Yesterday, I took the jeepney into the city and got a haircut and took care of a few other things. On the way, I saw this new restaurant just near our house. They had a big banner hanging in front of the place with a photograph of a hamburger, and advertising their “Amara Hamburger” for just P25.
Wow, the photo really, really looked good. Nice bun and a huge piece of meat. Just P25? I decided that on the way home I was going to stop there and pick up a couple burgers for lunch. I usually only eat one burger, but I figured that for P25 it might not be as big as the photo suggested, so I’d get 2 just in case.
Well, I waited about 45 minutes for the burgers to be made. I got them “to go” and brought them home with me. When I got home and looked at the burgers… they had huge buns. The meat inside was about the size of a slice of pickle! That small, and that thin also. I think that I would need about 10 or 12 of those burgers, take all the “meat patties” and put them on one bun, and I’d have a small burger then! Ha ha. I combined the two meat patties on to one bun, but it was still just a bunch of bread and not much else. What a terrible lunch. Believe me, I won’t be having many more Amara burgers! And, I waited 45 minutes for that? Oh my… at least I took it all in good stride!
Well, I was having an e-mail exchange with a friend this morning, and I told him about my burger experience. He suggested that the burger reminded him of the old Wendy’s Commercial, “Where’s the Beef.” For those who have not seen that video, have a look below:
The only thing I could suggest was that my friend was right on target! I had forgotten about the Wendy’s ad, but it certainly mirrored my experience.
You know, I am going to tell you the absolute truth on this… when I saw that sign for the hamburgers yesterday, the picture of the burger looked so darned good that the whole time I was in the City, I was thinking of the Amara Burger, and how I was going to pick one up on the way home. It had literally taken control of my mind, and all I could think about was that succulent burger! Ha ha… I should have considered that you can’t get much for P25! Actually, I did think of that, but I dismissed it thinking that this was some kind of loss leader promo to get people in to the restaurant! Ha ha… Another thing, when I got home, I opened the burger and found it was slathered with Mayo (which I don’t like), and Banana Catsup, which I can barely tolerate. There was more sauce on the burger than meat! Ha ha.. oh well, lesson learned.
So, that’s the way the burger bounces in the Philippines!
Reminds me of the time the wife ordered a $6 hamburger from a fast food place in the States. Once she got her hamburger, her eyes bugged out from all the fixings and meat in between the buns. It was Woman VS Food and she lost badly! Is there a Carl’s Jr or Hardees in the Philippines?
Hi Opus – We don’t have Carl’s Jr or Hardee’s in the Philippines as far as I know. Certainly not here in Davao, and I don’t think they are in Manila either.
We in fact have Carl’s Jr. even Johnny Rockets, Friday’s, and a whole lot of selections. I suggest you come here in Manila, I heard it’s all good there in Davao, but you clearly haven’t scanned Manila a bit more thoroughly. When you decide to come here in Manila, I suggest you visit Makati City. Oh and do stay away from cheap burgers. First, you don’t even know what’s in them. Second, the ad you saw was obviously deceiving, I mean, 25 for a good burger is no way near possible here.
Hi Dom – I would rather go through life never tasting a hamburger again than go to Manila to get one. I just don’t like Manila, it’s not for me. We have good burgers here in Davao anyway.
Banana catsup. I had to look that one up. That’s a new one to me.
Really Cy? Banana catsup is quite popular here. I’m not a big fan, although I can eat it if forced to do so! 😉
Bob,
Wow now that was funny. Reminds me of buying money meat on a stick in
Subic Bay during my navy days. It was P5 an stick and the meat was so razor thin you could inhale it in one bite. But It also had plenty of suace on it. But when saliors are hungry they’ll eat anything. Back then it was P25 to $1.00.
Bruce
You should have stuck to eating the Chicken Feet and Necks.
Not only will you guys eat anything if drunk enough but when the Ships are in you guys drive up the prices as well.
I once bailed on of your Sailor buddies out of a jam, he was passed out on the Brown Fox and the SP had their eye on him.
Neal,
The Brown Fox knew it well!! Lived just passed the fire/police station on 3rd st. when I was stationed there. Iwas assigned to the OPM. Will be living in the Upper Subic or Bataan next year.
Those were the days, Bruce! 😉
Bob,
Oh yea those were the Days and you don’t know the half of it. The stories I could tell. 🙂
What happens in the Philippines stays in the Philippines, Bruce! 😆
Ahh food and women always my favourite topic here on LiP. Four years ago when in Manila I saw a Burger King ( called Hungry Jacks in Oz ) and I thought ok now we are talking. I saw a picture of what seemed to me as the biggest, tastiest burger on the planet. When the burger hit the counter, I burst out with laughter, to me, it looked like half the size of a tennis ball on a diet. My GF at the time turned up and looked at me in that typical Philippino look and said “Daddi I think you should get 6 of those” lol
Strange though in Thailand the Burger King was fully authentic, same as Australia, yet the one in Manila seemed like a chinese copy. All the look but without the “beef” so to speak.
Haha… amazing, isn’t it, Boss?
That reminds me of the movie “Falling Down”, the scene where Michael Douglas gets upset because the burger he got wasn’t even close to the picture on the Menu. LOL
Ha ha.. you are the second person to make that comment, Dave!
For a really good burger just fire up the home grill.
Hi big p – I’m sure that works great, and we do grill burgers on a regular basis. But, it’s not always that easy.. it’s not easy to get decent quality ground beef here. You end up with roughly ground meat often with bones in it and such, and also a very high fat content. But, it was really that photo that drew me in! Ha ha
That meat ad reminds me of the way so many milk products, vitamins and such are sold on TV. There will be a commercial for some children’s vitamin supplement that makes outrageous claim, like “Will raise your child’s IQ by 20 points”, or “Make your child a leader”, or adult supplemental that make claims like “Prevent Heart Attacks, Prevent Strokes” … and it is all OK, and legal, as long as there is a little 1 or 2 second flash at the end of the commercial that says, “No Therapeutic Claims”.
It’s dishonest and sadly it makes the Philippines look like a country full of charlatans and fast-talkers. How I wish the vaunted “Filipino Pride” would extend a little farther than rooting for Manny and Charice. There is more to life that entertainment.
Integrity takes a life-time to establish and a few seconds to destroy. *sigh*
Hi Dave – Good morning! Yes, I really agree with you, those milk ads are the worst in this regard. The claims they make are outrageous.. oh, sorry, I forgot, they don’t make any claims! wink wink…
I see that all the time on TV, that and the insane commercial that Chris Aquino hawks Downy fabric softener as helping repel mosquitoes. I just wonder how many people that came down with the disease thinking Downy would help protect them.
There was a poll taken before the elections, the poll showed that 27% of the people polled wpuld buy anything Chris Aquino was selling.
Hi Dave – I am not a big Kris Aquino fan, but she certainly has many followers here! I was not familiar with the Downy commercial… I don’t watch much local TV.
I get some sirloin ground upped for me, and I make a great burger here at home either fried or Bar B Qued…The secret is finding the best bun .. which I have here at a small bakery … it makes all the difference in the world.
You are so right on that, Lenny.. the bun is very important, and can be difficult to find here!
Hi Bob! Like this site! Im a balikbayan from Texas, so of course i love hamburgers. We usually ship some frozen ground beef or premade beef patties whenever we come back here so we dont go without. (Bacon too of course!)The problem is cheddar cheese! Where do you buy the real ones! I dont like these processed ones im finding here. Any ideas? Im in Manila.
Hi Joy – Sorry, I don’t know where to get cheese in Manila, but I would think you should be able to find good cheese. Here in Davao we have several places where we can get quality cheese!
Cheddar cheese can be found at S&R (all branches) and most Rustans. Since it is imported, it is pricey.
Thanks for sharing that, Kikas_head. I’m sure that Joy will be very pleased!
Check the grocery store in the green hills mall, they have a large deli section as you enter the store to your left.
Lol, Davao is a lil too far for me to get cheese altho i have relatives there. I tried finding real cheddar here. No luck. Ill just have to ship some w/ the meat I guess. Im usually not a picky eater, just some things and cheese is one. Anyway, looking forward to reading some of the blogs here! Take care and maybe when i visit my cousins there one day I can meet some of you and ill bring some Texas beef for you and ill be asking YOU…Where’s the cheese? lol
Hi Joy – Ha ha.. oh yes, I understand that you won’t be coming to Davao for cheese. What I was meaning is that surely if we have it in Davao you must have it in Manila too! I would recommend to just monitor this article, and somebody else might come along with a follow up and let you know where you can find good cheese in Manila! 😆
Take care.
Bob,
Maybe the burger was supposed to be a slider burger, they just put it on the wrong bun. lol. I know i would have been disappointed. But what can you say. You get what you pay for. Have a nice day.
Hi PapaDuck – Of course you are right, you get what you pay for! Ha ha.. thing is, for me, my interest in the burger was not about the price, rather the sight of the burger in the picture had me salivating! Ha ha.. Even if it were P100, no problem, I would have stopped and picked on up!
velveeta sliced cheese and other imported cheese are available in most SM super/hypermarket, savemore, MOA, robinsons, rustan’s supermarket in manila
Hi Jiji – She said that she wants the real stuff, not processed cheese… in other words, she doesn’t want Velveeta! Ha ha… 😉
Know the feeling well Bob when something will just about take over all of your thoughts in anticipation. Did the burgers you brought home have holes drilled through them ? Maybe they were trying to make White Castle knock offs.
One reply here mentioned Burger King. I read recently that Jollibee now owns Burger King Philippines although they are not planning on turning them into Jollibees, they will be kept as is concerning the recepies.
You saw a picture of a great looking burger near your house there in Davao, I saw a picture of a 3Ft diameter Pizza at Calda Pizza, Iligan City while I was at home here in New York. I had to wait months before I could be sitting there and having one. Although it did taste good, for me that was not the prime objective. Just sitting there at a table with a 3Ft. pizza in front of me was the picture that stuck in my mind. Well, the day finally came, me, the 3ft pizza and good friends. I was not disapointed LOL.
The only burgers I eat when visiting The Philippines is of course Jollibee. It just seems more authentic to me since it was an internet pic of Jollibee, Tibanga, Iligan that made me finally pick up the phone and call my travel agent to find out how to get there.
At least once on each visit, I’ll be sitting in there eating burgers and looking out the window and I start to choke. Not that I am choking on the food, it is just the thought for a moment that I am actually there. Fortunately my friends understand when and why that happens.
Yes, I really did travel half way around the world for a burger and it turned into so much more !
Hi Bob – Nice to hear from you. Nope, I know white castle, and these were no white castle knock offs, you can be sure of that! 😆
You are right JFC now owns 70% of Burger King Philippines… amazing, huh?
Hi Bob
Just a quick note. Real Cheddar Cheese comes from the Cheddar Gorge here in England. But it has been manufactured by so many cheese makers for so long, I do not think it can protect the name. They actually store the cheese in the caves.
Interesting indeed, marjorie! I did not know about the Cheddar Gorge! I have heard about cheese being stored in caves, though. Thanks for sharing with me!
I just wanted to say thanks for all the input about the cheese! I do have a preference for sharp cheddar on my burgers and in tacos so appreciate the suggestions. Maybe I wasnt trying hard enough but I have looked whenever we went grocery shopping around the metro…Pure Gold, Robinson, even Rustan in Makati, Alabang n Tagaytay. I saw the velveeta, and some jack and swiss but no cheddar. Never thought about SM or MOA lol. Ill try that next. I dont eat hamburgers everyday so the expense once in awhile is worth it! Again thanks to your readers Bob. Take care!
I can’t believe you waited 45 minutes for them Bob. I’d have gone to a restaurant for lunch while I was waiting.
We’ll be spending March in Davao this year….is the roadhouse cafe still going strong in SM…the thought of those baby back ribs has me drooling right now?
Hi Jim – Not much choice but to wait until the meal is ready, you can’t really walk out once you order.
I have never eaten ribs at Roadhouse before, although I do really like the food at Roadhouse. In my opinion, the best ribs in town are at Ranchero Grill, which is located in Abreeza Mall.
The answer, though, to your question is yes.. Roadhouse is still open.
Ah, someday you have to try their ribs at roadhouse; assuming they are as good as they used to be. Last trip I had them about five times over three weeks. I will definitely try Ranchero Grill too though. Also, I am going to overcome my resistance to the unusual, and try the Panga at Luz Kinilaw. Perhaps you’d like to join us for lunch or dinner one day, our treat, and we’ll take your recommendation?
Hi Jim H – My favorite at Roadhouse is the Sizzling Pochero, it’s really good! I’m going to try the baby back ribs (to be honest, I didn’t even know they had baby back ribs, never seen them on the menu), but I doubt they could touch Ranchero! 😆 Yeah, I think we could probably work out a meal together! 😉 Let’s make it a plan!
Yeah that’s about what I remember from living over there. At P25 it already sounded like the “Buy one, Take one” burgers that Minute Burger used to sell at their stands… whatever it was on those things (I heard protein from reconstituted banana peels) it wasn’t beef and gave me a rip roaring case of heartburn. While I am happy to be back in States again, there are many things I miss about the Philippines… this isn’t one of them lol.
Ha ha… reconstituted banana peels? Yuck! Nice to hear from you Louis, I hope you are doing well.
Well that’s what I heard anyway. I’m doing ok over here, much better now that Venice finally received her visa and came over just before Thanksgiving.
I was up in Quezon City Good Friday 2006, there was a road side cafe with a sign out front saying ” Home Of The Foot Long Hamburger”
Ha ha.. unique!
Hey Bob- you said you waited 45 min for the burgers to be made? Where’s the beef?! is so correct! ha ha. Just go the Brothers Burger, He he. If you come here to Manila, you try the Philly cheese steak. Yum! 🙂
There is a chain of restaurants here in Metro Manila called “Army Navy, they sell Philly Cheese steak sandwiches, hamburgers, tacos and breakfast Burritos. I have tried the breakfast burrito and it was really good.
John Miele wrote an article a while back about Army Navy and gave it a good review!
Hi Sugar – We have 2 branches of Brother’s Burger here in Davao, one of them is quite near my house. I used to really like them, but I don’t care for them anymore. I believe they have changed their beef, and it just doesn’t taste good anymore. I will say, they put a big beef patty, but the taste is not so good, IMHO.