GuiltyGrub Stop: Burger Joint

GuiltyGrub Stop: Burger Joint

It’s The Guilty Grub’s first food review and we’re hella excited to take you to our first ever food stop:

Burger Joint is located at the newly constructed Rublou Place in Ortigas Avenue Extension corner Sunset Drive, Brookside Hills Subdivision, Cainta, Rizal.
While it may seem relatively far from the hustle and bustle of city life, Burger Joint is the perfect afternoon hang-out place with friends. With the cozy and artsy ambience, it’s no wonder why you’d want to travel back to this food hub every once in a while.
Upon entering the diner, you are warmly greeted by the smiles of Burger Joint’s staff. Afterwards, an insanely inviting aroma of good ol’ burgers attack your sense of smell. It’s no wonder you become addicted to this place, easily. The smell of freshly cooked burgers just seduces you.

We give our orders and the staff tells us that it’ll take them a few minutes to create our meals. We grab a seat and our photographer starts clicking away.

What’s real interesting about this food hub is the art collections you’d be able to see. On a supposedly blank wall are paintings of shoes. We ask one of the owners if they made the paintings. She told us that it was actually a gallery of a young artist, and that every two weeks to a month, they invite upcoming artists to have a gallery of their own. It could go from paintings to photographs to sculptures to whatever it is you want to present as a product of your artistic ventures. She even said that artists can have their own opening night! Pretty hippie for a burger joint, don’t you think?

After reveling on the art haven that filled the joint, we were finally served our orders.
At Burger Joint, you are given the freedom to choose your pattie (chicken or beef), your sauce (they’ve got a wide array of choices including Taco sauce, Italiano and, mushroom and cheese among others) and toppings (e.g. bacon, cheese, etc.)
Precious (Guilty Grubber #1) tried out the Chicken Burger with Italiano sauce (90php).

The bread is quite different, if you notice. It wasn’t like the same old burger bun we’re grown accustomed to. But don’t get fooled. The pandesal-like bread was so good. I had a bite of her burger concoction and I wasn’t left dissatsified. The chicken pattie was cooked to perfection. It wasn’t cooked too much nor was it undercooked. The Italiano sauce was also a winner. It was a combination of tomato, lettuce and mozzarella cheese. The perfect partner to a juicy chicken burger.
Guada (resident photog and Guilty Grubber #2) got herself some Fish and Chips (100php, inclusive of two 12 oz. Iced Tea drinks).

The serving was big enough for two, and though it may look light, it definitely fills up your tummy. The fish (which was gorgeous, by the way. It didn’t have the stinky smell we all hate) was nestled in a batter that was reminiscent of light pancakes. The lemon also gave the fish some zesty edge, which is just perfect. The chips were also crunchy, definitely not stale.
Lastly, I (Vero, Guilty Grubber #3) had the burger joint’s own take on Wendy’s popular Baconator. The only difference is, we call this one the Bacon-tittilator (125php).


Boy, did this burger really hit a home run or what! When the cheese meets the bacon and the bacon meets the beef burger pattie and the beef burger pattie meets the tomato sauce, you have no words to say but,
“Ahhhh. Mmmm. Oh yeahhhh.”
Am I glad this is what I ordered! This is a real winner, folks. Wendy’s Baconator what now?
So if you’ve got the time and your tummy starts grumbling in protest screaming “FEED ME NOW!”, or if you’re looking for a place to hang-out with friends, or if you want to finally introduce to the world your most creative inventions, then head up to Burger Joint.
Guilty Grub rating: 9/10 - GUILTYLICIOUSLY GOOD!


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Guilty Grubs' Original Blog :
http://theguiltygrub.tumblr.com/post/4308738963

The Burger Joint in Cainta, Rizal

Located at the 2/f of Rublou Market Place, Ortigas Ave Extension cor Sunset Drive, Brookside Hills Subd. Cainta, Rizal.

Not just a Joint. We have Burgers, Wings, Hotdogs, Tacos, Fish&Chips, Fruit Shakes, Fries, Wedges, Cupcakes, Coffee, Beer, Soda, Art Gallery and Photospace.

Cainta's newest Burger Joint got featured on GMANEWS.TV

Read more here:
http://www.gmanews.tv/story/216069/lifestyle/romance-with-a-burger-joint

by Katrina Stuart Santiago

Romance with a Burger Joint - GMA News Online by Katrina Stuart Santiago

I have romances with restaurants, the kinds borne of very particular loves and how these always lay claim to spaces: this one’s ours because we love the food here, that one too because we had a really good conversation there, here because you said you loved me.

And then there are those that I discover for myself, by myself, the ones that I can call mine with a flourish. Burger Joint is farther than I’d usually go for comfort food, but it is reason enough to extend that map of the city that I have in my head. That is, go the stretch of Ortigas Avenue Extension which, traffic willing, quickly changes landscape from the urban development of Pasig to the provincial structures of Rizal.

Burger Joint is American diner Pinoy style.

Cainta, Rizal to be exact. It surprisingly isn’t as far as one thinks.

In fact, it’s a leisurely drive even when there’s a bit of traffic owing to roads that become narrower as these become more provincial, with tricycles on the main thoroughfare and plenty of motorcycles, too. Rublou Place is a bright new building on this stretch of road, one that’s filled with the idiosyncrasies and cognitive dissonances that can only happen in the provincial milieu.

A posh nail spa is near a store that specializes in massage done by the blind. A dry market of vegetables and fruit takes over the building’s main area, which might otherwise be used for bigger concerts and events. A wet market is tucked neatly behind the fruit and vegetable stalls, only there for those who look for it. A gift shop cum sweet shop seems out of place. Two bakeries stand side by side, though Kuya Jun’s Bakery is rocking my world. A bar is in one corner of the building’s second floor.

The basic Chicken Burger with condiments that make for good sauce.

Right beside it, and in the midst of what would otherwise be a chaotic combo of shops, is Burger Joint. And in this context it could only really be a redefinition of our notion(s) of the diner, American as that is. Of course diner food and culture isn’t new in this urban space we live in, but always it is two things: (1) overpriced and (2) inaccessible. Both point to the kind of market these spaces want to create and cater to: the yuppy crowd wanting to define their own turf and taste. This is what makes Burger Joint different.

They serve mostly the same things (save for milkshakes), but they do so at prices that are affordable, and with a freshness that is not only because there’s a market on their building’s first floor, but also because it’s the only way to do it. The chicken and beef burgers (P75 and P80 each) are served hot, on soft slightly sweet whole wheat buns sourced locally, with a mix of condiments that almost seems like a dressing: it’s a reminder that when mixed intelligently, the most basic combinations can make the difference.

Yet that doesn’t seem to be enough at Burger Joint. There is the option to add-on your choice among their special sauces (P25 each) which go beyond the usual bleu cheese on the side, garlic mayonnaise in the burger, some jalapeños put in for good measure. Their mushroom and cheese sauce is a bright yellow of creamy goodness that isn’t too salty and is perfectly cheesy. The honey mustard sauce is for the Pinoy palate that’s sweeter than most.
What I swear by though is Burger Joint’s taco sauce, which is farthest from the packed taco sauces that might be served elsewhere. Instead it is a perfect combination of tomatoes, spices and a wee bit of heat. Put it in their chicken burger and I am telling you that it will make your day, if not your week. It will also make you want more.

Which is what’s also on Burger Joint’s menu. When not in the mood for burgers, there are their chicken wings (P120 for five pieces), cooked in and slathered with a layer of some sour and spicy sauce (with a non-spicy alternative available, too) that makes not for the usual buffalo wings, but for fantastic pulutan to pair with the local beers served here (starting at P35). Not in the mood for drinks? The Super Dawg (P100) was what I had last at Burger Joint, and I must say: that’s one solid piece of frankfurter slathered with some cheese, mustard and pickle relish, that doesn’t at all remove from the spiciness of the dawg itself. With bread toasted to save it from sogginess, there is nothing in the Super Dawg that does not satisfy.

The Super Dawg lets that frankfurter shine

That may be said for Burger Joint itself. They’ve got Tacos (P50) and Fish and Chips (P100), both of which I’ve yet to try. There are also some happy desserts here sourced straight from Ernest Zabala’s kitchen, she whose kalamansi pie I still hanker for. On opening night, it was her Chocolate Chocnut Cupcake (P60) that capped off our meals, moist and not painfully sweet, and with that layer of happy that only memories of childhood with chocnut can bring. The Oreo Cheesecake Cupcake (P65) has a whole Oreo cookie in the bottom, a generous sprinkling of Oreo bits in the batter, and a tartness that melds beautifully with the sweetness. Zabala’s kitchen gives Sonja’s a fight, I tell you.

That too is what might be said of Burger Joint’s food. On the one hand, it seems like the dishes that we’d see in the usual American diner-inspired restaurant in the metro; on the other it is a menu that goes beyond it, perfectly fitting in the Pinoy taste for food. Some sweetness here, some heat there; fried food that isn’t too oily, sauces that are healthier than the commercially packed and easily accessible.

This Chocolate Chocnut Cupcake brings back memories of childhood, and ain't as sweet as it looks, sourced from Zabala's kitchen at Burger Joint.

But most importantly there is a freshness to the food at Burger Joint, which it promises by apologizing beforehand for the time it might take to serve your orders. This is what makes it so different as well: right here is some good ol’ Pinoy service, a lot of Pinoy love put into making food, plenty of the provincial freshness. Right here is some food for the Pinoy soul, diner-style. – GMA News

Romance with a burger joint - Lifestyle - GMA News Online - Latest Philippine News

Romance with a burger joint - Lifestyle - GMA News Online - Latest Philippine News

by Katrina Stuart Santiago

I have romances with restaurants, the kinds borne of very particular loves and how these always lay claim to spaces: this one’s ours because we love the food here, that one too because we had a really good conversation there, here because you said you loved me.

And then there are those that I discover for myself, by myself, the ones that I can call mine with a flourish. Burger Joint is farther than I’d usually go for comfort food, but it is reason enough to extend that map of the city that I have in my head. That is, go the stretch of Ortigas Avenue Extension which, traffic willing, quickly changes landscape from the urban development of Pasig to the provincial structures of Rizal.

Burger Joint is American diner Pinoy style.

Cainta, Rizal to be exact. It surprisingly isn’t as far as one thinks.

In fact, it’s a leisurely drive even when there’s a bit of traffic owing to roads that become narrower as these become more provincial, with tricycles on the main thoroughfare and plenty of motorcycles, too. Rublou Place is a bright new building on this stretch of road, one that’s filled with the idiosyncrasies and cognitive dissonances that can only happen in the provincial milieu.

A posh nail spa is near a store that specializes in massage done by the blind. A dry market of vegetables and fruit takes over the building’s main area, which might otherwise be used for bigger concerts and events. A wet market is tucked neatly behind the fruit and vegetable stalls, only there for those who look for it. A gift shop cum sweet shop seems out of place. Two bakeries stand side by side, though Kuya Jun’s Bakery is rocking my world. A bar is in one corner of the building’s second floor.

The basic Chicken Burger with condiments that make for good sauce.
Right beside it, and in the midst of what would otherwise be a chaotic combo of shops, is Burger Joint. And in this context it could only really be a redefinition of our notion(s) of the diner, American as that is. Of course diner food and culture isn’t new in this urban space we live in, but always it is two things: (1) overpriced and (2) inaccessible. Both point to the kind of market these spaces want to create and cater to: the yuppy crowd wanting to define their own turf and taste. This is what makes Burger Joint different.

They serve mostly the same things (save for milkshakes), but they do so at prices that are affordable, and with a freshness that is not only because there’s a market on their building’s first floor, but also because it’s the only way to do it. The chicken and beef burgers (P75 and P80 each) are served hot, on soft slightly sweet whole wheat buns sourced locally, with a mix of condiments that almost seems like a dressing: it’s a reminder that when mixed intelligently, the most basic combinations can make the difference.

Yet that doesn’t seem to be enough at Burger Joint. There is the option to add-on your choice among their special sauces (P25 each) which go beyond the usual bleu cheese on the side, garlic mayonnaise in the burger, some jalapeños put in for good measure. Their mushroom and cheese sauce is a bright yellow of creamy goodness that isn’t too salty and is perfectly cheesy. The honey mustard sauce is for the Pinoy palate that’s sweeter than most.
What I swear by though is Burger Joint’s taco sauce, which is farthest from the packed taco sauces that might be served elsewhere. Instead it is a perfect combination of tomatoes, spices and a wee bit of heat. Put it in their chicken burger and I am telling you that it will make your day, if not your week. It will also make you want more.

Which is what’s also on Burger Joint’s menu. When not in the mood for burgers, there are their chicken wings (P120 for five pieces), cooked in and slathered with a layer of some sour and spicy sauce (with a non-spicy alternative available, too) that makes not for the usual buffalo wings, but for fantastic pulutan to pair with the local beers served here (starting at P35). Not in the mood for drinks? The Super Dawg (P100) was what I had last at Burger Joint, and I must say: that’s one solid piece of frankfurter slathered with some cheese, mustard and pickle relish, that doesn’t at all remove from the spiciness of the dawg itself. With bread toasted to save it from sogginess, there is nothing in the Super Dawg that does not satisfy.

The Super Dawg lets that frankfurter shine

That may be said for Burger Joint itself. They’ve got Tacos (P50) and Fish and Chips (P100), both of which I’ve yet to try. There are also some happy desserts here sourced straight from Ernest Zabala’s kitchen, she whose kalamansi pie I still hanker for. On opening night, it was her Chocolate Chocnut Cupcake (P60) that capped off our meals, moist and not painfully sweet, and with that layer of happy that only memories of childhood with chocnut can bring. The Oreo Cheesecake Cupcake (P65) has a whole Oreo cookie in the bottom, a generous sprinkling of Oreo bits in the batter, and a tartness that melds beautifully with the sweetness. Zabala’s kitchen gives Sonja’s a fight, I tell you.

That too is what might be said of Burger Joint’s food. On the one hand, it seems like the dishes that we’d see in the usual American diner-inspired restaurant in the metro; on the other it is a menu that goes beyond it, perfectly fitting in the Pinoy taste for food. Some sweetness here, some heat there; fried food that isn’t too oily, sauces that are healthier than the commercially packed and easily accessible.

This Chocolate Chocnut Cupcake brings back memories of childhood, and ain't as sweet as it looks, sourced from Zabala's kitchen at Burger Joint.

But most importantly there is a freshness to the food at Burger Joint, which it promises by apologizing beforehand for the time it might take to serve your orders. This is what makes it so different as well: right here is some good ol’ Pinoy service, a lot of Pinoy love put into making food, plenty of the provincial freshness. Right here is some food for the Pinoy soul, diner-style. – GMA News