Sunday, July 27, 2008

What's your favorite burger? I bet we all have our own 'top burgers' list - from the food stall types to the fine dining, top of the line gourmet burgers, veggie burgers, chicken burgers, burger this and burger that! There are a whole lot of places to choose from when it comes down to chomping down a patty or two of that hamburger. For all those who are scouting Metro Manila for something new with burgers, check out the new kid in town!

The Business of Burgers

Martin Silverio, co-founder of Burger Avenue, is addicted to burgers. "Ever since I was a child, I was really into burgers," he shares, saying that as a kid he'd even order a burger when their family is in a fine dining establishment. His stint in Cebu for 6 years had him check out the burger business in the area, and later on he decided to come up with his own, bringing it to Metro Manila. He first tried out the burger biz at Baywalk, then eventually closed it down after six months. Now, at around two months old, Burger Avenue stands mighty proud and happy at its home in A-Venue Mall along Makati Avenue.

Burger Avenue

He mentions that the burgers available in the metro are really good, and I agree with that. These famous burger joints are actually inspirations for Martin, encouraging him to whip up his own unique flair with his burgers.

Clipcast

Burger Avenue

Gallery

A hamburger (which, if you didn't know yet, doesn't really have ham, and its origins are from Germany, not USA) is really a simple edible item - a patty of ground meat with some spices and flavoring here and there. The way the burger is served is what can make burger-eating loads of fun: have it in a bun, with fries, potato chips, rice, or what have you. There's so many pairing and combination options when your tummy is burger-bound. From flavors to sidings, to condiments and sauces, that's what makes each burger experience stand out.

For Burger Avenue, you will see (and taste) for yourself how it still has something fresh to offer in the business of burgers. "The profile of the burger is different," says Martin. Wrapped in white paper, it seems served to customers very plain. But when unwrapped, you will notice how significantly thick and wide their burger patties are. Definitely a plus for me, and surely for the many who are tired of the fast-food portioning of burgers in, well, fast food outlets. The oatmeal buns are also very soft, giving a good contrast to the thick and meaty texture of the burger. While some ladies will likely comment on how they cannot finish a Burger Avenue burger, I for one can eat one serving easily. These burgers are definitely the best friends of big appetites!

YUMMY.

The taste is different, too, as Martin experimented with the flavor to give the Burger Avenue grilled patties a different kick of their own. A good sized burger, with a noteworthy, different taste. And the best part is - it's remarkably priced!

While other places give you your plain burgers and charge you with each condiment you add on, Burger Avenue won't even go higher than P200. In fact, P200 is the most expensive item on the menu already - a burger with three patties!

Their basic burger, Avenue Burger, costs P80, and the Cheese Burger goes for P90. Want two patties? That would be worth P120, and with cheese, P140. Their Special Burgers are reasonably priced as well - most of them going for only P99!

Blue Cheese Burger

During my first visit to Burger Avenue, I got to try the Blue Cheese Burger (P99), and appreciated how the Blue Cheese sauce's sharp and pungent character add that oomph to the already tasty burger.

Barbecue Bacon Burger

On a lunch break a few weeks after my first visit, I decided to bring along some friends so we can try out other items in Burger Avenue. I ordered their Barbecue Bacon Burger (P99), which had bacon strips, plus a generous coating of sweet and tangy sauce on top of the burger patty.

Onion Rings and Potato Wedges

Pair your burgers with an ice-cold soda, and eat it along with Potato Wedges (P45) or Onion Wings (P45) (or why not both?) and it makes for a pretty satisfying experience.

Besides burgers, Burger Avenue offers rice and pasta dishes, and other kinds of sandwiches, if you want to take a break from all the burger binging. I especially liked their Spaghetti With Meat Sauce (P70), which I got to try out on my second visit as well.

Spaghetti With Meat Sauce

The pasta was simply laid out in a plastic container, looking like your common spaghetti, but I was surprised that it packed up a lot of flavor and cheesy-ness. Wait for it to cool down a bit as it is served fresh and piping hot when placed on your table!

That's Ridiculous!

What will probably get you guys on your feet and running right to Burger Avenue is their Ridiculous Challenge. This is where you can put your gut to the test!

Are you up for the challenge?

Make your way to the counter and order yourself a Ridiculous Burger (P200) - three big, thick, juicy patties in one burger. This burger is actually a steal at 200 pesos - most burger joints offer the same price just for one patty with a sauce of your choice. Now, back to the burger. It is ridiculous and action-packed with its three all-beef patties, a hefty stuffing of lettuce and tomatoes. And to top it all off, three slices of cheese.

The Ridiculous Burger

Ridiculously huge: My friend had to slice her burger...
and ended up eating only half of it for lunch.

Just inform the people at the counter that you are taking on the Ridiculous Challenge, and they will whip up their timer. Finish the burger within five minutes, ring the bell, and you get a full refund! Yep, a free burger if you can chomp on it before the time is up. And before you go on exclaiming, "That's ridiculous!", it sort of is not, as a good and growing number of people have triumphed over the huge burgers. Burger Avenue has a 'Hall of Fame' of sorts on their wall. They've got photos of the people who gobbled up the burgers in record time, proving that indeed, you can do it!

Are you on the list?: The growing list of Burger Avenue's Ridiculous Challenge winners

My first visit to Burger Avenue was made more fun because three men were up to the challenge and I got to witness one of them in full glory, finishing his burger within three minutes.

Three men up for the challenge: in the end, there can only be one!

The way they were eating their food actually made me crave for the Ridiculous Burger, but my gut reminded me I cannot stomach it for that day. Soon I shall conquer the Ridiculous Burger - I just need to prepare and psych myself up first before heading down Burger Avenue (no breakfast and lunch, perhaps?).

So the next time some of your friends or officemates chant that ever-so-famous "Pa-burger ka naman!" line, you now have one more hot item to add to your list... I've added Burger Avenue to the top of mine! And, hey, you can even treat your entire posse to a feast of Ridiculous Burgers - just let them know they have that five minute limit.

Burger Avenue delivers within the Makati area! Delivery hours are same as operating hours (10am to 1am Sunday to Thursday, and 10am to 3am Friday and Saturday). Delivery charge of P35 will be added.

Burger Avenue

A. Venue Mall

A. Venue Mall, Ground Level, Makati Ave. cor. Juan Luna St.
Makati

Phone Number: (63 2) 729-9108

Last Update: 2008 June 05

In-Yo

by Ritch

posted on Thursday April 10, 2008

Juggling school, three jobs, and motherhood is quite a task. The past few months have been so insanely busy that February, including Valentine’s Day, just came and went and I didn’t even realize it. So after finally realizing that the Mister and I completely forgot to celebrate Valentine’s (more than a month after!), we immediately set a night out to go on an extra-special date. We were determined to find somewhere super special to spend our Post-Valentine’s date, a place where we can forget all worries about work, a place where an exceptionally romantic dinner could be had, somewhere that will completely make up for the fact that we were celebrating a month late. And you know what? We did.

In-Yo: A Special Place.

Just walking towards In-Yo Fusion Cuisine was enough to let us know that we were in for a special treat. It has that romantic, almost fairytale feel to it as we were walking down the driveway towards the quaint charming house bathed in the soft light of the capiz shells and framed by the hanging vines from the big old tree standing outside. The beautifully landscaped Japanese garden with the Zen fountains makes a tranquil welcome, too. Japanese koi flank the wooden bridge over the pond that leads to the majestic wooden door to the main dining area. Dramatic? Very. But not until you head inside and see that upon entering, you are literally standing over the water with the fishes swimming directly underneath the glass flooring. How unique.

After taking lots of pictures of the busy koi swimming happily underneath my feet, we were politely ushered to our table. Before I can fully concentrate on their menu, I had to take a long look around just to take everything in: the smartly dressed servers carrying flasks of water with orange slices and pandan leaves in it; vintage sewing machines transformed into very elegant looking tables; Vietnamese instruments and other Asian knick-knacks scattered all over the place; the open view of the busy chefs in the kitchen; and the satisfied looks of all the other early diners. I was already so happy and satisfied and I hadn’t even ordered yet!

I was mildly surprised to see that for a weekday, the little dining room was packed; with more guests sitting in the garden and in the little room upstairs which they have also opened to diners. Situated on an otherwise non-commercial backstreet in Katipunan, In-Yo is a bit easy to miss so I was almost sure that most of the diners were either regulars or people who have also heard about this culinary gem through word of mouth. I looked at the Mister and we were both grinning from ear to ear; just the ambience alone was enough to get us giddy from anticipation. Walking into this almost hidden restaurant made us feel like we were being let in to an intimate secret.

This place was special. So special that even the bread that they served us while waiting was quite unique! Their bread was freshly baked with little bits of red bell pepper in it giving it a unique kick; perfect with the herbed butter that they served it with. Even In-Yo's Special Iced Tea (P65) was not your usual instant iced tea; theirs is a refreshing concoction of freshly brewed tea infused with citrus and mango flavor in the form of a cube of frozen mango juice. Simple but pretty ingenious; this way, when the ice melts, it doesn’t water the iced tea down; it gives it more flavor instead! Smart, eh?

Gustatory Bliss.

One look at the menu and it was apparent that it had a strong Japanese influence; with dishes like Wasabi Fried Oysters, Oven Baked Sushi Style Prawn Roll and Baked Unagi with Pan Seared Foie Gras to name a few, plus interesting side dishes like Wasabi Mashed Potatoes, Sushi Rice and Japanese Paella. So it came as no surprise when I found out that the chef’s roots in his culinary training is in Japanese cuisine, which he then used as foundation to build on with classical French techniques to create his own fusion cuisine. What I had assumed to mean ‘yours’ which is Tagalog for the term inyo, actually meant ‘yin yang’ in Japanese. “In-Yo in Japanese means yin yang so it’s really balance and harmony just like my cuisine,” Chef Nino Laus, In-Yo’s owner and executive chef explains. Knowing this just made me all the more excited to eat; I was excited to see how the distinct Asian flavors and elements of Japanese cuisine would be married to classical cooking techniques in all of Chef Nino’s creative dishes.

Wasabi Fried Oyster

First to find its way to our table was our amuse bouche in the form of the Wasabi Fried Oyster (P225.00 for plate of 6 pieces). The amuse bouche is usually served to prepare the guest for the meal and to serve as some sort of preview of what is to come; and this one was an especially intriguing one. First, I was amused by how interesting it looked: this little green thing served in an oyster shell sitting in a little hill of rock salt. What it is is an oyster fried in a wasabi-infused batter served with a pea-sized dollop of citrus-mayo and topped with lumpfish caviar… It was scrumptious! Biting into it was a surprising burst of flavors and texture in my mouth; with the sweetness of the Japanese mayo, the delicate brininess of the oyster punctuated by the subtle wasabi kick paired with the perfect crisp of the batter then the smooth feel of the dressing and the oyster as I bit into it. It was so good that I could have easily finished a plateful of this before I can even order anything else. If this amuse bouche was anything to go by, then we knew that we were in for a night of curious, interesting dishes.

Oven Baked Sushi Style Prawn Roll

Next up was the Oven Baked Sushi Style Prawn Roll (P325), an ingenious creation of nori wrapped prawn roll served with Japanese mayo and caviar. While this was also an interesting dish, I found that the rich taste of the Japanese mayo may have overpowered the prawn’s flavor and that it was quickly overshadowed by the previous dish and the dish that followed.

Trilogy of Foie Gras

When the next dish was served, I almost fainted. Three beautiful servings of foie gras sat proudly in all their delicious, sinful glory next to what was quite possibly the most majestically plated salad I have ever seen. The Trilogy of Foie Gras (P670.00) is, to quote from the menu: ‘pan seared with caramelized maui onions, poached with truffled potato, torchon with cranberry jelly, served with mixed greens and seasonal fruits in honey ponzu dressing’. It tastes even better that it sounds, too! The rich flavor of the foie gras and its buttery texture were well-complemented by the caramelized onions and the mixed greens. I liked eating the foie gras with the greens as it made me feel less guilty about indulging, as no amount of self-restraint could have stopped me from finishing both the pan seared one and the poached one (I’m not a big fan of torchon so I left that to the Mister!). The pan seared foie was clearly the winner to me; although the poached foie served with the truffled potato comes as a close second since I did love how the subtle truffle flavor made the foie gras taste even fuller. It was so rich in flavor and left an almost silky texture in the mouth that I had to close my eyes just to savor the deliciousness of every bite.

Calamansi & Yuzu Sorbet

And just when I was starting to get light-headed from all the delicious, sinful dishes I had just eaten, out comes the Calamansi & Yuzu Sorbet right on cue to 1) clean our palates and reset our tastebuds and 2) to remind me that more is yet to come.

When our main dishes were served, we just had to take a few seconds to stare in awe at the chef’s masterpieces. Plated excellently, you can tell that a great deal goes into just making the dishes visually appealing alone.

The Miso & Shiraz Braised Lamb Shank (P840/for sharing) looked pretty intimidating as it rose from the wasabi mashed potatoes and the buttered asparagus spears it was served with. It was a pretty interesting dish and although I like my mashed potatoes a bit smoother, I did appreciate how the wasabi lent a unique kick to the dish as it provided the perfect contrast to the sweet, full-bodied flavor of the miso-and-shiraz-infused sauce. And, as I am a huge fan of lamb, I found myself wishing that the shank retained more of the gamey lamb flavor; but the more than generous chunks of oh-so-tender lamb meat more than made up for this. “I braised that for 4 hours, ha!” Chef Nino proudly exclaims when I made a comment on how soft the lamb was. In fact, even without the game flavor, the meat still tasted pretty great on its own. But of course, this dish tastes best when all the flavors and elements come together in every forkful.

Miso and Shiraz Braised Lamb Shank

The other half of our main course was the Honey Glazed Grilled Salmon (P440). It was actually the perfect companion to the lamb dish’s bold flavors as this dish was all about light, sweet and lively flavors. The fish was very tender and the sweet citrus miso sauce enlivened its flavor all the more. Again, I was a bit disappointed with the wasabi mashed potatoes’ not so smooth texture, but I still liked this dish very, very much! It was very flavorful without being too rich and didn’t leave you feeling too full.

Honey Glazed Grilled Salmon

Dessert was a whimsical, playful affair, too! The Chocolate! Chocolate! Cake (P270) which is basically a Valhorna chocolate pudding filled with molten chocolate truffle was served with tropical fruits and a shotglass of vanilla milkshake. The idea is to punctuate each bite of the warm pudding with a shot of the cold milkshake. The play of hot and cold, and the intense sweetness of the chocolate with the fruits made this the perfect dessert to cap off an amazing dinner that showcased the young chef’s masterpieces of layered colors, textures and flavors!

Chocolate! Chocolate! Cake

From a dessert addict, I would say that the Chocolate! Chocolate! Cake, though not orgasmic, was still pretty fantastic! Paired with the perfect cup of their Vietnamese Coffee Drip (P80), we definitely ended our date on a high note!

Vietnamese Drip Coffee

Culinary Genius.

By the time we finished dessert, I was in a state of gastronomical bliss and as we sat there patting our beyond-full stomachs, all we could think about was how such a young chef (Chef Nino’s only in his 20’s!) has already mastered this art of creating a masterpiece of different flavors, textures and colors in every dish; definitely a culinary artist in his own right. Judging from the way that Chef Nino makes it a point to welcome and entertain his guests by going around the dining area making sure the guests were taken care of, I could tell that there’s a lot of heart in all the dishes and in the place itself.

Magical Dining Experience.

In-Yo is more than just a place to eat. It is a showcase of Chef Nino’s art. With Chef Nino’s culinary masterpieces and the fairytale ambience, it becomes an amazing overall dining experience. And to think that you don’t even have to spend a lot for such a date! At In-Yo, a fine dining experience could be had without the lofty prices. In-Yo even serves a 6-course Degustation Menu for only P1000! Pretty affordable for such an extraordinary dining experience. In-Yo has proved to be one of those really special places where everything just seems so magical.

So, did we forget that we were celebrating Valentine’s more than a month late? Yes, we did. Our In Yo date was so perfect that it could easily make up for the next couple of Valentine’s dates, too!

In-Yo Fusion Cuisine is at 66 Esteban Abada, Loyola Heights, Quezon City. For inquiries and reservations, call ~~928-6458~~ 928-6459.

"Life is TAFT"

Life is Taft!'

by Trix Deseo

posted on Friday June 27, 2008

It has been a month or two since I left school. Hailing from La Salle, Taft Avenue has been and will always be home for me. The daily dose of pollution from this busy street I had to endure for more than three years is nothing compared to the fond memories and friendships that have been formed there.

Returning to school to fulfill the rest of my post graduation requirements was both unbelievable and nostalgic. It didn't seem too long ago when I was there as an anxious 'froshie' (that's our term for freshman) and yet there I was, happily gazing at the unfamiliar faces in the crowd. Sure I'd never forget my subjects and my professors, but pig-out and tambay sessions with my best friends are the ones I'd miss the most. Those very long breaks and early dismissals are truly unforgettable. My friends and I barely leave the vicinity, unless it's a really long break and there's a thing to catch some place else. Most of the time, we'd just hang out in our usual posts in Taft or go searching for new foodie joints.

Rice: taft avenue

2264 Taft Ave.

Ground Floor, Sherwood Place, Taft Ave.
Manila

Phone Number: (63 2) 523-6648

Cello's Doughnuts and Dips

Malate

Ground Level Burgundy Transpacific Place, 2444A Taft Ave., Malate
Manila

Phone Number: (63 2) 521-6236

Providence 24-Hour Karaoke and TV & Mama V Restaurant

Manila

The Providence Tower, 2471 Leon Guinto St., Corner Estrada.
Manila

Phone Number: 812-5001, 524-4714

Cafe Bola

Eat And Cheer, The UAAP Is Here!

by Beatriz Acosta

posted on Tuesday July 8, 2008

July welcomes once more the UAAP Season! For college basketball fanatics and die-hard supporters of their alma mater, this means braving the traffic at Araneta Center, or squishing yourself amidst other 'color-coded' commuters in the Cubao MRT Station. Aaah yes, it's that time of the year again where people don bright and bold colors of their team; where alumni, students and fans all temporarily become rabid supporters, gnashing at other teams that come along their way.

Which color are you rooting for?

All that cheering and heart-pounding basketball action can really get to your system, and what better way to celebrate your team's victory (or to vent out its loss - you'll get 'em next time!) than to hunt down good eats around the area? Eating pre-game or post-game (haha, I sound as if I'm the athlete here) can be just as exciting as watching an intense game of ball at the Araneta Coliseum. It's also a fun way of bonding with your 'co-colors' through food, bashing the team that just beat you (or that just lost to your team, ha!) while enjoying a good meal.

From years of always sharing to friends about what goes on inside the Coliseum during the UAAP games, it's about time I also share some of my favorite places to eat at the Coliseum Circle. The restaurant lineup at the Coliseum Circle is a good mix of cuisine and different price ranges, offering different strokes for different famished folks.

Cafe Bola

The food in Cafe Bola is my ultimate 'UAAP comfort food'. My family usually dines there before or after a La Salle game because each of us have a favorite in the menu. Prices are also good for the portioning of their dishes.

Owned by chef Margarita Fores, Cafe Bola is a modern and casual setting for its Italian and Mexican dishes with a Pinoy contemporary flair. For first timers I highly recommend to try out their Bowl Rice of Adobo Flakes + Kesong Puti (P172.48). It has never disappointed me. Adobo flakes ranks very high in my comford food list and Cafe Bola's version is magnificent: very, very crispy, with the spices of the traditional adobo dish, and topped off with a chunk of kesong puti, which is just simply mouthwatering alongside the adobo. Spoon off a portion of kesong puti and eat it with every spoonful of adobo and rice and it's such a lovely experience for the palate: crunchy, rough, smooth, soft, salty, meaty... It's just very good.

Cafe Bola is also found inside The Dome, just a few steps away from the Cafe Bola of Coliseum Circle. For a snack to be consumed during the game, or for a starter to our meal, my Dad loves ordering their Home-Fried Shoestring Potatoes (P70.56, large - P128.80). It's just a lot of crrrunch in every handful! Dip it in a lot of the garlic-mayo and you've got a good combination.

Of course, Cafe Bola offers their trademark Bolas, all of which I have probably tried through the years with all the sauces offered, save for the Seafood Bola. I prefer my Bolas in Beef (P173.60 with rice, P180.32 with pasta) or Chicken (P173.60 with rice, P180.32 with pasta), with either Classic Tomato + Peas, or the Sour Cream Paprika. The tomato and peas is good with pasta, while I prefer the sour cream sauce with lots of rice. I order the very zesty Kamias Shake (P73.92) to go with my meal and it equals to an excellent Cafe Bola dining experience.

Rasa

I've enjoyed Rasa both at the Coliseum Circle and at press events in Gateway Mall, as the restaurant also does catering. In both ways, Rasa has delicious Singaporean dishes.

For a snack or light lunch, I suggest you try their Roti (P89) with curry, and also their Popiah (P89 - single, P145 - regular). The crispy yet soft Roti is so yummy! Also, the roti over at Rasa is not the usual thin kind, as it has layers that make it thicker. Let each of the slice swim around in a lot of curry sauce and it's truly a treat. The Popiah rolls can be a bit of a mess when eaten, but it's still a delicious mix of flavors and ingredients in the rolls. The mushroom is very soft, and the sauce drizzled on the rolls is savory and with a nutty twist.

Articles

Butter Diner

Butter Diner

This place deserves to be mentioned even if it is not situated in the Coliseum Circle (it's by Shopwise). I first heard about it from my friend Phil, who blogged about their food a couple of years ago. Butter Diner looks retro-cute, reminiscent of old American diners and of Archie Comics' Chok'lit Shoppe. Butter Diner offers a whole lot in their menu: waffles and pancakes, egg dishes and steaks, pastas and sandwiches, milkshakes and desserts. Butter Diner is a fun and casual place where you can hang out with your barkada or family.

I found myself eating there recently, and started off dinner by sharing Flavored Butter and Bread (P75). There are a lot of butter flavors to choose from, and our order came with three scoops of our choice. We enjoyed the waiter's recommendation of Strawberry Butter, Crispy Garlic, and Smokin' Bacon. My dinner was served shortly aftwerwards, the Marilyn's Pan-Fried Fish (P195). After taking a bite of the sole fillet generously drizzled with buttery-lemon goodness, I instantly became a Butter Diner fan. So if you love butter and can completely feel guiltless consuming a lot of it, then this place is definitely for you. Choose among their many flavored butters to go along with your bread, or pick a dish that is swimming in sinful buttery glory.

Dairy Queen

What else is there to say about Dairy Queen? It is very obvious from their thousands of stores all over the world that their ice cream offerings have a huge following. Having DQ over at the Coliseum Circle gives you a good option for a dessert place, perhaps the best store to cool down your temper after a heated game?

What is your favortie DQ treat? Mine is the Blizzard, which you can get in 9oz. (P65 or P79), 12oz. (P75 or P99) or 16oz (P89 or P119) - oh, and add toppings if you wish. The Strawberry banana or the Banana Split, are my top picks from their Blizzard offerings. For a quick food fix, their hotdogs are also good - the Triple Cheese (P59) is both affordable and yummy.

Volare

My friend Eric and I discovered a yummy dessert over at Volare during one night of scouting the Coliseum Circle. Have you tried their creamy Panna Cotta (P95)? It's deliciously sweet, and comes in two flavors - chocolate and strawberry. For other sweet endings, they have the ever-popular Tiramisu (P95), Profiteroles (P95), and other cakes.

Known for their authentic Trattoria cuisine whipped up by Chef Giorgio of Amici fame, Volare also offers more than pasta and pizzas. We enjoyed our Strawberry Panna Cotta with a good cup of Lavazza Cafe Americano. Between sips of hot coffee and dessert, we got to make use of the free WiFi over at Araneta Center as well!

Yep, you heard that right, Araneta Center has free WiFi, I couldn't believe it at first either. The free Wireless Fidelity Service is available to select areas around the 35-hectare lot of Araneta Center. Another reason to hang out at Volare besides their good food? The WiFi signal is also good over there!

So whether you're going to cheer for the green, the blue, the red, the yellow, or whatever color you choose to root for this UAAP season, all is fair in food and hunger. If you happen to find yourself by The Dome for a game, concert, or to just look around, I hope my list of favorite eating destinations will give you an idea where you can satisfy your appetite. There are so much more places where you can eat - Araneta Center is such a huge place to scout around, and you've got shopping malls everywhere you look! Just let your stomach lead the way and if you discover something really great, do share!

Happy eating, good luck to all the UAAP teams, and see you all at The Dome!

Cafe Bola
Araneta Coliseum Arcade
Araneta Coliseum Arcade
Araneta Center, Cubao
Quezon City
Tel: 913-2928
Open from 10am to 11pm, Sunday to Thursday, Open from 10am to 12mn, Friday and Saturda

Pepper Lunch

by Ritcher Herradura

posted on Friday July 18, 2008

Over at one corner of Power Plant Mall's concourse level, there has been more buzz and people at a vibrant restaurant that never runs out of customers during both day and night. That mouthwatering smell of grilled meat consumes passers-by, making them stop to look at a long line of hungry customers awaiting to order their food. The brightly-lit and cheery restaurant swiftly serves up a fill of lunch or dinner, or anything in between, and attends to the next in line with all smiles. Just another restaurant? Not quite. This one offers you something fresh and enticing: always have your meal your way. At Pepper Lunch, you are the Chef.

Sizzle It Your Way

"It's really simple," Jeroen Van Straten of Pepper Lunch explains, "even if you don't know how to cook, it is very easy." Jeroen is the man responsible for bringing in the Pepper Lunch phenomenon to the Philippines. He accommodated me one afternoon to talk about the Pepper Lunch concept.

Pepper Lunch started in Japan during the mid-nineties, and offers the Do-It-Yourself steaks concept to its customers. The outlets in Japan, Jeroen shares, do not feel much of a family casual dining place as it is more of an 'eat-and-go' establishment, where people actually are already waiting in line to use your seat once you are through. Here in the Philippines, however, it is part of our regular routine to dine in leisurely and use the eating times to bond with friends and family. Pepper Lunch has become that happy place to meet up with people and chitchat over meals.

The 'pepper' in Pepper Lunch is in their unique way of preparing the dishes - using only the outer shell of peppercorns (the most fragrant part) to flavor the sizzling meals. The menu mix of the restaurant is composed mainly of steaks and rice dishes. Quality and consistency of Pepper Lunch food are achieved as most of their products are imported. The steaks are from Australia, salmon from Norway, and chicken from the US. All these are available to you in the Pepper Lunch plate, DIY-style. Also notable with Pepper Lunch is its ordering system by the counter - their big monitors are facing the customers instead of the cashiers, and makes use of food visuals. This makes it easier for customers to view the menu and choose, and more importantly, personally check on the screen the prices and the final bill after ordering.

Perfection in a Plate

So, why would a Pepper Lunch meal always be prepared to one's taste? Simply because they let you sizzle your dishes as you please. Once they take your order, their kitchen staff prepares all the necessary ingredients for your meal, and puts 'em all on the special patented Pepper Lunch hot plate. Their plates are uniquely manufactured in Japan and utilizes a special electromagnetic cooker. This maintains the heat to grill your meats in the ideal temperature, and keeps food warm for a longer period of time. Even if over twenty minutes have already passed from the time they've brought your plate to the table, your meal is still good and warm. I got to test it out, because I had cooked my Pepper Lunch meal and waited for my friend Marian to arrive before finishing my food. That took about thirty minutes of waiting time, and going back to my dish was still as good as served. Also, the Pepper Lunch staff will gladly have your plate reheated if you want your food extra hot and sizzling.

Clipcast

Pepper Lunch
What's hot and sizzling over at Power Plant? Jeroen Van Straten shares what Pepper Lunch is all about.

The Customer is Always Chef

So how does one cook over at Pepper Lunch? "Just turn it over, mix it with our special butter," Jeroen says, "and if you don't know how to cook, our staff will help you."

Jeroen also advises first-timers at Pepper Lunch to add things up slowly right after mixing the food on your plate. Add a dash of each of the sauces - or even perhaps just one at a time at first, and just like a chef, you get to decide if the flavors are already perfect for you. For sauce-a-holics, drizzle away or even drown your dishes with their sauces; for a more minimalist and simplistic meal, you can even do away with the sauces entirely and still enjoy the flavors of your sizzling meal. I think this is the ultimate charm of the restaurant - dishes are bound to be to prepared to your liking as it is a D.I.Y. place. And also, each Pepper Lunch experience can have its little interesting twists, as you can play chef all the time and experiment with different flavors and tastes -- even when ordering the same dish all over again.

Clipcast

How To: Sizzle It The Pepper Lunch Way
Let ClickTheCity take you to the Pepper Lunch D.I.Y. experience!

As a first-timer over at Pepper Lunch, Jeroen was nice enough to help me prepare my sizzling dish, the Beef Pepper Rice (P198 ala carte, P235 with drink). As soon as the kitchen brought out my order, the place immediately smelled of its savory, meaty goodness, and I can hear the crackling and sizzling on the plate that made me all the more excited to try out my food.

Beef Pepper Rice

Customers have the choice to add Pepper Lunch's signature sauces to their dish: The sweet honey brown sauce, or the garlic soy sauce. I had a little bit of both for my rice meal, and the flavors add a distinctive richness to the whole experience. The beef is sliced thin and is tender, easy to chew and really went well with the crunch of the corn bits.

The butter's flavor and aroma was just simply marvelous when it combined with the rice and beef of my dish. I asked Jeroen what special secret ingredients they have concocted for the butter. What I got was a shrug and a laugh, and him saying that they didn't really know either. Guess I just have to keep on ordering at Pepper Lunch to get myself that special buttery fix every now and then.

Salmon Pepper Rice

I got to try out what Marian ordered as well, her Salmon Pepper Rice (P275 ala carte, P315 with drink) came to our table bursting with aroma. The salmon is served just right with its soft, melt-in-your-mouth texture. This would be the dish I'll order on my next visit! Another must-try would be the Curry Beef Pepper Rice (P218 ala carte, P258 with drink), which my friend Mark loves, and which is also a personal favorite of Jeroen.

Rice, rice, baby: Beef Pepper Rice and Salmon Pepper Rice

Skipping on carbs? If you're going South Beach, you may want to order their steaks insted. Using select meats from Australia and New Zealand, Pepper Lunch offers Hitokuchi Cut Steak, Shimofuri Pepper Steak, Yawaraka Loin Steak, and other sizzling meats and combos sans the rice.

I surely declare that the aroma you smell over at this resto is as good as the flavors of the dishes. Pepper Lunch is such an aromatic experience, no wonder people's noses lead their way to this restaurant! Delicious scents can sure make someone a slave when it comes to eating.

Aside from the sizzling and savory entries of Pepper Lunch, they also serve lighter alternatives in their salads.

"The salads are selling really well," Jeroen shares. The Shake! Shake! Salad (P99 each, comes in Sesame Chicken, Seaweed and Spicy Tuna) is placed into a plastic cup with a lid, and it is shaken by the customer before consuming, instead of tossing them with a fork and knife on a plate. They make great starters before a sizzling meal, the serving size just enough for an appetizer. What is interesting about the salads is that Pepper Lunch adds noodles along the mix of greens.

Seaweed Shake! Shake! Salad

Marian and I were very delighted with our serving of Seaweed Salad that we shared - the dressing was light and tangy, the greens and seaweed fresh and crisp, the corn crunchy and juicy. The white noodles gave another colorful dimension to the entire salad experience -- the firm and smooth noodles were a surprisingly good contrast to the textures of the greens. Perhaps this is the reason why some regular customers skip the sizzling dish altogether and order a couple of salads for lunch. The Pepper Lunch salads are indeed a must-try!

Desserts Are A First

From the interiors, the food, the plates and the menu, Pepper Lunch Manila is the same with the other Pepper Lunch franchises around the world. That is, save for one sweet thing: desserts! Pepper Lunch over at Power Plant - the very first Pepper Lunch in the Philippines - is very proud to be the home of the first dessert items to be introduced to any Pepper Lunch establishment. This for me comes just so naturally for we Pinoys are practically born with a sweet tooth.

Pepper Lunch offers sweet endings to pair with your sizzling meals in their Kuromitsu Soft Ice Cream (P30), Vanilla Crepe Cake (P120), Matcha Cheesecake (P140) and Molten Milk Chocolate Cake (P120). We got to try out the chocolate cake which was sinfully oozing warm and gooey choco goodness from the inside. An added delight would be to get the cake ala mode, taking a spoonful of the cake with another spoonful of vanilla ice cream. If you're a fan of dual-temperature desserts, this one should be ordered.

The desserts at Pepper Lunch seem to have gained a good number of fans and has certainly impressed Pepper Lunch Japan. "Japan is already interested in serving them themsevles, as well," Jeroen says.

So if sizzling hot meals is your thing, or perhaps you want to play chef with your food, Pepper Lunch is definitely something you must check out. I recommend to go over there earlier than your intended lunch or dinner hours, as believe me, they are always packed at those times! Just head on to the concourse level of Power Plant and follow your nose, which will lead you to that big bright place where you can sizzle it your way.

Pepper Lunch

Power Plant Mall

Concourse Level
Power Plant Mall
Rockwell Drive cor. Estrella St.
Makati, Metro Manila

Phone Number: (63 2) 895-3164, (63 2) 895-6185

Website: Pepper Lunch

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