Future-less Retro Taste: A Review for Honey’s Restaurant

Far from being just a usual eatery, Honey’s is the long-standing restaurant that has been dishing out different
kinds of meals since 1989, located at Matiao, Mati City. It is the most promising restaurant owned by Isona
Family and is well-known by the quality of the food that they serve which later on became a legendary tale that
is passed from the early Matinians up to now. Honey’s Hotel, which is located right next from the restaurant
and usually holds big events in the city, is one of the reasons why Honey’s is still at top of everybody’s list.

Upon entering the restaurant, a cold atmosphere will

welcome your arrival as if nobody is in that room except
you. They don’t even have a security guard that would at
least assure their costumers’ safety. A large signage
showing the menu and the price of each dish is visible in
front of the restaurant. When hearing the infamous
rumor about the restaurant, diners might be disappointed
and discouraged if they expect too much.

The ambiance, which is supposed to be the relaxing and

soothing aid for the customer while enjoying the
experience, is not in a good state. The dining area is a
mess that it would give you second thoughts to leave.
The room may be fully air-conditioned, but the thing is, the floor is full of dirt and dust which is unpleasing to
the eyes, of course who’s the lame brain that would choose to eat in a dirty environment? – well, not me. The
proper lighting and the music played, which sets the mode and tone of the atmosphere, respectively, is not
observed. It seems like they don’t have any idea about what a good ambiance could bring to a restaurant.

Moving on from that nightmare, good thing is that their service crew and experienced cook are very
approachable and helpful that we even had a close interview. I ordered 1 pancit (P35), two buttered chicken
(P50), 1 bowl of corn soup
(P25), and 1 rice (P10). It took
them 15 minutes, as they
promised, to serve me what
I’ve ordered and at that very
moment, my mouth starts to
water by just looking on how
the food is presented and
arranged on the plate. A plain
cup of rice with its deceiving
aroma is placed on the center with two golden brown and crunchy
buttered chicken on the right side. A gooey and greasy pancit above the loaf bread is placed right next to it,
and a cup of hot corn soup on the other side. Such a pleasure, yet a fleeting feeling. The pancit is bad and is
served cold and smells rancid which is probably there for quite some time. But other than that, I enjoyed the
rest of the meal.

If there’s something that Honey’s Restaurant should work a lot harder on, is its ambiance. To keep people on
dining in, they must put extra effort to lure the diners by improving the quality of their dishes and to make the
hall a worthy of admiration. It seems like this restaurant was not able to cope up with the civilization giving it a
negative impact on the business. I recommend them to renovate the building and set an elegant interior design
and to give emphasis on its detail.

With that experience that I had with Honey’s, I will give them 5 out of 10 stars. It is just fair for the retro-yet-
disappointing experience of a millennial like me. If you are looking for a place with a great food, Honey’s
Restaurant will do the job. On the other hand, if you’re looking for a snugly place to relax and set your own
mood, do not expect much from this restaurant.
Restaurant Review by LAURENCE NEIL YONGCO of Immaculate Heart of Mary Academy

ENGLISH FOR ACADEMIC PURPOSES RESTAURANT REVIEW SAMPLES ANA MARIE M. DELOS REYES
What’s Sweet about Honey’s?: A Restaurant Review
One of the most successful restaurants in Mati City is the well-known Honey’s Restaurant. It
is popular for its delicious lomi and pansit bihon, which have been the top-sellers for years.
The main branch, which is in Rizal Extension, was established on April 3, 1989 and the
Matiao branch, the focus of our review, is built 5 years later. Be it short orders or ready-to-
serve dishes, Honey’s will satisfy your hungry tummies with their tasty and delectable food.

Customers will be widely amazed by the resto’s serenity and ambiance once inside its
welcoming doors. As you step inside the magnificent room, the sweet aroma of cooked food
will greet you. It is a mix of flavors and seasonings diffused by the cold atmosphere brought
by the air conditioner. The restaurant is well-ventilated, has accessible lavatories and with
approachable service crew. Its cleanliness and simplicity is a thumbs up for me. But in terms
of cooking and serving time, it is a bit slower than what’s expected. It is also far away from the
city proper which makes it a less-guaranteed choice for
city-goers and dwellers.

For just ₱500, you can have dishes like buttered

chicken, corn soup, and pancit bihon that are good for 4-
5 persons; which is very affordable. The taste of the food
is extraordinary; it is full of flavors and has a blanced
taste between seasonings and main ingredients that will
make you crave for more and more and more of it. The
texture of the dishes is also better than those of other restaurants’ because you can tell if the
food is fresh or not, and Honey’s had an easy time keeping that kind of standards for
professional culinary cooking.

The Buttered Chicken is so juicy that you can taste its moistness after biting down on the
crunchy crust. The flavor is just right and perfectly seasoned. The pansit bihon is, however, a
disappointment because it is slightly bland and does not hit the mark. I feel excited when
soups are served in front of me and I always have this kind of high expectations for soups.

Honey’s corn soup didn’t fail me one bit; its creaminess is just satisfying. It has a mix of
overflowing flavors and it’s just the right taste, perfect for me and other soup lovers out there.

Honey’s, by far, is a fine choice for me so I will give it 7 out of

10. Their waiting and service time isn’t a cut out for me. I
don’t like the way they handle and manage the time for their
customers and making them wait a few minutes after the
given time for their orders to be served. Anyways, if you’re
looking for a place away from hungry and angry rushing
mobs, then this restaurant is a great choice for you and your
family to eat and relax in. But if you are in a hurry then I would not recommend it. It is a
unique and affordable diner with tasty food and charming place but their service is not that
eminent.

ENGLISH FOR ACADEMIC PURPOSES RESTAURANT REVIEW SAMPLES ANA MARIE M. DELOS REYES
The Unnoticed Taste of Honey’s: A Restaurant Review
Honey’s Restaurant in Matiao, Mati City is one of the famous restaurants because of
its delicious and various food choices. From the start, I always have this high
expectation of this restaurant because of the good remarks I’ve been hearing from my
friends who have dined there.

One unnoticed fact about Honey’s is the affordability

of its dishes which only cost me Php 100.00 yet, the
taste of its viands is worth more than that. The
restaurant is air-conditioned and suitable for family
bonding and other special gatherings. The waiters
are approachable and are one call away.

When the food I ordered was laid on the table, I

started to observe its outer texture and its
appearance. The buttered chicken appeared crunchy with a balanced aroma of its
ingredients. The soup looks creamy and you can smell the herbs seasoned to it.

Honey’s Restaurant indeed has the

unnoticed taste of luxury in their dishes at
very affordable price. If you are looking a
place to relax with very delicious and crave-
satisfying meals, then it is the only place I’ll
recommend to you. The restaurant has
been showing its veteran cooking style
since it was established on 1994. Their chef
who is Teotemo Saladaga, has a stunning
14 years of experience in cooking and has
been the face of Honey’s kitchen since the day he started working for the latter. Going
back to history, it is called Honey’s restaurant because the youngest daughter of the
Isona family is named Honey. I will rate this restaurant 8 out of 10 stars because like
any other restaurants, Honey’s is not perfect.

Restaurant Review by ARSEL THEO TEE of Immaculate Heart of Mary Academy

ENGLISH FOR ACADEMIC PURPOSES RESTAURANT REVIEW SAMPLES ANA MARIE M. DELOS REYES
Café Flora: Not So “Flowery” After All
BY: CAMILLE ANJELA CURITANA

Café Flora is a Filipino-themed all-you-can-eat buffet located at the second floor of the Marikina
Hotel. It is one of the most sought-after attractions of the said hotel as diners from all over the Philippines
visit it whenever they happen to be in Marikina. For all it is worth, it
seems to be doing a great job of attracting tourists, which I think, was the
very reason why the Marikina City government established the said
restaurant in the first place.

The problem, however, is that whatever positive impressions

diners may initially have about the Café Flora might pop like an
overblown bubble and discourage them from visiting the restaurant the
second time around. While the price of eating buffet style is highly
affordable and the ambience elegant, the food that they serve, which is
the primary reason why people go there, are, at times, not in their best
condition.

The dining area is also one worthy of admiration. Its soothing

scent, green curtains with elegant embroidery, and neatly arranged
dining tables all contribute to the relaxing ambiance of the place. Indeed,
one can feel stress going away upon being immersed in this comfortable atmosphere.

Upon entering the gates of the hotel, one can see right away the tarpaulin sign announcing the price of
the buffet, which is ₱ 150.00, exclusive of drinks. Anyone who wishes to try out their unlimited blue
lemonade or fruit juices should add a measly ₱ 50.00. This is not bad given that most all-you-can-eat buffet in
Metro Manila would have a dining price ranging from ₱ 500.00 to almost ₱ 1,000.00. Indeed, this seems like
a good deal for both the tummy and the pocket, and this also what lures many visitors into its elegant dining
hall.

Such a pleasure, however, may be short-lived. After just one round at the buffet table, one will get a
sense that the dishes have been there for quite some time. First and foremost, the appetizers are not quite
as appetizing; they are mostly comprised of vegetables which are supposedly fresh. But after a closer
inspection, one will find out that a lot of them are already worn out. Even the soups are disappointing; they
are usually served cold. Moreover, the main courses, especially the highly esteemed Filipino dishes such as
sinigang, bopis, and humba, are also in great need of reheating. For this reason, they are also very hard to eat
since cold meat does not only become bland to the taste but also quite difficult to chew. The dessert, on the
other hand, is nothing more than colored gulaman cubes which all taste the same way.

If there is anything that the management of Café Flora should work on, it is food preparation. To keep
customers pouring in, the management should exert extra effort to prepare dishes that are served at their
best. They should put aside the pwede na ‘yan (this will do ) mentality, which often breeds mediocrity, and
instead adopt a pwedeng-pwede (this is great) mindset which values being the best in every possible way so
that their buffet will always be sumptuous.

All in all, I am going to give Café Flora three out of five stars. If you are looking for a cozy place to
relax, then Café Flora will do the job. But if you’re after great food, do not expect too much from this
restaurant.

ENGLISH FOR ACADEMIC PURPOSES RESTAURANT REVIEW SAMPLES ANA MARIE M. DELOS REYES