Between the two quick-service Mexican spots, Zambrero’s hard shell chicken tacos (starting B69) beat Sunrise Tacos offering, no question. The price includes your choice of salsa and sauce, and an extra charge of B20 for additional guacamole. The warm-cooked chicken along with the generous amount of filling paired with chipotle sauce bursts with flavor, triumphing over the USA Cowboy Tacos (B265, 3 pieces) from Sunrise. These had relatively dry chicken and tortilla that tasted stale. Although the filling and taco ratio is reasonable—with plenty of cheese on top (yum!)—and they’re served with a side of nacho chips, the whole deal was just rather bland.

Verdict: Zambrero

 

Baskin Robbins’ Mint Chocolate Chip (B119/scoop but currently on promo at B99) ice cream has been the brand’s signature for many years, but now there’s a cheaper alternative thanks to Swensen’s recently added Thin Mint (B50). It’s pretty similar, only with a crunchier, less chewy texture. Still, Mint Chocolate Chip definitely has the mintier flavor as well as more chocolate chips in there, somewhat justifying the big price difference. But if you’re not too fussy then there’s nothing bad to say about Swensen’s alternative.

Verdict: Tie

 

 

It’s an easy win for Farmfactory (B135/189) here. The dressing is light. The parmesan flakes are hefty. The garlic toast tastes like garlic toast. The sun-dried tomatoes are a bit of a weird addition, but we’ll take them. OK, so Farm Factory’s service might be a total joke for anyone on a lunch-break rush (seriously, does it need to take one staff member to individually slice each olive?) but the place is way nicer to sit—all dangly bulbs and wood surfaces that are actually wood. The only thing we really like about the Dressed Caesar salad (B169) are those deliciously oily and plentiful croutons—though our waistline is probably much better off without them. 

Verdict: Farmfactory

 

Spongy and loaded with toppings, the medium-sized, thick crust Hawaiian Pizza from Pizza Company (B319) is everything you want from guilty-pleasure, fast-food pizza. Though the base is a little oily, overall it’s fluffy and tasty. Pizza Hut’s Hawaiian Pizza (B299) differs a bit. It’s drizzled with garlic oil as well as a dusting of parmesan for a taste that’s richer but best avoided if you need to meet with people after the meal. The crust is also not quite as fluffy as Pizza Company’s, but other than that there’s really not much in it.

Verdict: Pizza Company

 

While you might think more expensive always means better, that’s definitely not the case with the salmon sushi at these two chain Japanese favorites. At only B59, the salmon sushi at Oishi Ramen sounds too cheap to be true, but the deliciously vinegared rice and thinly sliced, fatty salmon come out on top next to Fuji’s B80 version. We found the rice here almost tasteless, with barely any trace of vinegar. The salmon wasn’t bad—cut longer than Oishi’s—but it didn’t get along well with the very salty shoyu.

Verdict: Oishi

 

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See also: Ultimate Convenience Store Showdown: 7-Eleven vs. Family Mart