Kuya J - SM City Baliwag — Restaurant in Baliwag

We visited this restaurant with high hopes, and we were excited for a great experience. Unfortunately, as soon as we sat down, I noticed some of the staff seemed distant and not as engaged with the guests. When I asked for a high chair, I was informed that none were available. Given that they only had two high chairs, I think it would have been nice if we had been offered a table with a sofa to make our dining experience more comfortable, especially since we had a baby with us.but Of course, I understand I didn’t specifically request that, and I realize that my expectations might have been a bit high.

As we browsed the menu, I raised my hand several times to order, but some of the staff seemed a bit preoccupied chatting among others, There were only about 6 or 7 tables occupied, and with at least 6 staff members around, it felt like they could have been a bit more attentive. Having worked in a restaurant abroad myself, I know the demands of the job and the importance of going the extra mile for guests.

Now onto the food! We ordered a few items from the menu. The portions were reasonable, but I have to admit, the flavors didn’t really wow us. The kare kare was decent, but the lechon kawali had an overwhelming taste of star anise. The fried chicken was just okay, and unfortunately, the garlic fried rice didn’t meet our expectations at all—it was quite limp and bland. I’ve had better garlic fried rice at local eateries! The halo-halo had a strange, slimy texture, perhaps due to the ube, and it wasn’t as creamy as we hoped it would be. (BTW, my mom finished the pork and chicken that meant for us “Nanghihinayang kasi siya sa food” kaya pinilit niyang ubusin 😓)

When we were informed that our food would take a while, we waited patiently. Everything was served except the palabok, when we were almost done and they served the halo halo. By that point, I decided to cancel the palabok. However, it was still brought to our table, so I asked to have it packaged to go. When we finally tried it at home, it was quite bland and lacked the rich flavor usually associated with palabok. You can see in the picture that it only has a little palabok sauce. not worth the price, JUST MY TWO CENTS.

It felt like the restaurant could benefit from a bit more supervision. No one came to check on us during our meal to see if we needed anything or if there was still a pending item or how we were enjoying the food. I even had to ask my sister to fetch some tissues from the cashier's area! Overall, we weren’t satisfied with the food or the service. While some staff members were friendly and helpful— The lady who took our order. she came over right after finishing with other tables, even though she wasn’t the one we initially called. And another staff member with glasses and black hair was quite pleasant too! However, some of the other staff seemed a bit robotic.

Would I consider returning? Probably not, as there are plenty of other restaurants out there that offer delicious Filipino food and...

We visited this branch mainly because most nearby restaurants were cash-only at the time, and sila lang ang nagaccept ng card payments. Weekend din kasi. Nabasa kona ang review, pero syempre, give chance or try pa rin natin. Okay naman kasi sa ibang branch.

First thing na notice ko before writing this , was the presence of multiple 5-star reviews from new Google accounts, which felt like an attempt to cover up earlier negative feedback.

Anyway para sa experience: Food was plated nicely naman, seasoned okay for me, at served in fair portions. Service was average in pacing. Staff responded promptly when called, but the warmth or genuine hospitality was lacking. Kulang, too robotic for me - While there seemed to be enough staff on the floor, the guest engagement needs improvement. Dapat nagchecheckback

Ayun na nga, a serious issue came up with the drinks—they had a strange taste and smell that resembled pest infestation (like ipis talaga), which is a red flag for food safety. We suspect it could be from the blender or the goblet used. 🤷🏻‍♀️

To their credit, the team apologized, removed the item from the bill, and even gave us a complimentary halo-halo to make up for it. Naappreciate naman namin ang gesture, but we sincerely hope they take this incident seriously and investigate it thoroughly.

Sadly, for any food and beverage business,never dapat macompromised ang food safety - this experience is a major concern and something we hope won’t happen...

Dump and go! didn't even check if we're ok with the food, how was it. need to ask for napkin, waiter returned with 3napkins, and we are 9! Just common sense with 2 orders of Family Combo! No Substitution of food, from palabok to pancit canton BUT bcoz they dont have flan, they'll substitute 4flan to 2Halo2! First, we can't ask for substitution but they can?!...2nd, for 4person flan, no matter what price is, u were substituting for only 2person halo2?! Unfair for d other 2! Bulalo was salty, they said that's their standard but after re-heating, we noticed it wasn't salty anymore! So, just me, including service, I'll give...