Charlie's Handcrafted Burgers

Coming home from LA some months ago and remembering the mouth-watering comfort foods Dino and I gorged our appetites on during my visit, got me to thinking. I’ve been around, your typical Manila burger joint. I’ve sampled and even loved some of them. But after sampling the offerings of a place wherein when they say ‘big’ or ‘a lot of meat’ and really meant it, our local versions pale in comparison. Don’t get me wrong. It’s not just about the size, but also the flavor. Juicy, tender, well-seasoned, perfectly grilled moo-moo’s just waiting to be nom-nom’ed (google it). I thought to myself; man, Manila could use a proper unpretentious burger joint. By unpretentious, I mean I just want a burger joint to quit with all the ‘pa-gourmet’ attitude and just slap me with a good slab of beef, cheese, tomatoes, some veggies, and top it off with good buns and treat me like a bad, bad man.


Some time after that, I stumbled upon a forum thread that mentioned Charlie’s, a joint I’ve never heard of before, offering Black Angus burgers and it was a few minutes away! I was out of my desk and in the car so fast, that I forgot to take my camera. Hence, I had to go back and take pictures (which I did after just 2 days from my first visit).

When I got there (on my first visit), less than 5 minutes later, I was pleasantly surprised to see that it shared frontage space with a car wash. How perfect I thought, since the two parking slots reserved for the place were taken, and my car was in desperate need of a wash. I parked my car between the plastic curtains, left my keys with the guys there, and made my way into Charlie’s.

Their frontage did little to give justice to this place. Their ‘al-fresco’ area looked like the waiting area for the carwash. However, the inside is a different deal. I sat down, ordered, and while waiting for my order, I had free reign over their flat screen TV so I channel surfed to my heart's content and finally settled on an NBA game (and no, I'm not a big fan).


On my first visit to Charlie's, I ordered the Black Angus Burger with Fries (PhP 175) and a bottle of Corona Extra (PhP 135) with the lemon wedge no less. Their fries were fresh cut potato fries perfectly seasoned and crispy -- you’d know when you see it. And while their kitchen door was open I snuck a peek and saw a heap of whole potatoes waiting to be turned into little golden pieces of heaven. The beef was right on the money; juicy, tender, and oh so flavorful. It did not disappoint! It’s topped with a slice of tomato, onions, crisp lettuce, and a sesame bun that doesn’t get soggy on you. Coupled with the fries and the Corona, it was a match made in heaven.


On my second visit I got the Cheesesteak which had two sizes Starving and Hungry (PhP 380 & PhP 220) or as they cleverly dubbed it, Philly and Fili size. It had on the side a Jalapeño chili (don’t worry its not too hot), and Smokey Ranchero sauce (again not too hot). Unfortunately, the Cheesesteak doesn’t come with fries. But trust me, when you see the thing, you’d be glad it didn’t. I ordered the smaller of the two sizes but upon seeing it, already wondered how the heck I was going to eat it burger style. No wonder they give you a knife and a fork with the thing. And man was it delicious! The bread was crunchy on the outside, but has a good chewiness to it inside. The beef was juicy, and was topped with caramelized onions, tender green bell peppers, and a healthy dollop of cheese. It was a total package of flavor goodness. Also, it was a good thing I brought my brother along, he ordered the Black Angus Burger with Fries and a Chocolate Milkshake (PhP 150) to wash it all down. So this time, I got to take some relatively good pictures (point&shoot) of those as well (but God knows I’m looking for an excuse to go there again). A lady from the table in front of us wasn’t too excited seeing her Strawberry Milkshake, probably thinking about the hours in the gym she’d have to put it to burn it seeing as it was topped by a healthy spiral of whipped cream and a cherry. I got to taste the Milkshake. It was good and served well to douse the fire from the jalapeño and ranchero sauce. Also, they serve the burgers to you, open face so you can easily take out toppings that you don’t like. Isn’t that thoughtful of them?


I got to close this post now, because I feel like it’s getting too long. All in all, Charlie’s Handcrafted Burgers, two thumbs up. They’re doing good to tone down the whole gourmet feel of it, which also reflects on the price tag as its relatively lower compared to other places with similar offerings. They also offer some other foreign craft brews, which I have yet to sample but are priced uniformly at PhP 200 a bottle.

Piece of advice if you’re making your way down to Charlie’s, try to go before or after peek hours of lunch and dinner as you might have to wait quite a while for your order to come out, not to mention that it’s a small place with limited seating inside and outside. Parking will also be an issue, as I’ve mentioned they only have 2 dedicated slots in front so you’d have to look around for side street parking. However, you can call in your order in advance for pick-up or get to know the staff so you can call in early so its chow time when you get there. They’re open till 1AM, but the kitchen closes at 12:30AM (this is on weekends I think).


Hope you enjoyed reading this post as much as I enjoyed writing it. If you’ve already eaten there or are going to, let me know how you like it by posting a comment or sending me an email. Peace!


FoodieGoesCulinary,
JC Dayo


Charlie’s Handcrafted Burgers
#16 East Drive
Brgy. Kapitolyo
Pasig, Metro Manila
Tel.# 635-4857

P.S.
The car was was PhP75, inclusive of vacuum. Winner!

Welcome to Foodie Goes Culinary!

Hi and welcome to my very first post here on FoodieGoesCulinary! Aside from being my first post, this is also my first ever stint into the blog world. All this is new and somewhat alien to me, as I am more of a traditional journaling kind of guy. As such, I implore your patience. Admittedly, I had my apprehensions and anxieties about having my life and thoughts published on the Internet for all to see. However if in my future ramblings, incoherent as they may be, a handful of people get entertained, enlightened, and even inspired, then all of this would have been worth it.

I have always been fascinated with food; from how its prepared, how its cooked, how it smells, how it tastes, how it changes moods, and how it can bring you back to times forgotten. Being Filipino, the love of food and the desire to continually experiment and experience different flavors and tastes is hardwired into my very core.

My fascination with food started when I was young. I remember the smell of food being cooked by carpenters, way back when our house was being built and boy did it smell great! They often invited me to share meals with them, introducing me to food fare from all over the Philippines. The carpenters, coming from different provinces, would take turns cooking different dishes from their hometowns each with a distinct style and flavor. I learned early on that food need not be fancy nor extravagant in order to taste great. Often I found the simplest recipes are actually the best.

Through the years, my family has been fortunate to be able to hire cooks that are not only passionate about what they do, but do so with much love and care. Together in one table, we would enjoy the meal they had prepared and in this sharing, we transcended divisions between worker-employer and have become family. My fondest memories about home cooking were those warm late afternoons after coming home from school, and I would help out in the kitchen. I would ask what we were cooking for supper that day, and pester Manang Remy to teach me. Slowly, my presence had become a pleasant annoyance to her who, by that time, has grown fond of my insatiable curiosity. We were also fortunate that when she left to start her own family back in Ilocos Sur, she taught our current cook, Manong Dani, everything she knew. And today, he has gone so far as to surpass Manang Remy’s cooking.

A few years back, in college, my good friend Dino and I would set out scouring the city for restaurants, eateries, hole-in-the-walls, and turo-turo’s that would offer cheap and not-so-cheap great tasting food. And when we found great places to indulge our appetites, (and we did find many) we would eagerly take friends and share what we uncovered. In our search, we have stumbled upon some real gems and admittedly, some well, steaming piles of something else, which you also find on the ground -- you get the picture. I have come to accept that as an inevitable part of our (mis)adventure. I was also blessed to meet a good friend, Chef Lloyd Lagman who really rekindled my passion for food some 3 years ago, through a cooking demo/bible study session in a friend’s house in QC. That was when I started giving some serious thought into getting in the culinary arts.

Fast-forward to today, I am most excited to announce that first day of class is on Monday, February 16, 2009. I have finally decided to take the plunge head (and wallet) first into this brave new world of culinary arts. And in all honesty, I feel like a giddy little schoolboy eager to start his first day of class. If you’re asking why it took me this long to finally decide to jump in, well, it’s a long story and I really don’t want to bore you on my first post. If I’m fortunate enough to have you tag along with me in this little adventure, I am pretty sure you will discover for yourself the reasons behind why FoodieGoesCulinary.

Welcome once again, and thanks for dropping by. New posts will be up soon. And please don’t hesitate to keep in touch, write me or leave me a note. Peace!