Chelsea Kitchen – SM Megamall

I was baffled when the server handed me the menu, the list of choices were so random that choosing was the challenge. From pizza to tempura to bulalo, Chelsea Kitchen offers a wide (and I mean really extensive) assortment of dishes for whatever cravings you have on any particular day. I ended up getting my old-time favorite snack.

Teddy Bear Iced Latte (P195)

It was the evening of our impulse weekend staycation in the metro and this time, Holiday Inn Galleria Manila was the chosen battlefield. We’re getting ready for an all-nighter shindig by loading up with a grand dinner.

The gang (all eight of us, including my mom) strolled inside SM Megamall and noticed a packed restaurant, a casual dining of some sort. Located right beside the entryway of the newest building of the mall, its open concept made it casual and unfussy.

The tricky part though was choosing what to have for dinner. With a very diverse list of menu, it took us around five minutes to decide on our meal. I wanted to have a tex-mex meal while some would wanna have a Pinoy rice meal while some grabbed burger and fries. Even so, it still was a feast as we got to sample each dish with so much pleasure.

The grand banquet included; Chorizo Arroz A La Cubana (P275), Loco Moco Char-grilled Burger (P350), Smoked Tinapa Aglio Olio (P320), CK Chicken Salad (P250), Cheeseburger (P395), 4-hour Cola Ribs (P450) and my Chili Lime Chicken and Chorizo Nachos (P320).

So let’s start with my buddies’ chows.

The Chorizo Arroz A La Cubana wasn’t my thing as I don’t like to include fruits on my meals. The meat though was tasty and the bacon strips on top added some crunch. I wasn’t a fan though because of the fried banana on top. Well, that’s just me.

Chorizo Arroz A La Cubana (P275)

The Loco Moco Char-grilled Burger was great with the teppanyaki fried rice topped with char-grilled burger, potato fries and egg drenched in bacon mushroom gravy sauce. The meat itself was such a winner that adding the extra toppings was icing on the cake.

Loco Moco Char-grilled Burger (P350)

The Smoked Tinapa Aglio Olio with angel hair pasta was oozing with freshness as fresh basil, wild arugula and cherry tomatoes complemented the tangy taste of smoked fish bits. It was just sad that I ain’t digging very thin pasta noodles. I think it would work better on linguine, it’s just me, don’t worry.

Smoked Tinapa Aglio Olio (P320)

Our health-conscious friend opted to have the CK Chicken Salad with char-grilled pesto chicken as the main ingredient. The peanut plum dressing, fresh basil, cilantro and mint were such a hit with the greens that I almost finished a third of it forgetting that it wasn’t mine in the first place.

CK Chicken Salad (P250)

The Cheeseburger looked average. But when you get to taste the 100% U.S. Ground Chuck sandwiched between American cheddar, mesclun, tomatoes and sweet onions, then you’d know it’s not your typical burger. The smoky flavor from the char-grilled meat was incredible as the cheese and other elements pumped up the texture and taste level of the cheeseburger.

Cheeseburger (P395)

My carnivore friend had the 4-hour Cola Ribs in all its glory. The ribs that was infused in, well, obviously, 4-hour cola marinade was complemented with sweet & spicy barbecue sauce. It was so tender that the moment you chew on it, the meat would effortlessly turn into its flaky state that you would savor the richness of the cola and all other ingredients. It was so good!

                                

4-hour Cola Ribs (P450)

Lastly, my chosen dish. I have this thing with nachos. I’ve tried a lot of versions that I mostly copied it to my liking. Needless to say, I’m hard to please when it comes to this tex-mex snack. Chelsea Kitchen’s Chili Lime Chicken and Chorizo Nachos seemed ordinary at first. There’s a fresh lime on top of a mountain of chips and garnishes; guacamole, feta crumble, sour cream, fresh cilantro, salsa salad, cheese, chicken and chorizo. The first bite was crucial as I needed to put everything on top of a single chip, and it was absolutely great! All of the elements worked well with each other and nothing is overpowering anything. I would surely do a version of this one.

Chili Lime Chicken and Chorizo Nachos (P320)

We spent almost three hours of non-stop chitchats as we sampled each and every meal on the table. It was great to hear raves and critiques as if we’re on a cooking battle show or something. What’s great was that my mom was there who became an instant buddy to my friends. It was great as we share good times and good food together, until Chelsea Kitchen closed for the day.

Chelsea Kitchen

Ground Floor, Mega Fashion Hall,

Megamall, Mandaluyong City, Metro Manila

Contact Number: (+63) 2.958.6777

Open Hours: 10:30 a.m. to 11:00 p.m.

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