The well-connected Aldous Calubad once again invited me to try out a new burger joint in Taft Avenue. The place is called Burger Avenue. It opened just this month in the area in order to cater to the students of La Salle and neighboring universities and condominiums. This isn't the pilot branch however. They have one in The Fort Strip which has been actively operating in the past 7 years.
According to the owner, Sir Martin, the idea of a burger joint was conceived out of his love for burgers from his childhood up to his adolescence. He described himself as having a preference for buns over rice meals. His idea has proven to be successful as evinced by the fort branch. In order to improve the clientele base, he then established a branch in La Salle. He also takes pride in the fact that the prices are uniform in both branches to demonstrate his belief in consistency. I'm sure this was another key to his success.
After the short interview, I got down to what I do best - eating! As for the food, I'd give it 5 stars out of 5. The meals presented the right mix of taste, value, and serving size without being pretentious or too bourgeoisie. This means that the meals are a value for money for the typical private college kid or working adult. I'd say that these burgers capture the typical urbanite taste for meat and bread, coupled with the standard fries. Take for instance the cream cheese burger. The fat filled dish was still worth consuming due to the creamy texture of the cheese filling, coupled with the moist beef patty and the fluffy bun. Add to that the excellent size, and you have something that's fit for a king. The side dishes are excellent too. The onion rings gave a vibrant taste of crispy breading and caramelized onions without being too greasy or oily. The serving size is reasonable too.
Another remarkable side is the crazy fries which is comprised of chili con carne and cheese toppings coupled with a generous serving of thick potato wedges. This meal, as you have been warned, is known for its very spicy taste. Chili aficionados should gobble it down in no time at all, though.
For rice lovers, the burger joint has them covered. Martin showed me the chodobo, which is essentially a greasy mix of adobo, egg, and chorizo coupled with yellow rice. It did remind me of arroz a la cubana, a Mexican dish transported to the Philippines via the Galleon Trade. Burger Avenue's version, though, presented an excellent mix of the ingredients which are well cooked and peppered with top notch spices.
I couldn't end with my litany of praises for the food. The same goes for the drinks. I did try the strawberry shake artfully served in a mason jar. While a bit lacking in the creaminess department, the flavor was vibrant and reminiscent of fresh strawberries with milk. The drink did a lot to make my day. To say the least, it was still excellent in terms of quality.
The food price ranges from the 100 to the 200 peso range. Very reasonable for students with a bit more to spend, right?
In sum, my experience in Burger Avenue was memorable. I would recommend it as one of my favorite burger joints in Metro Manila.
Burger Avenue is located at Agno Compound, DLSU Taft, Manila. Call them at the Fort branch at 9708277 and at the Taft branch at 5222523. Visit their FB Page at https://www.facebook.com/BurgerAve
The Story in Photos:
The Facade of Burger Avenue
The Spacious Dining Area
A wall mural reminiscent of Frida Kahlo's art
The ultra spicy crazy fries - chili con carne with cheese on fries
The milky strawberry shake
The unique chodobo - Chorizo and Adobo in rice - perfect for carnivores
A poster of the signature chodobo dish
The menu
wall posters promoting the food
a larger display of the sumptuous menu
Another pic of the dining area
My meal: the cream cheese burger with onion rings - note the oat toppings on the bun
the cream cheese burger bitten by a quarter - I simply couldn't resist
The chodobo before consumption
Aldous Calubad of aldousatetheworld.com for the invite
Janine Daquio of http://ladylagalag.com/ for the pictures
Sir Martin of Burger Avenue for accomodating our group
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