This is the first round of food reviews for the year and we’ve been to some really good places so far. Here is my review for Thai restaurant Khao Khai, plus a quick revisit of Crosta Pizzeria, and a Japanese hole in the wall, Funki Izakaya… Let’s go!

Khao Khai

One Ayala is a conveniently accessible mall, connected to the MRT Ayala station. We’ve been here before during the soft opening, but most of the shops were still closed. Now, its bustling with activities and shops that I’m not familiar with.

Shane had already eaten at a different branch before so she was familiar with the menu. I let her decide our orders and we ended up with Farang Fries, Yam Kai Dao, Gai Tod Curry, and Thai Milk Tea.

While waiting, we admired the ambience of the place. It gave off a rustic diner vibe with the colorful decor and huge neon signs. The place was very clean and they have the most beautiful dining plates I’ve ever seen. I wanted to take them home with me.

Our appetizers were served. The Farang Fries had a hint of cinnamon and had a spicy tomato sauce similar to sriracha on the side. They were the usual thin-cut fries but they were less salty than most we’ve had before. This was a decent and unique start to the meal.

Up next was the mouthwatering Yam Kai Dao or Thai Fried Egg Salad. I love eggs so I was looking forward to this. It’s a deceptively simple dish but, wow, the flavors it contained were exactly what I was looking for. The cilantro plus the fish sauce helped bring the salt and tanginess to the front while the egg yolk complemented it with its own unique flavor.

This was my favorite dish that we had and I badly want to learn how to make it at home.

The main course was the Gai Tod Curry, which is Thai Fried Chicken with rice and a side of green curry.

Thai fried chicken always had a unique taste but its not something I crave for. This one was expertly fried to a crisp while the meat stayed juicy and tender. But the rice.

The rice was something else.

In simple terms, the rice was addictive. We had to pay more for the upgrade to fried rice and it was absolutely worth it. I’m not big on rice anymore, but I know I could easily finish a huge bowl of this. It took a lot of willpower not to order some more.

The green curry was not our type and the weakest link in the dish. We would have been perfectly fine just ordering the plain Gai Tod chicken and rice meal. It was not bad in any way, but not the flavor we want paired with the exceptional chicken and rice.

As for the Thai Milk Tea, it was what you would expect. A bit too sweet for our liking and we’ve had nicer ones (Thai Dara is the standard), but it was still refreshing and enjoyable.

We’re keeping an eye out for this restaurant as we will be back to try more from their menu. I’m eyeing the Gai Tod burger which is a limited-time item. They have lots of delicious-looking food and I want to try them all!

The service is quick and the crew are very attentive and friendly. I also noticed that their prices are affordable and not too extravagant compared to other Thai restaurants. This is a must try for Thai food lovers in the Metro.

Khao Khai Thai Chicken House
[ facebook | instagram ]
Mall Hours
3F, One Ayala, Ayala Ave,
Makati, Metro Manila

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Crosta Pizzeria

After the meal at Khao Khai, we made our way from One Ayala to Salcedo Village. It was a good afternoon for a walk and we passed through Ayala Triangle with all the runners and picnic-ers hanging about.

Props to Crosta for the top-tier marketing. Their pizzas always look mouthwatering on social media. Having tried it before, I’ve always wanted to come back.

It seems that Crosta’s reputation has grown even more, as it was overflowing with people. The customers spilled out onto the street and some were eating on the building’s façade.

We ordered their best-seller, Pepperonley 2.0, and the Truffle Detroit Thin. It took a while for our pizzas to be made as the queue was incredibly long. We passed the time by walking around the neighborhood and grabbing a cup of coffee from Single Origin.

After claiming our pizzas, we sat at a nearby bench and grabbed a slice of each.

While Crosta never fails with their delicious dough, I found the Pepperonley 2.0 to be underwhelming. I can see why this is one of their bestsellers though. It’s on the cheaper side of their menu and who can’t go wrong with cheese and pepperoni? It is good pizza, but not bang for the buck in my opinion.

The more expensive Truffle Detroit Thin was heaven. I could smell the truffle oil immediately after opening the box. I knew I was in for a treat after seeing the cheese crust all around the pizza.

Honestly, I could finish this pizza all on my own. It’s crazy good and worth the price. This is the kind of gourmet pizza that I would walk many kilometers for. Craving satisfied.

Crosta is one place you visit to reward yourself with pizza you can’t find anywhere else. It’s the very definition of a luxury. But it is really worth a slice or two every once in a while.

Crosta Pizzeria
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12:00NN – 09:00PM
104 HV Dela Costa cor. L.P. Leviste St.,
Salcedo Village, Makati City

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Funki Izakaya

We heard of this place from TikTok and since it was near our area, we dropped by after doing grocery. This quaint Izakaya (a Japanese term for a pub or bar serving alcohol and cheap, quick food) specialized in Kushiyaki, meaning food served on bamboo skewers and grilled on an open flame.

We entered after the lunch rush so there were few customers. The staff were very accommodating and kind. The place was very minimalist and proper to the theme. They even had chairs that also served as storage space for bags under the cushions.

We ordered the Yakitori Ichi, their Sukiyaki bowl, and California Maki. They also served lots of alcoholic drinks but we declined at the time.

The California Maki was fair. It’s hard to get this dish wrong and it checked all the boxes that it needed to.

What I enjoyed the most was their Sukiyaki. It’s a staple for us to always order this because it’s good for sharing plus we love the flavor. I don’t know if I was just hungry, but this one was extra delicious

The umami was great and the vegetables absorbed the broth very well. More importantly, the beef was tender and flavorful. With every sip, we were saying how good it was.

Finally, the main event was the Yakitori Ichi, a set of 10 different skewered food.

From best to least, here is my ranking of everything on that plate: Wagyu Beef Cubes, Japanese Sausage, Bacon Enoki Mushrooms, Chinese Sausage, Bacon Quail Eggs, Shrimp, Chicken Fillet, Shiitake Mushrooms, Angus Beef Bacon, Pork Belly.

The Wagyu cubes literally exploded into juice once we bit into them. It’s hard to put anything else on top when the beef is that good. We also enjoyed the Japanese Sausage, which we have long been searching for in restaurants. Everything else was decent except for the pork belly which was a bit tough and dry.

They also offer these sticks per-piece so it is possible to order just 10 pieces of Wagyu Beef Cubes. Hmmm. And they also have Wagyudon (Wagyu rice bowl) which I am tempted to try next time.

We had a pleasant experience here and since they open until late in the evening, it might be a good place for an after-work dinner and drink to cap off the night. They are just a short walk away from the LRT2 Antipolo station so I’ll surely come back again.

Funki Izakaya (Masinag Branch)
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10:30AM – 10PM
Unit 104 Maxfill Commercial Center,
Marcos Highway, Antipolo

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And that was all the notable food places for early 2025. Thanks for reading and feel free to share with me your favorite gastronomical adventures as well!

Stay safe and keep those tummies happy.

-jgzn