All about Beef: The Beef

Hole in the Wall's The Beef has been named as one of the best burgers in town for years now. Known for its thick and juicy homemade patties, foodies all over the metro went gaga over this premium burger joint. I hate to admit it but it took me a long while before I got to try this picturesque burger almost everyone is raving about.

Hello, The Beef.

Tucked inside the first ever food hall in town, The Beef has earned a lot of patrons with its premium beefy burgers. The no-frills burger joint has a very thin menu only offering hamburger, cheeseburger and fries. Such streamlining allows The Beef to focus on what's crucial, its patties.

First Bite: Slabbers

I am a big fan of Hole in the Wall and most of the concepts in the first ever upscale food hall in Manila. However, I hardly visit Century City Mall as its location's a bit off from where I live. I make sure though that I pass by this picturesque dining hall every time I find myself in the area. And for my latest visit, I tried one of its newest stalls, Slabbers. 

Hello, Slabbers. 

This new concept in Hole in the Wall opened last July and has been firing up some mean ribs and wings since then. With its prime location near the entrance, it would be hard to miss Slabbers. 

Best of Boracay in Manila: Fat Rice

I still remember how challenging it was to find Street Market Boracay last year. As the newest (and only) food park in the island back in March 2017, hardly anyone knew Street Market Boracay, Station X or even Hue Hotel. But I was determined to try it out as the people behind the food park are the power couple Nowie and Odette Potenciano. I managed to find Street Market Boracay after almost an hour of asking around and it was worth it! The place was beautiful and filled with interesting tenants. One of the stalls that caught my eye was Fat Rice and I feasted on its divine wings. 

Hello, Fat Rice. 

Fat Rice has been one of my favorites during my last Boracay visit. R and I were actually considering to head to summer destination a few months back to relax and indulge in good food but it was put on hold when the island was forced to close. Thankfully, my favorites found its way to Manila serving its bestselling dishes for a limited time at Hole in the Wall. 

Best of Boracay in Manila: Spicebird

The shutdown of Boracay has made summer a bit darker for most. As the favorite summer destination closed down last April, it was goodbye not just to Laboracay and all those fun festivities but also farewell (at least for half a year) to some of our favorite food establishments in the island. Thankfully, Nowie and Odette Potenciano figured out a way to bring its mouthwatering dishes to Manila. 

Hello Best of Boracay!

Crowd favorites Spicebird, Fat Rice, Poketo and Coco Mama found its way to Manila last June and have been delighting Manila foodies' taste buds since then. Its pop up stalls are located at Hole in the Wall and will be in town until August 15, 2018. 

First Bite: Bad Bird

Long queues never fail to make me curious. As one of the best indicators that something good is being offered, I usually line up even without having much clue of what's in store for me. Though it's not always a happy ending after getting what every one else was lining up for, I got to discover Ichiran and Hanjuku Kobo from spontaneously queuing. And one establishment that I've always wanted to line up for was Bad Bird. 

Hello, Bad Bird.

Bad Bird has been one of the establishments people go for when visiting Hole in the Wall. And it never seemed to run out of patrons whenever I visit. 

First Bite: Liberation Shawarma

It has been a long while since I've visited Century City Mall. The horrific traffic in Makati never fails to keep me from this establishment. Luckily, I managed to drop by one Saturday with K before a foodie gathering. And of course, a trip to Century City Mall wouldn't be complete without visiting Hole in the Wall. This time, I made sure to try some of the relatively newer concepts and I started with... Liberation Shawarma. 

Hello, Liberation Shawarma. 

I was craving for sharwarma for weeks and it was timely that I spotted Liberation Shawarma at Hole in the Wall. Without spending an extra second to decide, I decided to go with Beef Pita Shawarma (PHP290). It is also available with rice (PHP380) but I wanted to save space for the other food finds in the area. And I also had a party to attend that afternoon. 

First Bite: Milk Trade

Once upon a time, there was a sudden craze for egg waffles. Instagram, Facebook and food apps were bombarded by these delectable bubble waffles in different shapes and sizes. One particular shop that I wanted to visit was Milk Trade. But its location was not attractive at all. I do not want to brave the Makati traffic just for it. Hence when I was able to visit Century City Mall a month back, I made sure that I get to stop by this popular egg waffle place.

Hello, Milk Trade!

R and I rushed to Century City Mall right after a big feast and headed straight to Hole in the Wall. We were so worried that we would be greeted by a closed sign as we got there a couple of minutes before 10 p.m. and a few sites noted that Milk Trade closes that time. 

Luckily, it was still open and the friendly staff of Milk Trade entertained us. She also didn’t turn into a grumpy lady while R and I discussed which waffle goes best with which steamed pudding. After 5 minutes or so, we went with the staff’s recommendation—Matcha Egg Waffle with Chocolate Steamed Milk (PHP150). 

Love at First Bite: Scout’s Honor

I love anything personalized or customized. It shows that effort and thought were put into it and it makes whatever was made more special. Well, I always feel special when I receive one. I also find it fun to make one so it was such a thrill to make my own cookie! Curious where I crafted my own cookie? Scout’s Honor at Hole in the Wall.

Hello, Scout’s Honor!

This cute cookie and milk place is the first thing you’ll see once you enter Hole in the Wall. Scout’s Honor’s display of milk bottles and cookies will instantly make you salivate (if you love milk and cookies).

I was all oohs and aahs while checking the different ready-to-eat cookies, cookie dough, toppings and milk flavors. After much thought, I decided to get Cookie Inception (PHP95), Rocky Road, Peanut Butter and Nutty (PHP180 for 3 pieces—and yes, it has to be three pieces). I also crafted my own cookie (PHP120) and got Bamboo Charcoal Milk (PHP110).

For my very own Gluttonshopper cookie, I opted to go with the chewy chocolate chip cookie dough with almonds and marshmallow. The cookie master told me that the chewy chocolate chip cookie dough is one of their bestsellers and bestseller is a magic word with me. (UPDATE: They now have red velvet cookie dough! Get yours now as it’s a limited offering.)

True enough, I did love my cookie. It’s not that photogenic but the chewy dough and mallows with a slight bite from the almonds was divine! I love munching it warm with my cold milk.

Hole in the Wall Find: Green Cheese (Happiest Cheesecake in the World)

While waiting for my pho from Phobobo, I looked around to check the other concessionaires and see if I could try more dishes that night. However, the place was really packed so I was forced to buy from stores with shorter lines (as we were also rushing to visit a coffee shop after dinner).

Hello, Green Cheese, the happiest cheesecake in the world!

This cake stall caught my interest when Jin Perez of Jin Loves to Eat featured it on her blog. From the smiling Japanese cheesecakes to the nice façade (with a swing), Green Cheese sure screams kawaii!

I decided to go for Green Cheese’s plain cheesecake (PHP50 per slice or PHP350 for a box) and custard pudding (PHP120).

Hole in the Wall Find: Phobobo (Pho-King De-li-cious)

I used to not care much about interior designs. I would say, “oh, nice place” without much thought into it. However, working with the Real Living team helped me become more appreciative of details. I even helped style the Yummy booth before for Yummy Eats’ first year and cried when I stepped inside an Ikea store for the first time. So just imagine my excitement when I stumbled upon Hole in the Wall’s Instagram account. The first thing that came to my mind was… I HAVE TO GO THERE ASAP. But work was a bit crazy for the past few weeks. We even have work on Saturdays. Then again, nothing can stop me with my affair with food.

Hello, Hole in the Wall. It has been a long two weeks of agony not being able to visit you sooner.

I was surprised that the place was quite packed on a Wednesday night. I guess Friday night is now seven days a week.

I was really famished when J and I got there so I wasn’t able to take much photos plus I was feeling shy to take photos of hungry diners. I also didn’t really choose which concessionaire to buy from. My only basis that time was which one had the shortest line. At that time, it was Phobobo and Greencheese. But let me focus more on Phobobo in this entry.

I was actually more excited to try Kwong’s and Bad Bird but the lines were too long for my tummy to understand. And since I got rained on earlier that day, a warm bowl of pho sounded appealing.

After a minute or so, it was my turn to order. I quickly went for the Pho Bo (PHP360) and Ox Tripe Chicharon (PHP160). Unfortunately, the chicharon was not available that night. I ended up with Crispy Spring Rolls (PHP140).