Hello Kreativ People of the World!
This will be one of my firsts in hive blog talking about a food and a restaurant. I am not a food critic — and probably won’t really dwell on that side. How good a food is really subjective. I can’t deny the fact that something delicious for me is not the same for other people; something so-so, might be very good for them.
Anyways, my taste buds, my say — hahahaha! Apologies for the disclaimer. 😅
To Cubao we go!
It was a fine sunny Saturday. If you’re working 9-10 hours per day on weekdays, do you always get the feeling of being exhausted and just imagining someone will just cook for you and serve you a delicious meal? Yeahp, that's me right there!
The usual dilemma that we encounter before going to a meal is — Saan tayo kakain? (Where shall we eat?) It always seems like a million-dollar question for us. That's why, reading food blogs and critics is a good thing for you to have a supply of restaurant ideas.
To cut the argument short, we decided to ear at Habanero Kitchen. It is located within the Araneta City area and it's not visible along the highway — thus, making me more curious, on top of the reason why people flocked to this restaurant.
It's a 20-to-30-minute drive from Eastwood City. Since it's a Saturday, less traffic. We left around 12:55 PM already and arrived at 1:17 PM.
Ey, Habanero!
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| Drive from Eastwood to Habanero Kitchen.Bar in Araneta, Cubao |
Cubao Expo. This is where the restaurant is located. We entered through a small entrance, fit for only 1 vehicle. The guard stopped us from entering and asked us to log our name for the parking payment later.
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| We passed by Ali Mall on our way. | Entrance gate of Cubao Expo where Habanero is. |
Being a first-time visitor, I was shocked that there were other restaurants and cafes inside the expo. Way back 2018, I used to pass by the entrance of the expo on my way to work. It's kinda late bloomer feels.
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And now, we are here! HABANERO KITCHEN.BAR
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As we approached the restaurant, there were already a lot of people queuing, waiting for their turn to be seated. So, we have our names listed first — and to our surprise, we are at number 16! That is how blockbuster this restaurant is.
The restaurant itself is not that big. There were al fresco setups. I think, it's perfect to have this kind of setup since it's located within a safe area.
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They have a bar area where liquors and payments are prepared and made.
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Looking at the menu, the price is at par with the rest of the restos I've been to — within that same range. They have a lot to offer.
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Before coming to the place, we already know the food that we'll order — bestsellers as they say.
- Habanero Three-Cheese Pizza
- Tortang Talong
- Oyster Sisig
- Creamy Mushroom Truffle Pasta. I ordered this one because I am benchmarking all the truffle pastas I ordered from different restaurants. So far, nothing beats The Frazzled Cook’s (located within Tomas Morato Area in Quezon City) truffle pasta. It's perfect for me. Something that you want to eat over and over again.
De Waiting Game
That's number 16 in the list. We commenced our waiting game at 1:20 PM. People are starting to arrive, in big groups. Habanero is something.
It seems to have a gayuma (charm) that lures people wanting to have a taste of its offerings just to satisfy the hungry souls.
30 minutes have passed — and still in the queue. We're at number 11 already. Yey! Achievement. Good thing that I brought my iPad and decided to use my time effectively. I continued writing my Quezon Back (Part 2) blog. I just need to finalize a little bit of the write up and layout the photos.
You may check it out, leave some comments and let's talk. I really appreciate it.
At exactly 2:51 PM, we were seated and ordered the foods mentioned above immediately.
Important Tip: If you want Tortang Talong, make sure to order it in advanced. It'll take 30-40 minutes before it'll be served.
All foods except tortang talong are served within the 10-20 minute time frame.
- Habanero Three-Cheese Pizza
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This is HEAVEN. Sobrang Sarap! (Super delicious). It was served in a wooden platter, square cut, thin crust (the feel is like of a croissant), cheese melt and a cube cheese on top. I really love it. It feels like the cheese wraps me around and I am inside it, savoring the taste. Serving size is good enough for 3-4 people.
- Oyster Sisig
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Sisig is always an must-order every time we go to a restaurant. I could compare their Sisig Oyster to that of Locavore’s. It is delicious and sumptuous. It was okay for, as a non-sisig fan. Hahaha! Sorry guys. And by the way, their Sisig is creamy enough to put a kick in your taste buds.
- Creamy Mushroom Truffle Pasta.
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Being a picky person in terms of pasta, truffle pasta has a special place in my taste buds. The first time I tasted it was with The Frazzled Cook. It really captured my drooling soul and top tier. Now, with Habanero’s … oh man! This is something. It is creamy, cheesy and milky (not the milk, milk. Hehehe) The serving is good for 1-2 persons. I hesitant to say that Habanero’s truffle pasta is tie with The Frazzled Cook’s. It is really good. I will order this again if ever I return. Perfecto!
- Tortang Talong.
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This might be the highlight of the meal — it arrived after 35 minutes later! As a fan of eggplant, I love love love this one. It’s glazed with Takoyaki toppings. It is crunchy on the outside and soft in the inside. This could be a perfect appetizer or just on it’s own, or can be with rice.
Overall Verdict. 1000/10
This might be MY comfort restaurant. The food, the price, the location are good, plus the staff are accommodating. It’s affordable, too. In Filipino language — BASTA, Ang Sarap ng food nila dito! Ang SULIT. Will definitely eat again in Habanero Kitchen.Bar.
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