She said: #2 Magyar Hungarian Restaurant

a hung(a)ry state of mind


it is a nice sunny-windy friday in paseo de magallanes. cars are parked everywhere. you hardly notice the signage but somewhere at the end of the strip is a quaint little restaurant called Magyar Restaurant. This is also my second time to go to this resto, which means it's safe to say that, the food is excellent. Everything here feels authentic - the waitress dressed in her funny (yet oddly appropriate) Hungarian get-up, the other customer on his phone- which I'm pretty sure is a Magyar himself, the menu - from Goulash to Gundel.

as i am a sausage fan, i didn't waste any time thinking about what to order. i got the Debrecener Sausage, the plate of Spaetzle and to start, i had the Langos.

first the Langos.



the Langos were a treat to eat! it's basically deep fried dough.. (Need i say more??) and the cherry on top, is your average, everyday favorite dairy assortments such as sour cream (garlicky sour cream) and melted cheeeese! two disc-sized (remember the days guys, when we would use the CD-ROM? that's what i meant.. :p) Langos cost Php 110 only.
for my main course - sausage and Spaetzle. now, I have high expectations for sausages. first, they have to be lean. next, flavorful. most importantly, it has to be authentic. if i want Andouille, i need to taste mace and cayenne, if Lucban longganiza - oregano juice and if i order Debrecener, which is a classic Hungarian sausage, i need to taste paprika and marjoram. and let me tell you, i was not disappointed with this one. it was red, juicy, smokey and spice-y. the only issue i had maybe was that it was served to me sliced - which is a personal preference. i just like to cut my own meats. i feel it gives the meat time to rest once they are taken off the pan. Php 90 for one long sausage (even if cut up) is affordable and definitely worth my money.

when i was working in Amanpulo, i remember a guest chef who stayed with us for a week and he taught me how to make homemade Spaetzle. my benchmark for this dish is pretty high because of that man and i remember he would tediously but lovingly roll every piece himself and we just stand in amazement, it was soft, a bit resistent- but not gummy and it was buttery. here in Magyar, it wasn't as wonderful as how my chef would make it, but it was delicious. they're Spaetzle was cooked perfectly, i just thought it lacked a LOT of seasoning. i had to add heaps of salt and pepper on the table. but for its Php 30 price for one whole plate, it was pretty amazing indeed.

i really enjoyed myself (again) in this restaurant. for its authenticity, excellent food, patient servers, good location, extensive menu, and value for money, i'm giving a bold 4.5 stars to Magyar Restaurant. i'm definitely recommending to everyone to try this place and really experience yummy, well prepared Hungarian food.



G/F Unit 3 Maga Center Paseo de Magallanes Makati City Philippines
www.magyarrestaurant.com

Posted at at 5:45 AM on Tuesday, October 4, 2011 by Posted by starfishtrix | 1 comments   | Filed under:

He said: #2 Magyar Hungarian Restaurant

Hungry for Hungarian


When I think Hungarian food I think goulash, sausages, and spatzle. Great!! This means I can't eat anything there but spatzel!! You might hate me for this but I don't care. I detest pork!! This has nothing to do with religious practices. I just can't stand the taste or even the smell of pork. Of course there are some exceptions like pate or any pork that is masked with flavors that it's just lost in the mix.


Parking was a breeze so I got there in a good mood. The ambiance is charming, cozy, and light with some Hungarian references. By "some" references I mean flags of red, white, and green all over the place. They gave us our menu, lo and behold it was a menu of swineage!! Deathrow list for boars! Pig lovers paradise. Ok so i'm overreacting a little but after scanning through the pages it was evident that it was slim pickings for the non-pork eater like myself. Specially if you are looking to eat something very Hungarian otherwise they have salads, burgers, and steaks in the menu.


I appreciated the fact that the vegetarian dishes were marked accordingly. I guess they were more prepared to receive customers like myself than I thought they would. Our appetizer was Langos which is a potato based deep fried flat bread topped with cheese, garlic butter, and sour cream. It was delicious. I could have had that for the main course as well. How can you go wrong with anything deep fried smothered with all sorts of dairy products. 


For the main course I had Lamb Paprikash. It came with spatzle and some sauteed vegetables. It had that deep scarlet color from the paprika and the sour cream complimented the gameyness of the lamb. The meat was really tender and for Php 325.00 the serving was plenty. The vegetables though wasn't that great. It tasted like it was sitting out for quite some time and was added to the dish like it was an afterthought.



All in all the experience was pleasant. It felt somewhat authentic but still catering to the Filipino palate. The price is reasonable and the place was kept clean. I even checked the water closet. The service crew was very hospitable in their Hungarian inspired uniforms. I would definitely come back for more.


I rate Magyar 4 stars

Posted at at 2:36 AM on Friday, September 30, 2011 by Posted by Ruben IV | 2 comments   | Filed under:

He said: #1 Zark's Burgers

You can never have too much BEEF



Everyone around me knows how much I LOVE burgers. I'm not, by any means, a snob about it. In fact, I'll buy a burger from a dark shady alley just to get my fix. So, with that being said, I will try my best not to cloud my judgement with the fact that I can NEVER hate burgers.

The first thing I noticed going in is the smell. It was like a hotbox of beefy smog floating around a fifty (50) square meter room. I thought in my head, "this is promising." I got a simple quarter pound burger "King James' Tomahawk",and a deep-fried all beef hotdog with tomato salsa, caramelized onions, and mushrooms "SuperDawg."

 

There is actually a lot of good burgers to choose from, but for the sake of critiquing I opted to go with a basic burger. I like the fact that their smallest burger is a quarter pound. No way I would ever order those one bite sliders. It is impossible to enjoy them the way a burger is suppose to be enjoyed. Another thing is, which is only a bad thing if you're lactose intolerant, they gave me cheese even though I didn't ask for any. Flavor wise it was good. Not your typical beef and salt patty but I liked the fact that the beef still tasted like beef. No complaints so far. What I didn't like was the texture of the beef. It felt soft and mushy which made it difficult to differentiate the bread from the patty texture wise.

With the dogs I went all out and got their most elaborate one, the designer dog if you will. This one I really didn't care for too much. I should have taken their name as a sign not to order anything else but burgers. The hotdog wasn't blistered enough, yet another issue with texture; the onions weren't caramelized; and the mushrooms were cold, like it was straight from the can.

The best part is the the fries and the price. The fries was thick and crisp, just the way I like it, and the serving was huge specially for the price. For the two (2) dishes including a bottom-less iced tea I only spent Php 220.00. Considering that it is walking distance from universities, it is perfect for the average student who is limited in funds. 

I rate Zark's Burgers 3 stars

(zark's burgers is located at 2464 Archer's Nook, Taft Ave. Manila, Metro Manila)

Posted at at 8:35 AM on Wednesday, September 14, 2011 by Posted by Ruben IV | 2 comments   | Filed under: , , , ,

She said: #1 Zark's Burgers

the burger effect


once at zark's, the first thing you notice is the smell. the smell of grease, that is. i first came here when i had just finished my entrance exam for my Master's Degree and i felt like there is nothing like a good 'ol burger to satisfy the 'i freakin' deserve this after my hard work' urge. and since i tend to overdo things, i ordered, without hesitation, the worst- yet best possible option - the deep fried burger. judging by that, i think it's safe to say that i.. am no health buff.. i'm no health-- anything. so, with that i'll say, under this certain circumstance (that is, brain drain from answering basic algebra and fractions all morning) that i liked it. as a matter of fact, i truly enjoyed the deep fried burger. and we're not talking deep fried patty here - this was the whole thing dunked in oil!

what is was, was 1/2 lb. of beef patty, cheese, tomato and caramelised onions inside the bun - all sunk in perfect temp. oil. and let's face it, when you deep fry bread, it is just delicious, the layer upon layer of flavor brought out in this one crisp, juicy burger. this meal cost me Php 140.00 plus 20 bucks to add fries and a drink. not bad for a heavy meal.

now, i can't really guarantee you'll have the same satisfaction -- unless you took the same test as i did, or maybe you just broke up with someone (because that's the ultimate excuse to eat whatever ain't it?) then i'd definitely recommend this burger.


the second time i came to zark's was a whole new experience. first, i didn't take any test prior to going there and also, i was with a burger connoisseur, a guy who lives for BURGERS -- in more commercial terms - the burger king (pun intended). so that meant that the appetite was low, and the expectations were high. this time around, i ordered the three pointer burger which was made of the usual all beef patty, mozarella cheese, cheddar cheese and cheese sauce - with tomatoes and caramelised onions. all in all Php 135 plus another 40 to have it with fries and unlimited iced tea. this was one cheesy burger and surprisingly the 'cheese sauce' unbeknownst to all, was NOT cheez whiz.

i really thought the patties at zark's were delicious - it's very reminiscent of burgers my grandmother would make. all beef, straight to the point, and no other added spices or herbs. their fries- excellent. crisp on the outside, home-cut french fries. which is more than i can say about the place that also serves burgers right below them (overrated, overpriced so-so burgers and burritos - but HEY that's another review altogether!)

the place is no 5-star resto, but it's clean, it's near my old alma mater which i think is a great location although it has a very hole-in-the-wall-feel to it, but that really only adds to its appeal. on their wall, a hall of famer display of those brave enough to eat a huge burger in under 15 minutes. parking was a hassle, but value for money was great. the menu selection - extensive. they may be zark's burgers, but they're just not about the burgers, they have hotdogs, fish, chicken and crazy, Paula Deen-ified desserts like deep fried snickers ala mode and Krispy Kreme donuts with ice cream.

after all that's been said and done - or eaten for that matter, i will give zark's burgers a solid 3.5 stars. it's probably not the best burger ever.. but it sure is the best on that block. it's comforting to know that people are coming up with better food ideas around the area. more importantly, you know that when school bugs you - which it usually does, there's a place like zark's to comfort you - that is, until your next class.

(zark's burgers is located at 2464 Archer's Nook, Taft Ave. Manila, Metro Manila)


Posted at at 8:32 AM on by Posted by starfishtrix | 1 comments   | Filed under: , , , ,
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