Bigg's Diner

After some strolling in SM Batangas, I, together with some of my workmates, finally decided to eat in one of the restaurants in the mall. This time, we had our lunch in Bigg's Diner.

I actually didn't have a clue what type of food they serve here, but I didn't really care anyway as the restaurant looked really attractive. It reminded me of T.G.I.F. with a mix of Burgoo.

It was a very nice and interesting place with a lot of accents and decorations inside. It pretty much looks like a typical American bistro but  what's surprising is it's not a foreign establishment at all - it's very much local. I tried to do a little research and, in their really cute website, I saw that Bigg's actually originated in Naga City. Cool, right?

Nice interiors, eh?

Forgive me, I just can't get over the sign. Haha!

Anyway, the store really has a very cozy and comfortable ambiance, but I guess the food we were served during our lunch wasn't really that satisfactory.

Firstly, we wondered why there's Kimchi on the menu. I was a bit confused with the menu honestly. Apart from Kimchi, there's Laing and Pinangat too, and I was made to believe that this place is a diner that's supposedly serving burgers, fries, and steaks. The inclusion of so many different dishes was a little awkward. I felt like the poor singled-out Korean dish was misplaced!

Nonetheless, we still ordered some of their bestsellers here and, because I love pork so much, I had a plate of Pork Cordon Bleu. Yep, you read that right. It's pork, not chicken.

Well, I was a bit optimistic about this one, but dang! As I thought, it was really bad. Haha! The first issue I had with this dish was with the vegetables. I am pretty sure that they're just bits of veggies from a frozen pack of preserved corn and carrots! I should have just grabbed one from SM Supermarket and buttered it a bit. It's pretty much the same.

Pork Cordon Bleu Platter (P 152.00)

But, of course, the pork had issues too.  Well, it's edible, but not really delicious. The problem I had with the pork was it was hella tough. It was dry and extremely hard to slice.They should have provided me a steak knife or, heck, an axe! The meat was just too thick and, naturally, chewy. Then, as if it wasn't enough, there wasn't even a tinge of bacon or ham flavor in this dish. That distinct Cordon Bleu character was almost nonexistent here because of their failure to choose a better cured meat. My expectations might be too high for some, but I don't think this one's Cordon Bleu at all. It's closer to breaded pork chop (extra tough version), imho.

Good thing, the Baked Mashed Potatoes was very good. It actually saved the entire meal from being a total disaster.

Breaded Fried Chicken (P 89.00)

The fried chicken though was okay according to my boss's son.

Tuna Sandwich

But the tuna sandwich didn't pass the fishy flavor test. It was way too fishy for my colleagues who have just had a perfectly made cheesy tuna sandwich from the restaurant across, Bel Piatto. They could have probably drained the canned fish a little more to remove the fishy stench from the tuna or they could have added some lemon juice or something. I don't know.  

Nonetheless, for the price, the dishes were acceptable. I am still thinking of going back here to try out the Kimchi and other misplaced stuff on the menu. Maybe they're better than their American dishes.

Bigg's Diner

SM Batangas Ground Level, Pastor Village
Brgy. Pallocan West, Batangas City