Zark's Burgers Philippines - "It's Fresh. It's Huge. It's Great."

ABBEY: We didn't succeed dining-in the first time at Zark's Taft, but that doesn't stop Pareng John to treat us into this burger paradise. So we tried Zark's Katipunan on our short stint back in Pinas. 

No queue, as it is November 1 (All Saints' Day). I got Jawbreaker; a triple patty-burger with crispy bacon, fries and drinks for less than 300Php. Finish it within five minutes and it is free. I didn't give in. I want to indulge and savor the giant burger in front of me. Sorry but I had the patties to be well done. 

I hope next time I'll be able to try the Tombstone (death by a 2-pound burger).

WILL: If you are not big, unique and affordable the Philippine market will not give you any chance to succeed. Zark’s Burgers is one of the pioneer of big burgers in Manila and they emerged gracefully. Talk of the town. That is why our friends brought us at their Katipunan Branch

1^st of November, holiday, most of the stores were close and so lucky they were open to serve that day. We were ushered to their third floor and straight away asked for our orders. I went for Zark’s Ultimate Burger (Php150.00 with fries and iced tea).

Quarter Pounder is a lot but I almost ate it all. Haha! Their beef patty has a Filipino touch. It reminds me of the patties I am eating during our lunch break way back in my grade school days.

Thanks Denise and John. Till our next food trips! :)

Icon Hotel North Edsa Manila

ABBEY: Since we visit Philippine as fast as the blink of an eye, we need to maximize our time there. So it means we're either in our friends' house, cafe, or restaurant. Going back home is not an option for us due to security reasons. We always plan to crash at a hotel to spend the night. And then we came to know of Icon Hotel North (near North EDSA MRT). 

In their name itself, the hotel is all about worldwide icons like Steve Jobs, Cleopatra and Marilyn Monroe. They named each room with an icon and treated their guests as star. As promotion, a 12-hour stay costs approximately 1300 pesos. This includes buffet breakfast for two, wifi, and a premium room. They accept cash and credit cards for payments. 

WILL:  After working for almost 5 years in Singapore we don’t have a home that we can call our own. When we go back to Philippines, we always stayed at our parents’ home. And every time we’ll hang out late, we always decide to go in a hotel to check-in rather than bothering our parents. We are so lucky to go to Icon Hotel in EDSA. Thank you Denise for the recommendation. Why we are lucky? We got a decent room in a very affordable price.

The lobby is wonderful. The room is neat. The sheets were clean. Oh they have quilt, awesome! We only paid Php1,299.00 for 12hour stay with breakfast buffet. Although they offer only 5 main courses it is still better than nothing. This is a family hotel, a budget hotel that you can spend time with your whole family. You can totally relax as you cannot hear the honking of buses and revving of the vehicles. They also housed a pool and a mini theatre at the lobby. Almost perfect until I got to touch their faucet. Please scrub it before the bacteria will build up on that small portion of your room.

Concierge is always smiling and ready to accommodate all your needs. Salute to this brand new hotel. Already recommended to my family and friends. Please do check them out.

Monster Curry Singapore at 313@Somerset

ABBEY: This place reminds me of a sad moment as my then girlfriend will leave Singapore after a month of visit. But the good thing is, we had good food at Monster Curry at 313@Somerset (Food Republic). 

So we visited it again. At less than 15sgd,  I got a large portion of chicken with matching dark Japanese curry sauce. Combining each bite with white rice and my hunger is solved. The curry sauce's spiciness is just the right amount; not too salty nor bland. 

WILL: January 2010, it was the end of my 2-month vacation here in Singapore. We spend our afternoon on a movie date and I craved for Japanese food back then and we found this great place in 313@Somerset. That was the 2nd saddest parting we have. That spot. It was all clear. The teary eyes and emotional voice.

After 4 years, we re-visited the place, now with a full smile. We see things brighter. We just reminisce the past and now putting an end of that sad part and replacing it with a great happiness. We well appreciate now the view of passing pedestrians and vehicles from level 5 of this building. We are so happy.

I ordered pork katsu. I love the taste but it would be lovelier if they have a wasabi. The serving is too big, I ate the ¾ and the rest was covered by husband.

This place is recommendable for a great food, great view and affordable price.