Balanga Restaurant Tips by cyndymc

Jollibee, Greenwich, Chowking, KFC, McDo: Your Favorite Fastfood

Your familiar fastfood can also be found in Balanga City: KFC, Greenwich, Jollibee, Chowking, McDonalds

Address: Balanga City, Bataan

Directions: Check it out at Central Plaza Mall and nearby streets

Rating: 0

Theme: Fast Food

Dayrit's: Our Original Choice

Dayrit's was our original choice for lunch, but we somehow got "lost" because of a wrong turn and found it only after we have already eaten lunch. We had wanted to try their steak or crispy pata...I guess, we were spared a heavy dose of cholesterol this traveltime:-)

But we made a mental note of the location and promised to be back someday.

Though we didn't eat there, I'm sharing this tip for other travelers who might be craving for the usual Dayrit's taste of local dishes.

Address: Capitol Drive, Balanga City, Bataan

Directions: From Roman hi-way, turn at the Petron Gas Station. Drive past Capitol Bldg. towards Capitol Drive. It will be on your left side. From Balanga Church, drive towards Capitol Drive;it will be on your right side before Capitol Bldg.

Rating: 0

Theme: Local

Red Ribbon: Free Cakes With Meals!

After our walkout at Max's Restaurant, we crossed the street and went to Central Plaza Mall. There were many choices to go to for our late lunch, but we opted to go to Red Ribbon to have light meal with heavy dessert.

Red Ribbon used to sell only cakes and pastries. Then, it diversified and offered meals; they offered free slice of cake for every meal ordered. There is a wide selection of meals, from local foods, grilled meat to pastas.

Red Ribbon branches all around the country are small but cozy, looking and smelling clean. Their cakes are displayed on refrigerated showcases; pastries are displayed on their ordering and cashier's counter.

Favorite Dish: My favorite is Lasagna with garlic bread, with free slice of chocolate mousse. Hubby's favorite is grilled pork with garlic rice and veggies, with free slice of sugarfree Belgian chocolate cake. My daughter loves the spaghetti with chicken lollipop, with free mocha roll. All our mealls had free cola or juice.

Address: Central Plaza Mall, Balanga City, Bataan

Comparison: about average

Directions: Ground floor, left side of entrance of Central Plaza Mall

Price: less than US$10

Rating: 4

Theme: Eclectic/International

Max's Restaurant: The House That Fried Chicken Built

We intended to have lunch at Max's Restaurant to try their new dish, Chicken BBQ. Max's has been known throughout the country for their famous crispy outside, tender inside fried chicken. When it introduced other local dishes like lumpiang sariwa, karekare, sinigang, crispy boneless tilapia and bangus, etc., people loved and welcomed the new additions to their menu. We've tried almost all their food offerings so we wanted to taste their much advertised new offering, Chicken BBQ. We wanted to see how it would fare compared to Aristocrat's chicken BBQ.

Alas, after taking our orders and making us wait, we were told that they have run out of stock:-( We were all disappointed and angry because we were already hungry after a roadtrip and looked forward to the chicken BBQ meal after a long wait. How could the kitchen staff not have informed the waiters that there were no more chicken BBQ orders to be served?

We were asked to order something else. We could, but we didn't. We were so flabbergasted with their poor service, we didn't want to patronize their place. We've been loyal patrons of Max's, and we look for a branch wherever we go, but the Balanga Branch near the church is a real damper for tired travelers!

Address: Balanga City, Bataan

Comparison: more expensive than average

Directions: near the church and plaza

Rating: 0

Theme: Local