Manila

[QUOTE=Asian Rain; 1500954.

Time for a juicy Boss Burger with a thick shake at Burger Bar. Sarap sarap! Enjoy the Philippines, AsianRain[/QUOTE]Best burgers in Manila. Try Brothers Burgers.

[QUOTE=Skip Kost; 1500927].

Queuing for weeks for a dish called bacon and eggs ice cream? In the states we have people that pitched tents starting already last week outside stores that advertise Black Friday sales (day after Thanksgiving; this Friday) in order to queue for the best bargains. I find it much more interesting that anybody would queue for days or weeks to buy anything, than that somebody flavored ice cream with bacon and eggs.[/QUOTE]If you want interestingly named dishes. Have a look at ElBulli (now closed) and Ferran Adria's creations.

Olive caviar? Parmesan snow? Rose Petal artichokes? Liquid peas ravioli? Etc etc

[QUOTE=FreebieFan; 1501050]If you want interestingly named dishes. Have a look at ElBulli (now closed) and Ferran Adria's creations.

Olive caviar? Parmesan snow? Rose Petal artichokes? Liquid peas ravioli? Etc etc[/QUOTE]Its called molecular gastronomy and is supposed to concentrate, intensify and emphasise flavours. Personally, give me a good plate of steak and chips any day.

[QUOTE=Skip Kost;1500927]Queuing for weeks for a dish called bacon and eggs ice cream? In the states we have people that pitched tents starting already last week outside stores that advertise Black Friday sales (day after Thanksgiving; this Friday) in order to queue for the best bargains. I find it much more interesting that anybody would queue for days or weeks to buy anything, than that somebody flavored ice cream with bacon and eggs.[/QUOTE]You do of course realise that it is an online, metaphorical queue of gastronomes waiting for a reservation? As far as I'm aware there is no queue of anticipatory diners encamped for weeks on end outside Hesters restaurant waiting to sample his weird and wonderful creations.

[QUOTE=Skip Kost;1500927]I had to check Wikipedia as to what a Michelin star is; I couldn't imagine why anybody would want to name food after some French tire brand.[/QUOTE]Never heard of Michelin Good Food Guides? They are the arbiter of gastronomical excellence and many European Chefs would cook and serve their grannies to get a single michelin star, let alone three. One renowned chef even committed suicide when his restaurant lost one of the prized stars.

Does the Michelin Guides not cover the States? What is in its place?

[QUOTE=Cunning Stunt;1501095]Does the Michelin Guides not cover the States?[/QUOTE]Of course they cover the USA. Here is the 2013 NYC Michelin list.

[url]http://usatravel.about.com/od/Food-And-Cuisine/ss/USA-Michelin-Restaurants_2.htm[/url]

I checked and no surprise, there are no Michelin star restaurants in Manila. Hong Kong and Macau have some restaurants that made the grade however. I have eaten dim sum at the Imperial Court (MGM Macau) and the Eight (Grand Lisboa) many times. Both restaurants are outstanding. if you ever find yourself mongering in Macau give them a try. Love the braised abalone and roasted pork belly. Lunch was around 300mop.

[url]http://gohongkong.about.com/od/wheretoeatinhk/a/michelinlist.htm[/url]

[quote=cunning stunt; 1501095]never heard of michelin good food guides? they are the arbiter of gastronomical excellence and many european chefs would cook and serve their grannies to get a single michelin star, let alone three. one renowned chef even committed suicide when his restaurant lost one of the prized stars.

does the michelin guides not cover the states? what is in its place?[/quote]their guides do cover the usa (by city / area) , but outside of the hardcore foodie circles they are not as popular as they once were. in the late 50's and 60's the aaa (american automobile association) had pretty much supplanted them as a travel / hotel guide and to a lesser extent as a resto guide. though aaa is currently not as popular as it once was (mostly due to their ever increasing annual dues) as nowadays many people use the internet to plan and make their own travel arrangements as wellas get info about restos. as there is so much free info / reviews (both peer and from professional food critics) your average american is just not willing to pay $20. 00 (paperback copy) , or even the 4-9usd in the itunes app store, for a regional / city resto guide. and lets face it, the average american also thinks that places like outback, red lobster, olive garden, etc are "fine dining", when those with an educated palate know that places like that (although good) are not gourmet dining and they are in fact just a small step up from fast food places.

[QUOTE=FreebieFan;1501050]Olive caviar? Parmesan snow? Rose Petal artichokes? Liquid peas ravioli? Etc etc[/QUOTE]Haha just give me an effin' Big Mac. When I'm in the mood to step it up to some fine dinin', its Denny's, Dominoes, or Olive Garden.

[QUOTE=WestCoast1;1501129]Haha just give me an effin' Big Mac. When I'm in the mood to step it up to some fine dinin', its Denny's, Dominoes, or Olive Garden.[/QUOTE]Well artichokes are okay, and rose petals as part of a salad are nice as well. But personally, I much prefer chocolate rose petals, a term I first heard from WC, and which he has illustrated superbly on multiple occasions in the photo thread. Now that's good eating.

[QUOTE=Skip Kost;1501133]Well artichokes are okay, and rose petals as part of a salad are nice as well. But personally, I much prefer chocolate rose petals, a term I first heard from WC, and which he has illustrated superbly on multiple occasions in the photo thread. Now that's good eating.[/QUOTE]You'd see it on the menu (complete with pic) as: Longannisa-split slender chocolate rose petals, complete with bullet nips and mountain oysters on the side.

[QUOTE=WestCoast1;1501129]Haha just give me an effin' Big Mac. When I'm in the mood to step it up to some fine dinin', its Denny's,.[/QUOTE]Think again [url]sir.http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/11/20/fast-food-truths_n_4296243.html[/url]

Although I agree with you about Dennys'. Great all day breakfast thats always welcome when fighting Asia to California jet lag.

Wasnt there a fella from Cali who was going to visit Manila in November, plough his way through hundreds of ladies showering them with p300 per lady, asking them to stay in youth hostels with him?

Wonder what happened to him and his TR.

He certainly had a lot to say before his visit.

[QUOTE=Natty Bumpo;1501110]I checked and no surprise, there are no Michelin star restaurants in Manila.[/QUOTE]Of course. Michelin doesn't do a guide for the Philippines. Or Australia, Thailand, the Middle East, Turkey, South America, Mexico, India, or even mainland China, for that matter. Guess it's no surprise, too. :p

[QUOTE=FreebieFan;1501210]Wasnt there a fella from Cali who was going to visit Manila in November, plough his way through hundreds of ladies showering them with p300 per lady, asking them to stay in youth hostels with him?[/QUOTE]Guess I've met him in Burgos recently. I was sitting in a pub, two tables further a guy telling another one "I've made my first million at the age of late twenties, the second million early thirties" and so on. So loud that the whole pub could hear it and all of us rolling our eyes. But then he mentioned staying in Tune hotel, hehehe. Knocked-out himself.

Must have been him. And talking about Indon Rupiahs maybe.

[quote=pip jaeger;1501117]their guides do cover the usa (by city / area) , but outside of the hardcore foodie circles they are not as popular as they once were. in the late 50's and 60's the aaa (american automobile association) had pretty much supplanted them as a travel / hotel guide and to a lesser extent as a resto guide. though aaa is currently not as popular as it once was (mostly due to their ever increasing annual dues) as nowadays many people use the internet to plan and make their own travel arrangements as wellas get info about restos. as there is so much free info / reviews (both peer and from professional food critics) your average american is just not willing to pay $20. 00 (paperback copy) , or even the 4-9usd in the itunes app store, for a regional / city resto guide. and lets face it, the average american also thinks that places like outback, red lobster, olive garden, etc are "fine dining", when those with an educated palate know that places like that (although good) are not gourmet dining and they are in fact just a small step up from fast food places.[/quote]i beg to differ mr. pip. the "places like that" don't come anywhere near good. but then, rating food is similar to rating women on the proverbial 1-10 scale. tastes, expectations, standards and general presences vary from person to person.

pip is dead on.

the restaurant chains in the us like outback, olive garden, red lobster etc. only offer average mass-produced food, nothing like fine dining.

the lobster, shrimp and seafood at red lobster are obviously frozen-defrost varieties. they are edible but don't have the sweetness, freshness and juiciness of fresh ocean food.

the best seafood i had were in a teppanzaki restaurant chain in shenzhen, by the name of taiyu (big fish) , where for $15 each we can order all we can eat and drink from a big menu with hundreds of dishes. just instruct the chef to cook to rare.

outback and olive garden are just average. morton steak house had special recession lunch menu for $15. their steaks are huge and good with large salad, soup, fresh bread, deserts. morton offers some serious steaks.

food on cruise ships and big hotels' restaurants, however rated 5-star and abundant, seem to be the industrial frozen-defrost varieties. after a 15-day cruise, my body was out of balance, craving fresh food. i splurge on 2 days of sashimi and sushi to make up. must be vitamin deficiency in the industrial frozen food.

i took a young girl for a dinner at a fancy seafood restaurant near robinson mall in manila where they sell food by the 100 grams. prices were expensive and food was just average.

would be very nice to have a guide for wide varieties of good food and good sex around burgos street and ermita.

[quote=pip jaeger;1501117]their guides do cover the usa (by city / area) , but outside of the hardcore foodie circles they are not as popular as they once were. in the late 50's and 60's the aaa (american automobile association) had pretty much supplanted them as a travel / hotel guide and to a lesser extent as a resto guide. though aaa is currently not as popular as it once was (mostly due to their ever increasing annual dues) as nowadays many people use the internet to plan and make their own travel arrangements as wellas get info about restos. as there is so much free info / reviews (both peer and from professional food critics) your average american is just not willing to pay $20. 00 (paperback copy) , or even the 4-9usd in the itunes app store, for a regional / city resto guide. and lets face it, the average american also thinks that places like outback, red lobster, olive garden, etc are "fine dining", when those with an educated palate know that places like that (although good) are not gourmet dining and they are in fact just a small step up from fast food places.[/quote]

[QUOTE=LukeSkywalker; 1501355]Food on cruise ships and big hotels' restaurants, however rated 5-star and abundant, seem to be the industrial frozen-defrost varieties. After a 15-day cruise, my body was out of balance, craving fresh food. I splurge on 2 days of sashimi and sushi to make up. Must be vitamin deficiency in the industrial frozen food.

I took a young girl for a dinner at a fancy seafood restaurant near Robinson Mall in Manila where they sell food by the 100 grams. Prices were expensive and food was just average.

Would be very nice to have a guide for wide varieties of good food and good sex around Burgos Street and Ermita.[/QUOTE]Some bright spark somewhere is going to start asking whether we veterans have morphed into the ISG Food Channel.