SPICE CHIX WINGS SOARS HIGH ON FLAVOR!

 

Yet another Cloud Kitchen flies high with their delectable Chicken Wing dishes! I taste the entire menu of SPICE CHIX and I have to say, I was totally blown away!

RIDING INTO THE WINGZONE, SM MEGAMALL ATRIUM

        There are times when I just look for a laid back place where I can enjoy a good burger and wings with my buddies over an exciting basketball game. I recently found a really fun place in Megamall that checks all those boxes for me.. Atlanta based Franchise, Wing Zone!

THE CORNER MARKET PODIUM: BIRDHOUSE

  The sparkling new renovation of Podium Mall opened up opportunities for more shops and restaurants to settle into the bustling Ortigas center. Recently, a sprawling Food Hall opened, named, "The Corner Market". Spanning roughly around 1,200 square meters, The Corner Market is set to house 17 food establishments in its massive halls.  

      Though not all 17 are operational yet, your friendly neighborhood Pickiest Eater made the ultimate sacrifice for his beloved readers, to try the food stalls that have opened their doors at the Corner Market.. Where good food is just around the corner!    

            I've heard good things about Birdhouse since they opened at Uptown Mall in BGC a few years back, but unfortunately I had never gotten a chance to try it. However, since they opened a branch at the new Corner Market at Podium, which is just a few steps away from my office, I would soon rectify that situation.. and find myself kicking myself for not going sooner.. Because the food I discovered was spectacular. 

QUICK BITES AT THE GROVE: SUNRISE BUCKETS

With the lovely lady behind DiscoverMNL!

           

         One of the first restaurants that sprouted in The Grove, was Sunrise Buckets. It's quite uncanny that even before the towering residential complexes of the area rose, Sunrise Buckets was already there, and continues to be one of the area's most popular establishments. 

         But then again, once you get a taste of their delicious food and get your fill of the fun atmosphere, it becomes a no brainer. Whther it's with your friends of family, Sunrise Buckets is one of the best places in the metro to hang out at! 

    

GOING WILD AT BUFFALO WILD WINGS ESTANCIA MALL

"Batang may labaaaaaaaaan"

      Being a Picky Eater makes the simple comfort of American food very appealing to me. As proven in the past, I'm a huge fan of burgers and ribs. But I never really picked up on the Buffalo Wings craze. Buffalo Wings? Yeah, that does sounds cool.. but Buffalo THIGHS..? THAT sounds even better! But I get it.. Wings makes for excellent Bar Chow, and perfect when watching sports.  

   U.S. Franchise Buffalo Wild Wings has now arrived in the Philippines, bringing with them a mouthwatering selection of flavors that made a Wing believer out of me!

BURGERS & BREWSKIES: FOOD FOR THE OVERLY MANLY MAN

       Hello, my name is Richie Zamora. And I am a Burger Addict. I dont understand what exactly it is about burgers that have captivated me so. Granted, I spent my formative years in the USA, and burgers were definitely a staple in my diet. Although I've lived a great deal of my life in the Philippines, my Western influenced palate remains drawn to those grilled patties on soft toasted buns. Rina gets annoyed with me when I choose a burger joint over a rice meal ready restaurant. 

  

     What I enjoy about Burger makers nowadays is how they seem to have become more and more bold with their concoctions.. Pushing the limit of abusurdity not only with size, but with the toppings and ingredients that comprise the entire burger. 

    One of those newest Burger places, is Burger and Brewskies. 

BURGASM AT BURGERBAR IN GREENBELT!

         I'm not going to lie to ya... Being a food blogger is pretty awesome. For the first year of the existence of my blog, I would never accept any invitation from restaurant owners to dine at their establishment, simply because I was worried I would be pressured into giving a good review for a place I didn't like, putting any credibility I may have in jeopardy. 

      Things changed after Rina gave birth to Rain. After all the hospital expenses had been paid, It was clear that the shelling out of money that comes with having a child had only just begun. I came to a realization that one way to be able to sustain my blog and the financial demands of a new born baby, was to finally accept those invitations. So my New Year's Resolution as a blogger for 2012, was to begin attending blogger events and restaurant invitations. After the first couple of visits, I realized that my fears of being pressured turned out to be unfounded. For the record, every restaurant that has invited me have been extremely gracious with my comments, both positive and negative.  

          So through the course of the year, I've been incredibly blessed to have been able to sample the menu of some amazing restaurants. I probably would have gone to them on my own volition, but I undoubtedly would not have been able to taste the same number of dishes.

         A couple of weeks ago, I got a very fascinating invitation. I'm grateful for every invitation that I get, but this particular one was rather different. This was a chance for me to dine at a restaurant and sample their dishes, BEFORE they opened their doors to the paying public.  

        And I don't want to sound arrogant or anything like that, but I think I was the right guy for the job. Why? 

        Because the name of the restaurant is "BurgerBar". 

A MEMORABLE T.G.I.FRIDAY'S EXPERIENCE

       Do you remember when the first T.G.I. Fridays opened in Manila? I do. All of a sudden, when it came to dining out in Makati, T.G.I. Fridays became THE default choice of everyone. The line to get in was ridiculous. You would think that the Filipino people were once again holding a "People Power" rally to overthrow an evil dictatorship at the third floor of Glorietta 2. You'd never think that all these people would wait hours in line for some chicken fingers and burgers. 

      Whether you were with your friends or family, it mattered not. Forget Cindy's. T.G.I.Friday's was the place to be. 

THE PICKIEST EATER'S ANNIVERSARY GIVEAWAY #5: MANANG'S CHICKEN !

             

     Being a man that would call Mercato Centrale his second home, I'm no stranger to Manang's Chicken. Not only am I a fan of their food, but I'm also an admirer of their success story. 

      In case you don't know what that story is, it's really quite amazing. From a small stall in Mercato Centrale, Manang's Chicken has quickly transformed itself into a legitimate fast food force to be reckoned with. 

      What makes their story even more amazing, is that the whole craze of Manang's Chicken began from a simple recipe that the Gerodias family matriarch created, and their beloved cooked that everyone loving called, "Manang" perfected. 

     The children of the Gerodias family grew up with the dish, as it instantly became popular among their friends. Whenever they had friends over, and asked what they wanted for dinner, the response became nearly automatic.. "Manang's Chicken". 


    And that, my friends, is how a legend is born. 

SURF'S UP AT SUNRISE BUCKETS!

I got my own Buckets!

                 Amidst the (admittedly well deserved) hype of Bon Chon Chicken and Manang's Chicken, another restaurant that specializes in Chicken Wings seems to have gotten lost in the shuffle. And if you think Sunshine Buckets is just one of those run of the mill chicken wing places you pass by on the street corner, you should be ashamed of yourself..

       Because I promise you, it's so much more than that.

THE MYSTERIES OF THE AYALA TRIANGLE: THE BONCHON CHICKEN CRAZE

Learning to fly.. but I Ain't got wings...

         Late last year, when Bon Chon Chicken opened up shop at the Ayala Triangle Gardens, I had so many people go up to me to ask if I'd ever been there, and I got tagged to numerous pictures of half bitten chicken wings on face book! To be honest, I had never heard of Bon Chon Chicken before seeing the sign in Green Belt where there second branch was set to open by late December. A little research showed it was voted the "Best Chicken in America" (Although I'm sure Foghorn Leghorn demanded a recount).

        One evening, in which the schedule of Rina and I finally matched, we decided to check out what the hype was all about. What is it with this chicken that seemed to drive people insane? Rina's good friend, Zee always gives us some awesome suggestions for places to try. She was the one that suggested we go try Wingman. This time, however, she was emphatic that we try Bon Chon - almost like our lives depended on it.

      Taking that into consideration, Rina and I, armed with her trusty camera, and my voracious appetite, embarked on a journey that would unveil the secrets that lurk within the mysterious Ayala Triangle, and Bon Chon Chicken.  

LET'S SEE SOME HOOTERS!!

 My very own Hooters girl.. I need to get her one of them shirts.. 

                      I went to Hooters in Baltimore during my 1998 summer vacation with my cousins Raffy and Paolo. Being the kind of guy that.. umm.. how do you say it.. is constantly being accused of being fascinated by certain "assets" of a woman, my trip to Hooters was pretty much tantamount to a trip to Disneyland. Think about it.. Burgers and Boobs? What's not to love?

                 
                You see, that's the whole selling point of Hooters. You can get grilled burgers anywhere. But how often do you get a really hot girl in skimpy orange shorts and a tight tank top that emphasizes her huge rack to serve it to you? I'm not sure if it's because of the time that has gone by that has blurred my memory, but i don't remember what I ordered and if I enjoyed my food during our trip there in '98. All i remember was that our waitress sat down with us to chat while we ate - and gawd dang she was hot.

                   With that build up alone, you can understand why I was very disappointed with my experience here in Hooters Manila.