Say "Aloha" to Teddy's Bigger Burgers! Soon to Open in the Philippines!

Hungry yet?  The very first time I saw this photo, I had to stop myself from eating my laptop.  Kidding!  But seriously, just from the look of it, who'd resist this rich, cheesy goodness of a burger?! And let me guess the very next question that popped into your mind:  "Where can I get this?!  Lucky for you, I've got the answer!

Teddy’s Bigger Burgers, Hawaii’s number one burger chain, marks its entry into the Philippines with the opening of its first store on August 23, at Level 3, Greenbelt 3, Makati City.

Awarded multiple times as the best burger in Hawaii, Teddy’s Bigger Burgers takes pride in its signature fare: its 100% cornfed ground chuck made-to-order burgers served with a sweet and tangy special sauce; and its super thick milk shakes.

A little trivia about Teddy's:  Teddy's Bigger Burgers was established in 1998 by Ted Tsakiris and Rich Stula.  They have 11 locations in Hawaii and recently opened mainland locations in Washington and Iowa, with stores soon to open in California and Texas. The Philippines is Teddy’s 2^nd international location, following Japan.  Hooray for the Philippines!

...and if the above photo has gotten you into a frenzy (like it did for me), then here are a few more details:

To celebrate its Philippine debut, Teddy’s will treat its first 100 customers with free Original Teddy’s Burger (5 oz.) on its August 23 opening day.

Early birds will also be rewarded as the first five in line will receive one year supply of burgers (one burger a week, for 52 weeks). The 6^th to 10th in line will get six months supply of burgers (one burger a week, for 26 weeks); and 11^th to 20^th in line will receive three months supply of free burgers (one burger a week for 13 weeks). From the remaining 80 in line, five lucky winners will also win a weekly supply of burgers of one month (one burger a week for 5 weeks), to be drawn via raffle.  Line starts at 7 am in front of Teddy’s Bigger Burgers Store on August 23.

And just when you think the freebies are over, here comes more:  From now until September 3, 2014, mall patrons at the Greenbelt Mall also have the chance to win a free burger from Teddy’s by taking a burger selfie with either the Teddy’s Bigger Burgers store board up or Teddy’s Bigger Burger standees around the mall. Participants must upload their photos on Facebook or Instagram account with the hashtag #teddysburgersph. The first 100 entries will win a free 5oz Original Teddy’s Burger.

For complete promo mechanics, and more information about Teddy’s Bigger Burgers PH, visit the official Facebook Page (www.facebook.com/TeddysBurgersPH).

Teddy's Bigger Burgers is at 3/F, Greenbelt 3, Makati City

Umami Hambaagu House

The Grove by Rockwell has developed nicely over the years.  And in the past year, it has also become one of the hangouts by those in the know.  I admit that it's extremely rare that we go to The Grove, but on one random day, we paid The Grove a visit.  Why?  Because I've been hearing about Umami Hambaagu House and it got me very curious.  

Umami Hambaagu House specializes in burger steaks.  But don't confuse it with the normal burger steaks you'd find in the malls or at the fast food joints.  What's special with their burger steaks?  The secret is in the sauce.  There's just one kind of patty for the burger steak, but when applied with different sauces, you get different flavors and each one tastes unique.  Curious?  I'll let the pictures do the talking:

Cute Interiors

Cream of Corn Soup

Love their cream of corn soup.  It's very thick and flavorful.  One thing though:  it can also be very filling.

Maison du Japon (Melted Gruyere and Caramelized Onions)

Gruyere + Caramelized Onions = love.  But we didn't like the taste of the burger steak that much.  It tasted a bit... off.  Could it be that it's about to get spoiled?

Roppongi Hills (Truffle Cream)

I love anything and everything truffle, so ordering this was a no-brainer.  And I'm happy to say that the truffle scent is really evident (unlike other restaurants which serve truffle dishes with barely a hint of truffle scent). 

My whole set

The burger steaks in Umami comes in sets.  You'll get rice with a side of edamame (beans).

Crepe Cake

I actually got excited when I found out they had crepe cake.  But sadly, this was the major fail of the night.  The crepe was too thick and dry.  We had to send this back.  

Overall, I'd give Umami Hambaagu House a 3 out of 5.  I'm happy with the different choices they have, but they'd have to improve on the quality of their burger steak.  After all, the most important ingredient is the burger steak, right?

Umami Hambaagu House is at The Grove by Rockwell, C5 Ugong, Pasig.