metrodeal – Jellybeans in the City

Quick Burger Break at Outback Steakhouse, Glorietta

As can be gleaned from its name, Outback Steakhouse is inspired by the hearty meals of burgers and barbecued meats in Australian cuisine. Being a core component of the Australian diet, meat does take center stage in the restaurant’s menu: with Signature Steaks of various cuts cooked to order, Australian-themed appetizers, burgers, sandwiches and more.

As my daughter #ExhibitA and I were on our way to the grand opening of BLK513 in Glorietta, we decided to while away some time with some light lunch at the Glorietta branch of Outback Steakhouse, taking advantage of a Metrodeal offer that gave us Php500 worth of food for only Php299.

The place is not as full as we expected despite the lunch hour on a Saturday. The ground floor dining area is for smokers but the second floor dining space is more geared towards families and non-smokers. The darkwood floors and furniture give the place a masculine feel (quite appropriate for a steaks and grill place).

Light lunch fare and Outback steakhouse’ offerings do not usually go together but my daughter and I solved this dilemna by splitting an order Bacon Cheeseburger (Php499). This consisted of an Outback Steakhouse’ humungous ground beef burger patty, grilled to medium doneness per our request, topped with bacon, American cheese, pickles, onions, mayo, lettuce and tomato between warm fluffy burger buns, certainly juicy and meaty with every bite. It is served with Aussie Fries, large fried potato wedges which helped make this meal filling enough for two.

Considering availing of the same Metrodeal offer? Here are some friendly reminders:

Note the validity period of the Metrodeal voucher. It may not be valid for use during holidays or special events.
You can only use a maximum of 8 vouchers per table per redemption.
Be sure to reserve your table before you go to the resto.

This Outback Steakhouse branch is located at the Ground Floor, Glorietta 4, Ayala Center, Glorietta Complex, Makati City, open daily from 11am to 1am. For reservations and inquiries, call +63 2 7298458.

Other branches are located at:

Ground Floor, ATC Corporate Center, Alabang, Muntinlupa (open Sundays to Thursdays from 11am to 10pm and Fridays to Saturdays 11am to 11pm; Tel: +63 2 7721844)
Blue Bay Walk, Macapagal Avenue Corner EDSA, Libertad, Pasay City (open Sundays to Thursdays from 11am to 10.30pm and Fridays to Saturdays 11am to 12midnight; Tel: +63 2 8931026)
Eastwood Citywalk 1, Libis, Quezon City (open Sundays to Thursdays from 10am to 11pm and Fridays to Saturdays 10am to 12midnight; Tel: +63 2 2773216)

Samgyeopsal Promo Offer in Jin Joo Korean Grill, Ortigas

I’ve been hearing a lot about Jin Joo Korean Grill and I’ve been hankering to try it out. When I saw a Metrodeal offer that would allow me to enjoy its Samgyeopsal Grill with unlimited side dishes, normally priced at Php470, at the discounted price of only Php149, I just grabbed it and scheduled my Korean food adventure.

This also gave me a reason to visit the newly renovated The Podium mall in Ortigas Center, wherein Jin Joo is one of the welcome additions to the mall’s gustatory offerings.

Located at the mall’s second floor, its facade first appeared cramped. However, I changed this opinion upon entering: it has a sprawling and well-appointed dining area, comprised mostly of wood elements. Here and there are spots of interest like colorful Asian-themed paintings on the wall, tasteful lighted signages and linesmof soju bottles along another wall.

Each table is equipped with a state-of-the-art grilling stove, allowing diners to cook their meats according to their preference.

Upon assisting me to my window seat, my server Macq immediately laid out side dishes for me to munch on while I wait. These include kimchi (of course!), strips of flat scrambled egg, soy potatoes, crushed dilis, banana slices and assorted veggies.

The pork belly was grilled in the kitchen since grilling at the table requires at least two meat orders. I didn’t mind since I didn’t have to worry about cooking the meat right. 🙂

When Macq finished serving and slicing the grilled pork belly, I dipped tender and juicy slices in the ssamjang and sesame oil provided, then wrapped them in lettuce leaves together with thin slices of garlic and some of the crushed dilis. This resulted to a very tasty mouthful of samgyeopsal.

I took advantage of the unlimited side dishes by asking for refills of the potatoes, egg, and banana slices.

The Metrodeal offer gave a me a fine preview of what to expect at Jin Joo. Some reminders if you’re also availing of the same promo:

Call the branch first to reserve. Walk-ins are usually not accommodated.
Arrive on time as your reservation will only be held for 20 minutes.
You can only use one Metrodeal voucher per visit.

On my next visit, I’m looking forward to trying Jin Joo’s 10 Flavors Unli K-BBQ set priced at Php499/person (add Php50 for dinner).

This Jin Joo Korean Grill branch is located at the Second Floor, The Podium, ADB Avenue, Ortigas, Mandaluyong City, open Mondays to Thursdays from 11am to 10pm and Fridays to Sundays from 10am to 10pm. For queries and reservations, call +63 917 2555508.

Other branches may be found at:

Fifth Floor, SM Aura Premier, C5 Road Corner 26th Street, Bonifacio Global City, Taguig City (open daily from 11am to 10pm | Tel No: + 63 917 2481777)
Eastwood Citywalk 1, Libis, Quezon CIty (open daily from 11am to 12mn | Tel No: + 63 915 2091888)
Ground Floor, South Wing, SM Mall of Asia, Mall of Asia Complex (MOA), Pasay City (open daily from 11am to 10pm | Tel No: + 63 917 2555509)
Ground Floor, Glorietta 4, Ayala Center, Glorietta Complex, Makati City (opening soon)

A big Italian Family Lunch at New York Slice by Motorino, SM Pasig

Lately, I’ve had little time to spend with my extended family. My parents just moved in to their newly renovated house over the weekend and with all the general hustle and bustle, my mom was not up to cooking the usual Sunday lunch.

I ended up recommending New York Slice by Motorino in SM Hypermarket Pasig as it was very accessible to us and has a sweet Metrodeal offer (more on that later).

It is located along the row of restaurants near the SM Hypermarket’s main entrance facing Tiendesitas. The seating inside the store proper is quite limited but there are extra seats outside the store that can seat larger groups, particularly our party of seven.

I took advantage of a Metro deal offer that entitles me to Php500 worth of food orders at only Php299, with the option to buy and use more than one Metrodeal voucher. With this awesome deal, I admit we went a little crazy with the sheer volume of our orders, which included:

Pizzas

Motorino Special (Php135/slice). Pepperoni, Italian sausage, olives, bell pepper, onions and mushrooms. This was the preferred pizza of Hubby and my brother who wanted their pizzas to have meat and lots of toppings.

Honey & 3-Cheese (Php135/slice). Honey, cream cheese, mozzarella and parmesan. This pizza was for me and my little boy to satisfy our cravings for cheese and something sweet, all in one go.

Veggie Special (Php135/slice). Mushroom, onions, bell pepper, olives, oregano and olive oil. This was the preferred pizza for the older folks, a healthier option than the others.

Pasta

Spaghetti Bolognese (Php169). A classic choice for the party members who are not as adventurous, food-wise.

Alfredo with Bacon (Php169). A meatier take on carbonara but a little to sauce-y for me.

Alfredo with Shrimp (Php189). The preference of my dad who likes seafood.

Creamy Mushroom (Php159). A lighter and more vegetarian option than the other pastas we ordered.

Krunchy Krispy Wings

Garlic Parmesan (Php269/6pcs).

BBQ Glaze (Php439/10pcs).

Both wings are quite tasty and went well with our pizzas and pastas.

Thanks to the Metrodeal vouchers I availed of, I ended up paying only Php2,200+ for Php3,600+ worth of orders.

This New York Slice by Motorino branch is located inside SM Hypermarket, Frontera Verde Drive, Ugong, Pasig City, open daily from 10am to 9pm. Other branches are located at:

Ground Floor, South Parking Building, SM Mall of Asia, Mall of Asia Complex (MOA), Pasay City (open daily from 10am to 10pm)
Rockwell Business Center, Ground Floor, Sheridan Corner United, Highway Hills, Mandaluyong City (open daily from 10am to 8pm)
Eton Towers Makati, 128 Dela Rosa Street, Legaspi Village, Makati City (open Mondays to Fridays 11am to 10pm and Saturdays to Sundays 11am to 9pm)
Ground Floor, Market! Market!, Bonifacio Global City, Taguig City (open daily from 10am to 10pm)
2A-2 Ground Floor, ATC Corporate Center, Alabang, Muntinlupa City (open daily from 11am to 10pm)