Comfort Food Chronicles: Ritchie's Diner

Everyone has their own comfort food, the dish that instantly teleports you to another world, where everything is at peace, and every joy is sheer bliss.  Be it a simple small pasty treat, or as gargantuan as a whole lechon, it's what we crave for when we need to escape far away from our mundane lives even for just a few fleeting moments.

In my case, escaping is not too far away.  With practically just a hop and skip across to the beaming limelight of Aguirre Avenue, comfort food is literally just around the corner.  In this part of the famed avenue, several similar-themed shops have cropped up.  These joints primarily cater to families (unlike the hipper, noisier bars on the other side), offering predominantly American food: burgers, sandwiches, and chicken wings.  You guessed it.  Wings again.  One of my ultimate comfort foods.

However, on that Father's day pre-celebration night, we skipped the well-known wings restaurant for that gleaming shop right across it.  With its large bright yellow sign, it lures curious customers by riding on that American diner theme.  For sure, comfort food will be found here.  

Eat at Ritchie's

Ritchie's Diner actually stood on, should I say, hallowed ground.  Not so long ago, before food blogging and foodstagramming was unheard of, on this spot stood BF Homes' best kept secret.  Tarragon, a small restaurant cooking up classy dishes, used to serve here the best and most affordable lamb chop ever.  Gone are its glorious days, and another diner (South Diner) replaced its spot.  That diner did not quite pan out either, and it was recycled into what is now known by its incandescent sign.  Every night I passed by this shop, I noticed the number of cars parked in front.  Food must be good.

The place is well lit and inviting, with the typical American diner high-back chairs.  The wait staff are very amiable and accommodating, cheerful but not annoyingly so.  We picked a somewhat secluded spot on an adjoining room, and perused the colorful menu.

Like if you see Brad Pitt.

The selection was quite extensive, even offering Filipino favorites like adobo and tapsilog.  All 3 of us weren't in the mood for rice meals however, so we went American, in the spirit of the prevailing theme.  The orders were quickly served.

Fish and Chips, P130

I was feeling exceptionally healthy that day, so I went seafood.  Still, it was deep-fried anyway.  The Fish and Chips is classic diner delight, with beer-battered fish fillets partnered by crispy fries.  Sadly, both did not meet my expectations.  The batter was crunchy but rather thick, and the fish (I assume, cream dory) was nearly non-existent.  Nonetheless, whatever fish I could find tasted good and fresh.  If only I could find it.  The fries tasted like straight from the grocery frozen food stall.  It was not oily, but neither was it full and crisp enough.  If this was lard fries, I'd rather sin with McDonald's fries than this copycat.  At least that was infinitesimally better and more comforting.  The tartar sauce did not help in amping up the dish.  One may argue that at less than 150 bucks, what would you expect?  Well, Chuck's Grub serves up one mean fish and chips combo at near that price.  So go figure.

Macaroni, Sausage, Bacon in Mornay Sauce, P195

Mom picked a pasta dish, as expected.  This was essentially macaroni and cheese with, what pray tell, is Mornay anyway?  Whatever it was, this was adequately executed.  The sauce was thick and sticky, with the cheese gooey like mozzarella.  I could make out thin slices of sausages and a sprinkling of bacon, which gave body to this dish.  But, the sausages seemed like the local processed creations, while the bacon was wanting in amount.  The two halves of toast tried its best to complement the pasta, but the lack of meat, I felt, was a let-down.  Still, the sauce was superb.  I hoped they could improve on the sausages on this one, since this pasta dish is quite unique to their restaurant.

Southwestern Burger, P190

This bulky 1/3 pounder was Dad's choice, a meal fit for men.  Sandwiched in between the undersized buns was a thick all beef patty, slapped with a serving of beef chili, then a swish of tomato-cilantro salsa for good measure.  The beef was delectably filling, juicy and oozing with grilled flavor.  The chili, though, was nothing out of the ordinary.  The fries on the side were again, a forgetful experience.

So far, all three dishes seemed mediocre.  Luckily, I had ordered a fourth dish to share among us.  And this was my comfort food anyway.  And 'twas to be Ritchie's Diner saving grace.

Ritchie's Hot Wings (6 pcs), P210

I picked the 6 piece set, and once the dish was set on the table, I blurted out, "wow, ang dami pala!".  Unlike my other experiences with chicken wing joints, the 6 pieces really meant 6 pieces - the whole shebang.  Their version of buffalo wings glistened with red sauce screaming in hotness.  I hastily grabbed a piece and took a bite - the sauce was divine.  Their spicy soy mix was a wonderful blend of hot and savory, with a hint of mild barbecue sweetness.  With each successive bite, the spice kicks in and amps up.  More importantly, the sauce was liberally spread on every nook and cranny of each wing.  The meat though, was a bit dry and overcooked in some parts.  But the crispy chicken skin made up for it, with a crunchy texture in every bite.  This was the star of the night.  I almost couldn't restrain myself from ordering rice with this tasty treat.  Fortunately, although this was the appetizer, it arrived last, and I was already nearly full with that dastard fish and chips.  At just a tad over 200 bucks for 6 WHOLE  wings, this was a sure winner.  The chicken wing shop right across the street serves 3 pieces for nearly the same price.  So again, go figure.

Ritchie's Diner is a promising joint with a relaxing, laid-back, homey vibe, serving no non-sense comfort food at attractively low prices.  The familiar menu and the American diner feel are a definite plus, along with affordable price tags with NO service charge.  No wonder cars line up out front.  However, majority of the dishes we picked that night were misses than hits.  I hope they improve the fries, an ubiquitous part of a diner experience.  I've had better in fast foods.  Still, with an overall catchy theme and extensive menu, a few minor tweaks should get Ritchie's Diner booming in no time.

In the meantime, the Hot Wings should keep me coming back for more.  With a worthwhile price tag, hefty serving size, and not to mention just a stone's throw distance from my place, I now have second thoughts on going for the other shop across the street.  These Hot Wings will give Flaming Wings a run for its money.  No doubt.

Ritchie's Diner

303 Aguirre Avenue, Phase 3, BF Homes

Paranaque City

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Ritchies-Diner/288996811228466