Quick Dish Review

Charlie's Grind and Grill has become one of our go-to burger place. The price and the quality is just unbeatable, and when we heard they launched new variations of their Wagyu and Black Angus cheese burger, we just had to have it! If you have yet to read our review on this amazing burger joint. You can click here.

All those cheese is melting with its gooey goodness!

Five Cheese Burger

With your choice of beef of either Black Angus or Wagyu, the patty is filled with Mozzarella and topped with gouda, cheddar, blue cheese and cheese sauce that is sandwiched by a brioche bun! Each cheese was proportioned so that no cheese will over power the other but would melt and explode in your mouth along with juicy patty! A win for cheese lovers!

That fried egg and mayo from the Sloppy Burger!

Sloppy Burger

Either a Black Angus or Wagyu beef patty with cheddar slices topped with fried egg, chili con carne, jalapenos, and sour cream. This is the perfect breakfast burger as it has that refreshing taste of eggs and meat that I get when I have bacon and eggs or any silog combination. I can't wait to wake up to this.

Arugula is so good!

Foie Gras Burger

A Black Angus or Wagyu beef patty with scattered foie gras and topped with mayo, gouda cheese, caramelised onions, arugula and tomato on a brioche bun. The flavor of the duck liver is distinct while the mayo, the arugula, the tomato and the cheese temper the strong caramelised onions. With each bite, you want more and more until you run out. You are full but you want more. This burger is that good. I just wish it wasn't that pricey!

What We Liked

• The Foie Gras flavor was well cooked and was intense! Foie Gras lovers will love the twist and the gouda and arugula fighting for your tastes buds' attention!
• Sloppy burger is the best burger for those looking for the breakfast feel! The egg does wonders!
• The Five cheese burger takes the idea of multiple cheeses on pizza into a burger that devastates your mouth with five distinct cheese flavors!

What We Almost Liked

• The Sloppy burger can get extra oily because of the fried egg
• The Foie Gras Burger can get ridiculous in price
• The Five Cheese burger could use something to temper all those cheeses

Do you want to Contact 'Charlie's Grind & Grill?'

Address: G/F Ronac Bldg., Madison St. Greenhills San Juan

Telephone number: (02) 477-5021

Facebook: Charlie's Grind & Grill

Operating Hours: Mon-Sun: 10AM to 12.30AM

There are so many burger joints out there, and there have been so many disappointing moments I've had with burgers than I have been dumped. There were greasy burgers, there were underwhelming beef patties and there were just burgers that were bad.

This resulted in me being absolutely jaded with burger joints. I would always enter a burger place with my heart on my sleeve so I wouldn't get too hurt. So when I heard about burger geek, I was a little hesitant to try it. Now that I have, I am here to tell you what happened.

Umami Corn made of Bonito flakes and Seaweed the staple source of umami flavor!

The Ambiance 

The Molito complex is composed of multiple rectangular buildings that were divided into smaller rectangles for the different establishment. In the middle of those Rectangular buildings is a small park with benches and a fountain.

The smaller rectangles are similar in size and are usually high enough inside to accommodate two floors. Burger Geek decided to have only one floor with high ceiling. 

The whole front facade is made of glass so you can see the inside right away. As you enter, the kitchen is right across from the tables and the entrance. The aesthetics of the place is modern rustic with wood, steel and glass as their main materials that have been fabricated into shapes with sharp corners and into clean industrial look.

The tables and chairs are mostly made of wood, steel and synthetic materials. They are comfortable but can get less comfortable after a certain period. They really want you to eat and go. This is not new for food that is meant to devoured quickly.

The B+ (Bacon +) Crispy Bacon and American Cheese, need I say more?

The Food

The three of us were welcomed warmly from the door and were lead to our desired seat near the kitchen counter. We were given the menu and were intrigued by the name of the different burger variations.

My friend R decided to have the B+ or Bacon + which had american cheese, smashed patty, Crispy Bacon, lettuce and Tomatoes. It is the picture above. This burger was good. It had the staple condiments that blend well together so that it can compliment the beef patty and the soft buttered buns. It's quite the delight.

I decided to go with the Straight Aes which was a combination of B+ with Shiitake mushrooms, sauteed onions and BBQ sauce. This burger took the standard 'the Geek' and the B+ to the next level with the mushrooms and the BBQ sauce. This added a savory layer from the mushrooms and a sweet layer from the BBQ Sauce that enhances the goodness from the B+.

The Buffalo Chicken Sandwich is oozing with Spicy Buffalo Wing Sauce!

And last but not least, G got the Buffalo chicken Sandwich. It is like the burger but instead of the smashed patty, Fried chicken with buffalo wing sauce and pickles were added. It was amazing, I love hot wings and making it into a sandwich is an interesting idea. My only concern was that the Buffalo sauce could get a little too oily which can ruin the experience.

After the burgers themselves we were so amazed by the food that even though we were full, we had to try their sides. I got the Umami Corn and R got the Mac and Cheese.

The Umami Corn is basically an Umami flavor bomb. It had bonito flakes and seaweed (Nori) which were staples of Japanese cuisine. The Mac and Cheese is good. Not spectacular but it was cooked well. The pasta was al dente while the cheese was oozing and the bacon bits were crunchy. Each ingredient was cooked well and made it good.

They Give a Bowl of free Kropek when you arrive at your table!

The Service

When we came one Monday afternoon, the Kitchen crew was numerous while the waiter number was just two or three, which became a concern when dinner time came. Customers flooded the place and the waiters struggled to keep up with the number of orders and requests. 

The food came ten to fifteen minutes after ordering and the waiters gave us free kropek as soon as we sat down! It was the best Kropek I've had. It's a little far from the pub Kropek you get with your beer during college.

Crispy Bacon on Oozing Mac and Cheese!

The Price

The burgers start at Php 185.00 (The Principal) and can go up to Php 385.00 (The B. Mac) while the sandwiches start at Php 225.00 to Php 245.00. The sides start at Php 65.00 and can get to Php 210.00 for the 6 pc. Chicken wings. There is the Umami chicken which is made of two pieces of fried chicken, an Umami corn and a choice between rice and korean yang chow. This will set you back Php 295.00.

Pricing varies and most are spot on while there are some that can get overpriced. I loved Burger Geek.

The Verdict

What We LIKED:

• Beef Patty's are not the best I've had but are better than most
• The soft buns are buttered that adds another layer of flavor
• Sides like the Umami Corn and the Mac and Cheese are worth the price
• They give you free Kropek!
• Novelty names for the burgers are a delight

What We Almost LIKED:

• Some burgers and some side dishes can get a little over priced
• Buffalo wing sauce on the Buffalo Chicken Sandwich can get oily
• The place gets full quickly during rush hours!

Do you want to Contact 'Burger Geek?'

Address: 16A Molito Lifestyle Mall, Madrigal Ave, Alabang, Muntinlupa
Telephone number: (02) 801-2903
Instagram: @burgergeek_ph
Operating Hours: Monday to Sunday: 11AM to 11PM

I love cooking competitions. I always get hungry and I never seem to get enough of seeing the work, the passion, the creativity and the twists of the formula. When I was invited to be a food judge for 2015's Foodgasm goes to Maginhawa, you could say I was honoured to say the least.

So without further ado this is the first fifteen dishes at the event! (Some of the competitors failed to come on the day and were omitted.) Here is the link for Part 2 of 2!

1. Double Bagnet

The Double Bagnet was an interesting entry because essentially it was two well loved ways to cook pork, sisig and bagnet, combined into one. It didn't take a lot of creativity, but sometimes going the simpler route is the best one!

2. Pork and Tofu Sisig

I wanted to love this dish because I love sisig, but because it was soggy and could use better seasoning. A little more and they could have perfected it.

3. Bonnga Hangovurger

Longganisa burger patty with cheese omelette sandwiched by waffles that were topped by maple syrup! It was okay. I just wish the waffles were crunchier! The cheese omelette was an interesting choice, but I would loved it more if they used Bacon strips.

4. Iberian Chicken

It was raining the day of the event and the dishes that were affected most were made from chicken and fish. Even though the meat hardened because of the cold, you could still taste the spices and the flavors from this dish! It's one of those 'Sayang!' dishes. I hope next time to get this fresh!

5. ROAR Blue Raspberry and Fruit Punch 

These are similar to the Pocari sweat products but they taste a lot better. I particularly like the Raspberry than the Fruit Punch. I wish that it was more innovative though, it was imported.

6. Cheesecake in a Jar

They are okay. I don't find anything remarkable about their version of this classic dessert, although it is nice to have this on the go. I've had better in terms of flavor, consistency and texture.

7. Buffalo Wings

They offered two flavors: the sweet and the hot and spicy. Sadly the way they cooked it left it soggy which lost its crispiness.  This is just me, but I prefer my Wings fried at a constant temperature to give that wonderful texture and crunch! The hot and spicy flavor was the type of spiciness that numbs yours tastebuds. So Prepare yourself. The classic sweet sauce wasn't that sweet.

8. Chicken Topokki

The flavor that stood out was the red sauce where it was not quite as authentic as the one I've had in Korea but it was close enough. What I was looking for was the chicken flavor. I couldn't taste it anywhere.

9. Brown Brazo

What is interesting in this iteration of the classic Brazo is the use of Coconut sugar which is said to be healthier than sugar cane. Props for them to try and give us a healthier option. The Brazo itself was a decent make. You won't go wrong with this.

10. Cucumber Lemonade

Cucumber-infused water is gaining popularity, and it was just a matter of time till someone combined it with Lemonade. I am glad someone actually did it. The cucumber adds an interesting contrast to the sweetness of the sugars and sourness of the lemon that brings out each other flavors that is surprisingly refreshing! I love it.

11. Yakitori

Chicken Barbecue is something I hold dear to my heart, and I think it is a common sentiment. Yakitori is basically chicken barbecue on a stick and this iteration of the dish is okay. The chicken is okay but the all the flavors are being overpowered by the seaweed. The sauce needs to be able balance this.

12. Decorative Cakes

I got really excited when I saw these! There was a spaghetti and meatballs cake and a Lechon cake. The attention to detail, the passion and the hardwork on these are what I respect from Empire Cakes. I was just set back by the chiffon inside. It was a little dry and rough for my preference but it did taste chocolatey. The dish isn't bad, it was almost great!

13. Champorado Cupcake

This was an interesting idea but the execution could be refined. I found the rise to be only gripe in it. Probably due to the baking process, the rice hardened. Otherwise, the champorado flavor was good and the cake itself was soft and moist.

14. Yema Cupcake with Pastillas de Leche

Like the last one, it has promising idea but could be refined even further for it to be great. The Yema and pastillas recipes were the problem where they came in dry for my taste. I like my yema and pastillas moist. The cupcake itself is soft and moist as well.

15. Porkloin Ribs

This dish is noteworthy because the pig meat had barely any flavor and tasted and smelled like it was a couple of days old. The sauce that they cover the meat in is just sweet with hints of soy sauce and vinegar.

Click the Link Below to see the last fifteen contestants

Next (Part 2 of 2)

I love cooking competitions. I always get hungry and I never seem to get enough of seeing the work, the passion, the creativity and the twists of the formula. When I was invited to be a food judge for 2015's Foodgasm goes to Maginhawa, you could say I was honoured to say the least.

So without further ado this is the last fifteen dishes at the event! (Some of the competitors failed to come on the day and were omitted.) 

If you missed the first part, here is the link for Part 1 of 2!

Next (Part 1 of 2)

16. Meaty Carbonara

This iteration of the carbonara has an increased portion of ham and bacon. If you love meet then this may be the dish for you. I think the dish is okay, and it isn't bad. I would just recommend to use better cheeses.

17. Honey Bagoong Wings

I loved the idea of this dish and the implementation fell a LITTLE Short. You see they used the honey to sweeten the bagoong (shrimp paste) and it did wonders. The shrimp paste's saltiness was tamed. The chicken itself was cooked well. It was crispy and flavorful.  The thing that fell short was that the honey taste disappeared in the Bagoong. Probably if they glazed the wings with honey with would have been perfect!

18. Chocolate Whoopie Pies

They were advertising this as literally cookies and cream. The cookie itself was okay the cream however could have been thicker and creamier. I found it bland as well. If they improve the cream, it would have been noteworthy.

19. Puto Cake

It didn't really taste like a combination of Puto and Cake. It tasted like an ordinary puto with cheese. With that said it was an okay Puto. You wouldn't regret having it but you won't be raving about it.

20. Beef Kebab

They served this dish with the beef strips and yellow rice. The beef was okay. It could have used more spices while the rice could have been cooked better. I felt it was a little lacking in flavor and it was a little under cooked. I encourage them to refine it.

21. Fish Stix

Fish fillet in more manageable stick shape. I like the idea, it made it like fries, that is easy to pick up and quick to eat. It would have been a good finger food. I like the crispy outer shell and the soft inner fish meat. It just lacked a sauce. The owner herself admitted that they had sauce but decided not to bring it. It would have been better if they had.

22. Bacon Banana Bread

They say bacon goes with everything. I have yet to find a dish that proves otherwise. This iteration though was good. I just wish they picked better bacon and cooked it in a better way. The banana and the bacon couldn't bring out the better from each other. I hope they find will find a way to make them jive better. I also applaud the trial of innovation! Keep going!

23. Treasure Burger

They coloured the buns with bright primary colours. It catches your eye but the burger itself was not that good. The patty and the condiments could use better seasoning to bring the flavors out more.

24. Mister Miswa

This is your ordinary miswa based soup. I didn't find anything innovating but if you were craving for it, then this iteration may be the one for you!

25. Choco Chip Cookies

These soft batch cookies were indeed soft but were a little dry inside. The chips used were okay but the cookie bread itself could use some refinement. Keep going, I can see potential in this dish.

26. Choco Chip Banana Cupcakes

I applaud the trial of innovating but the thing is chocolate in itself is sweet while bananas become even sweeter when baked so as you can see the problem was that the dish was sweeter than sweet. It needed another ingredient to balance the sweetness from the sugar, the chocolate and the banana. I am sure you will come up with something else interesting.

27. Churros con Chocolate

The churros themselves were good. It was crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. My only problem was the chocolate. It was apparent that they used less than better cocao which brought the dish down. I hope they find better chocolate.

28. Sili Chocolate Cupcake

One of the innovative dishes that chose to put chili in chocolate. When I took my bite, I was looking for the spiciness. It was a slow acting type of dish where in it takes a while before it kicks in and when it does the spiciness lingers for a while. The only gripe I had with the dish is the cream should be finer and creamier. The texture was still coarse when I had it. Otherwise it would have been a great idea!

29. Bomba

This is my personal favorite. An oatmeal cookie with a chocolate filling that was made from melting chocolate with cayenne pepper that starts off with sweetness from the cookies mixed with the kick of the cayenne pepper that explodes in your mouth. The sweet and the spicy dancing in your mouth for a while will leave you wanting more.

30. Lechon Bagnet

My two favorite ways to cook Pig, Lechon and Bagnet combined into one is simply the best part of my job at Foodgasm! It was crispy and flavorful! It was a crunchfest! Get this now!

Click the Link Below to see the first fifteen contestants

Next (Part 1 of 2)

When the arrival of craft coffee, craft ice cream or anything craft for that matter came, it was only a matter of time did I question when would some craft or at least new creative sandwiches would arrive in the metro. Lo and behold when I heard that an establishment was cooking some good hotdogs and burgers that uses BACON fat, well you could say I was intrigued. 

Enough Said

Lazy Bastard is located at the corner of Galaxy and Jupiter St. Bel Air Makati which is surprisingly where one of my favorite Ramen, and one of my favorite Japanese Bakery is located. (Mitsuyado and Yamato Bakery) It is conveniently located at the basement with the entrance at the back side of the building. The parking is one of the problems that I have encountered here.

Hidden entrance at the back of the Building!

The Ambiance

The Facade is hidden because it is at the back of the building, but you won't miss the huge sign that says 'Bacon and Burgers this way ->' As you walk down the stairway you notice the prominence of British subway inspiration.

As you open the door you see a hallway with a couple of tables on the right and a bar with stools on the left. At the end of the hallway is where you order and pay.

It feels like a hole on the floor restaurant which I think is the best thing for this kind of place which is an eat and go place. It isn't that big so you're encouraged to enjoy your food at a faster pace but not to the point of rushing that it makes you gag.

The Kimchi Dog!

The Food

They are very proud of their creations that I can't help but praise them. What you will notice in all their items is that they use bacon fat when they cook some of the ingredients, and they use potato bread that is softer than the normal buns but have this light sweetness that really compliments the salty bacon or the peppery burger patty.

As you receive your dish and for some reason you added bacon, you will notice how generous their serving is. In fact, If you look closely at the burger picture you will see that they didn't separate the strips of bacon, it was a batch of it. I however found the bacon to be a little saltier to my preference but that wonderful crunch is still there!

The Bacon Cheeseburger with that generous serving of bacon!

The burger's buns and condiments are as fresh as they can be, and when you take that first bite you immediately notice the light sweetness of the soft buns blending with the vegetables, the condiments and the peppered patty. They advertise that their patties are a little on the peppery side, and I think it is a matter of preference but I found it intense enough for me to want a little less of it.

What really blew me away was their Sloppy Joes! So far it is the best one I've ever had in the Metro and I highly recommend you try it.

Nearly half a paper bag full of fries!

They also have add-ons so you can add an extra patty, extra cheese, extra jalapeno or etc. for your preference. They also have a promotion where in you just add Php 90.00 and you get to choose from French fries, Onion Rings and taters and pair it with your dishes with your chosen beverage.

When it comes to french fries, McDonalds is the standard and I am happy to tell you that I think their fries is a little bit better than McDonalds and their serving is quite generous where I got nearly half a paper bags worth of it.

The onion rings on the other hand was good. The outer layer was well season and crispy while the inner onion ring was still fresh but with hints of caramelisation and no sign of getting burnt.

Those Crispy Onion Rings!

The Service

The people were kind are always ready to listen to your requests and suggestions. The lady at the cashier made it so easy to pick which dish I wanted as she was wonderful at explaining the differences between each dish.

I did find their cooking time inconsistent. There were times where it would be done in ten minutes but there were times where I waited for twenty minutes until I got my order.

Some people may also find the place a little small, and I think this place is just for when you want to just eat your food and go, not the place you would like to sit down and have a long conversation.

The Breakfast Sandwich!

The Price

The sandwiches starts at Php 150.00 on wards! The Sloppy Joes with the Php 90.00 combo is the best deal for me. I would also add some Jalapeno and damn. It roughly cost around Php 300.00, and I will not regret it. 

 The Verdict

What We LIKED:

• Ambiance is for I just need to eat good food and be on my way
• The Buns are soft and flavorful
• Bacon Serving is generous
• Condiments are fresh
• Arguably one of the best Sloppy Joes in the Metro!

What We Almost LIKED:

• Those who are looking to sit down, eat and talk for a while won't like it. (They can move to the secret bar right next door
• Burger Patty was to my preference too peppery while the bacon was generous but was a little too salty
• Inconsistent serving time. Can vary between 10 to 20 minutes.

Do you want to Contact 'Lazy Bastard PH?'

Address: Basement Floor, 22 Jupiter St. Corner Galazy St. Bel Air, Makati, Metro Manila, Philippines
Telephone number: (02) 832-5330
Facebook: Lazy Bastard's Facebook Page

Website: www.lazybastard.ph

Instagram: @lazybastardph

Operating Hours: Mon-Sun: 11AM to 3AM