Papa John's in Manila

Papa John's Menu Appetizers

Papa John's Menu Pizzas

One of my favorite American pizza chains is finally here!

Papa John's has been operational for about three months now. As far as I know they only have 2 branches here to date. As is the fashion in Philippines, the Papa John's here is a far cry from what it is in the U.S. They've completely pimped it out and made it into a "proper" restaurant unlike the ones I used to go to (or called) in the outskirts of Baltimore.  Those joints were mostly for deliveries and/or pickups and had no seating whatsoever. Don't get me wrong, ingredients and taste are exactly as how I remember it, but the facade couldn't be more different.

My flatmates and I used to call for delivery on days when we were too lazy too cook, or celebrating something, or stressed out, or watching a game, etc etc. We used to order the extra large Hawaiian Barbecue Chicken Pizza, and one or two orders of spicy buffalo wings.  All three of us would wipe all that out in less than 15 minutes tops.  My personal favorite is the Spinach Alfredo Pizza which, sadly, isn't available here.  That pizza was such a revelation for me. I became a fan of white sauce bases on pizzas ever since.

My former flatmates and I have been planning to go together to the Papa John's at Robinson's Galleria as a reunion of sorts but our schedules just haven't jived recently. Out of respect for them, I abstained from ordering the Hawaiian Barbecue Chicken Pizza on this trip since I've decided to save it for when we guys finally meet up. *HINT HINT*

So it became yet again another date out for me and Yuri. It was working date though since we were sort of negotiating with a client over the phone while we were there. Still, once the pizza and cheese sticks were placed on the table, we had to put down the phone and give the dishes their due homage.  Our plates were served warm which added a nice touch and was a good omen of things to come.

 Small Grilled Chicken Deluxe Pizza Php 320.00

I ordered the closest pizza I could find to the Spinach Alfredo Pizza and that was the the Grilled Chicken Deluxe Pizza which had a carbonara sauce base.  It's toppings consisted of grilled chicken, ham, bacon, and bits of portabello mushroom.  They served it with a side of their uber buttery garlic sauce and a big piece of Jalapeno pepper.

We also went ahead and ordered their Cheese Sticks, which surprisingly, in all appearance and taste, was simply a 9-inch cheese pizza.  100% mozzarella gooeyness covered and served again with their special garlic sauce.  Yum!

Cheese Stick Php 90.00

The dough is exactly the same as the ones I used to have two years ago; perfectly chewy and moist.  John Schmatter (Papa John's founder) would be proud.  You can easily pick up the wheat incorporated into their dough which has always made it stand out for me.

My prospects for this weekend's Superbowl are looking up.  We have some sort of game plan in the works.  Yuri and I plan to buy our Papa John's pizza to-go on Sunday night  (barring any episodes of laziness) since the Superbowl will be aired here on Monday at 7:30 AM on the ASN Network.  I'm definitely bummed that the Baltimore Ravens didn't make it, but I've got a huge grudge against the Steelers so I'll be cheering on the Green Bay Packers just as fiercely.  Papa John's Pizza + Beer + Popcorn is the closest combination I can find to recreating my early days with Yuri.  Should be fun! Unless the Steelers end up winning. AGAIN. Argh.

Our Verdict:

This gets 4.5 stars (out of 5) for yumminess, cleanliness of the place, and sentimentality.  The only reason why I didn't give it a perfect score is that the price is a bit high for the size of their pizzas.   Overall, I am extremely satisfied with the whole experience. :-)



Address: Robinson's Galleria Veranda, EDSA cor. Ortigas Ave, Pasig City