We were walking around Sta. Lucia mall after running some errands when we found this striking Filipino restaurant, Pedro ’N Coi. With quirky features and Instagrammable Pinoy-themed corners, the restaurant is really inviting. Plus, they serve Filipino food which means it’s a sure shot that we will have no problem ordering something for Ezra (Yes, it’s sinigang!).

     

First impression? Cool. It’s surrounded with an assortment of Filipino decors and details with some humorous signs and posters here and there. They have a “bus section” which carries a diner-style seating; a “jeepney section” that has 2 booths, carenderia-style; and some traditional seats around. The cashier counter or register is found at a sari-sari store booth, and the restroom (one room for both males and females) is in the “doble karaoke room”. The concept was really well thought-out and I think we’re really lucky to be there after lunch, which means there is no crowd.

It’s no surprise, though, that the restaurant is really pretty. The owner is no other than Ms. beauty and brains Shamcey Supsup, a summa cum laude architect, and her husband Lloyd Lee.

There is a wide food selection which goes from appetizers like Tunog Kalye Set (Kwek kwek, fishball, kikiam, chicken skin) to classic Filipino desserts such as Puding ni Donya Buding (ice cream and bred pudding topped with nuts and caramel). What’s really captivating are the fun names they have for each dish. Examples are Skwidward, Adobodobodoo, Mang Inasar, Sizzling Bulalowlowlow, and Luis Mansanas! I honestly had a hard time choosing what to order because I took my time to really read all the catchy names! Haha!!

Anyway, we only ordered these to try out their food first:

Sinigang with deep fried pork belly

Price: Php 395.00

Verdict: ★★★

Fried pork belly was okay but soup lacked a certain oomph.

Ezra, who absolutely loves sinigang, even just ate a little.

Sizzling shrimps with Filipino-stye sausage (longganisa)

Price: Php 345.00

Verdict: ★

We honestly don’t understand the taste and there seems to be no better way to describe this.

The longganisa tasted weird and the sauce tasted like tomato ketchup.

Signature fried rice with Filipino-style sausage and egg

Price: Php 195.00

Verdict: ★★☆

Hmm, just another ordinary dish. We kinda regret we didn’t just order

the usual garlic fried rice, but it is what it is.

This is supposedly their best seller.

You have the option to pick chicken or pork sisig. We got the pork.

Verdict: ★★☆

It was kinda like the canned sisig of Purefoods but with real meat. People who love “livery” sisigs might like it. I, personally, am not so much of a liver lover but I do eat sisig, caldereta, etc. with liver.

Anyway the taste is just, uhm, mediocre. Also a bit too zesty (I think they put too much calamansi).

It definitely is not my type of sisig but it is edible.

Overall, we would say their food is really just ordinary. Like, nothing special at all. But, thumbs up to the creativity when it comes to food presentation, design of the place, and even the little details like the Pinoy-themed tableware and stuff.

There is one alarming thing, though… I don’t know if this is also a problem on their other branches but in their Marcos Highway branch, where we dined, it definitely is a huge issue…. COCKROACHES! I would’ve let it slip if it was one or even two roaches but no, it was like an infestation. As soon as our food started to arrive, the little pesky crawlies started coming out and went on like that the entire time we were eating! At least 2 cockroaches will show up then either me, Rael or any of the waiters/waitresses will take it out with some napkins. It showed up on the walls, on the seats, and on the table!!!!!! I hope this problem will really be rectified because frankly, we lost our appetite. 🙁

We didn’t take photos each time a roach comes as we tried our best to continue eating, but these are the ones I captured. The seat next to my husband also had cockroaches but I wasn’t able to take a photo because it moved too fast. Huhu, I hope they will address this issue asap. 🙁

Food: So-so. We give 2 stars.

Ambiance: 5 stars BUT because of the roaches, we give it 3 stars at most.

Waiting time: approximately 20 minutes (based on experience)

Service: 4.8 stars

Price range: mostly Php 200-500 per dish

Overall experience: 2 stars — Food is blah although quite average (Thank God we were not hangry otherwise we would be extremely unsatisfied), price is too high for what you’re getting so it’s not value for money (Like, we’d rather spend that amount of money on other restaurants), and there were cockroaches.