Pit Lane Grub? More please.

First of all, apologies for not having had a post in a while. I was away overseas on vacation for the better part of a month, and I'm still trying to gather my thoughts writing about it. Now, on to the matter at hand...

JM and Aibo attacking the chicane at Batangas Racing Circuit, 2/28/2010. 

Most people who visit this blog probably don't know that I am involved in amateur car racing. I've been driving the nuts off my little Honda in trackdays and time-attack events around various racetracks in the Philippines for a few years now, honing my skill and reducing my lap times in the process. One recurring theme is that, in the sweltering heat of your typical trackday, one would normally depart around noontime in search of food and water. (For example, when Subic International Raceway was still around, one of our favorite pit stops was Meat Plus Cafe, which Mabie wrote about in a previous post.) Very rarely would people bring along packed lunch or soft drinks kept chilled in a cooler.

When Mabie and I attended round 4 of this year's Circuit Showdown season in Batangas Racing Circuit last June 4, we saw a plucky little stand selling burgers grilled right on the spot. This little kiosk, appropriately enough, is named "Pit Lane Grub."

Somewhere in BRC's paddock...

...is a stall that serves hungry racers and spectators their much-needed protein fix.

Pit Lane Grub's menu at Circuit Showdown round 4

Apparently Circuit Showdown has attracted enough of a steady following for food-savvy entrepreneurs to cater to hungry racers' appetites. Pit Lane Grub gives you a bit of freedom with what you put between your buns: you can choose between a quarter- or half-pound patty, and can further tweak your burger with a cheese slice, some wasabi mayo or blue cheese sauce. Curious, we decided to order a couple of quarter-pounder burgers. Mabie had hers with the cheese, while I had mine with the blue cheese sauce.

Look at 'em patties!

Prepping the rest of the burger

It took a while for our burgers to get served as there was a queue. While waiting, we were salivating at the sight of the burger patties and buns grilling away. When our orders were finally ready, we dug in.

Mabie's quarter-pound burger, with a cheese slice.

My quarter-pound burger. Don't see the blue cheese? I can't see it from outside either :p

One thing has to be said: these patties are served really, really juicy. Better still, they're an honest quarter pound each, with a satisfying heft to the meat. The patty is definitely the star of this show - so much so that my blue cheese sauce barely made any impression on the overall taste of the burger. I could pick very faint notes of its signature pungent scent as I swallowed each bite. I finished off my burger quickly as it was dripping into my fingers as I was enjoying it. For the price, it's a pretty good deal, but I figure I could've done away with the blue cheese sauce next time.

The next round of Circuit Showdown is at Clark International Speedway, on the first week of July. I have the feeling that Circuit Showdown's regular participants would love more Pit Lane Grub served piping hot and fresh.

JM and Aibo at Circuit Showdown round 4, Batangas Racing Circuit 6/4/2011. Photo by Marcial Pallera.

Pit Lane Grub
181 Katipunan Avenue, Quezon City

+639178019068

pitlanegrub@yahoo.com

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At Army Navy. Enjoy your meal. That's an order!

If there's a place where JM and I have eaten x number of times in the past year, it would be Army Navy. Since we discovered this burger + burrito place we just can't say no. 

So you can just imagine our excitement when they opened a branch near us! We can even go there in our pajamas! Its been a week since they opened and every night is full house night! 

As a breakfast gift to JM for keeping up with me yesterday, we had brunch at Army Navy Better Living. We got in around 10am and I thought that we were the only customers but after 10mins, more customers came in. 

Panoramic shot of the BL branch

JM ordered the chicken soft tacos while I had my staple chicken quesadilla, we also ordered some freedom fries and chocolate milkshake.   

Freedom fries, just like any other fries, is best consumed while hot. I like how crispy it is but very soft inside, I also like dipping it in mayonnaise. 

Freedom fries, Php60

Burritos and burgers are the most popular food choices in Army Navy but for me quesadilla is the best thing in their menu. The mouthwatering melted cheese wrapped in a soft tortilla makes every bite heaven for me, the chicken or steak filling is just a bonus.  

Chicken Quesadilla, Php135

JM originally wanted hard-shell tacos but since Army Navy does not carry it he ordered soft tacos and he certainly enjoyed it. He said that the meat was good, the serving is large enough for a light lunch or a big snack and it goes particularly well with the salsa.

Chicken Soft Tacos, Php125

I've been craving for milkshake in weeks, nothing special with their chocolate milkshake but this is way better than what Mcdonalds have. Its blended to perfection just the way I like it. 

Milkshake, Php99

If you want to treat someone you can never go wrong with Army Navy :).

----------------------

Army Navy

http://armynavyburgerburrito.com/

Phone: (+632) 4073181 

Telefax: (+632) 4032891 

info@armynavyburgerburrito.com

Johnny goes all steamy

Ever since my mom got me to tag along on her weekly visits at the Salcedo Market in Makati, I've appreciated perusing the alternative foodie offerings of such weekend marketplaces. Often, these are foods that you would normally not see in the malls or major grocery stores, such as specialty bagels, flavored milk teas and steamed burgers.

Wait a tick. Steamed burgers?!

That's exactly what Mabie and I had for lunch on our Sunday morning visit to Bonifacio Global City's Mercato Centrale. A place called Johnny Steams sells burgers with patties that aren't fried or grilled, as goes conventional practice, but steamed instead. Hmmm. Interesting...

The first thing I spotted on the menu was a riot. The basic PhP95 burger is called "JM's Burger." It isn't every day you come across a food item named after you...or someone who's got the same nickname as yours. Frankly, I would've tried this for kicks had I not noticed the item below it. I'm a sucker for spicy things, and the PhP115 Chili Cheese Burger seemed to fit the bill.

Mabie meanwhile ordered something further down the menu, the PhP115 "Opa! Burger," the name an obvious reference to Greek food. One of the headline features is yogurt sauce, and what seems like quite a bit more cheese than usual. 

Just as I had requested our order, the prioprietor, a kind Chinoy guy named John Mark Ongsiaco (so that's what the "JM" stood for) asked us if we wanted each of our burgers as a combo meal for PhP165. The extra dosh gets you a funnel cone full of potato wedges and some lemonade. I had my burger a la carte, while Mabie had hers as a combo.

Warming up the buns...

The burgers are prepared right before your eyes on a large electric hot plate. The special steamed patties, meanwhile, are fished out of a little rectangular tray, full of meat juices - and I was too slow to snap photos of these. Sorry 'bout that. They're thick and rectangular and pretty dense packed.

Adding the veggie trappings

Check out that patty!

So how do these burgers taste? My burger was pretty solid and filling. The patty itself is a little less flavorful than an equivalent grilled or fried one, but as a healthy option it's much better than I was expecting, and is very good value for what you get. The burger had a lot of hot sauce, which is a little disappointing, but redeemed itself with jalapeño slices all over. Mabie's Opa! Burger was a similar story, but with less heat and a cheesier, milkier taste - almost a large-sized hybrid between a cheeseburger and a doner kebab or shawarma. The potato wedges, while deep-fried, were very filling and I preferred these to run-of-the-mill french fries.

My Chili Cheese Burger...minus a few bites

Mabie's Opa! Burger, halfway through

Potato wedges - a very filling alternative to French fries

That said, I'm a little surprised that Johnny Steams doesn't ballyhoo the potentially healthful benefits of steaming its burger patties rather than grilling or frying them. Its wares are simply presented as cooked in an alternative, left-field manner, which is refreshing in an age where people are saturated with ads and signage invariably screaming "try this healthy option!" 

An interesting, flavorful alternative to Brothers Burger at a lower price. Pound-for-pound, we think they've got a winner here.

____________________
Johnny Steams
John Mark O. Ongsiaco, proprietor
+639178311156
johnnysteams@yahoo.com