MUNCH MONSTER raid: Cafe Lidia

Bonifacio Day food tipid trip! Taking advantage of the holiday Jai invited me to eat lunch at Café Lidia. Although it was far from our place, we were drawn to it by good reviews from different blog sites.

We arrived past 1:00 pm and were surprised to see the restaurant almost full. We didn’t make any reservations but luckily we got a table. Jai insisted that I choose whatever pizza I wan, I was supposed to order the Margherita (tomato and basil pizza) but Jai already tried it before with his friends so to be fair I wanted Jai to try another flavor. 

I ordered the Trio Formaggi (three cheese pizza), plus their famous buffalo wings for P160.00 (around 5-6pcs.)

We were very happy our pizza, 12 inches for P215.00 and it did not disappoint! Being a cheese lover I added extra parmesan cheese on top. The thin crust with a generous amount of three kinds of cheeses deserves a two thumbs up! It made our lunch date extra yummy and cheesier! I told Jai that it’s similar to Pizza Hut’s Ultimate Cheese Pizza but Jai disagreed, he liked Ultimate Cheese better (a little biased here: Ultimate Cheese is his ultimate favorite). Well I guess you can’t completely compare the two because Ultimate Cheese obviously has more kinds of cheeses and has a thicker crust.


Another pleaser was the Buffalo wings, it was flavorful and cooked just right, you can taste the crispiness of the chicken covered with a sweet marinade with a slight hint of chili.  We were kind of expecting it to be spicier like the common Buffalo wings in other restaurants but nevertheless it was worth the try but our number 1 choice for Buffalo wings is STILL Don Henricos :D

proof that we were really FULL!

We thought of ordering cake or ice cream for dessert but we were already full. Other food items I’d like to try are Mozzarella Sticks, Lasagna and Almond Sansrival, while Jai’s picks are Nachos, Pasta ala Lidia and Grilled Pork Belly. 

I recommend this restaurant for those who love Italian food but wouldn’t want to spend over P500.00. Food menu items are reasonably priced and doesn't comprise the quality of food. Waiters and Waitresses are very accommodating and it would be nice to give them a tip. (P.S. No service charge) 


Total food cost: Trio Formaggi Pizza- P215.00 + Buffalo wings (good for 2)- P160.00 + 2 glasses of water (free) + Tip-P20.00 = P395.00


Walker Map: From MRT Shaw
1. Ride a jeep bound to Pasig Palengke, tell the driver to drop you off Jollibee, Rotonda. 
2. Cross the street going to 7/11. Fare: P8.00/person
3. From 7/11 cross the street going to Youth Jam.
4. Ride a jeep bound for Marikina Palengke, tell the driver to drop you off in front of Cafe Lidia at Calderon St. Fare: P13.00/person

Bite Cost: 150.00/person, P500.00/for 2
Munch Worthy: Yes 

Walker repeat: will go back for their pizza 

happy customer

Affordable Italian cuisine under P500.00 at Cafe Lidia
Located at 64 Calderon St. Calumpang, Markina Heights
Facebook Page:  Cafe Lidia

Operating Hours: 
Sunday: 3:00 pm - 11:00 pm
Monday to Saturday: 10:00 am - 11:30 pm

MUNCH MONSTER raid: Mad Mark's Sandwich and Frozen Desserts

Today is FRI-DATE! Well...not really, Jai and I didn't plan on anything special because we were both preoccupied with things to do plus he has football training too (boo!). Anyway, I was feeling hungry that afternoon and I suggested that we try Mad Mark's Sandwiches and Frozen Desserts. We availed a voucher prior from Cash Cash Pinoy, P180.00 for P300 worth of food from Mad Mark's - we got 2 vouchers for P360.00 only (good deal right?).

freshness guarantee wall

Mad Mark's is one of the new hole-in-the-wall restaurants in Kapitolyo, Pasig City. They offer man sandwiches such as the Lumberjack (certified Angus Beef baby!) and Mariner (fish fillet w/mariner sauce), buffalo wings, rice meals and frozen desserts. We arrived around 5:30 p.m. ready for our early dinner pig-out. Jai and I ordered 1 whole Lumberjack Sandwich (split in two) with  sides of Cajun and Herb Parmesan Fries, Zing wings (4 pcs.) and a scoop of Madagascar Walnut Fudge for me and Chocolate on Chocolate for Jai.

The Verdict:

LUMBERJACK

I had the Lumberjack with Herb Parmesan Fries while  Jai had his with Cajun Fries. We loved the Herb Parmesan Fries but we think it would be better if they served it with garlic mayo or sour cream dip. The Cajun fries was ordinary tasting, I think it needed a bit more salt & pepper to taste. The Angus Beef was juicy  and blended well with the mushrooms although we should have added mozzarella cheese. Overall it was ok but I wouldn't pay P250.00 for this (sandwich alone).

HOMEMADE ICE CREAM

As you can see in the photo on the right I was almost done eating my ice cream when I realized that I forgot to take a photo. It looked so good when it was served that I had to eat it right away. I don't have a photo of Jai's ice cream, he finished his ice cream first.

Madagascar Walnut Fudge: the name doesn't give it enough justice, it must be named "Best Madagascar Walnut Fudge that makes you wanna do the I love to move it, move it dance". I love it so much that I look forward to eating this again. Chocolate on Chocolate: Jai's comment,"chocolate na chocolate" (so obvious eh?). I tasted his ice cream, it was like eating frozen chocolait, yummy too but I liked mine better.

ZING WINGS

smoky zing wings

4 pcs. @ P170.00

This was Jai's favorite! He liked it  so much that he even said that he liked Mad Mark's Buffalo Wings better than Sunshine Buckets, Charlies and Buffalo Wings & Things. I think the spiciness of the wings was just right and not overpowering the taste of the chicken. Two thumbs up for zing wings!

  

Food Bill: 

Lumberjack (whole): P250.00

Add-on sides: +P30.00 Cajun Fries, +P50.00 Herb Parmesan Fries

Homemade Ice Cream P68.00/scoop

Zing Wings: P170.00/4 pieces

Total: P636.00 - our total shell-out P396.00 (thanks to our CCP voucher)

Bite Cost: P150.00-P200.00/meal 

Munch worthy: Yes 

Walker Repeat: will go back for the 

homemade ice cream, herb parmesan fries and zing wings

Hurry down to Mad Mark's
Located at 23 East Capitol Drive Kapitolyo, Pasig city
Facebook page: Mad Mark's