St. Nicholas Catering and Restaurant

St. Nicholas Catering and Restaurant is located at the corner of San Rafael and Fatima St in Brgy Plainview, Mandaluyong. It's a little difficult to find but an easy landmark would be a lifesize statue of Jesus at the corner and St. Nicholas is right behind him.

They currently have a promo on shrimp which is at 50% off on Tue, Wed and Thu. So it made sense to try it. I ordered the buttered garlic shrimp originally priced at P199; and it was heaven. I guess you can't go wrong with shrimp, butter and garlic. However, it was a little overcooked which made it fairly difficult to peel. 

Service was prompt for the most part except for one time when I asked for extra rice and it took longer than it should.

The ambiance was too busy for my taste and I feel like they would benefit a lot if they hired an interior decorator. But in the end, I enjoyed my meal and that counts for a lot. 

Final Rating: 4 out of 5

Sen Lek Thai Noodle

There hasn't been that many places where good, reasonably priced Thai food is offered. There's S.R. Thai near UST then there was a small Thai karinderya at the back of UP in the 90's and that's about it. But a food stall at the parking level of Robinson's Pioneer is surprisingly able to provide a quick Thai fix for anyone craving for some Pad Thai. 

Their Pad Thai (pictured below) is what I would imagine Pad Thai would taste like in Thailand. It was flavorful and was definitely worth the P99 it was priced at. 

The only thing lacking from them would be a few more menu items. But apart from that, I'd recommend trying Sen Lek. 

Final Rating: 4 out of 5

Empanada Avenue

At the corner of Maysilo and Martinez Avenue is a modest little take-out store that has been there for a long time. Empanada Avenue's product line is pretty self explanatory, they sell only empanadas. And they're delicious. 

Their empanadas come in various flavors, chicken, tuna, burger, chili beef, etc. and they are all P16. To top it all, their sales people are engaging and friendly. 

I'd recommend Empanada Avenue to anyone who's looking for a quick and filling snack. 

Final Rating: 5 out of 5