Date #26: Flaming Wings

Click on thumbnails to enlarge.

Author’s note: We’re sorry we haven’t been very adventurous with our food choices lately. Midterms season has taken its toll on us, and we really haven’t had the time to travel around. It will probably get better next week, once our school work has lightened up.

Flaming Wings is packed almost every lunch, dinner or merienda time. It’s an obvious favorite among students because of the reasonable prices and the satisfying food. If you’re on the look out for perfect after-school date places, and you’re trying to be more adventurous than the usual Pizza Hut-Shakey’s choice, Flaming Wings is the way to go.

This is one of my favorite establishments in Katipunan, although Douglas is known as its famous “hater”. Hoping to convince him to start liking the place, I brought him there again, much to his dismay.

Although the place is always full, the quick and efficient staff is always ready to serve the diners.

Douglas got an order of Pink Lemonade (P30) to go with his meal. He said it was a bit diluted.

There were too many ice cubes in my Rootbeer Float (P55), too.

I’ve had some of their pastas before, and I didn’t like all of them. I tried playing it safe this time, so I ordered the Spaghetti Bolognese (P108). I didn’t regret getting this one. The noodles were cooked perfectly. Chewy, but not tough, they make the experience much more enjoyable. The taste was good too—it was cooked the Italian way; a bit sour but deepened by spices. There was not a generous amount of meat, but I liked it that way because it emphasized the flavorful sauce. I found that the garlicky taste was well-pronounced in this dish too, which is quite unique since garlic is normally drowned out in other pasta dishes.

It’s worth the inexpensive price, considering the serving.

You can’t leave this place without trying out their Chicken Tenders (P88). Their tenders are actually more popular than their buffalo wings.

You have a choice of whatever sauce you’d like to coat your tenders with, as well as the flavor of the dip. I had mine with Barbecue Sauce and Ranch Dip. I find that the combination of the sweet barbecue sauce and the tangy ranch dip goes so well. Douglas found it overpowering, though. He’s crazy.

Meanwhile, I got an order of Penne Arrabbiatta (P105) for Douglas to try. It’s my favorite pasta in Flaming Wings, and I wanted him to try it to see if it could convert him into a fan.

I love the bits of fresh tomatoes that add a zing to it. I remember my brother telling me that this is not nearly as spicy as the Arrabbiatta in Italy, but I find that fine. It’s flavorful enough, anyway, without leaving your nostrils on fire. It’s not too strong, but it’s tasty in its own right. You’ll love this if you like your pasta sour and not Filipino-style :P

The serving was also quite hefty—one order of this can satisfy a hungry person.

We ordered the Caribbean Jerk Tenders w/ Bleu Cheese Dip (P88) primarily because we found the “jerk” name funny. I like the Caribbean Jerk sauce because of its tangy (it had some lime essence) and yet peppery taste. It’s deepened further by the subtle Bleu Cheese dip, which blanketed it with a saltier taste.

Wicked Oreos (P75) is one of the things this place is famous for. It comes with a large scoop of vanilla ice cream topped with blue and white candy sprinkles, and finally dusted with confectioner’s sugar. But what makes it special is the Oreos coated with sweet batter, making it chewy and even more tasty.

I like eating the ice cream separate from the oreos. I feel that the oreos, warm from frying, should be punctuated by the coldness of the ice cream, because there wouldn’t be a variation in textures anymore if you eat them at the same time.

THIS. This is everything that a Warm Brownie Ala Mode (P104) should be. It has a huge scoop of vanilla ice cream oozing with chocolate syrup lying on a bed of rich, chocolate-y brownie. I love the play in textures when it comes to the combination of the warm brownie and the cold ice cream. It’s just… wow.

It’s not a unique concept, but the execution made it extremely satisfying.

The Verdict: This is the kind of restaurant that makes graduates look forward to going back to Katipunan. However, I’m skeptical to recommend it whole-heartedly because there really are some dishes I’ve tried that I didn’t like. It’ll find a place in your heart if you get to eat the good ones, though. This is perfect for after school bonding sessions with your lover :)