Sweet Ecstasy Burger : Jupiter Street, Bel Air, Makati, Philippines

The BAD- there is no Air-Conditioning, which may seem acceptable on a cool evening, but on the day that I visited, the forecast was for over 40˚C so it was sweltering HOT! 

The Good - the burgers are made to order here so be prepared to wait! Read the posters, take a selfie or have a milkshake because it will take time. 

 
The Anatomy of the SWEET ECSTASY Burger!

X-marks the spot!

I ordered a Cheeseburger with caramelised onions and about 20 minutes later this is what I got. She ain't pretty but what I got was pure ecstasy. The brioche bun was toasted perfectly, soft on the outside and crusty on the inside, with a thin layer of butter or beef lard? Then a layer of classic American cheddar slightly melted, a crisp lettuce leaf, the patty was all beef and only seasoned with salt & pepper. It has a great crust and they must keep a higher than usual fat to beef ratio because it was oh so juicy. Followed by their special ecstasy sauce. 

The Skinny: Get your ecstasy fix now! It's cheap and it's hot! Currently the best value for money burger in the metropolis. 




Missed out on the Adult Shakes will have to try this on my next trip here.

Sweet Ecstasy Restaurant- 
10 Jupiter Street, Barangay Bel Air, Makati, Philippines

Operating Hours: Monday -Sunday 11AM to 12 Midnight

Twitter-https://twitter.com/sweetXmanila

Facebook-https://www.facebook.com/SweetXManila/info?tab=overview

Instagram-https://instagram.com/sweetxmanila/

Sea Urchin is like cannabis? : Seryna, Legaspi Village, Makati Philippines

All abuzz in little tokyo..

Little Tokyo in Manila is alive and well.  

Got a chance to try Seryna and it was worth the effort. Seryna serves up good solid japanese food sans all the fanfare. What they lack in presentation they make up for in quality and quantity. 

Uni(sea urchin) is like cannabis?

According to a study, Uni has a euphoria causing chemical similar to cannabis. 
No wonder I can't get enough.  

Source: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9150253

The flavor was crisp, with hints of nuts,a creamy-buttery taste reminiscent of the flavours of the sea.

Oo-toro

The prime cut of Japanese blue-fin tuna belly. This was melt in your mouth with crisp & cream texture and oo-so-good!   

Maguro Tuna

I have not forgot about this dish its just that after the Ootoro I have nothing much to say about this dish. It was fresh and it was good.. how was that?

Tenpura

Prawns were good but the the batter was a bit too thick for my taste.

Tofu Salad

Its tofu and salad dressing can't say much more than that. 

Fresh Oysters

I forgot to ask where they were from. They were definitely not Kumamoto oysters. But my guess would be Pacific Northwest oysters because they reminded me of a time in Hama-hama Washington when my friends and I sneaked onto an oyster farm to help ourselves to a "free sampling" of the Pacific's best oysters. (but that is another story) 

The oysters were large, very firm and not light flavoured very little brine.

Squid

These were little gems! Served raw, it had a sweet and salty taste combined with the crisp texture. 

Insider tip:

Seafood is flown in fresh from Japan every Monday. 

My Man-Cave:The John Barbers, Legaspi Village, Makati Philippines

Welcome to my man cave..

When I was about 4 years old, my father and I would have this every second Saturday ritual. He would take me to the Majestic Barbershop on UN Avenue just around the corner from the old Shelbourne Hotel. If I was lucky (or well behaved) he would even take me to watch a movie. So that did not happen that often. Oddly, I got more excitement about our  bi-weekly treks to the barbers than I would the movies. During my childhood, it was my own time with him where I had him all to myself.

There is something very nostalgic about visiting a barber that spells old world wonder. I remember my father telling me that our Majestic Barber (I forget his name) was the same barber that cut my grandfather's, my father's and my hair. Many years later after Majestic closed down, I would visit the same barber at another place in Makati.

Well, it's a brave new world and and we are seeing the resurgence of old school barbershops. The design is done in an art deco look with a heavy use of dark stained wood and stainless steel elements. The place could double as a Pan-Am airline lounge. 

For me, it hits all the marks with a few bonuses added in like Free Wifi !! 

The Chairs

Each chair has USB ports and power outlets for charging your electronic devices. The mirror has a built-in LCD TV with cable.

Old school tools (aside from the remote)

Massage/Nap room

Shower room

Vitrines

How barbaric???

I suppose in a few years someone will read this and think "how barbaric"? But for the moment this is as good as it gets, my perfect man-cave, I will be there every chance I get. 

Did I mention free wifi?

Located in the Sommerset Hotel, 112 Aguirre Street, Legaspi Village Makati City

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thejohnbarbers?fref=ts

Pizza Morena, Makati Philippines

Pizza Morena has been around since 2012, serving their humble pie at Salcedo Saturday Market and Legaspi Sunday Market.

Very foolishly, I have been ignoring this stall for over 2 years because I have often been disappointed by many a pizzeria around the metropolis.  

After a friend swore to me that their pizza was worth a try, I decided to give it a go. 

All their pizzas were 10 inches in diameter and they had half a dozen or so types of pizza available on that day.

Chorizo Pizza

I chose one of their most popular, their Chorizo Pizza,  this was a "bianca" or white pizza(no tomato sauce) but was so deliciously good I did not even realise it until I had finished the entire box. :) 

It comes topped with home-made chorizo, organic arugula, roasted bell peppers and lotsa mozza!

I am kicking myself for not having tried their pizza earlier.  

I will be back for more!


facebook : https://www.facebook.com/PizzaMorena?fref=ts

Urban Art @Dela Rosa Carpark, Legaspi Village Makati, Philippines-updated 07 May 2015

Dela Rosa Murals 

updated 07 May 2015

#delarosamurals

Love how Ayala is trying to make our urban jungle a bit more bearable. 

Enough has been said about the lack of greenery and park space in this megalopolis. At least an effort is being made to convert concrete walls into art walls.  This makes a walk along Dela Rosa a treat! 

Hope this becomes a trend and we see a resurgence of Urban Art around the city...