After a nightmare experience of getting a check cashed at Metrobank on a really hot afternoon, Jericho and I found ourselves at Jupiter street, starving and craving for a pitcher of cool, refreshing Iced Tea at Pino Bar. To our dismay, they were closed that afternoon for service training, but the helpful guard suggested we try their other restaurant that was located right behind them instead. And that is how we happily discovered BRGR: The Burger Project.
I love how the small space is mostly made of glass and windows, letting in all the light, and giving the place a stream-lined, laid-back feel. I'm tired of the diner-type burger joints with the bulky couches with everything but the kitchen sink decorated on the wall - the minimalistic vibe was a welcome change.
Mmost of the actual design of the place is handmade - the menu and the doodles on the ceiling was done by hand - and in chalk, no less! With the student-friendly prices and available wi-fi, this seems like the perfect place to hang out and brainstorm about class projects while you chomp away on a burger.
The server handed us a check list for us to place our orders - we ticked off what kind of bread we'd like (sesame, brioche, potato, or oatmeal), how many patties we'd want and what kind (you can choose up to three patties per burger - they have a tofu option, too!), as well as the toppings, sauce, and cheese. If making so many decisions intimidates you, you can always go for one of their pre-prepared burgers like the Italian Stallion, Sloppiest Joe or Western Bacon Melt.
Jericho went for a pre-made burger, the Bleu Buffalo - Bleu cheese, pickles, lettuce, tomatoes, and onion rings smothered in buffalo sauce. He enjoyed it thoroughly, with the bleu cheese melted right onto the patty and onion rings adding a nice layer of texture with every bite. The buffalo sauce was a bit spicy and reminded me of chipotle.
I, on the other hand, opted to create my own burger and piled on all my favorite ingredients that was going to go in between my brioche bun: an Angus beef patty, lettuce, tomatoes, jalapenos peppers, and shiitake mushrooms with their Special BRGR Sauce. The combination was spicy without it being too overpowering (for me, at least), with the mushrooms lending a bit of bite with every mouthful.
I got through three-fourths of my burger, but alas, the burger portion was a bit too big for me, and I gave the rest to a very happy Jericho. Oh, I almost forgot to mention that The Burger Project also sells Pino Bar's Special Brewed Iced Tea! They sell it by the glass, and not the pitcher like at the actual Pino Bar, which can be a tad expensive for a camel like me, but whatever - we got our brewed iced tea fix and that's all that matters.
When mucking around Makati and craving for your favorite burger, make your way to BRGR: The Burger Project and put together your favorite combination from scratch.
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Photos courtesy of Jericho San Miguel
BRGR: The Burger Project
38 Jupiter St. corner Planet St.
Makati City
Open Daily: 11am - 12am
