Andy Player at the Yard!

My last visit to the Yard, Katipunan was for the event sponsored by Andy Player, a newly launched cola and whiskey mix. The recipe was made from the original blend of the Great American Distillery, USA; and distributed by Emperador Distillers Inc., the flagship brand of tycoon Andrew Tan.

This new drink was a delightful and sweet blend of two well-known drinks combined into a hard drink that's too irresistible to put down. The whiskey was a full-bodied drink with a thick texture. The cola was also of an exquisite quality.

Surprisingly, Andy Player is also great with food, as seen in the pictures:

I tried Andy Player as an accompaniment to the cheese-filled dishes of one of the concessionaires. Their Philly Cheese steak sandwiches have the right amount of meatiness that goes well with the sweet flavor of Andy Player.

Andy Player, while being a new player in the market, has already caught my attention. Its composition of excellent ingredients, sharp taste, and youthful vibe has made it a winning combo for millennials like me. I must say though, that a bottle didn't have a strong alcohol mix; hence one can down a few bottles for an occasion such as a party.

There you have it! Andy Player truly served us an afternoon filled with a generous helping of food and drinks.

Special thanks to China, Trisha, and Angelica of Zomato for the invite

Andy Player for the drinks

The Yard for the food. 

El Chapo: a perfectly legal food cartel in the Yard

El Chapo is known as one of the most notorious Mexican druglords. His vast empire, built on heroin and cocaine, spanned continents and earned him billions of dollars. For some strange reason, one of the foodstalls in the Yard (Xavierville, Q.C.) amazingly used El Chapo as a name for the establishment.

According to the owner, they used the name El Chapo since it would amaze diners about its uniqueness; apart from being enthralled with good food and good vibes, of course.

The tagline of El Chapo is "Don't worry esse, it's legal." It is a reference to the fact that the stall is a Fil-Mex food cartel serving only the finest Mexican dishes the owners can think of. The dishes had their own special twist from the owners though. The recipes were somewhat taken from their family heritage. They also substituted Mexican ingredients with Filipino ones for the hard to find parts.

We first tried the Cheesy Beef Salpicao Nachos. At Php 160, it was an overload of tortilla chips, garlic mayo, hot salsa, silantro, and their special blend of beef salpicao. The ingredients blended well to create a blast of sweet, spicy, and salty flavors accentuated by the greens.

We then had a bite of their onion rings. This humungous plate of fried onions cost Php 75 and came with garlic mayo sauce and parmesan. This was great with beer or hard drinks due to its sweet/salty flavor. I love the fact that the big servings came in cheap. 

I tried the beef salpicao taco. At Php 95, it came with their secret salsa verde and their special white sauce plus a load of sriracha on the side. It can be rolled then eaten or taken by the fork. It was a mix of their special beef salpico, which was tender by the way, and the salsa plus pita bread. It was soft on the texture and bursting with flavor too. 

Their ubiquitous tagline.

We ended the meal with fibery goodness in the form of Fil-Mex style barbecued street corn. At 60, it served as a pleasant appetizer. It was roasted corn with sriracha and their special white sauce plus silantro. It was oozing with sauce and that sweet/spicy flavor.

The ordering station. Note the cool insignia.

El Chapo's is located at the first flood of the Yard. It is usually open from 6pm to 12 mn.

Prawn Star and Asombroso at the Yard

A month ago, Aldous Calubad invited me to the Yard. Since it was my first time going there, I was overwhelmed at how active the place was. Young people frequented the area and tried out the numerous food stalls in the compound. Our group tried out Prawn Star and Asombroso, two concessionaires in the area.

Here is the story in pictures:

The prawn star menu.

The prawn star logo.

We tried out the Pride. At 850 Pesos, the meal is hefty mix of Crabs, Shrimps, Clams, Corn, Sausage, Potatoes, and a thick sauce from different flavors.

The shrimps were pretty tasty. i also loved the slightly spicy pepper sauce which they used to flavor the mix.

The ingredients weighed about a kilo. Props to the fresh ingredients that the owners used for the meal.

The big bucket.

On the other hand, Asombroso is a Spanish-styled concessionaire which serves the best from the Peninsula.

The Patatas Bravas. This 130 Php dish is composed of baby potatoes fried in herbs. It is a finger food that complements viands. It is a bit oily and salty as well.

The Paella Balls (180 Php) and the Clams and Mussels (150 Php) in White Wine Sauce. The paella Balls were brimming with flavor. This double carb dish is composed of breading with a rice and chorizo filling. It suits my taste perfectly. The Clams and Mussels were pretty remarkable too. These are fresh. While the meals are in small servings, the flavors here are uncompromising, 

The Yard Premises

The Asombroso Menu.

The Yard is located at Xavierville, Katipunan, Quezon City.