Date # 9: Chili Willy’s [Closed]

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  Chili Willy’s is a restaurant that serves Tex-Mex cuisine. It comes from the same food chain that brought us Grilla and The Old Spaghetti House. 

  It’s a good place for hanging out because of the abundant couch seats  and because it has a television. This place is relatively more peaceful than the other establishments in Katipunan (which are often populated by noisy, rowdy students). The light is dim to warm, giving a more subtle ambiance. 

  I noticed that our waiter, although attentive (maybe because we were the only ones in the establishment) didn’t have much knowledge about the menu. That upsets me quite a bit when most of things on the menu strike me as new.

   Oh, but they serve beer and cocktails. I love that.

  Their Chicken Tenders (P140) was crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside. Their round bite sized shape and crunchy texture reminded me of eating Planter’s Cheese Balls—but with chicken inside! The sauce on the chicken complemented the blue cheese dip, because while the cheese provided the tang, the buffalo sauce provided the kick! It wasn’t as spicy as others would normally prefer though, but it’s definitely just right for me. After I started eating one, I ended up popping one after another in my mouth.

  Value-wise, though, it’s quite expensive.

  I ordered Grilled Chicken and Fried Steak (P185). An order of it usually comes with plain rice, but I had mine upgraded to Cilantro Rice (P10). If you’re going to order this, I highly recommend that you upgrade your rice as well. Their cilantro rice has a sour taste that doesn’t overpower the meat, but instead adds a more Mexican feel to it. 

  I found the grilled chicken small, but it was juicy and tender. Mind you, I’m very particular with the tenderness when it comes to things I have to slice because I don’t have much patience with a knife. I’m glad this one passed my standards. In terms of taste, however, it wasn’t anything memorable.

  As for the steak, I believe it could be better if it was grilled as well instead of fried. The frying had rid the steak of all its flavors. But it was tender and easy to eat as well. 

  I was already full after this P185 meal. That’s good value, I’d say.

  Oh wow, isn’t it beautiful? Douglas ordered the Beer Battered Fish Fillet and the Short Ribs (P185). He also had his rice upgraded to cilantro rice. 

  He loved the ribs because of its fall-off-the-bone texture, and also because of the delectable barbecue sauce that it was coated with. He had me taste the sauce, and I’m happy it wasn’t a Hunt’s BBQ Sauce rip off. It was something else altogether. It had the signature BBQ taste but also had a distinct, sweet taste to it.

  I particularly loved the beer battered fish fillet. In truth, it didn’t even need sauce at all! It won because of the batter, which had sort of a buttery taste with a hint of beer. 

  He could only wish that the rice was served to us a little bit hotter though.

The Verdict: Not everything fit perfectly, but we were quite happy and satisfied with our lunch date in Chili Willy’s. We’ll definitely visit again next time. I love the warm and peaceful atmosphere, perfect for long, romantic drinking sessions.

Try eating the Blackened Catfish when you go there. I haven’t tried it personally but a lot of people have been raving about it.

Chili Willy’s

Katipunan Avenue

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With and For Love,

Rina Caparras and Douglas Chong 

http://mydailydoseofrina.tumblr.com

P.S. Pardon the cellphone pictures, we forgot our camera. :(