Arts & Leisure Dieters beware: Calorific (but tasty) dining -- Nickky Faustine P. de Guzman   2  0 Google +0  0 Posted on July 21, 2016 WITH the opening of Applebee’s second branch in Eastwood City one may rejoice that its tasty food is more accessible, but also mourn the death of your diet.     PHOTO 1 2 3 Sriracha Shrimp    RELATED STORIES A taste of ‘refined dining’ in a Bicol bahay na bato A business lunch that seals the deal Learn to make cookies, coffee, and sushi at The Maya Kitchen Tastes from colonial Spain Singapore street stalls make dining history with Michelin star Filipinos love classic American comfort food -- burgers and fries, ribs, barbecue, and steak -- as it is always flavor filled and comes with generous servings. Applebee’s does not disappoint. What started as a mom-and-pop casual dining restaurant in Atlanta, Georgia in 1980 has grown into one of the biggest fast food restaurants in the world. Now it has more than 2,000 branches in the US, Guam, Puerto Rico, Brazil, Guatemala, Honduras, Greece, Indonesia, Kuwait, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, China, Egypt, and the Philippines. The menu selections at Applebee’s are close to our hearts and taste buds, said Global Restaurant Concepts (GRC), Inc. marketing manager Roberto Vallar. “The tastes are aggressive and bold because the flavors are layered and varied,” he said. Aside from Applebee’s, the Filipino company GRC, Inc. introduces, develops, and operates other international restaurants in the country including IHOP, California Pizza Kitchen, Gyu-Kaku, and Morelli’s. In 2007, IHOP purchased Applebee’s for $2.1 billion, and they are now both under the parent company Dine Equity. At the launch of the new branch, BusinessWorld got to try five of Applebee’s best sellers: Tacos sampler, Quesadilla burgers, Sriracha shrimp, Fiesta Lime Chicken, and Triple Chocolate Meltdown. All are photogenic and inviting. But behind their beauty is bad news for the diet-conscious: only four dishes in Applebee’s menu are under 600 calories. They are: Savory cedar salmon, Thai salad, Cedar grilled lemon chicken, and Cavatappi pasta with shrimp and broccoli. The rest are dietarily sinful. American dishes are, after all, notorious for being deep-fried, salty, and oily. “The Fiesta Lime Chicken, our customers’ joke, is the most ‘calorie-fic’ in our menu,” said kitchen manager Jaimie Lee Arneson. The dish is a huge serving of chicken meat bathed and swimming in melted cheese and mayonnaise on a bed of rice, some pieces of fried wanton, and served with a spoonful of salsa on the side. Ms. Arneson said she does not know how many calories the dish has, but she is sure it is filling. Applebee’s also prides itself as being the pioneer of the Quesadilla burger. It is a thick spiced beef patty, deep-fried, and coated with lots of cheese, and then wrapped in crispy taco shells. According to the Fitness magazine Web site, the burger has a whopping 1,820 calories, and if eaten with French fries -- an extra 440 calories -- comes to a total of 2,260 calories. Although the recommended calorie intake for women and men per day depends on their age, lifestyle, weight, and height, on average, a person only needs to consume 2,500 calories in a day. A quick look online comes up with a PDF file from Applebee’s listing the nutrition information on a large variety of its dishes (with the caveat that the numbers are as of April 25 of this year and good through Aug. 14, and only applicable to the USA). According to the tables, Quesadilla burgers come in at 1,410 calories, Sriracha shrimp contain 680 calories, Fiesta Lime Chicken is 1,140 calories, and Triple Chocolate Meltdown comes to 980 calories. The number of calories vary depending on the source, but in all cases, they are considerable. While the waiters asked if they could serve some shakes, this writer declined in favor of water. Applebee’s serves thick and creamy shakes in blueberry cheesecake and strawberry-banana flavors and some alcohol, too. No need to calculate their calories, because they are definitely more than 600. Applebee’s is not for solo eaters because its serving sizes are good for two to three people. This writer was alone (and on a diet) which is why I did not finish everything, but its best selling dessert, the Triple Chocolate Meltdown, was too tempting to pass. It is a piece of hot fudge chocolate with vanilla ice cream on top. Dessert is always a good idea.