Choosing where to eat can get mighty confusing. Should you go for a huge pizza, a fat, juicy slab of steak, or a dozen sticks of isaw (courtesy of your neighborhood carinderia)? And with Valentine’s Day just around the corner, you’re probably even more pressured to pick out a really special place. But if you were to ask me, I’d say stop stressing about where to eat, and look no further than your own kitchen.

Though making reservations at a fancy new bistro (rather than cooking something from scratch) may sound more appealing, having dinner at home on Valentine’s Day has its perks. And here are a few:

Make Love, Not (Parking) War

Eating in means you don’t have to bother with making last-minute reservations. It also spares you from the hassles of heavy traffic and limited parking spaces. This lessens the chances of you getting all stressed and hot-headed (and picking a fight with that double-parking jerk). Instead, you can take your time freshening up, and rest assured that the only war that will take place is over that last slice of cake.

Yes, I can Most Definitely Hear You

Restaurants tend to get crowded and noisy during V-Day, so it might take you a while to realize that your date is just mouthing, “Please pass the butter, babe.”  In the quiet privacy of your home, you will have no trouble understanding the words coming of your date’s mouth. Which makes it so much easier to exchange sweet nothings over a lovely glass of bubbly.

If you’re still having second thoughts, you’re probably still dreaming of your favorite restaurant’s dishes. But thank your lucky stars! We at Pepper.ph have prepared a menu guide of our food hacks, which are perfect for a Valentine’s dinner that’ll surely make you and your date grateful about choosing to stay home.

Enjoy!

On a Diet

Starter: Cyma’s Roka Salata
Main Dish: Cibo’s Penne al Telefono
Dessert: Real Coffee and Tea’s Calamansi Muffins
Beverage: Water (seriously?)

Hungry

Starter: Yellow Cab’s Squash Soup
Main Dish: Bugsy’s Buffalo Chicken Tenders with Kimpura’s Teppanyaki Fried Rice OR Chili’s Mashed Potato with White Gravy OR both!
Dessert: Flaming Wings’s Wicked Oreos
Beverage: Bon Chon’s Orange Iced Tea

Starving

Starter: Cyma’s Roka Salata and Yellow Cab’s Squash Soup
Main Dish: Pepper Lunch’s Beef Pepper Rice OR Recipes’s General’s Chicken
Main Dish 2: Pancake House’s Spaghetti
Dessert: Real Coffee and Tea’s Calamansi Muffins AND Flaming Wings’s Wicked Oreos
Beverage: Happy Lemon’s Tea with Rock Salt and Cheese