Mini Food Trip At Box Park

it’s been a while since i’ve done a food post on here, and i thought i’d slowly get back into it by starting with a mini feature on the newest food park in the metro, BOX PARK.

located along congressional avenue extension in quezon city, BOX PARK is a stone’s throw away from us northerners who, unfortunately, often get left out of the buzz from all those hip food joints that constantly pop up farther down south. this little area boasts over a dozen food stalls that offer various cuisines from thai to mexican, which also include an impressive array of unique menu items and fusion dishes.

to say that i was extremely excited to visit the food park is a serious understatement. and so one wednesday afternoon i met up with my friend ginge and we embarked on our little food adventure. oddly enough, we started with dessert first!

we opted to buy our soft serve ice cream + waffle parfaits from MR. DIGGINS before anything else, as we arrived just before dusk and we needed daylight to take some pretty pictures (priorities, eh?). i got black bay, which had some popcorn and loads of chocolatey goodness, while ginge got honey pot, filled with bits of honey crunch and slathered in caramel coating. we enjoyed our cups of waffle and ice cream, but i have to say, at P95/cup i think they’re a tad overpriced. still worth a try though, if you’re really curious!

after our little dessert-slash-appetizer, it was time for some real food. we walked over to THE FRY GUYS and shared an order of their torched cheesy fries (P150). we wanted to try the chili version but it wasn’t available (will come back for that another time), so we just went for the classic crispy bacon topping. they also melted the cheese in front of us with a handy-dandy blowtorch:

talk about mouth-watering! the fries were delicious and incredibly filling, but of course we had to try another dish to go along with it.

…enter the beer-braised carnitas (P150) from PLAZA DE TAQUERIA. you guys, this is SO GOOD. i am a huge fan of mexican food and this certainly did not disappoint. i will for sure try their other menu items–they all look equally tasty!

of course we needed refreshments to top off our dinner, and COLONEL FRANK’S juices (P50/pack) fit the bill. they come in adorably nostalgic plastic pouches and are so, so refreshing. we got green apple and dalandan — both delicious — and later got to try tamarind as well. colonel frank’s actually offers an assortment of one-of-a-kind loaded hotdogs, which we could no longer stuff into our full bellies, so we just stared at them longingly. 😛 it was a bummer; but hey, that means i have more yummy food to try next time!

finally, finally… before heading home, i decided to buy a couple orders of some japanese fare. i browsed the menu at OZAWA NORITAKO, which is notably one of the most interesting in box park. i took home two orders of their best-selling noritako (fusion of sushi + taco): beef tenderloin steak noritako (P145) and chicken karaage noritako (P130). both were quite phenomenal (the beef is especially tasty) and i highly, highly recommend giving them a go.

like, right now.

whether you live up north like i do or farther away, i think a food adventure at BOX PARK is worth the trip–especially when shared with good company. if possible, i’d recommend going before the dinner crowd arrives (the area’s open from 3pm to 12mn) to get good seats and, if you’re lucky, the elusive parking spot that isn’t a mile away. hope to see you there! 😉