Burger Hunt

For merienda eaters out there, the KFC BBQ Chicken Burger is the perfect on-the-go burger for you. Simple yet flavorful, this burger offers the right amount of meat and bread with the tinging taste of BBQ spread all over. The BBQ sauce I must say was very tasty although the patty didn’t really stepped up to my expectation. It’s a perfect burger for snack time with your buddies at home or wherever. But yeah, not really for heavy eaters since it will surely leave you wanting for more food. Good to partner to fries and soda with a meal price of P59.

Rating: 7.5/10

Ever tried food trippin in any place here in the Philippines, let’s say Manila? Usually you would look for the usual fishball, kwek-kwek, isaw, and the like. But have you ever thought of finding an American food in the same street where you find these unusual cuisines? If yes, then you might have tried one of the local burgers that can rock your world - Angel’s Burger.

Angel’s Burger is one of the local burger chains that you can find along the streets of Manila (well actually the whole Philippines). They serve the same burgers that you can find at small kiosks, the same burger as the snack that you can make at home (but not the one like that of epic meal time). It is not your high-end 100% burger. You can buy it for only 12Php (well it’s usually buy-one-take-one for 24 bucks). It’s tiny, no fancy toppings, and looks like a pandesal with a newly-cooked patty in the middle. But what’s special with this burger that a burger hunter would look for it? Well, there is something about the taste of this angel in disguise. No, it does not taste like your beefy burger, but it has this Filipino-quality taste that makes you eat this thing. It gives you the feeling of being at home, of going back to your childhood afternoons, eating a burger for merienda. Comparing it to “real” burger, you won’t give this burger a chance, but if you’re a Filipino, you know it’s special - that taste, that smell, that simple yet satisfying burger. And, with its affordability, you can enjoy as many as you can! Nothing to lose on this one unlike your highly-priced-sometimes-not-so-good burgers.

Aside from Angel’s, there are other street burger chains that you can easily find anywhere, like the classic Minute Burger and Burger Machine. All of them offer almost the same kind of products at the same prices, but they differ in the taste. This is a real must-try and please, you should be ashamed if you don’t give this burger a try!

Rating: 7.5/10 

image source:  http://ph.openrice.com/UserPhoto/photo/0/6W/001D6F61D091439A1B4245m.jpg

So after tasting and reviewing many specialty burgers all over the metro, I think we should also review the burgers that are “readily-available” for consumption to most people. And one of those burgers is McDonald’s very own classic Cheeseburger.

As we all know, it’s not anything fancy. Made up of a 100% beef patty, melted cheese, onions, pickles, regular burger buns, and ketchup, it has somewhat become a comfort food for many people, most especially us dormers who only have the option of having food delivered from McDonald’s during late night studying (McDonald’s is open 24 hours after all).

Pardon the image quality. It was the best I could do, given the circumstances (projects, exams, papers, aaaaahhhhhhh!!!)

I bought the Cheeseburger meal and it comes with regular fries and a regular softdrink. Not bad for a quick lunch break. Maybe I am biased but I like it better than the “other” local cheeseburger but hey, that’s just me. For 90 pesos, it was well worth it.

My only “beef” (excuse the pun) with it is that the size of the burger… well… let’s just say it “decreased”. Other than that, it’s the same burger we all grew up with.

Rating: 7.5/10

As I was walking around Resorts World a few weeks ago, I stumbled upon a burger joint I hadn’t heard of nor tried out before: Stackers. Here, I wanted to try their Jacks Burger.

The Jacks Burger is already one of Stackers’ premium burgers on their menu, although personally I found nothing premium about this burger. It consists of one ordinary beef patty, bacon, lettuce, tomatoes, sauteed mushrooms, ranch dressing, and, I quote, “craploads of Monterey Jack cheese.”

To my disappointment, there was only one measly slice of melted Monterey Jack cheese, as evidenced by the picture, and barely any ranch dressing at all. Not to mention that it was these two components that got me sold on buying the Jacks Burger. This burger wasn’t bad, it tasted like any regular cheese burger with mushrooms and cheese, except that it was worth a whopping P225 smackaroos. Not cool.

If you ever decide to try this place out, I would suggest not to order any of their premium burgers for fear that you will be ripped off. Even the triple patty burger isn’t worth the money because the patties are significantly thinner and probably equivalent to a single normal patty and a half. I also have a feeling that their cheaper regular burgers are of the same quality, so order those instead. Don’t even get me started on their french fries portions. 

Maybe I wouldn’t have been as dissatisfied had I ordered a cheaper burger instead, or maybe what really irked me was their deceitful description of some fictional and delicious burger that they didn’t serve. I think they should re-write their menu.

Rating: 5.5/10

Who said home-grown burgers are bad? Whoever despises our own burgers will surely eat his own words once he tasted this old-school Tropical Hut’s double double burger, a burger that any Filipino can be proud of.

Before any foreign fast food chain set food on the archipelago (and even before Jolibee was born), Tropical Hut had been the reigning burger maker in the country. You can even ask your parents or your older sister/brother what burger gave them goosebumps in every bite way back the old days, and it’ll be this wonderful Tropical Hut burger. Well, Tropical Hut might have been a quiet player in the fast food business these past few years, but they have not lose their touch on their burger creations.

For a very affordable price of 115 bucks, TH’s Double Double Burger is a real gem in an unusual place. They say it’s Jolibee Champ’s big daddy for it has almost the same recipe: almost same size twin beef burger patty, some lettuces, tomatoes and pickles, a thick slice of cheese, and a dash of creamy mayo and ketchup. It is a burger designed for the Filipino taste buds, a sure burger goodness for every Filipino. The beefiness is not that remarkable, and I guess its a little dry, but the simple combination made it stand out. Even a tongue not cultured for the Pinoy taste would surely enjoy this wonderful burger. comparing it to other local burgers, double double burger would be on top. Way back the old days up to now, I guess Tropical Hut really established a good share of every Filipino’s mouth. With its size and taste, TH’s double double burger is worth giving a try.

Now, before saying no to local burger, give this double double burger a try and you’ll be proud of our own cuisine. You can also try their other burgers, but I can’t assure the same satisfaction compared to this awesome burger.

Rating: 8.5/10 

photo source: http://www.juice.ph/dining/features/battle-burger-coming-soon-to-juice-ph

Wendy’s has got to be one of the most sought after fast food chains when it comes to big, satisfying burgers. It’s Bacon Mushroom Melt is one of their bestsellers and every bite from it was heaven. What really stood out in this burger surprisingly, was not the bacon but the thick, oozing cheese. The burger patty was excellent and its 100% beef patty goodness proved Wendy’s caliber in the world of hamburgers. 

Although Wendy’s burgers are a bit pricey, it will surely be worth every bite. Make the experience even better by eating it with their fries and their famous classic iced tea. ;) I’m giving it a 8.5/10.

image source: http://www.yummylocal.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/Wendys-Bacon.jpg

Something else I discovered in Cafe Breton, if you haven’t read the previous post about the Mozzarella Burger, is an open-faced burger named the Galette Americano:

The Galette Americano is an open-faced burger composed of a beef patty topped with tomato garnish, mushrooms with delicious mushroom sauce, and a sunny-side-up egg all laid out side-by-side on a bed of crepe. The burger patty, just like in theMozzarella Burger, was very beefy and sizeable and the tomato garnish complemented it well but wasn’t filled with any cheese. The mushrooms were just right and the sauce on top of it was probably my favorite part of this dish. The egg was perfectly cooked and shaped, and the yoke broke finely. The crepe was alright, it can’t taste any different or better than usual.

It was a tasty crepe and definitely filling. It’s worth a little more than the Mozzarella Burger at around Php240 but the reasoning is obvious. Other than the tomato garnish, mushroom sauce and the fact that it’s open-faced, there isn’t so much difference between this and other burgers. The patty was very good but ordinary, and neither the egg (although seasoned well) nor crepe can taste much better than they can when eaten normally. The mushroom sauce is definitely what makes this meal!

Rating: 8/10

If you enjoy juicy quality burgers and are in the mood for the best butter and sugar crepe (my fave!), Cafe Breton has it.

If you have a craving for savory crepes, Cafe Breton is the place to be! Today though, we made an awesome discovery of the burgers that they have to offer and found this scrumptious hunk of beef. Voila! The Mozzarella Burger:

The Mozzarella Burger has a beef patty that is not only quite juicy but is also filled with a surprise: It’s filled with a generous amount of mozzarella cheese; the cheese is really warm and gooey and strings out as you bite into it. The mushrooms on top are very flavorful and just add to the all-around beefy taste of the burger. The side of salad can also be used as toppings to add a different dimension to the burger if you don’t prefer it being purely meaty. 

All in all, I thoroughly enjoyed this burger, I was satisfied with it’s size (even in a male perspective). For a hefty Php200 this burger isn’t exactly a steal, but it does make up for it with it’s quality and size. Other than the mushrooms, the single lettuce, and the cheese inside there isn’t much dimension to this burger. That’s probably because It isn’t a sloppy burger as most burgers are marketed, it’s somewhat a gourmet burger so that probably explains the pricing. Compared to the other dishes they offer, the price of this is understandable because both savory and dessert crepes can get pretty pricey depending on what’s ordered.

Rating: 8.5/10

If you enjoy juicy quality burgers and are in the mood for the best butter and sugar crepe (my fave!), Cafe Breton has it.

Superhero movies are all the rage these past few months. Movies like Thor, X-Men: First Class, Green Lantern and the recent Captain America have dominated cinemas all over. So this week these heroes shall bow down to another kind of super. I present to you the Double Whammy Burger with Cheese!

What is in this Double Whammy Burger with Cheese you ask? Well, this heroic burger consists of two 1/3 pound patties, two slices of cheese, lettuce, tomato, mustard, and sandwiched in between sesame buns. This burger was born to be amazing. Along with Wham Burgers promise, “Always Hot, Always Fresh,” the DWB is served warm enough to be enjoyed without burning your tongue and fresh enough for all the ingredients to melt in your mouth. This is very evident with their buns. They were soft enough to have that moist feel but strong enough not to break apart. Sadly, much like other Superheroes, it’s greatest strength is also it’s greatest weakness. I could not help but notice how soft the burger patties were. They were collapsing with each and every powerful bite I took. It even came to a point where the meat reminded me of taco meat. Either way, this is an experience not to be missed out. It’s superhero themed layout of the establishment makes you feel like you are walking straight into a comic book making it a very enjoyable experience. In the end, this tough guy is straight up softy.

Rating: 8.5/10

Wham! Burgers can be found in Katipunan, SM The Block, SM Fairview, Shangri-La Edsa Plaza, SM Marikina, Robinson’s Midtown Mall, SM Megamall, and Marquee Mall.

Excelsior!

He claims to be the king. This fastfood chain literally created millions of burger during its reign and today, this rainy boring Sunday, I was summoned by this king to have a taste of his royal creation. All hail the burger’s royal highness, bow before the Burger King! 

All fastfood chains have their own best burger (assuming all fastfoods have burgers). And what is the first burger that comes to your mind when you enter Burger King? Nothing more than BK’s Whopper! This big proud burger will make sure to satisfy whoever devours it. 

If there is such thing as king-size burger, BK’s Whopper will be one. in my estimate, this burger is 4 Inches in circumference, probably the biggest fastfood burger. There’s no special ingredient with the Whopper - a patty, slices of tomatoes, some lettuce, cheese, pickles and onions, sweet-and-tangy ketchup, creamy mayo in between two soft sesame seed buns. But this proud BK specialty surprised me with its taste. The patty is flame-broiled, very beefy and not dry at all. It’s moist and juicy that you would enjoy munching on it. The flavor is very even. The toppings did not over-power the burger patty. The one I had have lots of lettuce, though.

All-in-all, this burger is worth giving a try, it has a pretty simple burger formula, but the taste really stands out in this simplistic goodness. For 210 Pesos, you can enjoy BK’s Whopper and be amazed by its size and taste, and additional french fries and a regular soft-drink. Burger King really earned its title with the Whopper. You can also take a shot on BK’s Steakhouse Burger (more expensive, but hey, extra-thick patty gives justice to the price) or the Whopper Jr. (if you feel you’ll be overwhelmed by the Whopper’s size).He claims to be the king.

Rating: 8.5/10