Shakey's Monster Meal Deal

Shakey's was introduced to me by sister and her husband. I remember my first pizza bite back in high school when they treated me to dine in at Shakey's Tomas Morato, where the couple used to date. Their favorites are Manager's Choice and Chicken 'n' Mojos.

Manager's Choice is the No. 1 pizza at Shakey's. It's loaded with ham, beef, Italian sausage, green bell pepper and onions. The price varies if you opt to have the thin crust or hand-tossed. The regular thin crust Manager's Choice costs P303 while the hand-tossed costs P382. If you want a not so heavy snack in the late afternoon or a light midnight snack, I suggest that you order thin crust. But if you are loading up for an activity that requires energy or carbo load, go for hand-tossed.

For family celebrations or group gatherings, try Shakey's Monster Meal Deal which is good for 10-12 persons. It includes 2 large crisp, oven-baked pizzas, 2 platters of rich and flavorful pasta (Skilletti and Carbonara Supreme) with a Party Pack Chicken 'n' Mojos (12 pcs). Monster Meal Deal costs P2,999. If you are on a tight budget or celebrating with a small group of friends who are going on a diet, try other group meals:

• Family Meal Deal 1 ( good for 3-4 persons at P1,035 )

• Family Meal Deal 2 ( good for 5-6 persons at P1,727 )

• Family Meal Deal 3 ( good for 6-8 persons at P2,288 )

I am a huge fan of soups and salads. So when my son and I dine-in at Shakey's, I order fresh greens especially Ceasar Salad. For P209, you will enjoy fresh crisp lettuce loaded with crispy premium bacon bits, Parmesan cheese and crunch croutons, tossed in Caesar dressing.

Other must-trys are American Salad (P209) and Chunky Seafood Chowder (P106). The American salad has fresh Romaine and purple lettuce, sliced sweet apples, creamy feta cheese, walnuts, tossed in Shakey's special raspberry vinaigrette. The Chunky Seafood Chowder has bits bits of seafood meat, potato and garnished with fresh parsley. The creamy taste is somehow similar to S&R's Clam Chowder.