Johnny Steams

First of all, I'm going to apologize for the quality of pictures for this review. This was a spur of the moment decision and I didn't think I was gonna make a review... but I saw burgers and my mind just shifted to auto-pilot. So I used a camera phone to take pictures.

That being said; Johnny Steams; Manila's first steamed burgers. Whenever you hear the word "first" in a restaurant it's always risky to try it out. I had my qualms about a steamed burger but I decided to give it a shot anyway. So I opted for the Chili Cheese burger and got it with the White Truffled French Fries.

So like I said earlier, I had issues with eating a steamed burger. The burger was pretty good. The whole shebang that came with the burger was ok. The other choices looked pretty awesome as well so I don't doubt that they taste equally as great. The homemade chili, by the way, was fantastic. Absolutely loved that.

My only problem was the burger patty itself. And it was a big. Freaking. Problem.

Steamed burgers? Seriously? The very thought was sacrilegious. Don't get me wrong.. you guys over at Johnny Steams are doing a great job. All the toppings and burger choices make up for the steamed burger. But I just couldn't enjoy it. When I get a burger, I want it with the char marks. I want a little to moderate amount of oil or grease. I want the flavor of the grill. I want my manly, macho, masculine, beards-are-tough, biker, trucker burgers!!! If I wanted healthy I would've ordered a salad.

So yes.. this healthy, guilt-free burger is not high on my list. I'd sooner order a salad than get this burger again. But again, everything else was pretty good. It was just the patty itself I didn't like. So maybe that's just my opinion. Maybe all the people who enjoy waking up at 4 in the morning to go jogging can enjoy this grease-free snack. Maybe people who are trying to fit into their wedding dresses can gorge on this before the big day. Who knows.. maybe it'll be the next big thing in Manila. But as for myself? Give me my greasy bacon cheeseburgers with grill marks any day of the week.

Oh, side note. Fries were great. I saw real truffle oil being infused into the fries.

Johnny Steams is located at the Mercato Centrale tent which is at Fort Bonifacio.

Bring me to Boston

So now I'd like to head on over to Boston.

Boulevard Diner

My whole life I had only 2 reasons to be jealous of Ateneans. One is when I see a hot girl from Ateneo. Second is when I see a hot girl whose boyfriend is from Ateneo. Boulevard Diner gave me the third reason to be jealous. If I were an Atenean and studied a trike ride away from this burger place I'd probably be here three or four times a week. I'd eat breakfast, lunch, AND dinner here. Hell, I'd study here even when I don't have anything to study. In case my point isn't being made... I think Boulevard Diner is amazingly awesome!

The menu itself was mesmerizing. There were so many choices. I wanted to try everything. I think we spent a good 20-30 minutes just deciding what we wanted. So it's pretty obvious that they have more than just burgers. I'd come back here to try another burger (or two!) and some Buffalo Wings.

So the burger I (Finally) settled for was the Volcanic Viktor for P175. It's a 1/3 pound patty with cheese, bacon, onion rings, and your choice of hickory sauce or some kind of spicy sauce.. I forgot the name. I opted for the hickory one despite my preference to spicy food. I wanted to keep my taste buds sane during the taste test. The verdict..? I was speechless. For the first time in a long time, I was speechless. I think at one point or another my friends asked me what I thought of the burger. I didn't even answer! I was too busy wolfing it down! One of them even noted my melancholy after and was teasing me saying that I probably wanted one more. And she wasn't far off. I DID want one more. I was full, but I wanted one more!

Why did I like it? The patty itself was great! The server forgot to ask me how I wanted it done. I usually have mine done mid rare. But this time it didn't matter. It was just so good. Onion rings on a burger isn't original. But Boulevard Diner doesn't skimp on the onion rings. I remember having one whole onion ring at the last bite! And the sauce. THE SAUCE! Oh yeah, and there's bacon. Can never go wrong with bacon.

This is the Superhero burger that my friend ordered at P140. I think the thickness of the burger is more evident here than in the burger posted above. Just in case there are some non-believers reading this.

And these were the Freedom Fries. Fries with parmesan cheese on top. They were pretty liberal with the cheese. It made a good appetizer, and it ALSO made a good side dish for the burgers. The serving was a lot. There were three of us muching on these fries while waiting but we still had almost enough to eat WITH the burgers.

So to sum it up.. Boulevard Diner gets a perfect score from me. I had no qualms whatsoever. I especially loved their service. We were greeted with warm smiles and those smiles never left throughout our stay. They even took our picture as well as pictures of the other diners as well. This told me that they value their guests. I'm glad you showed us that courtesy, as I look forward to showing you patronage for a long time. Provided, of course, that you continue to get better. Who knows? Maybe next time I'll give a 12 out of 10 score.

So to you, Boulevard Diner.. Thank you. And please open a branch in Makati. I'll make sure I'm there for the opening.

Boulevard Diner is located at 91 Xavierville Ave. Hole in the wall so keep your eyes peeled.

Rockefeller, Greenbelt 3; 6/10

So this place had a lot of high expectations from me. What with the way the place looked. It looked fabulous, inside and out.  The ambiance was amazing. I was totally relaxed in here. I felt like this was a place I could kick back and relax.

It was a bit pricey so we expected next to the best. The burgers were pretty affordable. I mean, I've had more expensive ones. But everything else. Ribs, oysters, the whole high-end shebang. You see burgers on a menu with something like Bourbon Baby Back Ribs on a previous page, you're expecting pretty awesome burgers, right?

So I had the Barbecue Burger which was priced at 275. My friend had the Rockefeller burger at 295 (Second photo)

I have to say we were extremely disappointed. The burgers were nothing to write home about. Absolutely nothing. There was nothing special about it whatsoever. It's only saving grace would probably be the sauce and the cheese. The patty however was almost terrible. But for 300 bucks? You might very well say that it was.

For the sake of comparison, I would have told you that it tasted like those frozen burgers you can find in the grocery. My friend just said that there was something off about it. I don't know if it was the meat or the seasoning, but trust me when I say that you don't want to see for yourself.

I have yet to try anything else on their menu. I probably will if I feel like splurging. I hope I don't get disappointed, though. But if you find yourself in this restaurant.. Please. No matter how tempting the pictures or the description looks. No matter how low your standards are. No matter how much you say you love burgers. Under any circumstances do not order this burger. You're robbing yourself of 300 pesos. I can name several other restaurants that can serve you a better burger for half that price.

Side comment: The fries were amazing, though. I'm drooling at the thought of having those fries again.

Rockefeller is located at the 2nd floor of Greenbelt 3.