Razon's - the restaurant that originated from Pampanga, made famous by their Halo-halo and Pancit Palabok, started to invade Manila. To as far south as Alabang, we found one of their Food Court Stalls in Town Center. I have good memories of this restaurant from our NCL (North & Central Luzon) Taste Trek. For so long now, I've been wanting to try these best sellers again. Hence, we were happy that there's now a branch near to us. There's simply no reason to hesitate, we immediately get into the queue.

Unfortunately, to our dismay the pancit palabok is not the same as to what we have tasted back in their Guagua branch. What used to be one of our benchmarks in one of our noodle projects, is now an "okay to be missed" dish. It's short in meaty character, the sauce is almost bland and a bit satiating. There's just something lacking in its overall taste. How come? Is it because, this is a "food court version"? I wonder if the same quality is being served in their bigger Restaurants. We have to go and find out one of these days. (We also have to check the Halo-halo). Is this always the pay-off when you commercialize products? Needless to say, consistent quality seemed to be the most challenging battle for any manufacturer or merchant. Yet, isn't it also the foremost attribute customers will look for?