After I was on trip within the Philippines, there could be a Shakey’s Pizza Parlor outlet all over the place I turned, with the quick meals restaurant dominating nearly each nook.
Given how widespread Shakey’s is within the Philippines, many have the belief that the chain is a neighborhood Filipino model, nevertheless it’s really from the US— folks within the Philippines simply beloved it a lot that they popularised it!
Regardless of having spent 2 weeks within the Philippines, my packed schedule left me with no time to strive it out. Fortunately, I found that Shakey’s had opened a single outlet in Singapore, being positioned within the Asian Meals Mall in Fortunate Plaza.
On the day after I arrived again residence from my trip, I made a decision to move right down to Fortunate Plaza to relive my time within the nation, and to have a style of the wildly common quick meals chain that dominates the Philippines.
What I attempted at Shakey’s Pizza Parlor
Shakey’s menu consists of all of the traditional quick meals favourites — I used to be spoilt for alternative as I perused the menu of varied pizzas, pastas, hen and finger meals.
The very first thing I made a decision to get was Shakey’s self-proclaimed world well-known pizza, which was out there in 18 whopping flavours. The pizzas ranged from S$18 to S$45, relying on the dimensions, flavour and the thickness of the crust.
Name me controversial, however I personally am an enormous sucker for pineapples on pizza. Therefore, I opted for the Common Skinny-Crust Hawaiian Delight (S$18), which was topped with pineapples, ham and cheese.
Regardless of its seemingly plain look, the Hawaiian Delight was, because the identify states, a delight to my tastebuds. The pizza was not dry in any respect and the cheese was mushy and stretchy with a satisfying cheese pull.
The pizza was fragrant and had an sudden depth of flavour that lingered in my mouth. The juicy pineapples had been candy whereas the remainder of the pizza was savoury and never too salty, offering the right steadiness.
Shakey’s Hawaiian Delight pizza actually impressed me, and I’d even take into account it to be among the finest pizzas I’ve tasted. Although the worth was just a little steep in relation to its dimension, I used to be completely blown away.
The fried hen lover in me couldn’t depart with out attempting the Hen ‘N’ Mojos, with the mojos being battered fried potato slices. I obtained the Solo Pack (S$13.50), which got here with 3 items of fried hen, some mojos and a bath of gravy.
The hen had a delightfully crispy pores and skin that was properly seasoned and salty, although the hen itself was just a little dry. It tasted like fairly abnormal fried hen, and wasn’t that spectacular.
The mojos had been fairly common too, tasting like regular potato wedges. They did undertake a bit extra flavour once I dipped them within the gravy, however all in all, they weren’t as excellent because the pizza.
For S$13.50, I do assume that there are higher locations to get fried hen at a lower cost.
The Tacky Hen Baked Rice (S$9.80) was the following factor I attempted. Topped with a decadent layer of cheese, I had excessive hopes for this dish.
The rice was on the mushier facet because it had been coated in a white sauce. I discovered that the rice had an analogous perfume to that of hen rice, and whereas I preferred that the rice wasn’t dry, it may have used just a little extra sauce. The inclusion of hen chunks and mushrooms made the dish extra thrilling, and the cheese was stretchy and chewy.
I believed that the worth was just a little excessive for its small portion dimension, however the Tacky Hen Baked Rice was a reasonably strong dish.
I’m somebody who’s often unable to resolve between a number of dishes once I’m consuming out, so Shakey’s Bunch of Lunch (S$9.90) combo immediately caught my eye, because it supplied 5 totally different sorts of meals: 2 slices of thick-crust pizza, a bath of spaghetti, a chunk of fried hen, a slice of garlic bread and mojos.
The fried hen, pizza and mojos had been the identical because the earlier dishes I had ordered, simply that they had been in smaller parts.
The spaghetti was generously coated in bolognese sauce, and I preferred how the bolognese was herby and contemporary. It had bits of minced meat inside, and the spaghetti was good and springy.
I opted to get the Mushroom Soup as an add-on possibility for the Bunch of Lunch combo for S$2.50. Initially, I wasn’t all that impressed by the small serving of the soup, however as soon as I opened the container that it was served in, I used to be hit by the extraordinary aroma of truffle.
I’ve to say that this was the most effective mushroom soup I’ve ever had by far. Shakey’s Mushroom Soup was extremely fragrant and sturdy in flavour, with a robust truffle perfume and a beneficiant quantity of mushrooms scattered inside. It additionally had a pleasing milky aftertaste which added to the dimensionality of the soup.
I by no means anticipated that the most effective mushroom soup I’d ever style would come from a quick meals stall!
The garlic bread was commendable too, because it was crisp and buttery with a satisfying quantity of garlic. Dipping it within the Mushroom Soup made it all of the extra pleasant.
Ultimate ideas
I can see why Shakey’s Pizza Parlor has managed to realize such recognition within the Philippines. With traditional quick meals favourites adorning its menu, it proves to be an ideal spot for a pleasant Western meal. Plus, nice high quality of the meals is actually on par with that of some eating places!
I’d extremely suggest attempting the pizzas and the Mushroom Soup, when you ever resolve to move right down to Fortunate Plaza. Admittedly, the costs are just a little on the upper finish, however I’d nonetheless return sooner or later.
