Charlie Wanton House and Starbucks’ Oreo cheesecake

March 6, 2006

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Filed under Food trips & events; restaurants

Last night, to treat the kids for all their hard work over the weekend finishing projects as the end of the school year draws near, we had a Chinese dinner at Charlie Wanton House (Marcos Highway, Antipolo) where the food was good but probably only because we were so hungry (get the picture?). That wasn’t really the plan. The original plan was to go to a place called Cafe Dozo, a small Japanese eatery in Antipolo after a quick trip to the nearest Starbucks (about 45 minutes away in the neighboring city of Marikina). But halfway to Starbucks, our stomachs were grumbling. So, we went to Charlie’s.

There is a Charlie’s along Panay Avenue in Quezon City that we have frequented over the years but I don’t know if the Charlie along Marcos Highway (no apostrophe s) is a branch. The food at Charlie’s along Panay Avenue is ten times better than the food we had last night. Okay, the food was not inedible but, gee, that was Chinese cooking? No wonder there were no Chinese customers–they would have been appalled!

Charlie Wanton House: fish and tokwa (tofu)

The camaron rebosado (above, left) had the smallest shrimps I ever saw unless I count the ones dried for hibe. I didn’t eat them being allergic to shrimps but I watched my daughters peel off the flour coating and I was waiting for the tirade. They were quiet though–too hungry. The fish and tokwa (tofu) dish (above, center) had this sauce in a nondescript shade of brown. I couldn’t make out any distinguishable flavor at all. The asado halo (a dish of mixed pork meat, including intestines) was a little better (above, right). Not too pretty either but, at least, it tasted better.

Chinese dishes are always a balance of flavor, texture and color. That’s why I couldn’t understand how Charlie could boast of authentic Chinese cuisine.

From Charlie, we went to Starbucks. The girls said they just wanted frappuccino without cakes or brownies because they were full. So, I initially ordered only one slice of Oreo cheesecake (below, left) and a slice of tiramisu (below, center). When our 12-year-old saw the Oreo cheesecake, she looked at her father and asked, “What will you eat?” Okay, time to order two more cakes so that each could have one. Another slice of Oreo cheesecake and one slice of chocolate dome cake (below, right) and that was enough.

The Oreo cheesecake was the best of all. My favorite used to be the rum cake but, well, the Oreo cheesecake is my new favorite. The tiramisu was okay but I’ve had better (Cafe Ysabel’s is much better). The chocolate dome cake, a kind of modified chocolate mousse cake, was good too.

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