As a guy who has lived in Makati for most of his life, I’ve been spoiled by a lot of good places to eat at and hang out in. Sure, I’ve been to several places around the Metro, as well; but the East area is still a mystery to me aside from the famous Tapsi ni Vivian and several restaurants around the Marikina area.

Eats in the East is a a compound-cum-car wash-cum-food park along the Ortigas Avenue Extension where you can relax, chill, get your car washed, and eat some good food while waiting out the traffic. The heavy traffic is quite notorious in the area, so waiting it out sounds like a good idea, right?

What’s a food park without a burger joint? Thugburgers sticks to the tried-and-tested formula of great burger joints of using all-beef in their patties. With prices ranging from Php99 up to Php220, there is a variety of burgers to choose from, all of which have quarter-pounder patties. We sampled their best-selling Thugminator Burger (Php165), which has a quarter-pound patty, lettuce, bacon, ham, melted cheese, and of course, bacon.   

Another food park staple is shawarma. For this, Greeky’s is the place to go. For less than Php90, you can choose between the shawarma wrap and the shawarma rice. They might look plain and simple, but don’t let that fool you as the beef is juicy and very flavorful. You can even double down on the beef for an additional Php30!

Hungry and want something that is ready and quick to eat? Siopao is typically my go-to snack since it is easily accessible at almost every food court, Chinese restaurant, fast food place, and even luxury hotel! Pinoy Pao’s Php30 siopao is a quick and affordable snack while waiting for your car to be washed.

(READ: I Tried Whitening My Teeth at Urban Smiles for New Year!)

If pizza and pasta is your thing, there is always Uncle Dan’s. This was a pleasant surprise as aside from the usual all-meat pizza (which they call The Veggie Hater), they are one of the few that serve seafood pizzas (Lolo’s Choice) and it is actually very good! That roasted garlic was the kicker, I might say. The Dan’s Lasagna (Php150) is a rich and meaty pasta dish that is enough to serve two.

One of the original restaurants at Eats in the East is New Chowlim, a Filipino-Chinese restaurant with dishes inspired by their uncle. Aside from the usual dimsum, they also serve other favorites like pancit canton, bihon, chami, and miki-bihon in the usual sizes (small-medium-large bilao). The pancit canton is a must-try!

What goes great with hamburgers? French fries! Pic-A-Fries’ take on the animal fries: fresh fried potatoes, cheese sauce, and a ton of bacon bits. Prices ranges from Php59 for a solo serving up to Php140 for a “barkada” serving. Aside from the fries, they also have other fried offerings: hotdogs, tempuras, sisig, and chicken nuggets that will surely clog up your arteries.

 

One of the current trends right now? Stalls mostly dedicated to refreshments. Pots & Juz has an array of flavored juices (Php39) and freshly squeezed lemonades (Php65 to Php90) that go well with the spread and are also very refreshing.

If you are not sick of potatoes yet, they also have crispy potato nuggets paired with garlic ranch dip and cheese sauce. I suggest trying out the garlic ranch dip as it balances everything out with its garlic and tangy flavor.

Get serenaded while eating, drinking, and having fun with your friends. During our visit at Eats in the East, it was East Rhythm’s night to woo the audience with their acoustic session (they accept requests, as well!).

Probably one of the more popular places to dine in would be Pak’n Wings! As the name implies, they specialize in delicious, crispy, and juicy chicken wings of different flavors and spice levels. From the classic Wat Da Pak Wings to the spicy Pak’n Hot Wings to the BBQ flavored Pak-Que Wings to the very cheesy Pak’n Cheese Wings to my favorite Bakero Wings due to the candy-like texture and the teriyaki flavor to the trendy Pak that S***! due to that salted egg craze. Any flavor costs Php109 for 3 pieces, 6 pieces for Php159, and Php298 for 12 pieces – a decent price for a decent spread! Their tagline “Mapap-pak ka sa sarap!” holds true.

Before I forget, they also have a hot wings challenge. The Pak’n Ispicy! Wings was made to challenge your manhood (or your womanhood). Be immortalized and win a prize when you finish 6 pieces in 90 seconds! I was able to finish 1 wing in a few seconds without a problem, but I honestly think I wouldn’t be able to finish the challenge.

(Hint hint* these wing go really well with ice cold beer 🙂

After all of the greasy, salty, fatty, spicy goodness, maybe it’s time to give your tastebuds a rest at Cafe Tribu. Specializing in local Philippine coffee, a cup of Joe and a slice of cake is a godsend since they will help cut off all of the fatty treats you just had and give you the sweet break you might need for a 2nd round around the stalls of Eats in the East.

If you’re on your way to Antipolo or Cainta and get stuck in traffic along the Ortigas Extension, why not just wait it out and chill at Eats in the East? Not only will it help you cool off from the internal road rage, but your tummy and mood will thank you, as well.

Eats in the East

The Fern Triangle, Km 20 Ortigas Avenue Extension, Cainta, Rizal

https://www.facebook.com/EatsInTheEast