As far as The Bistro Group is concerned, my favorite restaurant happens to be Village Tavern. You kind of know what to expect, but at the same time their Corporate Chef, Josh Boutwood, is always whipping up something new in the kitchen, it feels like there's always a surprise waiting for me every time I pay them a visit.
Case in point: I dropped by to say hello a couple of days back, and the next thing I know I'm sitting down and wiping my chin off with burger juice, oohing and aahing over Chef Josh's newest delectable creations - his huge char-grilled Wagyu Burgers! They were so good I almost forgot they came with a side of fat fries.
No, I'm lying. I ate most of the fries. I love fries. More fries!
Read more on The Bistro Group's other restaurants:
★ All Night Happy Hour at Village Tavern
★ Bulgogi Brother's New Barbecue Specials
★ Modern Shanghai's Guide to the Xiao Long Bao
★ Yee-Haw for Tex-Mex at TGIFriday's
★ Spanish Iberico Pork Tonkatsu at Tonkatsu by Terazawa
The only Village Tavern branch right now is over at Bonifacio High Street, near the fountain next to Nanbantei. The American franchise is known for serving the best possible food, using the freshest ingredients, and pretty affordable prices. And out of all The Bistro Group franchises, this seem's to be Chef Josh's favorite, since I always see him here, puttering around in the kitchen.
I came in with Jericho and a few other friends, and we settled down for a late lunch, hungry and ready to try all the new burger flavors.
First up was the Tequila Burger (P650). Made with premium Wagyu beef with melted habañero-infused cheddar cheese and jalapeños on top and a tequila mayonnaise underneath the hulking patty. This is the simplest of the Wagyu line, but it was also my favorite. Mainly, because this was the only one I could fit in my mouth without feeling like an anaconda, and also because this was the one burger with some heat! Slather on the chipotle mayo on the side, close your eyes, and you're in Cancun. Ola!
The thickest burger to eat was the Reuben Burger (P595). This premium Wagyu beef patty is topped with Gruyère cheese, homemade corned beef brisket, a pickled cabbage slaw and an egg done sunny-side up. If that isn't enough to give you a foodgasm, Village Tavern has also come up with their own pretzel bun, and this stuff is the bomb diggity! Having just the right bite on the outside while keeping soft on the inside, the pretzel bun successfully holds in all the burger juice and egg yolk drippings, saving you the trouble of sopping up everything with your tongue. Oh wait, is it just me that does that? Oops.
I could smell Village Tavern's Truffle Burger (P625) a mile away. The premium Wagyu beef is paired with a rich, creamy truffle mayonnaise with Asiago cheese and sliced sautéed Shiitake mushrooms to compliment the delicate truffle flavor. If you're truffle-crazy and want something a lot more meatier that truffle pasta, a truffle burger is your best option.
Please don't hate me, PETA friends, but the Foie Gras Burger (P890) was just too damn good to pass up. The thick, premium Wagyu beef is topped with Gruyère cheese, onions that have been sliced and braised in red wine, and seared foie gras. And they don't skimp on the foie - that was a lot, you could taste it in almost every bite.
Another thing that I look forward to at Village Tavern is their dessert! This is something you should never miss out on when you visit!
The Banana Crêpes (P395) was absolutely delightful! Layered with chocolate hazelnut sauce, banana ice cream, and fresh bananas, swimming in caramel and drizzled with chocolate sauce. If a pint of ice cream, a crêpe, and a pot of Nutella had a three-way, this would be the morning after.
One of the newest desserts on the menu id their Warm Butter Cake (P495), which happened to be Jericho's favorite. The warm bread pudding is drizzled with gooey caramel sauce, topped with vanilla ice cream, and surrounded by a few slices of fresh fruit.
When I saw the St. Barths Chocolate Torte (P395), that was the end of it. The thick, moist, rich French cake comes with a side of vanilla ice cream and topped with chocolate sauce. I wanted to have a baby with this torte, it was marvelously good!
When mucking around Bonifacio High Street this summer, pay Village Tavern a summer and get your Wagyu burger fix, pairing them with a cold fruit shake, a soda, or a cold beer. Bring your mates, enjoy a burger, and have a laugh!!
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Village Tavern
+63 2 621 3245
2/F Bonifacio High Street Central, 7th Ave.,
Fort Bonifacio, Taguig
Open Daily: 10am - 10pm
