Amazing Machine

Before we had a bite from Brother's half-pounders...

Before anyone even dared to finish the triple-patty ridiculous burger challenge from Burger Avenue...

Before Buy 1-Take 1 joints like Angel's sprouted like mushrooms around the metro...

And even before the birth of the Big Mac and Champ rivalry...

There was the amazing 24-hour burger stall that is Burger Machine. And they were everywhere.

They sell very affordable burgers that are cooked on the spot. Hot off the cooking oil, that is. Yummy.


They also hopped into the Buy 1-Take 1 bandwagon. I bet one burger can never be enough for one hungry soul.

Aside from their Jumbo and Bart Burgers that now come in pairs, here are more reasons to love BM:

The Longganisa burger sells for only Php31 [and that's double-patty already]. It's a better treat than what any fastfood chain can offer. Double Spicy Barbecue. Double Decker. So much more.

What's best is that you can add a variety of toppings like coleslaw, cheese, bacon bits or chili con carne for only 8 bucks each.

Burger Machine = cheap thrill.

My fingers are crossed - I'm hoping that the pioneer of all burger stalls survives heavy competition and the so-called economic recession. It's the answer when hunger calls at midnight and you do not have enough to splurge on a McDelivery.

McDelivery's Spin-a-Win

I just had another reason to avail of McDonald's delivery service online.


Photo taken from the McDelivery website

Samsung phones up for grabs! Limited edition baller IDs! Fastfood treats!

Now, nothing will hold me back from ordering through http://mcdelivery.ph whenever I want to.

I might just get a McNuggets meal later.

Ch-ch-ch-chicken

I never get tired of eating fried chicken.

I've practically seen how Chicken McDo and Chickenjoy evolved - and how their prices doubled from ten years ago.

All in all, I've eaten buckets and buckets of KFC's original recipe chicken, saving the flavorful skin [the best there is] for last every time. I just wish they have better suppliers. The 11 secret spices are not enough to satisfy the diners; The wing and leg parts are literally skin and bones most of the time.

Mini Stop's fried chicken meal [a steal for Php70] has been a favorite during my latter college days. There are three stores a few meters away from our condo, which means triple the tempation. Believe me, Mini Stop has huge chicken parts that I'd take even the wing or drumstick. I love the crunchy skin, too.

Shakey's Chick N Chips meal is really good, but I think it won't be the same without the Mojos. Agree?

Max's is amazing because their chicken tastes great even minus the gravy [they only serve Jufran banana catsup]. And even minus the cornstarch-coated skin.

Andok's Dokito Frito is the cheapest. Less than 50 for a one-piece meal, and it tastes much like Chickenjoy.

I've circled almost every fastfood chain there is just for fried chicken, and I won't get tired of doing so. But for me, ordering fried chicken in a casual dining resto is the last option [especially when there are a lot of sumptuous choices on the menu]. Last Friday was an exemption, though:


I rediscovered my real favorite fried chicken! Pancake House's Classic Pan Chicken, Php189 for 3 pieces.

As a child, I'd order this almost every Sunday, when we'd visit Pancake House right after hearing mass. But as I grew older, I realized that fried chicken isn't the only thing I should eat - hence, I started trying various pasta dishes or different toppings for waffles. FOR YEARS.

I totally forgot about the greatness of THE [all caps intended] Classic Pan Chicken - until last Friday. It has all the makings of a perfect fried chicken meal: crunchy skin that's good enough to save for last, tender meat that's tasty [and buttery] till the inside, and subtly-flavored gravy that complements the chicken [and even the rice] perfectly.

And the less-than-200 price tag for 3 pieces is good enough. You're just paying a little extra for the ambiance, the comfort, and the unlimited purified water refills that any fastfood outlet cannot match.

When the clock strikes 12 midnight...

...it's time to eat!

Every Saturday morning, from 12 m.n. to around 11 a.m., a street fiesta known as Banchetto is held in the Ortigas area. It is primarily the pig-out place of call center agents and graveyard shift workers.

But for my friends and I, Banchetto is the place to be after getting drunk on a Friday night out.


In Banchetto, they have anything and everything - shawarma, burgers, Mongolian rice toppings, squid balls, chicken skin - you name it. You can also call it a pasalubong center of some sort, with some stalls selling native delicacies like Vigan longganisa and Baguio's ever-famous choco flakes.

The last time we went, Fish & Co had their own spot where they sell a good heaping of fish and chips for only a hundred. Great deal!


Chicken lollipops with buttered rice, about Php50.

I can't wait for our next Banchetto [food] trip.

For more details, visit http://banchetto.multiply.com

Eeny, Meeny, MINI, Mo

You don't have to choose just one chocolate bar when there's Hershey's Miniatures.


An old family favorite, we usually buy packs of these bite-sized sweet treats on our quarterly trip to Duty Free.

With each bar only a bit thicker than your thumb, you can enjoy all four - Milk Chocolate, Dark Chocolate, Krackel and Mr. Goodbar - without worrying too much about gaining extra pounds. Well, not unless you plan to hog the entire pack and finish all 40-something Hershey's Minis in one sitting.

I'm currently addicted to Mr. Goodbar.

Lunch at 8 p.m.? Possible!

Who says that lunch is only meant for the 12-ish timeslot?

Now that the Van Stratens brought the famous Pepper Lunch closer to southern comfort, I can eat "Lunch" anytime of the day [or at least during mall hours]. I don't really care when people say not to eat ginormous servings for dinner. Pepper Lunch is the shit!

I know this is too much for the regular Filipino appetite, but why won't I finish something that looks this good?:

The picture [taken using my poor point and shoot] doesn't do any justice to the actual Curry Chicken Pepper Rice, Php218. It's so good you won't find any reason not to clean up your plate.

"Diet" shouldn't be a part of your vocabulary if you plan to dine here. They serve salad, by the way. But why eat salad when they have really delicious rice meals? *Points to the picture above for proof*

A twist to my old favorite
It's actually the first time I ordered something else in Pepper Lunch apart from the regular Chicken Pepper Rice. For just an additional Php20, I had a generous amount of curry powder on top of my usual meal. [I love the taste of curry. I don't really mind the smell.]


I always get excited when my hot plate is served - somehow, I feel like a master chef because I get to "cook" my own meal. This, aside from the actual eating part of course, makes the Pepper Lunch experience so much fun.

If you've been to Pepper Lunch, I'm sure you know the drill. You just mix everything in and add condiments of your choice.


I always add a dash of pepper and sprinkle lots of their honey brown sauce. If you don't like your meal a bit sweet, you can opt for the garlic sauce.

Rice + chicken + pepper + curry + corn + brown sauce = one power-packed lunch - at 8 p.m.!

I'm definitely looking forward to my next visit - no need to go to Rockwell just to satisfy my Chicken Pepper Rice craving. Or maybe I should try Salmon next?

Impromptu dinner at Clawdaddy's

I usually look forward to having spur of the moment dinner-outs with good [ol'] friends from school, especially now that I'm technically part of the unemployed population of the Philippines. While struggling with the job hunt three weeks after [finally] formally ending my love-hate affair with college, it's refreshing to still be with the same bunch of friends on a Friday night. Yeah, even if it's just for two hours of chatting over dinner.

Anj and I shared on two meals:


Fish and Chips, Php215

I am a huge fan of Fish & Chips. I tried Clawdaddy's a year ago. I must admit it's not the type you'd come back for constantly [like Fish and Co's] but I find myself ordering it every time I dine in this restaurant.

It's part of the kid's menu by the way - thus, the cute carton car packaging. The serving size is surprisingly huge, considering that it's supposed to be for the kiddos: six medium-sized strips of fish fillet with a handful of fries. Not bad for something a little over 200 pesos, right?


Pepperoni Pizza, Php275

What's good about this pizza is that its crust is paperthin. What's not [at least for me] is that you'll find fat chunks of tomatoes hidden under the cheesy layer. I'm not a pepperoni person and I don't really mind the scarcity of meat toppings here.

I was on the verge of also ordering their mozzarella sticks. Good thing i didn't! I had a small slice from Jopay's and it's nothing compared to Friday's or even Pasto's. The ones from Clawdaddy's look thick and appetizing - but ta-da! - it's just a thick layer of breadcrumbs. I didn't even feel the cheese.

The next time time I head over to Clawdaddy's, I'll probably try something new. They have an interesting selection of pasta and appetizers. But maybe I'll stick with my staple Fish & Chips order.





Next time the whole Wanted crew needs to be present. Where shall we eat next?