san juan – Jellybeans in the City

Celebrating in style at Guevarra’s by Chef Laudico

As a true-blue foodie, celebrating my natal day somewhere with good food and good vibes is a must.

So to commemorate my 46th trip around the sun, I took the fam to dinner at one of the metro’s most celebrated buffet restaurants: Guevarra’s by Chef Laudico.

It’s not actually my family’s first time at this establishment. Over the years, together with our extended family, we have celebrated several special occasions at Guevarra’s, from birthdays to graduations and balikbayan visits.

Guevarra’s by Chef Laudico — Guevarra’s in 2014

Vintage ambiance with an old-world charm

The place itself would strongly appeal to aesthetes, given its quaint vintage-inspired architecture and decor. Situated in a house built in the 1920s, the restaurant still retains much of the place’s old-world charm from its sprawling courtyard, imposing stairway and the intricate woodwork and chandeliers in the main dining hall.

Decorating the walls are pictures commemorating the restaurant’s namesake: Pedro Guevarra, a Filipino soldier, lawyer and legislator who became Resident Commissioner of the Philippines during the American Occupation. During his term as resident commissioner, he worked tirelessly for the approval of the Tydings-McDuffie Act which paved the way for the establishment of the Philippine Commonwealth and its eventual independence from the US.

Also adorning the walls are plates signed by local celebrities which serve as their testimonials to their superb dining experiences at Guevarra’s.

Filipino buffet menu well-suited to celebrations

Chef Rolando Laudico is known for his modern take on classic Filipino dishes, and Guevarra’s menu reflects that. Its expansive array includes well-loved classics in Pinoy cuisine as well as hearty and tasty dishes from international cuisines.

Appetizers.

Breads, Rice and Pastas.

Mains, Grills and Carvings.

Desserts.

Budget-friendly celebrations

Despite its elegant setting and delicious food, Guevarra’s is surprisingly affordable. You can enjoy a sumptuous feast without breaking the bank with these buffet rates:

Regular Buffet: Php759 net (Seniors and PWDs at Php542.14)
Weekend Breakfast: P559 net (Seniors and PWDs at P399.29)

Guevarra’s by Chef Laudico is located at 387 P. Guevarra Street corner Argonne Street, Barangay Addition Hills, San Juan. For reservations and inquiries, call +63 2 870 1811, +63 2 87051874 or +63 917 3112222, or reserve online.

Buffet schedules are:

Lunch 11:00am – 2:00pm
Late Lunch 2:30pm – 4:30pm (weekends only)
Maagang Salu Salo 5:00pm – 7:00pm
Dinner 7:30pm -10:00pm
Weekend Late Lunch 2:30PM to 4:30PM
Weekend Breakfast 7:30AM to 10AM

Some reminders:

Pets are not allowed (sorry, leave your furry friends at home).
Guests are required to wear face masks at the Buffet Area.
Parking spaces are on a first come, first serve basis. Parking along Mabuhay Lane is prohibited.

New food delivery app DeliRush launched in San Juan and Mandaluyong

With a persistent drive in widening its food partner and customer touchpoints while adapting to the new normal and changing customer habits, DeliRush is determined to showcase the flavors of home kitchens and restaurants and to offer local food choices to customers.

Actively operating in the cities of Muntinlupa, Parañaque, Las Piñas, and Baguio, DeliRush, a new food delivery service app, achieves yet another milestone as it expands a branch in the prime areas of San Juan and Mandaluyong. Launched this September 2020, DeliRush San Juan-Mandaluyong is set to acquire and empower local and small foodpreneurs and offer a wide range of food selections to its residents.

As an innovative online platform, DeliRush offers an opportunity for food partners to share their menus and for customers to conveniently order food from an array of neighborhood-favorites and have it delivered at the comfort of their homes.

The DeliRush App

The DeliRush App is a food delivery platform that allows customers to discover an array of food choices and order them conveniently from the app found in Google Play for Android users and App Store for iOS users. Catering to the customers’ cravings, users can order meals or food products and have it delivered at their homes within San Juan and Mandaluyong areas.

Upon downloading the DeliRush App, with a user-friendly interface, the customers can register and activate their app accounts. The ordering process starts with the customer entering the delivery address, selecting meals or food products from preferred home kitchen or restaurant, and placing the order. The order will then be assigned to a rusher partner, the delivery riders of DeliRush. The food partner will be notified and will prepare the order to be picked up by the rusher.

DeliRush App Download Links

For Android: www.bit.ly/DeliRushPHonGooglePlay

For Apple: www.bit.ly/DeliRushPHonAppStore

The DeliRush San Juan-Mandaluyong Difference

DeliRush San Juan-Mandaluyong believes in the potential of every deli – from home kitchens to restaurants. In a tech-driven generation especially during the current pandemic wherein people are encouraged to stay at home, food delivery has been considered as essential. “Offering services in the spirit of empowering local foodpreneurs and supporting them amidst the pandemic, DeliRush is an enabler and supporter for small food businesses and riders in the localities of SJM,” Mr. Noel Lucas, General Manager of the San Juan-Mandaluyong Operations Hub, says.

With a number of huge competitors in the food delivery app services industry, DeliRush San Juan-Mandaluyong is focused on bringing local food choices to its customers. In this way, small food businesses are highlighted and customers have the opportunity to discover new eats and support local foodpreneurs.

Partnership with Jackie Lou Blanco

DeliRush San Juan-Mandaluyong has partnered with Ms. Jackie Lou Blanco, a veteran actress, fitness and wellness advocate, columnist and women’s health supporter. With DeliRush San Juan-Mandaluyong’s official launch last September 10, 2020, Ms. Blanco also launched her new peanut butter line, Jackielou’s Gourmet Nut Butter Artisan.

Like many Filipino professionals, Ms. Blanco, as an actress, has been affected by the pandemic. Given the current situation and with Ms. Blanco’s love for peanut butter, Jackielou’s Gourmet Nut Butter Artisan has been created with the help of her daughter-in-law. Handmade at home, Ms. Blanco sports four peanut butter variants – Sugar Free, Choco Nut, Cinnamon, and Cashew peanut butter.

DeliRush is the exclusive delivery partner of Jackielou’s Gourmet Nut Butter Artisan for San Juan and Mandaluyong. Residents from San Juan-Mandaluyong can now order Ms. Blanco’s peanut butter products through the DeliRush app. For orders from other areas in Metro Manila, customers may visit Jackielou’s Gourmet Nut Butter Artisan’s official Facebook page.

Hearty and tasty comfort food at Chef Robert, Greenhills

So, what is comfort food?

It is a repast that triggers nostalgia or sentiment in someone: your mom’s signature chicken soup, crispy fried chicken that your family treats you too when you get good grades, or freshly baked pan de sal whose smell waft into your nostrils as you walk by the panaderia.

This is food ingrained with our personal memories, and aside from sating our hunger, it also soothes out soul.

This is the kind of food that Chef Robert serves. Hearty and tasty, his dishes remind us of the food that mom used to serve at home for Sunday brunch, or the ones your titas used to make for family gatherings while also introducing new ways to enjoy classic Filipino viands.

Together with my fellow foodies, I visited the newly opened Chef Robert branch in Greenhills, where the restaurant transfered after closing its branch in Banawe, Quezon City. Carlo, the restaurant’s marketing manager, and Chef Robert himself was there to welcome us and give us a taste of the restaurant’s signature offerings which included:

Mushroom Fritters (Php195). A light starter for the meal which has the crispy feel of chicharon (pork rind) but less of the guilt. It is well complemented by the restaurant’s house vinegar blend.

Salad Rolls in Kani Mango (Php145 solo | Php245 regular). A fresh way to enjoy salad rolls, this has Japanese element to it with an interesting interplay of salty flavor from the kani and sweetness from the mango.

Bicol Express Pasta (Php225). According to TV host and foodie Tonipet, this dish is “matapang, masarap saka malasa.” This is a pasta dish that you will definitely come back for.

Alamang Fried Rice (Php175). Good for up to four people, it goes well with many of Chef Robert’s viands.

Tofu Sisig on Eggplant Torta (Php265). The smokey flavor of the eggplant lends well to the savory tofu.

Bangus Sisig (Php205 regular | Php325 big). A bit sweeter than the usual sisig, it also makes for a healthy alternative to the classic pork sisig dish.

Crispy Kare-Kare (Php345). Crispy deep-fried pork belly slices accompanied by steamed veggies in a rich peanut-y Kare Kare sauce and accompanied by bagoong (fermented shrimp paste).

Crispy Embutido with Egg (Php205). The holiday staple embutido is given a makeover by coating slices in panko (Japanese bread crumbs) and deep frying them to a crispy golden brown. These are accompanied by garlic fried rice and sunny-side-up egg, making it a hearty breakfast meal.

Coffee Jelly (Php140). Cubes of coffee jelly in a sweet cream and topped with a scoop of ice cream, a perfect cap to the meal.

With these flavorful and hearty dishes, it is easy to see that Chef Robert brings his ten years of culinary experience to bear to serve mouth-watering fare to San Juan city denizens.

Thanks to Dom of Around the City by iDomne and Jen of Sand Under My Feet for extending the invitation.

Have an appetite for pasta? Check out Chef Robert’s Unli Pasta offer! For only Php299 get unlimited refills of your choice of pasta among Bicol Express Pasta, Linguini Alfredo and Chicken Parmesan Spaghetti. Your order already comes with refillable red iced tea and a single serving of coffee jelly. See if you can beat the current record of eight refills!

Chef Robert is located at Os2 Providence Building, 55 Annapolis Street, Greenhills, San Juan City, open Tuesdays to Fridays from 11.30am to 9pm and Saturdays to Sundays from 11am to 9pm. For inquiries and reservations, call +63 2 2556309, +63 917 8654780 or +63 933 8664503.

Disclosure: Together with other foodies, I was invited to join a foodie meetup held at this restaurant. Food items mentioned here were served to allow us to sample the fare and were not paid for by the attendees, including myself.

Check out my reviews of other Filipino restaurants: