Jolly Frog

I came across this new Filipino food place along Neil Road in China Town called Jolly Frog. It's right below the PSG Asia office, right across a parking lot and a stone throw away from the offices of Ebay, Skype, and Paypal . It is a nice and decent place actually.

Well, the food wasn't that great, but the entire dining area is clean and comfortable. My colleagues and I had a peaceful and relax lunch.

The food lay out is the 'turo-turo' (literally 'finger pointing' i.e. you can point any food and mix and match as you like and the waiter will serve it to you in a plate) style in canteens or SM Malls' foodcourts back home. That day there were a few popular Filipino dishes like Tinola (Chicken boiled with Chayote,'Siling Labuyo' leaves -a type of chili,- and ginger, and spiced up with 'Patis' or fish sauce), Beef Steak, Pinakbet (ground meat boiled with an assortment of vegetables like squash, string beans, and bitter gourd spiced with 'Bagoong' or preserved anchovies), and some more.

My colleagues were not so impressed though with the dishes' taste. Even I, felt I have tasted better versions of those before. Well, there is always room for improvement. I guess the place has newly opened and certainly I hope, the owner is seeking feedback from patrons.

When I say peaceful, I mean this place is bereft of the typical noisy chatter one experiences in most Hawkers here in Singapore. Its relaxing in a sense that you don't find people milling around your table waiting like hawks for you to finish dining. The place is neatly painted white and adorned with a couple of decent paintings.

What is most commendable however is the display of the courteous brand of service by Filipinas who run the place. It is the beautiful and warm smile that sincerely conveys the willingness to serve and make you feel you are valued as a customer. My colleagues of course, expected no less, having known from their own experiences of Pinoys, how we are hospitable and courteous in our ways. Luckily, my countrywomen did not disappoint them.

Ironically, it was an Indian colleague who recommended to me the place. Tired of gorging the same kind of delicacies from Hawkers near our office day in day out, it was a pleasant surprise to find a Filipino food place in China Town. It was a nice respite from the 'chicken and char siew rice' for a change.

It was a nice excuse for me too to give my colleagues a perspective to 'Filipino dishes'. A few of my friends have asked where else can they find places to eat Filipino dish in Singapore. To which I mentioned 7,107 Flavours at Marina Square (where I have not been to yet, but heard so much from Pinoy friends the past year), and a few stalls in the historic Lau Pa Sat along Robinson Road like Ka Roger, Panyeros, and Jolly V.

I hope I will not disappoint them with 7,107 Flavours as I heard it's quite pricey compared to your usual dining place. Let me visit it one of these days and see for myself if the price is worth the dine. :-)