Panda Express

Panda Express 

Ikya has been nagging me to try panda express. We finally found it in the food court of an outlet mall near our hotel. The food looked very promising. The smell made me even more hungry than I already was. I ordered the orange chicken and battered shrimp. They tasted pretty authentic to me. DEEEEliscious. I wish i could have tried their other stuff. And their portions are huge. I couldn't even finish it anymore. Thanks Ikya for telling me about this place. Good Eats.

Verdict:

- Its a family style restaurant with all types of food for different members of the family.

- The price is perfect for the type of food. It's good to eat "home cooked" food in the states once in a while.

- Will definitely come back for the rest of their stuff with ikya next time!

Chipotle

Chipotle


I had my doubts about this place. I thought it would turn out to be like Ristras, but boy was i wrong. You can either have a bowl or a burrito. I got the bowl since i was craving for some rice. Their steak is soft, the sour cream so good, and their vegetables is so crispy. This dish comes with cheese and hot sauce. It might sound bland, but trust me, it's a really good combination. Their servings are very generous, especially with the meat. THUMBS UP! I also ended up eating here 3 times.

This is the meal that I've been coming back for. Steak bowl.

Here you see the layers of rice, steak, sour cream, hot sauce, cheese, and lettuce. Yumm.

Verdict:
- Feel good restaurant.
- Price is again US standard, but it depends on how much stuff you're putting on your plate.
- Definitely a must try and will definitely go back....hopefully with ikya :)

FIVE GUYS Burgers

Five guys


OMG! Let me start by saying OMG! Hands down the best burger I ever had. There was all this fuss about in&out, but this Five Guys burger joint is really good. At this point, I haven't tried in&out, but I figured that it's going to be hard to beat by the taste of those burgers. 

The restaurant is like the kinds you see in the movies where college kids hang out and eat some grub!

The restaurant is decorated with words of praises said by different people during different times about the restaurant. Below are some examples.

Their regular servings are double patty with your choice of condiments. I got lettuce, tomatoes, grilles onions and BBQ sauce. Mouth-watering ey?

When you order the fries, they throw in an extra cup in the bag. 

Monster portions for a monster meal. Great! p.s. i ended up eating here 3 times. same order and same satisfaction.

Palm Springs, California

Scottsdale, Arizona (ate twice here)

Verdict:
- Best burger i ever tasted!
- Every bite is worth every dollar
- Definitely going back if I'm in the States.
- Some rich guy, please franchise here in the Philippines! Don't let this be another ihop moment!!

Subway

Subway
San Diego, California

When we went to the San Diego Outlet Stores, we arrived there at about lunch time due to jet lag. When we got there, we were hungry as hell. Subway was the first to show itself so he would have to do.

I ordered the crispy chicken footlong sandwich with lettuce, tomatoes, cheddar cheese, and sweet onion dressing (advice from the subway "bar" tender). Its really good. Warm, but soggy when left for a long time. I knew that because I had to leave it for a while since i could not finish the whole thing in one sitting. The drinks are bottomless and the sides can be cookies or chips of your choice. Their food, as always is really healthy and fresh. 

Verdict:
- It has the same size and ingredients as our Subway here.
- Not much of a difference except for the meats available.
- All under 10 bucks.
- I'll go back, but not necessarily in the states

Jack in the Box

Jack in the Box
9215 Clairemont Mesa Blvd, San Diego, California
(858) 573-2972


My first time ever in this fast food chain and my 1st ever meal for this trip. We just came from the airport, got our car and drove out of LA to head to San Diego. 

I ordered the sirloin cheese burger. Honestly, I first thought that it would be a normal tasting burger since people back home didn't really mention anything about liking jack in the box, but i loved it. The portions were expected to be big so I anticipated that. It screamed "Welcome to the USA!"

During our second visit, I ordered the Grilled chicken breasts. I had to order small. It was surprising how juicy it was. Usually you expect fast-food chicken breasts to be dry and tough, but it was delicious. The curly fries were just okay though.

Verdict:
- It's a barkada restaurant. Much like Mcdonald's
- The price is normal if compared to US restaurants
- Won't say I'll be craving for it, but it was worth trying