Food, Kiosks and Stalls

55AZ Southern Flavors

There�s this song I recall from the eighties British music invasion: I remember only the chorus, hardly anything else about the song, but what I do remember is so catchy it gets into my head any time I see a particular number in a certain context (far from sounding like a British New Wave / Pop / Rock / whatever else song, it vaguely reminds me of Elvis Presley). I recall the title being 55 the Law, and while I had a hell of a time Googling the song and its lyrics, I did find out it was by the Screaming Blue Messiahs (though I suppose I might�ve had a better chance finding out more details if I asked Luis, haha). Not that any of this matters to the post I�m about to write�it�s just that the name of the place is 55AZ Southern Flavors, and since I now can�t get the song out of my head, I figured I would try to pass on the affliction to anyone who knows it as well.

Anyway, now that I�ve gotten that out of my system, let me get to the real point of this post. 55AZ Southern Flavors is a small snack bar next to Filinvest Mall�s cinemas that serves Mexican favorites like nachos and tacos. It�s much bigger than your typical taco kiosk, having a few tables and even a couch, but it still is pretty small, and when you consider the minute impact it makes on your pocket, you can psychologically lump this place together with the ubiquitous cheap food stands, the kind that turn a simple walk through the mall into a fattening food fest, or the sort you look forward to when going to a school fair. I suppose that�s why they located it right next to the cinemas�this stuff makes great food to go.

If you do intend to buy some food to take with you into the theater, skip the classic taco and get something easier to handle: they�ve got a fair number of options, including Soft Tacos and Burritos (a mere 49 bucks; 10 bucks more for Mexican rice filling), Quesadillas (P35; tiny but not bad for the price), or a Taco Salad in a cup (P45; which is what Nick had, since he was craving some veggies). I, however, had the luxury of a table and lots of tissues, so I also ordered a Corn Taco (P39, and messy as hell, which is not entirely the food’s fault).

I was rather surprised and impressed with their food: it was cheap but still very flavorful, and they didn�t skimp on the ingredients. The taco had a generous amount of lettuce, salsa, ground beef, and cheese, and the salsa even had some cilantro in it, which was a pleasant, authentic touch. Their quesadillas also came in a range of flavors like Pizzadilla, Chicken n� Cheese, Pesto n� Cheese, Spinach n� Herb Cream Cheese, and (like a Wendy�s Baked Potato) Cheese n� Cheese. I had the classic but unimaginative Garlic n� Cheese; this could�ve used a little more cheese and the garlic could�ve been a bit younger, but I enjoyed the strong flavors anyway (and who can complain for 35 bucks?). Nick enjoyed his Taco Salad, which came with Garlic dressing (I think they also had Ranch and something incongruous, like Italian or French dressing) and lots of veggies.

After we finished our meal, we (belatedly!) noticed that they had Chili Rice and a Chili Dog (both P49). In fact, they also had some pastries and coffee, to beat the garlicky aftertaste (not that I mind it, but the people I come across might). All in all, this is a great place to have a fun meal on the cheap.

Now if I can only get that song out of my head!

55AZ Southern Flavors

4th Level, The C Square, Festivall Mall,

Filinvest Corporate City, Alabang, Muntinlupa

Oh, and by the way, we missed a post over the weekend since we migrated the site to a new host. If the site behaves strangely over the next few days, we have an excuse. Please indulge us. We’re sorry for the hassle. Really, we are! :)

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