Premium Cafe Retro 525 : Korean-style Cafe in Angeles City

One thing that I love about k-dramas is when I get to have a glimpse of the food trends and scene in Korea. From local coffee shops to famous restaurants in and around Seoul, I can't help but wish that I can visit South Korea soon to fully experience the k-vibe and eat to my heart's delight. *Can I just teleport myself in just a snap of a finger?*

Thanks to my cousin-in-law B, who has always been my main source for food stops in Pampanga, as he recommended Premium Cafe Retro 525 which is just located along Friendship Highway. We went there for lunch with my university friends after we took our little ones to Dinosaur Island. Feeling famish and in the mood of anything cold as the weather was so warm, we were greeted by the beautiful and spacious interiors of Retro 525. I tell you, I don't think we have cafes this big here in Metro Manila. It has a center section with a wide array of breads on display. There's an ample amount of tables available at the ground floor but we decided to head up to the second floor where we pretty much got the entire place to ourselves. 

I tell you, this place is HUGE! This is probably why it's also a popular choice to host birthday parties or any private gathering as you barely have to style the venue up. Every corner is just so Instagrammable and you all know how that's a big plus nowadays. 

Like I mentioned, we were HANGRY so we wasted no time in ordering. Too hungry, I guess that we somehow ordered up a storm. Here are some of the things that I got and I'll tell you which ones I liked the most. 

Nachos (Php. 290) -- my friend D laughed when this was served on our side of the table. I knew what she was thinking "very predictable of Fran" haha my friends know how much I loveee nachos that I never miss any chance to order this especially when we're dining out as a group. Laugh all they want though but I know that they love nachos too. :) Retro 525's version did not disappoint. Loaded with cheese, salsa, sour cream and ground beef. Nothing extraordinary but it was quite close to the classic. 

King of Tonkatsu (Php. 390) -- Guys, look at the size of that pork cutlet! We are familiar with pork tonkatsu which normally is just the size of an adult palm. Plus, we looked at the price and it just felt right. Imagine our shock when we were served with this giant piece of crunchy pork fillet. It took up half of an oblong platter and is served with a cup of rice, fries and fresh salad. This is so worth it! It's good and it's reasonably priced. This is definitely good for sharing. 

Red Tteok Bokki (Php. 450) -- Well this one came with a "for sharing" tag so we were prepared. Since this was a Korean cafe, we tried something Korean to test its authenticity. The rice cake were chewy and I love the spicy level of the sauce. I also enjoyed the fish cakes (odeng) that came with it however I wasn't a fan of the dumplings which we found to be a tad dry and the boiled egg is something that they can do without. I'd probably like it more with some ramyeon noodles. Yes yes, I know carbs is life, guys. 

Hawaiian Pizza (Php. 420) -- The #AngTwins love pizza and upon hearing that they have pizza on the menu, they requested for this. This was the last to be served though and they already happily devoured the giant Tonkatsu but we can never pass up the chance to enjoy freshly baked pizza. I love the sweet tangy pineapples, the meaty sweet ham but what I don't get is why are there potato chunks on our pizza. Hahah! We tried it for a few more bites until we just find the texture a bit off. Perhaps it's not something that we're used to but I know for a fact that there's such thing as Potato Pizza in Korea so perhaps fans of this type of pizza would love this too. Anyway, we won't let these chunks of potato to rain on our pizza parade. We took all the potato out and happily enjoyed our Korean-style Hawaiian (what?!) Pizza. 

Over-all, we enjoyed the King of Tonkatsu the most. It was really tender on the inside and was perfectly deep-fried thus making the crust really crunchy in every bite. We also love that it came with 3 sides too. It was indeed a perfect sharing plate for 3-4 pax. 

They still have a lot of menu items that I can't wait to try! Premium Cafe Retro 525 is definitely one that I would love to return to soon. 

Check out Premium Cafe Retro 525 along Friendship Highway, Angeles City in Pampanga. I highly recommend that you message them to reserve a table prior to going as the place can get packed especially during weekends. Click here for their Facebook page.