Quic kie is my blog's newest section that features short posts about random things - stuff that don't require the whole weekend to write and publish! ;) Here I'll feature quick eats, quick trips, quick picks, etc.!
And what better way to kick off this new section than to write something about food! This blog post is fresh off the grill (pun very much intended) as we only visited this small deli a few hours ago! (which is very unlike me as it takes me at least a month after the event/trip happens to attempt to post)
So anyway, I'm talking about Almon Marina in SM North The Block. We had more than half an hour to kill before my schedule with the ophthalmologist and since we were starving (an hour after we had lunch!!), we decided to stroll around the mall and look for light snacks other than KFC. When we reached the ground floor and saw a girl looking at Almon Marina's menu, we got curious. When we saw that it serves subs and salad, it was a done deal ;)
So anyway, I'm talking about Almon Marina in SM North The Block. We had more than half an hour to kill before my schedule with the ophthalmologist and since we were starving (an hour after we had lunch!!), we decided to stroll around the mall and look for light snacks other than KFC. When we reached the ground floor and saw a girl looking at Almon Marina's menu, we got curious. When we saw that it serves subs and salad, it was a done deal ;)
I honestly didn't know that Almon Marina is a deli bar! I was beyond shocked (OA lang) but I mean, almon sounds like almond and marina screams seafood, yes?
But I digress; this place looks like a normal deli here in the Philippines although I felt like it's trying a bit too hard to look like an "authentic" Western deli. I mean, someone from Almon Marina thought that the dozen pictures of Europe hanging on their walls isn't good enough to give off the Parisian corner cafe vibe that they needed to stick a small Italy flag on their subs?
But aside from that, I like how well-lit the place is because of the glass walls. I also like the high ceiling. However, others may feel uncomfortable of the fact that everybody that goes in and out of The Block can see them eating as Almon Marina is in a very busy zone - it's located near the mall entrance, the escalators, and the Hypermarket (which is a good thing for business, right?).
So anyway!! Let's talk about the food now, shall we?
Puttanesca, P180 Solo Order - ★★★★☆
Toto ordered puttanesca and I asked him how it was. His answer: parang normal na masarap. So let me try to interpret that: pasta is cooked al dente, amount of tomato sauce is just right, and the anchovy is not overpowering. Your
normal puttanesca. But at least Almon Marina got it right! Serving size is always relative so let's just put it like this - Almon Marina's solo order of puttanesca is enough as a light snack but not enough for a heavy meal.
San Francisco Smoked Chicken, P220 - ★★★☆☆
I ordered this because the description said it has
Also, I wished there were more chicken on my sandwich because it just wasn't enough, just around 50g. That's totally unlawful. However, the salad is yummy! The dressing is perrrfectamundo.
fresh ripe mango slices . I haven't really tried eating meat and fresh fruit on a bun so this really piqued my interest. So basically, it's just that - smoked chicken with fresh mango on a bun and veggie salad on the side. Okay, so I really loved the combination of the chicken + mango + mayo but my golly, the buns were so bloody rubbery it was quite an exercise to the muscle to cut the sandwich in half and an exercise to my jaws to actually eat it! Have you ever eaten microwaved bread? I have (many times, lels) and that's how the buns felt like! (felt talaga, not tasted hihi). Also, I wished there were more chicken on my sandwich because it just wasn't enough, just around 50g. That's totally unlawful. However, the salad is yummy! The dressing is perrrfectamundo.
Papaya Shake, P75 / Iced Tea, P55 - ★★★★☆
'Twas too bad that they didn't have any iced coffee drinks when we visited because we really wanted to try the iced Bailey's and the iced mochachino. So we ended up ordering the fresh papaya shake and their house blend iced tea instead which weren't too bad! In fact, I loved that the shake had no milk and that it was as fresh as fresh fruit shake could be (labo). Iced tea was also good!
Aside from the rubbery buns, we actually enjoyed our quick visit to Almon Marina. Maybe we'll eat here again and try other items on their menu. Their salads seem to be really good and maybe we'll also try one of their house specialties.
Total cost for 2pax: P556 (inclusive of 5% service charge)
Total cost for 2pax: P556 (inclusive of 5% service charge)