Janice Villanueva, Anton Diaz and RJ Ledesma -with their spouses - created a weekend market at the Fort called Mercato Centrale. They have over 150 stalls (some stalls are there just Saturdays, some just Sundays like Nana Meng Tsokolate, others both days).
I finally spent an entire day - day meaning from 6am to 2pm - to food trip at Mercato last Sunday. After scouting the place, I discovered several burger creations that were too creative not to try! 5 burger stalls caught my eye: one with a donut burger, another with a "flowerpot" burger, a steamed burger, burger with cheese inside it, and a 3-beef burger. I resolved to try them all.
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| Donut Burger by Offbeat |
For breakfast, my attention was called by this donut burger by Offbeat Burgers. At first, the idea of Krispy Kreme glazed donuts sandwiching a burger was, as the name says, absolutely OFF. But when I saw that egg peeking underneath the top half of the donut, I HAD to have it.
I must say it was surprisingly good. First of all, the burger on its own was remarkably tasty, compact, meaty, satisfying. To top a burger with an egg is an indulgent burger addict's dream. (The Mandarin's burger, which I usually have with a martini on a depressing day, is served with an egg.)
The addition of something sweet was a risk that paid off. I found myself smiling at each bite. Such a happy sandwich!
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| Johnny Steams steamed burger |
The next most creative sandwich is a new concept by a guy named John Mark Ongsiaco called Johnny Steams. It's a steamed burger! He says that this was conceptualized to deliver a burger devoid of grease, without compromising on flavor. He even designed a steamer. They have several flavors: chili cheese, "Ninja" which has wasabi mayo, "Opa" which has a yogurt dressing, and "Yankee" which has a peanut butter dressing.
While I believe that a burger is not a burger without the grease, I believe the organic and health food buffs will appreciate this burger.
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| Big Bob's Burger |
The Good Doctor, who arrived for lunch to help me achieve my goal of eating all 5 burgers, ordered the 3 Beef Burger. This one, though, was not as competitive - in taste or creativity - as the others.
Big Bob's Burger, on the other hand, was another fine concept as it has cheese IN the burger instead of on top. This reminded me of the Pendong Burger by my New Yorker friend Francis Balbarin that I wrote about way back in 2008. I am partial to Kiko's burger because his is more compact and uses a sharper cheese. As with the donut burger, the burger itself must also be able to shine on its own - this one was a little lackluster, especially considering the competitive nature of this weekend market.
What made us happiest was the creation of two girls called Beurre Burger. They're so cute they even have a twitter account. But it was not their cuteness that got to me - it was their burger. The burger was beautifully prepared; massive flavor made even more enjoyable by the addition of caramelized onions, cheddar cheese, and arugula.
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| Rajo also loves Beurre burgers |
Happy to find out today from the beurre twitter page that foodie / fashionista Rajo Laurel agrees.
And that was just for starters, my friends. More on Mercato finds in upcoming posts!
