Dong Juan

Family gatherings is sometimes unpredictable same as the weather these days. But one thing is constant, no matter what the unexpected is and whether it is raining or not, we stay hungry. (For some very cute reason, always). So here's a review for a family favorite restaurant in Quezon City on a rainy day. 

Ok, so before we start, I want to tell you that my family took advantage of DJ Medley's Track 5. So what is it exactly, it is a complete set of food from appetizer to drinks. So it's my first time to dine at Mang Juan and here's what I'm about to say...

Pacific Pasta. Sweet. It's really sweet. Definitely a typical Filipino pasta but instead of meat, it has shrimp. The pasta was al dente and the serving was for sharing. I did like it but I craved for a lil' saltier version (with a bit of umami perhaps) of this where you can taste a kick of shrimp and cheese may be. But over all it's ok.

Now I decided not to edit the photos, so yes, this are the raw pictures taken from the Restaurant itself. It's definitely a home turned into a Restaurant. And good job with the owner because they were able to sustain the cozy vibe. 

If you just want to chill with your friends, if you want to talk about so many stuff then as comfortable as it looks, it's definitely a place to be. Made with wood, with ample amount of chairs and tables, even sofa it surely standout from the rest. 

Now let's go back to the food...

Baby back ribs. So this is my favorite part of the menu. It melts in your mouth, it's so tender and the flavor is very friendly with your taste buds, properly marinaded meaning it tasted the way it supposed to, it naturally falls right off the bone.

Fish nuggets. I'd say its appropriate appetizer for the menu, it was cook well, not too dry with proper crisp.

Dong Juan Fried Rice. Fun fact: I love fried rice than plain rice or any other rice in the world. (I can eat this three times a day!) As biased as this sounds, I tasted so many of them and I can say that this is one of best. I consumed two cups considering I'm on diet. haha.

Seafood soup. Well the broth was legit seafood but it was a lil' bit bland for me, but there's a lot of details to this soup because it comprises of my favorite seafood so overall, it's ok.

Brocolli with mushroom and seaweeds. I like the mushroom part, very delectable. The brocolli was cooked in its purest form, crunchy and hale. Very satisfying.

Spicy shrimp in cram roe and oyster sauce. I love shrimp and I can say that it was perfectly cooked (as you can see in the pix) But on the contrary, the flavor needs to be enhanced. I was expecting a more flavorful viand. But it was ok.

Crispy Pata. Best part of the dining experience. It was served hot, definitely fresh, not too salty; for me it was perfect. It was very tasty and tender.

So what's the verdict? Honestly, this is one of the best Restaurants in the country because 1) The staff is very accommodating, warm and attentive 2) the place is very homey 3) The choice of food was complete, name it, from finger food to seafood to meat. The experience was terrific. Thank you Dong Juan. ❤