I just recently got my first food blogger's event invitation, and due to some uncontrollable circumstances on the part of the event planners, the event was put off till January of 2011. It kind of felt like a downer since it was after all my first food event invite, and it might be small stuff to other food bloggers but it was like a semi monumental thing for me.
The same week that the first event was cancelled, I received my second food event invite from Ia for B & T Mexican Kitchen. It was like the right invite at the right time, who was I to say no? Of course I said YES! We went to the said event last December 16, 2010. My BFF, Batch and I hitched a ride from one of her former officemate/ friend and the traffic going from Makati to Greenhills was horrendous, by the time we arrived at B&T, we were about 15 or more minutes late.
Upon entering B & T, I could feel that all eyes of the staff were on us, there was an eager to please and ever so ready look on their faces which was a very good thing. I awkwardly show my printed invite to one of the staff and she directed me to the Manager, Mr. Eric Tan. We talked for a few moments about B & T and about the killer traffic, which was causing other invited blogger's to be later than we were. He then called and introduced his brother, Mr. Philip Tan who gave me the details about their wide range Mexican themed menu. I wasn't really sure what to order so I asked Philip to just recommend which ones are the best. Since we came by two, Philip chose Chicken Mole, Quesadilla, and their very much intriguing Mexican Burger.
For those who want to DIY their orders, you certainly can do so in easy to follow 5 steps emblazoned in their overhead chalkboards.
Step One: CHOOSE YOUR MEAL
Burrito
Frito Burrito
Burrito Bowl
Mexican Salad
Mexican Taco
Taco
Quesadilla
Guaca De Frito
Chimichanga
Tostada
Step Two: CHOOSE YOUR MEAT
Al Pastor (Pork) ~Php 310.00
Barbacoa (Beef) ~Php 320.00
Carne Asada (Beef) ~Php 320.00
Carnitas (Pork) ~Php 310.00
Chicken ~Php 300.00
Chicken Mole ~Php 300.00
Chili Con Carne ~Php 320.00
Fish ~Php 330.00
Shrimp ~Php 350.00
Vegetarian ~Php 290.00
Step Three: CHOOSE YOUR SIDES
Chips &Salsa ~Php 95.00
Chips & Guacamole ~Php 95.00
Chips & Pico De Gallo ~Php 95.00
Chips & Chili Con Carne ~Php 180.00
Ball Park Nachos ~Php 245.00
9 Layer Dip Nachos ~Php 240.00
Sweet Potato Fries w/ Dressing ~Php 95.00
Sweet Potato Fries w/ Salsa ~Php 95.00
Step Four: CHOOSE YOUR DRINK
Horchata ~Php 50.00
Agua De Tamarindo ~Php 60.00
Agua De Melon ~Php 60.00
Lime or Strawberry Margarita
*Spiked ~Php 150.00
*Virgin ~Php 135.00
Tequila Shots ~Php 75.00
Mexican Beers ~Php 135.00
Sarsa Parilla ~Php 90.00
Sodas ~Php 45.00
Bottled Water ~Php 30.00
Step Five: CHOOSE YOUR DESSERTS
Quesadilla De Fruita ~Php 215.00
Mexican Fritters ~Php 115.00
Chocolate Nachos ~Php 105.00
Mint Nachos ~Php 105.00
Strawberry Nachos ~Php 105.00
Tres Leches
They also serve Fajitas, Mexican Pizza and Mexican Burgers.
Chicken Mole (Php 320.00 or $ 7.21)
This was first served and I know you'll mistake it for the typical Dinuguan we Filipinos are used to and fond of eating, but Philip told me that the sauce actually contained chocolate. Intriguing eh? It got me hyped up but since I don't have that much sweet tooth, I initially thought this would be too sweet for my liking.
It came with a salsa and garlic dip. I put some of the rice and a huge chunk of chicken on my plate, with the chocolate sauce and plenty of cheese and combined the salsa and garlic dips, and took my first bite not really knowing what to expect.
It was a wonderful medley of sweet, salty and spicy. I could taste the hint of chocolate at first but it slowly goes away blending in with the other ingredients. The chicken chunks were also very huge and moist, this is one pretty interesting dish and a must try for all curious foodies out there. It comes with 3 pieces of soft flour tortillas which you can use to make a soft taco of your own, but I think even without the tortillas, this dish is quite awesome already.
Quesadilla ( Php 290.00 - 350.00 or $ 6.54 - 7.89)
Can't exactly remember which ingredients went into our quesadilla, but it was very loaded and delish. It was a huge step up from the thin and measly looking quesadillas I've tried from Army Navy. Plus! The finely shredded meat was very tasty, you can expect that there's no tough or rubbery meat and each slice was so loaded that even if we were 2 people eating, we only managed to eat 2 slices of this. This is quite a tummy filler I must say.
Mexican Burger w/ Sweet Potato Fries (Php 340.00 or $ 7.66)
Their Mexican Burger came in last, and already bursting as we were, I was surprised to see that it was fairly huge . Batch and I took out about 3/4 of the burger while I managed to nimble all of the yummy sweet potato fries down. I suggest that you eat the sweet potato fries while it's still hot, Batch and I really liked it because it was a very welcome variation from the processed dehydrated potato fries we're all so used to. Each sweet potato slice is very thick and coated evenly with salt, so that at each bite you're welcomed with that sweet salty taste I know a lot of people would love.
The patty of the Mexican Burger was promisingly thick, soft and juicy. These are now another favorites of mine compared to Burger King's Whopper and KFC's Fries (Yes, even though those aren't Mexican!) We didn't managed to finish this at the restaurant but I know I finished it at Batch's apartment after we went home that night, and I was totally raving about it that it was so good! I guess we were really just overwhelmed by the huge platefuls of food Philip ordered for us. Batch just commented that the tomato and onion bits could use a little more finer dicing, and I agree.
Horchata ( Php 50.00 or $ 1.13)
Another winner of the night! I initially ordered their Agua De Tamarindo and Batch wanted to try the Margarita but both weren't available that night, the staff immediately told us that their Horchata was available. Like the Chicken Mole, this Horchata is also new to me, Philip explained that it was made out of rice, almonds and cinnamon. It was like a sweet, milky, refreshing drink that cleanses off all the strong flavors in your mouth. I do not like cinnamon in particular and avoid food with any cinnamon in it, but the cinnamon taste was a great addition to the drink, it did not overpower but provided an interesting kick to it. I just wish they would offer this in different sizes, this would be a great thirst quencher for me! Now, if only most restaurants have this in their drinks menu as well. :)
I still don't take good photos of drinks, any tips from pro photo food bloggers out there?
We chatted with Sharlyne and Karla of Food Trippings, Ia of iaadamlim, and Philip. It was a great conversation and our talk went from how B & T Mexican Kitchen was started to fine Bicol dishes like the Laing Spaghetti or Sili Ice Cream Sha and Karla were raving about. (Batch, when I go to Bicol, we must try those!).
Overall, the service, ambiance and food was superb. The staff were very fast and efficient in giving out your orders and they never fail to smile. The price might seem a bit steep for you, but I assure you that it is totally worth it, I won't even dare you to order a dish just for yourself because almost everything is good for sharing, except the Solo Meal. Some details just need a little modification like maybe the use of stainless steel utensils or the like instead of plastic ones and maybe use ceramic plates or the like instead of paper plates, maybe the reason behind using those is for faster cleanup, but we think the customers would have a better dining experience if the utensils and plates were upgraded, just our humble two cents in. :)
I'd like to thank Ia and the B & T management for the invite and the great food and most of all, equally good service. I hope they branch out soon, somewhere in Quezon City perhaps? Batch and I will definitely go back, that's how promising B & T Mexican Kitchen is. Next time we go there, we'll try their highly raved about 9 Layer Dip Nachos and their humongous Burritos, plus the Margaritas and beers for Batch. I bet Chum, my BF would also love it there!
B & T Mexican Kitchen (Burritos and Tacos Mexican Kitchen)
Location: G/F 368 Sekai Center, Ortigas Corner Madison Street, Greenhills, San Juan
Phone: 975-1850
Website: None so far, but they're setting it up already
Delivery: None so far, but they're hooking up with City Delivery for this
Estimated Budget: ~P300.00/meal
Payment Methods: Cash for now, but they'll be accepting Credit Cards soon
Business Hours: 11:00AM to 11:00PM Daily
DISCLAIMER: I was invited to sample any of the dishes from their menu and in no way was I paid to blog for the food and drinks consumed. All opinions expressed above are entirely my own and my friend Batch's based on our dining experience. No unnecessary glorification whether the food is free or not. I will blog it as it is.
Your pig out buddy,
