Oodles of Noodles at Main St. Noodles

“Peace will come to the world when the people have enough noodles to eat.” – Momofuku Ando

The weather has gone haywire lately. Hot in the morning and cold in the afternoon. You may even see a bit of rain . . . scratch that. You may even see the streets flooded from a sudden downpour. Climate change? Anyone? Despite the bizarre weather we have been experiencing here in the Queen City of the South, there is always something to look forward to at the end of the day. One of these things is a nifty little noodle place in a newly-opened mall close to where I live, Main St. Noodles.

Noodles? Anyone?

A good friend of mine actually gave me a heads up about this place. Since their first branch was located two towns away, I opted to wait for them to open their second branch at the Ayala Malls Central Bloc. After the mall opened, it was the first place I looked for.

Noodles at Main St. Noodles

Main St. Noodles

Around a week ago, I went to the newly-opened mall at the Cebu IT Park to check out the place. It is a nice, no-frills noodle place where you can get a great-tasting bowl of noodles at an affordable price. While Main St. Noodles is similar to one of those food places situated in the middle of the hallway of a mall, it sent me back to memory lane during the time of the Yum Yum Tree at the old location of Rustan’s Supermarket along Mango Avenue. It had the same vibe as that place where we used to converge over the weekend way back then.

Main St. Noodles

But, enough of the past. Main St. Noodles has nine tables that can probably fit at least 18 diners at the same time. When I first visited the place, they had a Buy One, Get One promotion on their noodles. While I would have wanted to try two items on their menu, I was only able to taste the Hawaiian Beef Noodles since the free bowl should be the same type as the one you ordered. So, I had two bowls of their flavorsome beef noodle soup.  After my first sip of the soup, my taste buds went wild . . . somewhat exaggerated, but it was a festival of flavors. The beef was soft and succulent while the soup itself had so much flavor that I was able to quickly finish the two bowls I got.

Two bowls of Hawaiian Beef Soup

Interested in what the Main St. Noodles is all about? Well, continue reading and discover what the place has to offer.

Food

Main St. Noodles offers five noodle dishes: the Singaporean Seafood Laksa, Vietnamese Pho, Hawaiian Beef Soup, Japanese Miso Ramen, and the Chinese Chicken Soup. The first time I went there I had two bowls of the Hawaiian Beef Soup. And today, I tried their Chinese Chicken Soup. Both were quite delectable and appetizing. While I do eat noodles and try to create my own versions at home using my handy-dandy oven toaster, my creations were nowhere near the flavor offered by the noodles at Main St. Noodles. The ingredients tickled my taste buds and made me want to have some more. I may not be a noodle expert, but I loved both noodle dishes I tried at the place. Served in a large bowl, you can easily see that they really know their noodles.

Chinese Chicken Soup for the Soul

You also have the option of getting their French bread to pair with your noodles. But I opted to settle for the noodles so I can savor the taste of their noodles. I’ll probably go back and try their Singaporean Seafood Laksa, which is supposedly spicy. I’m not really a fan of spicy food, but I would want to try how far or how fast I can finish it. As for their drinks, they have Cucumber Lemonade and Iced Tea along with canned soft drinks and bottled water.

Hawaiian Beef Soup at Main St. Noodles

Price

Just as I said, the price is quite affordable taking into account the size of the serving. Their noodle prices range from PhP130 for the Chinese Chicken Noodle up to PhP165 for the Singaporean Seafood Laksa. 

Noodle Options at Main St. Noodles

On the other hand, their French bread is priced at PhP7 per piece or PhP30 for a basket. The Iced Tea and Cucumber Lemonade are priced at PhP45 each while their canned soft drinks cost PhP50 each. They also have a 500 mL bottled water, which is priced at PhP25 each.

Beverages and Other Menu Items

Location

Main St. Noodles is located at the fourth level of Ayala Malls Central Bloc at the Cebu IT Park. Since the mall is quite big, your point of reference is the chapel at the mall. The place is right in front of the chapel.

Getting There

If you are coming from Ayala Center Cebu, you can get on a Beep bus and get off at the first bus stop at the Cebu IT Park. Ayala Malls Central Bloc is located right across the bus stop, so you will not miss it. On the other hand, if you are coming from SM City Cebu, take a jeepney headed for Cebu IT Park. Tell the driver to let you off at Cebu IT Park, which should be the jeepney sop right across Waterfront Cebu City Hotel. Ayala Malls Central Bloc is a short two-block walk from the jeepney stop.

Get this bowl of Chinese Chicken Soup at Main St. Noodles

If you are in the mood for oodles of noodles, you should check out Main St. Noodles and “Noodle Up Your Life.”

P.S. Another thing I noticed about the place is they encourage diners to clean as they go. This is quite admirable since we are so used to other people cleaning up for us. It would be a great teaching moment for parents who want their kids to become responsible adults in the future.

Teaching moment at Main St. Noodles

Get Some Great-Tasting Chicken At Bok-Bok By The King Of Chicken

“I love the smell of fried chicken.” – Giancarlo Esposito

The chicken at Bok Bok by King of Chicken is not your ordinary chicken. It is so good that it can give the chicken of the world famous colonel a run for its money. The owner of Bok Bok by King of Chicken was able to improve the 11 secret herbs and spices used on the chicken of the international fast food restaurant.

Bok Bok by King of Chicken

Bok Bok by King of Chicken was actually the original King of Chicken before the owners decided to add more items into their menu. The added items are available at the the restaurant close to Cebu Doctor’s Hospital. The new restaurant was christened the King of Chicken, while the smaller stores selling only chicken were renamed Bok Bok by King of Chicken.

Chicken of Bok Bok by King of Chicken

Majority of the customers of Bok Bok by King of Chicken are students of a nearby university as well as the residents of the area. Doctors and nurses of a nearby hospital also drop by the place. They would either eat at the store or order take out.

More Chicken at Bok Bok by King of Chicken

The Food

The chicken of Bok Bok by King of Chicken is crunchy on the outside and juicy on the inside. The flavors have seeped into the meat due to the secret method the place uses in preparing the chicken. The spices, well . . . it’s a trade secret. It will likely take you more than a lifetime to replicate it. By the time you are able to duplicate the spices they use, Bok Bok by King of Chicken will have raised the level a bar or three higher.

Bok Bok by King of Chicken

The chicken is so good that some people just go to the place to have a taste of the chicken they offer. In fact, some have even asked if they have branches close to where they live or work. For the moment, Bok Bok by King of Chicken has three locations: in Urgello Street, along R. Landon Extension close to the St. Vincent Hospital, and in the Punta Princesa area in Labangon.

Can't Get Enough of the Chicken at Bok Bok

Bok Bok by King of Chicken offers different parts of the chicken for its customers. They have the thigh, breast, drumstick, wings, and neck. The meatiest part is the thigh, while the wings and drumstick has a good amount of bones in them. When you think about it, the neck may be considered as the least preferred part of the chicken. But, Bok Bok by King of Chicken has brought this unwanted chicken part to the next level. You see, the chicken neck sold at the place is not your ordinary neck since they prepared it in such a way that it has a good amount of meat. For me, the neck probably is the most flavorful among all the parts of the chicken.

Tasty Looking Chicken Wings

The store also offers three kinds of dips. These dips are the home-made gravy, their clear vinegar concoction, and the dark-colored vinegar concoction. These dips are not your ordinary dips that you can easily make at home since these were specially-made by the owner to complement the chicken. You can try any one of these dips or try all of them one at a time.

More Chicken Wings

The Price

The different cuts of the chicken have different prices. The thigh part costs PHP32 while the breast is priced at PHP28. On the other hand, the drumstick and wings part are priced at PHP25 each. The neck at Bok Bok by King of Chicken costs PHP17 per piece.

Chicken Neck at Bok Bok

The Location

The first branch of Bok Bok by King of Chicken opened a number of years ago near the corner of Urgello Street and Uytengsu Street close to the Sacred Heart Hospital of the Southwestern University. This particular store was actually relocated since the original store was a stone’s throw away from its present location. The Urgello location had a number of competitors who were unable to beat the taste of their chicken. In fact, some of these other chicken places opened right in front of the store and were not able to last a year. People prefer Bok Bok by King of Chicken over their competitors. You can also say that Bok Bok by King of Chicken was able to conquer its rivals in the area.

Interior of Bok Bok by King of Chicken

The second branch of Bok Bok by King of Chicken is located in front of the St. Vincent Hospital, close to the Cebu City Sports Complex. The newest branch of Bok Bok is located along Tres de Abril Street, close to the Lourdes Church in Punta Princesa, Labangon, Cebu City.

Another view of the interior

Getting There

To get to the Urgello location, you will have to ride a jeepney headed towards Urgello Street. Just get off at the corner where the jeepney would turn right towards Uytengsu Street. The store is located a few steps away from the corner. It is at the right side of the street. If you are in the Osmena Boulevard area, you can simply walk along Uytengsu Street from the corner of the gasoline station in front of the Sony Service Center. Just before you reach Urgello Street, you will see the store at the left side. Or you can let your nose guide you to where the best-tasting chicken this side of town is sold.

More Chicken at Bok Bok

Bok Bok by King of Chicken is gradually becoming one of the go-to hole-in-the-wall eating places in Cebu. Do not let its unassuming appearance fool you since the chicken they offer will definitely make you keep coming back for more.

King of Chicken

Note: Prices may change without prior notice.

Let's Play Chicken At Vibes

Aside from the King of Chicken, there is another chicken place close to the Cebu Doctors' University Hospital. But this place is located behind the hospital, right beside a 7/11 store.

Let's Play Chicken At Vibes

Vibes

Vibes is a relatively unknown eatery-style store along Gov. M. Roa Street. It's relatively unknown since their customers are mainly people who work at Cebu Doctors' University Hospital and nearby offices.

Open-Air Dining Area At Vibes

When the medical college was still located close to the hospital, students also made up a good number of the customers of the place.

Another View Of The Dining Area At Vibes

Menu Items

Vibes sells mainly chicken and fish dishes, including Sardine Meal, Fish Fillet with Rice, Tandoori, and Garam Masala, among others. But their menu is not limited  to fish and chicken dishes since they also offer Pork Chop with Rice, Pork Belly with Rice, Beef Tapa with Rice, and a number of sandwiches.

Menu At Vibes

They just opened when I visited the place. In fact, there was only one other customer waiting for his dish to be served. After asking for a recommendation from the person behind the counter, I ordered the Tandoori with Rice.

Tandoori With Rice At Vibes

Eatery Ambiance

Vibes has an open-air dining area and has a typical eatery feel. I did notice a drum set and a pair of speakers on a small stage in the corner, which means they may have some sort of entertainment at night (I went there for lunch).

Check Out the Drum Set at the Corner

Even with their humble ambiance, Vibes serves great-tasting food. Apparently, they use only premium ingredients for their dishes. The place also offers grilled meat or barbecue at night.

Humble Ambiance At Vibes

The Price

The prices of the dishes at Vibes range from PHP55 for the Pork Chop with Rice up to PHP150 for the Tandoori with Rice. They also offer ice cream for dessert at PHP25 while their shakes are priced at PHP60 each.

More Menu Items At Vibes

Vibes is located along Gov. M. Roa Street at the back of the Cebu Doctors' University Hospital. It is right beside a 7/11 store and right across the old Cebu Doctors' Gymnasium.

Let's Play Chicken At Vibes

The place is open from 11:30 AM up to 4:00 AM from Monday to Saturday.

The King of Chicken

Hi again! I know it has been eons since I wrote my first post since I got tied up with trying to make a living. Anyway, this will be my first post in a series of posts (I hope) about some hole-in-the-wall eating places in Cebu.

The first hole-in-the-wall eating place I visited actually started off as a small store in the Urgello area. The King of Chicken is a relatively-unknown eating place in Cebu that has gradually created a good following among the food-loving residents of Cebu.

Frontage of the The King of Chicken

While the original location in Urgello Street only sold chicken, it was one heck of a chicken. They initially had three flavors of their chicken, regular, cheesy, and spicy. It was an instant hit in the neighborhood as residents in the area took to their chicken like fish to water. 

The chicken of the The King of Chicken

The customers even compared their chicken to the one offered by that old colonel who used 11 secret herbs and spices on his products. Similar to new eating places, the King of Chicken in Urgello was run by the husband and wife team of Ags and Dayang Geverola. The place slowly made a name for itself and eventually led to the opening of its first sit-down restaurant along Osmena Boulevard on February 13, 2013. 

Chicken of The King of Chicken

Aside from their signature fried chicken dish, the King of Chicken also offers beef, fish, and vegetable dishes. People ask why the place is called the King of Chicken even though they offer other dishes aside from chicken. The owner, Ags, said their chicken tastes so good that the fish and other animals all wanted to become a chicken.  

Lumpia at The King of Chicken

The best-seller at the place is their steamed bangus, which usually runs out after lunch. So, if you plan on getting the chance to taste this mouthwatering dish, it is advisable for you to go there just before the lunch rush. The King of Chicken also has a number of Healthy Options for health-conscious guests. 

Healthy Options at The King of Chicken

While most of their customers are nurses and doctors from Cebu Doctors' University Hospital, they are also one of the fave places for medical representatives who drop by the King of Chicken after making their rounds.

Vegetables at The King of Chicken

The prices of their dishes are really cheap, considering the fact that they served their dishes piping hot and fresh from the stove. If you look at the menu board of the King of Chicken, you will get to notice that they do not sell any pork dishes. 

Glazed Chicken at The King of Chicken

Even as they offer deliveries, it is limited to the Cebu Doctors' University Hospital block. But, they are planning to expand their delivery area in the future. They also accept bulk orders for their products. Just make sure you call up at least a day or two before your event.

Chicken at The King of Chicken

The King of Chicken is located along Osmena Boulevard, a few meters away from Cebu Doctors' University Hospital. You can get in touch with them through 0942-452-6732.