time you are in Makati city (metro Manila). 

1) Burgers -the best we have tried is Burger Bar at Greenbelt 2. 
2) Mexican food - we like Chihuahua also at Greenbelt 2. It is more of TexMex but closer to mexican compared to other restaurants. They have carnitas and guacamole at least.
3) food trucks - Not sure on this one
4) brisket and ribs - Racks has American style baby back ribs, though not smoked but probably just added with liquid smoke for flavour. I find the ribs in Manila lacking with meat.
5) the giant slabs of rib-eye - not cheap! But you can get them at a Santi's deli
6) pizza - Yellow cab pizza is fair enough. There is a Papa John's pizza place that I thought was the same as LA, but I guess ingredients are harder to come by because their pepperoni tasted strange.
7) milk -this one was a little tricky to find, but major supermarkets carry refrigerated fresh milk from California, but they are about $5 for a 2 L carton! S and R supermarkets have it too and are a little cheaper, they have the same format as Costco because Costco had a partnership with them when they were just starting.

Hope that helps! Maybe you can recommend some good eating places in Bacolod, we plan to be there in October. Thanks!


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## dezzirae (Jul 28, 2012)

Wow! This is a great list- and I had forgotten about Santi's. I used to go there when I lived in Makati. 



M1N 2L3 said:


> I dont know about the Bacolod area, but can recommend the following the next time you are in Makati city (metro Manila).
> 
> 1) Burgers -the best we have tried is Burger Bar at Greenbelt 2.
> 2) Mexican food - we like Chihuahua also at Greenbelt 2. It is more of TexMex but closer to mexican compared to other restaurants. They have carnitas and guacamole at least.
> ...


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## cvgtpc1 (Jul 28, 2012)

In the 80s in AC we used to get liter glass bottles of Magnolia fresh milk, ice cold and tasted just like state-side, so good you could drink it by the liter lol. Is that available anymore?


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## jon1 (Mar 18, 2012)

cvgtpc1, I haven't seen that since I have been here (in SNR or other groceries)...

Here in Subic it's hard to find a good supplier of cold cuts like Santi's. There is an awesome sub shop in Ortigas called Earles. Great variety and cheap. It is across and down the street from the Texas Roadhouse grill.

In Subic we have a decent variety of places to eat;

Army Navy (for burritos and burgers)
BK (can't replace a whopper every now and then)
Texas Joe's (great ribs and steaks)
Yellow Cab Pizza
TGIF

I also love to eat at the Blue Rock in Baloy. Great food (grilled, fish, etc) and service along with the fact that it is an open air restaurant directly on the beach.


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## M.C.A. (Feb 24, 2013)

cvgtpc1 said:


> In the 80s in AC we used to get liter glass bottles of Magnolia fresh milk, ice cold and tasted just like state-side, so good you could drink it by the liter lol. Is that available anymore?


I was TAD to the USNS Chauvenet, home port Subic Bay and lived up where the swimming pool was and there was a little store there that had fresh bottles of Magnolia milk and the top was big, after spending months on a ship and drinking soy milk it was like heaven, I was drinking in back of the store and noticed some movement and up in the tree's were huge monkeys looking right at me, no more than 50 yds. 

I don't haven't seen these bottles or huge monkeys since, been to many grocery stores, wonder if 7/11 sells these.


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## dezzirae (Jul 28, 2012)

M1N 2L3, 

No better time than October to come to Bacolod because that's when we celebrate the MassKara Festival. There's nothing like the entire 18 blocks of Lacson Street being transformed into one giant street party. 










Do make your reservations in advance though, because once Masskara Festival time hits, all the hotel rooms are booked. 

When you come to Bacolod, you can actually take a culinary tour (since Bacolod is known for its food, after all) but if you're pressed for time, the must-go-to's are: 

*Bob's Cafe *
You must order their fruit punch! Try their take on baby backribs, sate babi, sizzling milkfish, pork belly bbq. Great gelatos. Nice selection of European sausages at their deli. Deelish brick-oven pizzas. They also have an amazing array of cakes and pies. 









*21 Restaurant*
The crispy crablets are insanely good! The batchoy soup is the best in town. Good prime rib as well. 


*Calea's*
I've had some amazing desserts here and abroad and Calea's can compete on an international level. 









*Aboy's*
The best native food restaurant in town. 


*Manokan Country*
There are nicer, more upscale places to enjoy the famous Bacolod Chicken Inasal but as far as I'm concerned, no-frills Manokan Country, which started it all, still is the best place to go for cheap, delicious chicken inasal. Of all the stalls at Manokan Country, my friends and I like Aida's the best. 









*18th Street Pala-Pala*
The catch of the day comes in a few hours before it lands on your plate, and you can taste the freshness! 


While you're in Bacolod, pick up some Virgie's butterscotch, caramel tarts, piaya and barquillos to snack on as you explore the city and its environs!






M1N 2L3 said:


> I dont know about the Bacolod area, but can recommend the following the next time you are in Makati city (metro Manila).
> 
> Hope that helps! Maybe you can recommend some good eating places in Bacolod, we plan to be there in October. Thanks!


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## M.C.A. (Feb 24, 2013)

Calea's looks good, I'm going to do a search and try to see if they have a franchise anywhere near me, all we have is Goldylock's and I won't waste money on dry light cake with light frosting, man I want a heavy cake and heavy, rich frosting, same with my breads.


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## Billfish (Apr 13, 2013)

jon1 said:


> There is an awesome sub shop in Ortigas called Earles. Great variety and cheap. It is across and down the street from the Texas Roadhouse grill.


Earle's is fantastic indeed and I grab lunch there once or twice a week. The Texas Roadhouse has closed as has, sadly, one of Manila's funkier establishments, Fat Michael's Gastro Pub. 

The Japanese place called Nagomi in El Pueblo around the corner serves some of the best izakaya I've come across in this country. It helps that it is not a chain.


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## M1N 2L3 (Aug 16, 2012)

Great suggestions for my Bacolod trip!


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## jon1 (Mar 18, 2012)

dezzirae said:


> *Manokan Country*
> There are nicer, more upscale places to enjoy the famous Bacolod Chicken Inasal but as far as I'm concerned, no-frills Manokan Country, which started it all, still is the best place to go for cheap, delicious chicken inasal. Of all the stalls at Manokan Country, my friends and I like Aida's the best.


The Bacolod Chicken is very masarap!! Everytime that we drive thru there we stop at a place just south of the city on the way to Dumaguete and it's always awesome. I can't remember the name but will jot it down when we drive thru this month.


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## raconnor (Oct 30, 2012)

We went to the new mall in Global City today, SM Aura Premier (just opened this Friday, I do believe), and decided to check out the grocery section to see if they had anything that other SM supermarkets don't have. Most of the things seemed the same but there were a few imports that I spotted (Cherry Coke in a can being one of them) .. I did notice something that reminded me of this thread, though. 

I was looking through the yogurt to try and find plain ole yogurt (no sugar/flavorings) and I saw that there were cartons of fresh milk NOT tetrapaks that I'm used to seeing--little half gallon cartons that looked like the fresh milk I'm used to in the States. 

I was pretty excited and told my wife "the expat forum guys might like to know this".. and I checked the carton to see where it came from (since it was fresh, I assumed somewhere in the Philippiens) and this is what the ingredients were: 

"Water, Dried Milk Powder, Dried Milk Fat Powder, Preservatives"

It wasn't fresh milk at all.. just powdered milk that was rehydrated, chilled, and made to look like fresh milk .. and at P150+ per liter (compared to the tetra packs at P70 per liter), I know they were trying to trick the expats into buying it by passing it off as fresh milk. 

Just thought I'd give a heads up to check the ingredients next time you find something that isn't normally in the stores...not everything is as it seems in the Philippines, even the groceries.


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## Billfish (Apr 13, 2013)

raconnor said:


> Just thought I'd give a heads up to check the ingredients next time you find something that isn't normally in the stores...not everything is as it seems in the Philippines, even the groceries.


Cheers for the heads-up, mate. I bought some fresh milk on the weekend at SM Hypermarket on C5. I'll check the labelling after work and see what it has to say.


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## Billfish (Apr 13, 2013)

Ok, can confirm that there is plenty of fresh milk at the SM Hypermarket on C5, and hence I assume at many other locations. It is from dairies around Mt Makiling in Laguna province, so just down the road basically.


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## raconnor (Oct 30, 2012)

Billfish said:


> Ok, can confirm that there is plenty of fresh milk at the SM Hypermarket on C5, and hence I assume at many other locations. It is from dairies around Mt Makiling in Laguna province, so just down the road basically.


What brand name is the real fresh milk you got a hold of? I'd like to pick some up.


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## Billfish (Apr 13, 2013)

raconnor said:


> What brand name is the real fresh milk you got a hold of? I'd like to pick some up.


Pure & Fresh, comes in a predominantly green carton


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## DonAndAbby (Jan 7, 2013)

Billfish said:


> Pure & Fresh, comes in a predominantly green carton


I think SM Calamba has that brand and maybe one other, of real dairy fresh milk. There must be some dairies in that area of Laguna.

What makes me laugh is when we go to buy the preserved milk that will probably last 100 years, right on the front in big letters it says FRESH MILK! :confused2: That is what Abby calls it too.

I guess compared to milk powder, it is very fresh!


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## mrtibbs (Jan 2, 2012)

Visited 2 times since 2010, and being from Wisconsin (America's Dairyland)in the States, real fresh milk was sadly missed by me. I grew up on fresh milk and continue to this day at 58 yrs of age to drink milk daily. I plan retiring there perhaps within the next couple years. I stayed on Luzon, Bulacan Province, Malolos City. Both visits I could only find shelf-stable carton milk, and it sadly imitates real fresh milk.


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## M.C.A. (Feb 24, 2013)

And if you like sour cream and cottage cheese it will be an even larger sacrifice because they are runny and taste sweet, almost no flavor at all. The only real cheese is pricey and comes in small packages and shredded cheese seems to come in mozzarella only now, shredded Colby and cheddar used to be sold but I haven't seen it in years, it does come in the smaller square packages. Kraft macaroni and cheese small box will set you back about $3 each. 

I make burritos and tacos regular so I end up using the block processed cheese brand here named Quezo. You can buy black beans here at the Pure gold grocery stores, I bought a bucket full yesterday because Puregold grocery is an hour drive one way from my remote spot.


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## stolpioni (Jan 25, 2014)

Johnny Rocket burgers, Double Cheese (2000kcal) with a strawberry milkshake (1500kcal)...

EDIT: Just saw that Manila has 3 Johnny Rockets locations...anyone tried them? Does it taste like in CA?


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## cvgtpc1 (Jul 28, 2012)

Weird thing about me is I go to a mall 2-3 times a year in the US but turn into a mallrat in the PI lol


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## Asian Spirit (Mar 1, 2010)

cvgtpc1 said:


> Weird thing about me is I go to a mall 2-3 times a year in the US but turn into a mallrat in the PI lol


Same thing for me as well. I think it's an "emotional" taste of home where sanity "appears" to be in play. I enjoy plying like we are on "Gilligan's Island" as well as the next guy. But from time to time it's just plain comforting to escape the c**p and see what appears as "normal" human behavior. I'm quite sure we are not alone in the need for these temporary escapes.
What I enjoy most though is going to the local malls when my wife and kids go also. For me, that is fun. Some of the malls have pretty good entertainment from time to time too.
Has anyone tried the Dari-Queen (DQ) at SM Clark? Now that really is a taste of home!


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## lefties43332 (Oct 21, 2012)

Jet Lag said:


> Same thing for me as well. I think it's an "emotional" taste of home where sanity "appears" to be in play. I enjoy plying like we are on "Gilligan's Island" as well as the next guy. But from time to time it's just plain comforting to escape the c**p and see what appears as "normal" human behavior. I'm quite sure we are not alone in the need for these temporary escapes.
> What I enjoy most though is going to the local malls when my wife and kids go also. For me, that is fun. Some of the malls have pretty good entertainment from time to time too.
> Has anyone tried the Dari-Queen (DQ) at SM Clark? Now that really is a taste of home!


OMG a dairy queen really? Is it the same food?many of the foods from states aren't.


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## Asian Spirit (Mar 1, 2010)

lefties43332 said:


> OMG a dairy queen really? Is it the same food?many of the foods from states aren't.


It's just a small stand in the center of the mall. For now, All they serve are the different ice creams. But yes, it is exactly the same as at home. Delicious without any doubt. Caution though---you'll gain 10 pounds just looking at the stuff!!


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## cvgtpc1 (Jul 28, 2012)

Jet Lag said:


> It's just a small stand in the center of the mall. For now, All they serve are the different ice creams. But yes, it is exactly the same as at home. Delicious without any doubt. Caution though---you'll gain 10 pounds just looking at the stuff!!


I was making that an almost daily event one trip, and had to knock that off! Lol


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## Asian Spirit (Mar 1, 2010)

*DQ*



Jet Lag said:


> It's just a small stand in the center of the mall. For now, All they serve are the different ice creams. But yes, it is exactly the same as at home. Delicious without any doubt. Caution though---you'll gain 10 pounds just looking at the stuff!!





cvgtpc1 said:


> I was making that an almost daily event one trip, and had to knock that off! Lol


Yea, it not only gets expensive (US prices there), but it will put on the weight. We were there last Saturday and seems to be a favorite place of the expats and other visitors to the country. Just wish they would eventually expand and offer the full menu as it is at home.
Call me crazy but I still like Jollibee and even Chow King!


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## lefties43332 (Oct 21, 2012)

Me too jietlag....I. eat filipino mostly.


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## Asian Spirit (Mar 1, 2010)

lefties43332 said:


> Me too jietlag....I. eat filipino mostly.


Oh for sure.. The Philippines has a lot of great foods and many of them we enjoy at home each day. I do cut down on the rice though as to me it's like eating sticky, tasteless glue. Luckily my wife and kids are great cooks and able to make lots of the local food as well as Western dishes. My one child, a 10 year old daughter makes a killer spaghetti sauce. Then I end up eating too much; but what the heck---we only live once-Hahaha...


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## lefties43332 (Oct 21, 2012)

Jet Lag said:


> Oh for sure.. The Philippines has a lot of great foods and many of them we enjoy at home each day. I do cut down on the rice though as to me it's like eating sticky, tasteless glue. Luckily my wife and kids are great cooks and able to make lots of the local food as well as Western dishes. My one child, a 10 year old daughter makes a killer spaghetti sauce. Then I end up eating too much; but what the heck---we only live once-Hahaha...


Rice I agree.....I say its like eating paper.....no taste. I usually cover it with mushroom gravyn..gulay or such to add flavorn. I even do it like grits for breakfast ;add milk and sugar and its masarap!


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