An ECQ VIRTUAL Quezon City Foodtrip

By the end of this week, we have been officially on quarantine for two months. We are feeling the summer heat, minus the sand and the sea, but within the safety of our homes. This health crisis has reduced our summer plans to official house arrests that had most of us working on redecorating our rooms, rediscovering our hobbies, or working on our culinary skills. Some of us might have even tried to adapt our “plans” to our current situation. In my case, I have set up my hammock at our garage and I have grilled my fave “inihaw”, the beach kind of way. Beach na nga lang ang kulang sa set-up.

The Enhanced Community Quarantine got me to do a virtual foodtrip in parts of Quezon City.

The enhanced community quarantine had me exploring, virtually, destinations as I go back to the drawing board to adjust my travel plans for this year. The extended time browsing on the net also had me checking out on food spots in the city. That’s when the idea hit me. I need to write about my top food spot discoveries while on quarantine. I went on a virtual food trip in Quezon City through Grab, Lalamove, and Facebook and discovered a number of amazing food destinations on this side of the metro.

The Snack Shack (Sikatuna)

My QC virtual foodspotting started out when I had a sudden craving for a burger. I did not want the usual fastfood burger so I decided to try out Grab’s Food Delivery and came across the Snack Shack in Sikatuna. I placed my order and in 30 minutes, I was already enjoying my afternoon burger.

The Snack Shack at Grab Food Delivery App.

Snack Shack burgers are really good.

.I loved the burger because it was really tasty and juicy. It was not the usual run-of-the-mill burgers that you get in fastfood joints. It was packed with meat and bacon so you really get to enjoy it bite after bite. Alam mo na hindi tinipid kaya sobrang sulit.

You can get it delivered via the Grab Food Delivery App. Just look for The Snack Shack.

Mylene’s (Xavierville)

Mylene’s is, by far, my biggest discovery this ECQ season. I love chocolates, pastries and bread. For those who know me, I am weakling when it comes to ensaymada especially the cheesy and creamy ones. I like them as is or grilled. I was craving for ensaymada so much that I started to check out food deliveries when I came across Mylene’s.

Mylene's is my biggest find this ECQ season. I really love their ensaymada.

The ensaymada is a real treat for people who love bread.

I like my ensaymada grilled.

Mylene’s ensaymada and cheese rolls are one of the best that I have ever tasted. The bread is really soft that it melts in the mouth. It is not too sweet or too cheesy that I can eat 4 servings on one seating. It is good to eat as is BUT it is better to have it grilled. It is definitely value for your money.

You can check out their FB page here or you can have the bread delivered right at your doorstep through Grab Food Delivery.

Baked Fresh Daily by Gretchen’s (Quirino Highway)

Everybody is raving about Ube Cheese Pandesal for a time now. I got curious about it, while on quarantine, that I decided to try it out. I tried to check out food deliveries app but to no avail so I explored FB’s Marketplace. That is when I cam across Baked Fresh Daily by Gretchen’s.

Baked Fresh Daily by Gretchen's Ube Cheese Pandesal satisfied my curiosity on this famous pandesal.

BFDG’s Ube Cheese Pandesal did not disappoint. I got my bread cravings satisfied with their soft ube pandesal buns and its cheese filling. I also discovered that it goes very well with my favorite Nutella Spread. I got my chocolate and bread fill all rolled into one.

Baked Fresh Daily by Gretchen also offers Lechon Belly which I still need to try. You can check out their FB page here for order details.

Farinas Ilocos Empanada (Malingap Street)

Craving for that empanada from Ilocos? Check out Farinas Ilocos Empanada to give you that authentic taste of Ilocos. I know that they have a number of branches in the metro but I was pleasantly surprised to find them on the Grab Food Service app. But I am not complaining as they provide an easy fix for a quick afternoon snack.

Farinas Iloco Empanada had me traveling to Vigan gastronomically.

Empanada and Miki are perfect afternoon snacks.

A taste of Ilocos.

Their special empanada and miki make a great afternoon snack combination. Its authentic taste brought me back to my memories of visiting Vigan, Laoag, and Tagudin - my dad’s hometown. It is a great way to travel back to Ilocos while making your tummy happy.

You can order from Farinas Ilocos Empanada through the Grab Food Delivery App.

Siyam Yum (Maginhawa Street)

One of the biggest challenge that I encountered while on quarantine is figuring out what to cook next. Although the internet was very helpful with helping me whip out a different dish, I sometimes take a break by ordering lunch or dinner from a local restaurant. This was how I stumbled on Siyam Yum - a Thai place along Maginhawa Street.

Lunch was served and I liked the milk tea.

You can also find Siam Yum on Grab Food Delivery App.

I enjoyed my lunch of Thai Basil Chicken with a little spice that was just right for me. Of course, I didn’t miss out on their mango sticky rice which brought me to dessert heaven. But what really surprised me was their milk tea. I am not a milk tea person but Siyam Yum made me appreciate their milk tea. The flavor and the sweetness was just right for me and it is something that I won’t hesitate ordering again from them.

You can check out Siyam Yum’s menu on the Grab Food Delivery App.

POST ECQ VIRTUAL TRAVEL NOTE

By this time, we all know that we will be shifting to the modified enhanced community quarantine where we are still not allowed to leave our homes. That means it is going to be another two weeks of trying to keep ourselves sane by finding different ways of keeping ourselves pre-occupied. You can try doing a virtual foodtrip via FB or Grab and discover new dining spots that would be worth physically checking out once ECQ is lifted. Savor the moment where you can enjoy good food with your family inside the comfort of your home.

We still have a long way to go after this crisis and we need every Filipino to help.

This is also a great way of helping local businesses to stay afloat at this time. I am writing about this virtual experience with the hope and prayer that, as we slowly shift to the new normal, let us help local businesses to survive and thrive. Try the local restaurant in your neighborhood, purchase from a local brand, support a local business that was born out of this crisis, or visit a local destination that you have been planning to explore for a long time once we are allowed mobility. Let us help in reviving local economies. This would be a great time to get that Filipino spirit thriving and rallying behind local businesses, products, and destinations.

Padayon, Pinoy!!!​
​​​​​

---