Burger Bar's Double Cheese Burger and Salted Caramel Milkshake

Disclosure: I'm not a burger fan. My taste in burgers is very pedestrian: Jollibee's Amazing Aloha and Wendy's Bacon Cheeseburger hit the spot for me. But, who knows? Perhaps it's just a question of not having met the the burger that would win me over.

A couple of months ago I met up with some classmates in Makati's Burger Bar. I ordered the double cheese burger. The patty was moist, juicy, ginormous, and beefy. For this burger it's all about the meat. This is best for those with hefty appetites. juicy, 

Good thing I paired my order with the generous salted caramel shake. The shake was sinful, creamy, and rich, and you could really taste the the salted caramel--reason enough to smile. Oh, and did I mention it has generous swirls of salted caramel? Am I a convert? Almost. 

Burger Bar
Greeenbelt 2, Makati
(+63) 02 625 2792

Boracay's Sababi of D'Talipapa for Buttered Prawns and Tapas de Dos Mestizos

Last year I posted a double feature on my solo trip to Boracay, which you can click here and here. I wanted to try D'Talipapa, but decided against it.

This year, with friends in tow, we went to D'Talipapa's Sababi. D'Talipapa is a cluster of restaurants surrounding a wet market where you can buy your proteins, mostly seafood, and accompanying vegetables and fruits. You then have these cooked in one of the stalls, just like Macapagal Boulevard's Seaside. At Sababi we had perfectly cooked buttered prawns: the skin did not stick to the meat even after resting. The prawns were fresh and meaty.

 Don't expect anything fancy--just fresh catch and breaking bread at its most basic. 

Sababi
Aklan D'Talipapa
Boracay

The other night we went to Dos Mestizos. We had a delightful salsa dip that came with the complimentary bread. We then had tapas. 

I was enamored with the bold Spanish flavors, like those of the callos: so buttery soft and rich.

The reliable chorizos got smaller but taste as good as before.

We had refreshing sangria to wash down our tapas.

The best tapa for me is the tasty calamares (no need for the dip). The combination of soft flesh and crunchy batter shows good technique.

The salpicao is also good--rich, flavorful.

Dos Mestizos
Remedios Street, Sitio Manggayad
Boracay
(+63) 036 288 5786

Top Picks at Makati's Kitchen 56

One good thing about having foodie friends is that they alert me to post-worthy restaurants. One Sunday I was invited to try out Kitchen 56 at Jupiter Street, Makati. 

I fell in love with the watermelon and rocket salad, one of the prettiest dishes I've ever seen. It was sharp from aragula, zesty from the sweet-sour sauce, freshened by the diced watermelon and brightened by candied pili nuts. I was wondering what rocket was, and it turned out to be aragula. After the first course everything was a blur--next time I should really take down notes. ;)

The other stand-out dishes were the beef kebab and the soft taco beef bulgogi.

I made a mental note to try the kebab again: it was hefty, tasty, and oh-so-tender.

Kitchen 56
56 Jupiter Street
Bel-Air, Makati
(+63) 02 856 4144

Azzurro Ristorante Mediterraneo's Baked Oysters, Braised Ox Tongue, and Paella Valenciana

A few months ago I visited the newly opened mall in Makati, the Century City Mall. Before watching a movie, we had dinner first at Azzurro Bistro and Bar which I enjoyed very much. Below are pictures of what we ordered.

I love the baked oysters: they used heavenly fresh oysters. generously topped with butter and cheese. The  braised ox tongue was buttery soft, with a rich mushroomy sauce balanced by capers. I'm partial to paella, and the paella valenciana was tasty. Can't get enough of the toasted rice lining the pan. 

Azzurro Bistro and Bar
Century City Mall
Kalayaan Ave., Makati
(+63) 02 519-3928

Dagupan City's Pigar-Pigar

This is one hefty plate of pigar-pigar, Dagupan City's well-known street food, beloved by students and beer drinkers because it is cheap and filling. Imagine stir-fried strips of beef (sometimes cara-beef) and liver bits loaded with cabbage and onions. This could be gamy, so be generous with calamansi, chili, and fish sauce. Zamora Street in Dagupan City is ground zero for pigar-pigar, where stall upon stall offers this dish at night. 

I grew up in Dagupan, but this was the first time I sampled pigar-pigar. A trip to the city is not complete without eating this, aside from the other Dagupan favorite, the Bonuan bangus. I'm still at a loss though, why they call it pigar-pigar. Pigar is Pangasinan for to flip over. I guess this describes the cooking method of stir-frying the beef strips. 

Boracay: All Things Savory

This is my second entry on my recent restaurant run in Boracay. You can check my earlier entry on the sweet stuff here. For my non-food posts, you can go here, here, and here. 

1. Smoke's Pork Kao Pad

The kao pad (Thai fried rice) also comes in chicken but since my default fast-food meat is poultry, I went for pork. This is one savory and flavorful dish from the 24-hour restaurant. Imagine rice flavored with either (I'm guessing here) shrimp or fish paste, topped with strips of fried egg and ripening mango, the sweet and sour of which contrasts beautifully with the fried pork and rice.

Smoke Restaurant

D'Mall, Station 2, Boracay 

(+036) 288-6014 

2. Aria Cucina Italiana's Marinara Pasta

Just divine. I went to other tony and/or hyped restaurants, and I ended up disappointed, but not here in Aria. I've never been partial to tomato-based sauces, but this one is light and delicate, making me want for more. I had to slow down to savor the dish--the squid and shrimp were so fresh, and came out sweet. This is one of the better pastas I tasted and I don't mind paying more for this.

Aria Cucina Italiana

D'Mall, Station 2, Boracay 

(+036) 288-6223

3. Dos Mestizos

I came for a mojito, but lingered after ordering their excellent chorizo tapa. Their home-made Spanish sausages were to die for--very flavorful and garlicky that I wanted rice to go with the tapa. Perfect with the complimentary bread and the accompanying potatoes. By the way, the tomato and onion dip of the complimentary bread  was so good.

Dos Mestizos

Remedios Street, Sitio Manggayad

Malay, Aklan

(+036) 288-5786

4. Real Coffee and Tea Cafe's Marty's Chicken Omelette with Pesto

For those with hefty appetites, this generous dish is just right to jump-start the day--it was delicious and creamy. Just be sure that your omelette include pesto, as it went well with the egos and tomatoes. This was heaven on a plate. For my post on the cafe's calamansi muffins, go here. 

Real Coffee and Tea Cafe
Sea World, Station 2
Balabag, Boracay
(+036) 288-5340

5. Manana Mexican Cuisine's Pollo Taco

The restaurant's chicken soft taco was a winner, despite the unsatisfactory service--the waiter who served me not only look bored, but he seems to prefer attending to foreigners. You can read the rest of the unfortunate incident here. If you don't mind extra heat, the chopped tomato and spicy sauces were quite potent. 

6. Bite Club Burger's Burgerella with Wasabi Mayo and Teriyaki Sauce

This is one hefty burger, truly a a meal in itself. This was my first meal in Boracay in my recent visit. It was juicy, beefy, and laden with mozarella, with the wasabi providing a nice kick.

Bite Club Burger

D'Mall, Station 2, Boracay 

(+036) 288-5947

7. True Food Indian Cuisine's Lamb Rogan and Naan Bread 

The soft, chewy bread was perfect with the aromatic, spicy, oh-so-tender lamb. I love sopping the sauce with the bread. The spice level slowly builds up to a satisfying end. 

True Food Indian Cuisine
Station 2, Boracay
(+036) 288-5947

It's All in the Mix: Great Meal Combos at Banana Leaf

I've been to Banana Leaf twice previously, the first was more than a decade ago when it was newly opened, and I must say I was impressed. The next visit was only recent, and I wrote about it here. For this month I've been there twice, and call it serendipity, but the meals we ordered worked well together that I'm kicking myself for not dropping by the restaurant more.

Combo 1: Chicken Satay + Stir-Fried Malay Noble Leaves with Garlic + Penang Fried Rice with Salted Fish and Chicken

Chicken Satay (P138)

Stir Fried Malay Noble Leaves (188)

Penang Fried Rice (P188)

I let my friend do the ordering when we met in the Greenbelt 3 branch. I love the honey-sweetened Chicken Satay (satay is skewered grilled meat)--juicy and perfect with the peanut sauce. The garlicky greens went well with the chicken and fried rice. The other choice was Kangkong in Sambal Sauce, but I thought we need something different this time. I was intrigued--what are noble leaves? They sure are tasty. The fried rice had just enough saltiness and was full of chicken bits. The combination was well-balanced, and we capped  it with creamy Thai iced tea. Note: sweet counteracts spicy, so have a sugary drink if you think you're not sure if you can handle spicy food.

Combo 2: Malayan Beef Curry with Potatoes + Japanese Eel Fried Rice

Malayan Beef Curry (288)

Japanese Eel Fried Rice (P188)

The next day I went back (in the name of research,  just to make sure the other day was not a fluke), this time in the Robinson's Place Ermita Branch. I ordered  Malayan Beef Curry and Japanese Eel Fried Rice. I thought the flavors would clash but they melded well together. Imagine  soft beef in creamy curry and lovely Japanese eel fried rice. It was a heady and tasty combo, indeed a very satisfying meal.  The server was right--they do good curry. I thought the curry was not spicy enough, but a few minutes later small spice bombs detonated in my mouth. It was also much later did I sense the umami goodness of the eel. The rice did not overpower the curry, allowing the latter to shine through.  I ended up mixing the curry in the rice.


Banana Leaf Asian Cafe
#213 Level 2 Greenbelt 3 Mall
Ayala Center Makati
(+63) 02 729-3333

188-189 Level 1 Robinson's Place
Midtown, Ermita, Manila
(+63) 02 567-1888

Myron's Place for Seafood Spaghetti and Franco's Choice Angus Beef Rib Eye

I've been to the Rockwell branch of Myron's Place before, and I was quite impressed. I've been going to Makati to meet friends and catch up on one another's affairs. Since I blog on food, I'm given the task to scout around for restaurant choices. Good thing there are quite a few good selections at Greenbelt, including Myron's Place, so we decided to meet up there. Here are the dishes that rocked my boat: 

The spaghetti with seafood, anchovies, roasted garlic, and extra virgin olive oil. I prefer my pasta in olive oil and topped with seafood. Having one that is well-balanced is tricky, I often have more misses than hots. For me, the spicy tuyo (dried fish) pasta I had in the BenCab Museum is still the standard. Good thing this pasta was flavorful--the anchovies punched up the subtler flavors of the other seafood. This gets my vote as one of the better seafood pasta I've tried.

Myron's is known for its steak, and the Franco's choice, topped with pan-seared foie gras, didn't disappoint. The beef was soft and tender, and since I was the only one who wasn't on medication, I thoroughly enjoyed the heavenly foie gras. I will go back for this next time, definitely medium rare, since we had it well-done.

Myron's Place

Greenbelt 5

Legazpi Street, Legazpi Village

Makati 

(+63) 02 757 8898

Top Picks from Tagaytay's Breakfast at Antonio's

It's a good time to be a foodie--there are countless options available, helped in large part by media playing up the restaurant scene. One of my officemate's mother watch Kris Aquino's morning show to see what restaurants the latter will recommend. Back at the office, my colleague would regale us with their latest weekend adventure, complete with Instagram-worthy pictures.

Breakfast at Antonio's came in my radar via one of the blogs I follow. One day, while stationed in Tagaytay, I called up the gang and headed there for dinner (smile). Below are my favorites:

I love the beef tapa and eggs. The tapa was savory, and flavorful, perfect with rice.

If I had to go back, I would order the sauteed corned beef. It was soft and flavorful, and not too salty. I also love how peppery it was.

If you're a fan of burgers, try Breakfast at Antonio's version.The patty was beefy, the capers gave a sour-salty punch, and the bun was wonderfully creamy.


Breakfast at Antonios
Brgy. Neogan Purok 138
Tagaytay City Cavite
(+63) 46 413 0975

Top Picks at Old Swiss Inn Restaurant

Once we entered the restaurant, this crossed my mind: it needs a make-over. I'm willing to look past the tired interiors if they serve good food, though. Fortunately, the bacchanalian gods were with us during our visit. Here are my favorites:

Corned beef. I learned quite late that corned beef is salt-cured beef, and not limited to the canned variety. Old Swiss Inn's was soft and superb, and quite interesting with either the mustard and horseradish dip.

The shrimp and bacon pasta. I wasn't inclined towards it at first, but I ended up loving it.

The sausage platter. I was partial to the the Schublig and Hungarian variants, the rosy, full-flavored beauties in the pic.

For dessert, we had the choco fondue. The fragrant Toblerone dip was intoxicating.


Old Swiss Inn Restaurant
Garden Plaza Hotel
1030 Belen St
Paco Manila
(+63) 02 522 4835

Soi Restaurant for Beef in Red Curry, Crab Rice, and Thai Rice Noodles with Fish Balls

I've been to Thailand a couple of times, and let's just say I love their spicy cuisine. Unlike many Pinoys with delicate palates, I would like to believe I have a high-tolerance for spicy food. If you see someone breaking into a sweat, nursing a runny nose, and suppressing a cough, that's not me, LOL.

I'm wary of going to local Thai restaurants--I fear many would have tempered the authenticity out of their offerings. But one thing I learned is that you can request them to prepare the dish the way it was meant to be served. This lesson I gained when I first ordered the Beef in Red Curry. It was rich and adequately spicy, although it could be stellar with added heat. I love the greens and the baby corn. I paired it with Crab Rice, which didn't stint with crab meat. A tad salty, the rice was good on it's own. I made a mental note to pair the Beef in Red Curry with plain rice next time, to appreciate its complex flavor.

A few weeks later I returned, and this time I asked the staff not to temper the heat. It was superbly spicy, subtly sweet, creamy, with the unmistakable aroma of kaffir leaves--I love it!

I also ordered Thai Rice Noodle Soup with Fish Balls--light soup of flavorful fish balls and crab balls, and fresh fish. I love the crunch of the sprouts. Both dishes left my tongue on fire! 

Soi Restaurant
Ground Floor Robinson's Place
Ermita, manila
(+63) 02 523-1189