FoodMetroManila

The World Street  Food Congress was here in the Philippines last April 20 to 24, 2016. I had to work from April 20 to 22 and I attended a wedding on the 24th. The only window I had to try the jamboree was the evening of the 23rd but Haziel and I had to find me a new blazer for the wedding first. We did get to make it to the jamboree, but most of the stalls were already sold out of their food. Thus, we went to The Butcher Shop & Pub for some meat and beers. Do not have anything to connect the two, sorry if you were looking for a clever segue.

We have had a couple of burgers from Ronald’s (see what I did there?) before heading to the jamboree so we weren’t really that hungry. We just wanted to relax, have a couple of drinks, and dessert. Haziel loves eating desserts with her alcohol.

I liked the overall vibe of the place. It’s loud, as you would expect from a gastropub, but not raucous. As we were waiting for our orders an acoustic band started their set downstairs. Beside us was a row of tables full of other couples on dates. As you can see from the pictures, there is a lot of wood in this place. If you have been reading this blog for some time now you would know that I love wood (you have a dirty mind if you smirked at that one). Our server was a young man who is “determined AF” according to one of his instagram posts. He was attentive, I’ll give him that.

Although the television sets were showing an MMA bout, it doesn’t say that The Butcher Shop & Pub is a place for dudes. As I said earlier, there were a considerable number of tables of couples on dates. That long table on the second floor got occupied by a group of dapper looking young adults as we were about to check out. On our far right, on the corner, was a group of East Asians who seemed to be having a good time. I was wearing shorts and Jordans so there is no dress code.

What I’m saying is that anyone can stay here, have some drinks, eat meat, and have a good time. Too bad the food we got wasn’t so great.

The Beers: Katipunan Signal no. 1 (on tap) and the Butcher’s Axe

Nothing much to discuss about the Katipunan Signal no. 1. It’s still the same old friend that is frank and will kick you immediately but actually pretty mellow and smooth inside. I want to discuss the one on the right – The Butcher’s Axe.

It looks harmless next to the deep black of the Katipunan Signal no. 1, but no! Here are the list of ingredients:

• Gin
• Vodka
• Light Rum
• Tequila
• Redbull
• Beer (of course, seems like an afterthought)

If you were looking to get drunk, I guess this is the way to go. They didn’t screw around with this one, no fruity flavoring for this beer cocktail. You know what the funny thing about this was? Haziel actually ordered the Butcher’s Axe. She got to about 2/3 of the pint before asking if we can swap drinks.

Create Your Own Steak: Grilled Pork Belly with Oregano-Cumin Rub, Bourbon Sauce and Garlic Fried Rice on the Side

“James, what do you mean steak? That’s pork belly!” some of you might say. Well, the other choices are imported meat and I wanted to make sure I didn’t get anything that was frozen. Well, okay, it was the cheapest one at 250 Php. I mean I did just buy a friggin blazer that cost Thousands of Pesos for crying out loud (note the “S” at the Thousands). The most expensive is the Tomahawk Steak Angus Gold Australia for 4,800 Php which costs more than the blazer, unfortunately.

Nevetheless, even if I did get the cheapest cut of meat on this menu, I will still nitpick the hell out of it since they should treat their customers equally. The two slices of pork belly were small. I have no idea what oregano should taste like but I do know what cumin tastes like and I did not find it here. I also know what salt and pepper tastes like and that I was able to taste, thank God! So what the hell was the point of asking me for the rub if they either did not use it or so little that it got burned off in the cooking process? You can make this at home!

Tangy and sweet Bourbon sauce didn’t taste special either. The rice I had to add 50 Php for and actually looked heftier than the meat it came with. Thank goodness I ordered this else I would be really pissed.

Irish Whiskey and Espresso Creme Brulee

In hindsight, Irish Whiskey and Espresso on a Creme Brulee doesn’t really make sense. However, at the time it seemed like a fancy good idea. It had a hint of coffee, very faint of the whiskey, and overall pretty bland. And I’m sorry, the whipped cream on the side looks like it fell from another person’s plate on to this one.

The consistency of the dish was also a bit too loose. I appreciate that it was only 65 Php but come on, just make the traditional creme brulee and maybe they’ll be able to execute on it better.

Ruminations…

I’ve read a couple of reviews where The Butcher Shop & Pub’s signature dish would have to be the Best F*!k!ng Pork and Beans, but I’m not a fan of beans so didn’t go there. The pork belly I did order was disappointing as F*!k though.

Having said all that, the sheer location and design of the place makes me want to revisit it one of these days. I also want to give the menu another go and hopefully I can try a decent steak. There is FoodMetroManila Revisited, and I feel The Butcher Shop & Pub should definitely be a subject of that category.

Have you tried The Butcher Shop & Pub? How did you find the food? Let me know on the comments! Thank you and see you around Metro Manila!

You can also follow/like FoodMetroManila on the following social media accounts:

• Twitter: @foodmetromanila
• Instagram: @foodmetromanila
• Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/foodmetromanila
• Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/foodmetromanila