Where to eat on Maginhawa Street: Crazy Katsu and Sancho Chuerreria Manila
- Iyay
- Jul 29, 2015
- 4 min read
Maginhawa Street has been a go to place for foodies. There are a lot of restaurants to choose from. If you're craving for Filipino food, Burger, Thai food, Indian food, Japanese food, desserts or all-day breakfast, you name it, Maginhawa Street has it. And as of this date there are more joints opening. The street (and a few of the surrounding streets) was even chosen to host the great food festival during the Quezon City Jubilee celebrations in October 2014.
My friend and I were near the area last weekend and it's been a while since we last visited the place so why not go to Maginhawa Street for dinner? On our way, we were already thinking of where to eat. We don't want to waste our time since there were a lot to choose from. Unfortunately, the first restaurant we went to was already closed. So we landed to our next choice... Crazy Katsu!
Crazy Katsu
I love katsus (Katsudon, Tonkatsu, etc.) among other Japanese food so Crazy Katsu was an easy choice.
It was full house when we got there. We were third on the line. There were only few people outside but there's no chair where you can sit on while waiting. Good thing we didn't wait too long.
We chose the table outside. We could've chosen to sit inside the store but the AC wasn't that cold. Their place was cute and tiny so they could only accommodate few customers inside. The store design was simple with a woody theme. They have an interesting wood artwork on a wall. On the other side of the store, they have a wall with pictures of their dishes which actually a good help on deciding what to order.
We placed our order in advance while waiting to be seated so when we got our table we didn't wait that long for the food.
My friend ordered Chicken Katsu (Spicy) which was their bestseller. For those who doesn't like spicy food you can request for the sauce to be separated. She gave their Chicken Katsu a thumbs up. The chicken was cooked perfectly not overly fried. It was so tender and crispy at the same time. The sauce made the dish more delicious. Oh it's so yummy! It was a perfect combination because without it, it will just be an ordinary Katsu.
Chicken Katsu for Php 155
Look at those chilis on top of those yummy Chicken Katsu!
For me, I ordered the classic Tonkatsu. The Tonkatsu was served lying on a bed of shredded cabbage along with the tonkatsu sauce and rice. Nice layer of flavorful breading. It wasn't thick. The meat was a bit tough. They could've cooked it a little longer. But it's still delish. The tonkatsu sauce was placed in a small container. I just wished they place the sauce in a bigger container so I could have more of it. hehehe.. The sauce was heavenly. I also love the fact that they provided a whole lot of Japanese mayo in a ketchup container. Man, that's awesome!
Tonkatsu for Php 150.... See how big the serving is? It's worth your penny.
We also ordered Gyoza on the side. It was steaming hot when it was served. My friend doesn't usually like Gyoza because of its smell but she liked it. She said it doesn't smell and it was delicious. I actually don't know if it's vegetable Gyoza or what because there's more veggies in it than meat.. but it's still good. Actually, it's really good. I just wish that they served more sauce with it so we wouldn't ask for extra.
Gyoza for Php 130.... These ones are to die for!
I really enjoyed this Crazy Katsu experience. The food was fantastic. The service was fine. The place was clean. The price was right. I am definitely coming back to try other dishes.
After a good meal, what's next? Dessert!
Sancho Chuerreria Manila
We wanted to try their churros because the last time we were there it was unavailable. Sancho was a bit far from Crazy Katsu but we didn't care. We walked just a few blocks then we reached Sancho.
As soon as we got in we ordered Churros. We just ordered one set. One order has 5 churros and this only costs Php 88. So cheap.
We took our seats and automatically we were served glasses of water.
Few minutes later, we got our Churros. They were still hot and there was a Spanish chocolate dip on the side. The churros itself was a bit bland. It could've been sweeter. The chocolate dip helped a lot. I think it's actually the star of this dessert. So rich and chocolaty. Divine!
I could drink this sinfully rich goodness chocolate.. That's how good it was.
My food trip along Maginhawa street won't end here. There are still lots of stalls and restaurants I haven't tried. Just wait for me. I shall return! :)
Credits to Casio Nicerio for the pictures.
