FOOD FINDS at: J.BOY (Araneta Cubao, Quezon City)
By J & C (the tell-it-as-it-is food critics)
Ed’s Note: Food Finds is a review segment by our contributors — Metro Manila-based entrepreneurs, J & C.
Voucher Used: None during lunch; Buy 1 Take 1 coupon during dinner
Number of Diners: 2
First Impression:
We came across this restaurant about three months ago. It was a Sunday morning, we had just finished shopping at the nearby Farmer’s Wet Market, and we were famished. The first food establishment we saw (Tapa King) was full, so we took a detour and checked out this spacious and clean-looking Japanese fast food that calls itself J.BOY. We entered the place without too much expectation. But ever since that Sunday morning, we have frequented the place too many times that just a few days ago, we found ourselves eating their food not just once, but twice in one day – take out for lunch and dine-in for dinner. 🙂
What We Ordered for Lunch:
Oyako Don with Rice @ PhP89
This bowl of rice topped with chicken and egg was a very filling hot meal. For all the egg-lovers out there, this is the rice bowl for you. The lightly tossed egg went very well with the breaded chicken, the julienned scallions, the sweet and savory sauce, and the very hot rice. This was one greatly-made rice bowl!
Japanese Chopsuey with Rice @ PhP99
Like the Oyako Don, this rice and ulam dish was also served steaming hot and very generously. The chopsuey was a mix of carrots, pechay, pechay Baguio, onions, Japanese fish ball slices and real shrimps. In their earlier version of this dish, there used to be some tenga ng daga mushrooms in the mix, but it had been missing lately. We hope it will be brought back soon, because its unique crunch complements very well with that of the vegetables’. Even without the mushrooms, the dish was still very good though. And the sauce, which we enjoyed as soup (since there was a lot of it and was really hot) was very satisfying. How this dish stayed very hot and the veggies crunchy even after being “in transit” for 15 minutes was very impressive!
What We Ordered for Dinner:
Ton Teri Mayo Don@ PhP110 (Buy 1 Take 1)
This one is hard to find fault at 2 bowls for PhP110. Price aside, we can’t help but complain about this dish. First, there was way too much mayonnaise; second, there was not enough of the soy-based sauce; and third, there was a bit too much oil. The only saving grace was the nicely cooked pork, which had a grilled flavor.
California Combo @ PhP180
This platter consists of a substantial serving of California maki and a variety of tempuras. For a fast food place, their tempura dishes were quite good. The two pieces of shrimp tempura were rightly seasoned and rather large in size; the kangkong tempuras were crispy and fun to eat; the kamote tempuras were sweet and very delicious; but the eggplant tempuras were just so-so (we wish there was none of this and more of the sweet potato or the kangkong instead). Their tempura sauce was also worth mentioning. We never expected it to be tasty and aromatic especially since they weren’t skimpy with it. The California makis however were a disappointment. They could have been quite tasty if they weren’t “overdressed” with mayo. Also, they weren’t rolled tight enough and the choice of rice wasn’t that sticky, so handling them was a quite a challenge.
Total Damage @ PhP 188 (lunch meal); @ PhP 290 (dinner meal)
Food Experience:
Comforting best describes each of our food experience here. Their dishes are cheap, reliable, and closely resembles home-cooked meals. This can easily be anyone’s go-to fast food place. We definitely will choose this over the happy bee or the clown any day.
Service:
Service was not slow, but it wasn’t that fast either. And since their food came out very hot from the wok/pan every single time, the short waits were very understandable, even appreciated.
Value for Money:
With the cheap prices and generous servings, this place is a total winner for those who wish to have a hearty, hot, and satisfying meal.
Will We Go Back?
(Definitely)
We have and we will. The only problem is, we can’t seem to get enough of their Oyako Don with Rice and Japanese Chopsuey with Rice dishes! To date, we have jointly gobbled close to twenty bowls of these rice meals.
Overall Rating:
J.BOY
Location: MBO Farmer’s Market, Araneta Center, 3022 Cubao, Quezon City
Contact No.: +63-2-437-6933
Hours: 24/7
Let our palates and our pockets be your guide,
J & C
