First Bite: The Nautilus Whiskey Bar

It's interesting to see Quezon City bloom into a dynamic food scene. Gone are the days where the area is just a place filled with beer pubs and cheap eats. As more boutique hotels open in the city, we get more options for dates and night out with friends. And one perfect spot to hang out is Nautilus Whiskey Bar. 

Hello, Nautilus Whiskey Bar! 

Located on the roof deck of Prime Hotel along Sgt. Esguerra, Nautilus Whiskey Bar offers a nice vantage point to enjoy Manila's sunset. One must be prepared to take two flights of stairs before enjoying the view though. 

First Bite: Fritöss

I usually grab popcorn or hotdog whenever I watch a movie. But I discovered a new alternative that could make my monthly ritual more interesting. 

Hello, Fritöss. 

This inviting quick bites place is part of the group that manages Barcino and Bluesmith Coffee & Kitchen. As no stranger to the food scene, it offers mouthwatering snacks perfect for that in between meals treat.

Love at First Bite: Burgers & Brewskies

Burgers are love. I still do not get it why restaurants force us to eat burgers with forks and knives but since I do not want to look like a cavewoman amongst my friends, I comply with the social norms (?). Last Saturday, my college friends and I decided to meet up to celebrate the February celebrants’ birthdays. I love it that F and I share the same birth month. I get to share the bill with someone. *Weee!* Anyway, since we were having a hard time deciding where to eat, we opted to visit the new mall at Capitol Commons instead and try Burgers & Brewskies.

Hello, Burgers & Brewskies!

The place was pretty much empty during lunch. Since it was already past 12 when I got there, M, K, L and F already placed their orders. They got the following: Buffalo Wings (PHP220), Call the Nurse (PHP280), Philly (PHP250), Winner Winner Chicken Dinner (PHP230), and Walk of Shame (PHP340). I ordered Kandi (PHP265) and Bacon Chicharon (PHP210). I also got a glass of Cucumber Lemonade and Sweet Potato Fries when I upgraded my burger to a combo (just add PHP80).

The group saved me a wing to try and it had a slightly peppery taste. It was pretty good and flavorful. I totally forgot to try the bleu cheese dip though.

M’s Walk of Shame burger, which comes with spiced mustard aioli, egg-in-a-whole wheat bun, crispy bacon, crisp potato hay (which is very much like PicNic) and B&B Lemonnaise (mayo with lemon?), was a delicious sight! It was like a breakfast burger as it comes with bacon and sunny side up egg!

F’s Philly was the healthiest burger on our table. Beef patty stuffed with sautéed thinly sliced steak and topped with onions and pepper, it was the perfect dish for F. (Not for me though as it doesn’t have bacon.)

First Bite: Buffalo's Wings N' Things

Chicken has an amazing charm on kids. Most kids just adore chicken, especially if the word fried comes along with it. Buffalo chicken wings are another story though as it is slightly spicier compared to its well-loved fried chicken goodness.

I’ve heard a lot of good things about Buffalo’s Wings N’ Things from a colleague of mine. So when I saw it in SM Megamall, I decided to give it a chance and dragged my family with me.

 

The place was pretty small and the menu’s pretty simple. Burgers, fries, nachos and chicken wings, that’s it. It was nothing fancy so ordering was a breeze. I ordered for everyone and chose the mild flavoured wings namely K-Pop (sweet), Garlic Parmesan, and Honey BBQ for the Triple Sampler (PHP409). I also ordered a basket of fries (PHP99) and two cups of NY Dirty Rice (PHP39). 

Service was quite quick and it was great as we were famished. First served were the fries and it was served piping hot!

 

Next were wings and rice. I noticed that the rice had an odd smell. To some it may smell repulsive. I gave it a shot and it was quite spicy (well, I have a low tolerance for anything spicy). 

Fifties in 2012: Mile Hi Diner

Pizza, check! Pasta, check! Burger, check! Next on the list? Chicken and fries!!! It’s true, friends who eat together… will go on a diet together!

Now on our way to our third (click here for the first and second) stop, we decided to visit Mile Hi, a popular food joint in Baguio which has branches here in Manila. I heard that the best one still is the one in Baguio but the 6-8 hour drive makes it less enticing.

Anyway, we have finally reached our destination (which was just a few steps away from the blue building also housing Moshi Moshi) and I was mesmerized with the Coca-Cola merchandise. I’m a sucker for anything Coca-Cola (I even rushed to McDonalds before when they first sold those limited edition Olympics glasses and I begged for 10 yen inside Narita airport just to buy a can of Coke simply because the can is soooo cute).

 

Since we were starting to get really full, we decided to just order a small basket of Spicy Buffalo Wings (PHP155) with Ranch dressing (PHP20) and Bacon Cheese Fries (PHP130). N and I also decided to order a cup of tea (we know it doesn’t match but hey it aids digestion) while J ordered a can of soda.

One Yummy Project: Creating your own burger

If only school projects are as tasty as this, I would have been a straight-A student from preschool to college.

We were now on our second stop of our Teacher’s Village Food Trip and the next destination was The Burger Project. With an attempt to burn some of the samgyeopsal we ate earlier, we decided to walk. (Well, the joint was pretty near the eat all you can place. Let’s say about 100 steps away?)

We were greeted by a plain looking signage with The Burger Project name on it. It didn’t really make me utter wow or anything. I just knew that I was in the right place.