A Gem of a Food Place at the Fort
The food place called EAT168 is an oasis for those tired of the expensive and pricey eating places that have sprung around the Global City. Conveniently located beside a nursing school and a call center, EAT168 caters to those who are looking for good meals at affordable prices, which are mostly employees on a budget and students. But then, aren’t we all on a budget?
Though there are other food places, such as the usual fast food fare, there will be times when we all crave for home-cooked meals without the usual MSG. So you can imagine my surprise when I took my first bite!
Noreen and I wanted to eat after a day’s work so we decided to go to the Fort before going home to avoid having to do the dishes. I partially saw the sign the read “…168″ so we decided to check it out, thinking that it was probably a Chinese food place. Once inside, we immediately examined the food items on display. The cheerful lady behind the counter mentioned that they were serving their merienda special which was only P55.00 consisting of a noodle dish (you could choose from pancit canton, lomi or beef brisket with wanton) and a dimsum side dish (choices include 3 pieces lumpiang shanghai, siopao or 3 pieces siomai) plus a tall glass of iced tea. The choice was then obvious, we asked for the pancit canton with siopao and the lomi with siopao for me. Both came with iced tea. I wasn’t expecting a large portion because of the price. I was hoping against hope that the food wouldn’t be so salty, not because of my uric acid problem, but because Noreen tended to complain to the high heavens when confronted with very salty food. I would never hear the end of it if it turned out to be bad food.
Food was served 20 minutes after being paid, a little too long even for some classier full service restaurants. But the staff made sure that the delay was only because their kitchen staff were working with raw ingredients. After tasting the food, I’d say the wait was worth it.
The pancit canton was not salty and oily, like in most Chinese food places, but was served freshly cooked with crunchy vegetables and stir-fried pork bits that didn’t taste like yesterday’s pork chop. Similarly, the lomi was flavorful and served piping hot in a large bowl. The portions were larger than most food combos as the noodle dishes looked like full orders and the siopao was as big a regular hamburger bun, not the Hongkong style siopao usually served as two small buns. The filling was not too sweet or salty, just right with ample parts asado pork that filled out evenly inside the bun. I wondered how they make any profit from the merienda promo. Christy, the manager, apologized for the long waiting time. She went on to say that the merienda promo will be offered for a limited time, up to when she didn’t know.
Interior decor is very spartan as the place caters mainly to the lunch crowd. In the evenings, EAT168 becomes a watering hole where you can sit with friends and order great tasting pulutan with your favorite beer. Another good thing about it is that the place is right beside the Global City bus station. It’s for those with and without their own transportation. I’m not a drinking person, but for those who are, I’d say EAT168 is also good for those who are looking for a nice place to share a beer with friends without the loud videoke machines.
Try going there for merienda. It could the best meal you’ll ever have for P55.00.
