Chuck’s Deli is a newly established sandwich deli with branches located in Eastwood Mall and Serendra. Owned by Chef Katrina Kuhn-Alcantara and her husband Marco Alcantara, Chuck’s Deli offers filling sandwiches with unique, catchy names such as Faking Duck (as in, “fake” and not the other word), French Kiss, Adobo Dobol, and The Buffy.
More than just merienda
Growing up in San Francisco, Marco had been seriously disappointed by the sandwich places in Manila. Perhaps this could be attributed to the Filipino treatment of sandwiches as mere snack food or merienda. If you ever had a sandwich in the Metro chances are it will not be as filling enough to be a full meal.
This is what drove the husband and wife tandem to put up Chuck’s Deli. The inspiration goes even further by offering American drinks and soda such as Rootbear float (A&W), Dr. Pepper, Fanta Grape, and Mello Yello.
What’s a Slabwich?
Chuck’s signature super sandwich — or “slabwiches” are served in a ten-inch long Ciabatta and weighs roughly half a kilo. It’s large enough for two to four people to share. It is so big that there’s actually a slabwich eating contest called the Chuck’s Challenge (more on this later). A half-size variant is also available for those who need something smaller.
Best sellers among the slabwiches are:
THE BUFFY – Slay some vampires with this Buffalo (aka “Buffy”) chicken, garlic sauce, and coleslaw sandwich.
THE REUBEN – Chuck’s rendition of the classic – homemade Angus corned beef, Swiss cheese, sauerkraut, mustard & Chuck’s sauce.
PILGRIM – Thanksgiving all in one sandwich, all year round! A slabwich celebration with dark or white roast turkey meat, stuffing, cranberry jelly and, of course, gravy.
I found the Buffy and the roast beef sandwich to be really good.
However, I had a lot of fun with the CALIFORNIA WAKI, which is essentially the popular Japanese sushi California Maki made into a sandwich. Whoever thought that kani, mango, egg, lettuce, and wasabi mayo would make for a good sandwich?
Comfort food for all
Aside from slabwiches, also offers subs served on hoagies. The top seller is the
PHILLY CHEESESTEAK – Beef, American cheese, onions, bell peppers, mushrooms.
Burgers are also available, which are served on sesame seed-sprinkled buns. The crowd favorite is the
MUSHROOM N SWISS (otherwise known as the Ruedi) – US Angus beef batty, Swiss cheese, mushrooms, lettuce, tomato, Chuck’s sauce, mayo mustard.
Other items on the menu include Flatwiches (paninis), soups, fries, salads, and pasta. Whatever your craving there is sure to be something in the menu to satiate your appetite.
One lettuce shake, please
Drinks in Chuck’s Deli also have little stories of their own.
Out of all the drinks on the menu it was the Power Shake that immediately caught my attention. It is a blend of lettuce, apple, and orange. The result is an interestingly refreshing drink that reminds me of the cucumber shakes I used to have at another establishment.
Chuck’s Milkshakes have a cult following. Three scoops of Arce Dairy Ice Cream blended with Fresh Carabao’s Milk! Flavors available include Vanilla, Chocolate, Strawberry, Caramel, Coffee Crumble, Quezo Real, Avocado.
What is the Chuck’s Challenge?
The Chuck’s Challenge is a slabwich eating contest where a patron must finish a full Buffy within 5 minutes. Finishers get the slabwich for free, a shirt that says “I can slay the Buffy in less than 5 minutes, can you?” plus their name on the wall of fame.
Fresh sandwiches made every day
What really had me on my first bite of Chuck’s was the bread. It was so good, especially the Ciabatta! The texture was amazing and complemented the filling quite well. This quality can only come from bread baked fresh from the oven stores itself. The bread used from one sandwich may differ from another depending on the filling, so that they complement one another. So it’s not a matter of simply throwing cold cuts and greens in between a bun — every dish is well though out.
Their sandwiches are really unlike anything you can make at home.
A deli like no other
Chuck’s Deli owes its distinct taste to Chef Katrina, who conceptualized each dish from scratch. What’s even more interesting is that the owners chose to make their own raw materials such as corned beef, patties, sausages and potato chips. They even make their own sauces and sauerkraut! Katrina had her culinary training at Le Cordon Bleu, Paris.
Meals are served in a casual and laid back environment reminiscent of delis in America. The sandwiches are serve don wooden slabs lined with paper and diners are encouraged to eat using their hands — the way sandwiches should be eaten! It really is a no-frills place.
Smokers will be happy to know that outdoor seating is available. Patrons also get to enjoy free Wi-fi internet access.
When you visit Chuck’s Deli, make sure to bring a friend along. The portions are huge and meant for sharing, which averages to about 250 pesos per head for one meal.
Visit Chuck’s Deli today
Serendra
G/F Serendra,
Bonifacio Global City
(02) 576-4210
(02) 846-1734
(0923) 398-6378
Eastwood
G/F Eastwood Mall,
Libis, Quezon City
(02) 900-0503
(02) 451-1163
(0933) 441-8622
Operating hours are from 11:00AM to 10:00PM for both the Eastwood Mall and Serendra outlets.
For more information visit the official website.
Chuck’s Deli photos
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